Shelby Farms
Encyclopedia
Shelby Farms, located in Memphis
, Shelby County
, Tennessee
, is one of the largest urban park
s in the United States
. At a size of 4500 acres (18.2 km²), it covers more than five times the area of Central Park
in New York City
with 843 acres (3.4 km²).
Lakes, natural
forests, and wetlands provide natural habitat
s for many smaller species
close to an urban metropolitan area
. Wildlife
can be observed in their natural environment from the many trails in the park. Shelby Farms park is home to a bison
herd.
The land that forms Shelby Farms park was derived from property that had been privately owned in the 19th century. In 1825, humanist
reformer Frances Wright
founded the Nashoba Commune
on parts of what is modern day Shelby Farms. The purpose of the cummune was to emancipate slaves by providing education in practical and cultural skills. Remains of a settlement
from the late 19th century are still present in the modern day park.
From 1929 until 1964 Shelby Farms was used as a penal farm
associated with the Shelby County jail.
Shelby Farms was opened for recreational purposes in the 1970s. In 2007, a public and private non-profit
partnership was established to provide for the daily operation of the park and to plan for its future use.
In 2008, a masterplan was put in place for the redesign of the park. The re-design would provide additional hiking and biking trails as well as more opportunities for boating in a much enlarged Patriot Lake.
. It is within the area of East Memphis
Several lakes, natural forests, and the wetlands of the Wolf River
are situated in hilly surroundings.
including beavers, deer
, turtles, and different species of birds can be observed in their natural environment
. Although the park is surrounded by routes used by commuter traffic, smaller species
can still find habitats large enough to survive.
Shelby Farms park is home to a bison
herd on 56 acres (226,624.2 m²) of pasture land. Former Shelby County Mayor Bill Morris
was instrumental, along with park superintendent Tom Hill, in introducing the bison
, which now number about 45.
In 1825, Frances Wright
's Nashoba Experiment
was formed on parts of what is modern day Shelby Farms park. On 2000 acres (8.1 km²) of woodland, humanist
reformer Frances Wright, an opponent of slavery, founded a multi-racial commune
of slaves, free blacks and whites to prepare slaves and former slaves for their future freedom. Wright believed in the emancipation
of slaves by providing education for them in practical and cultural skills.
Remains of an early settlement
from the late 19th century can be found at the eastern tip of Shelby Farms park, consisting of ruins of a residential building, a disintegrated barn, car wrecks dating from the 1950s and 1960s, old fences and a family burial
site.
In 2005, the family burial site of the Mann family exists with just one grave marker remaining. The last two documented deaths, as indicated on that remaining gravestone, date back to November 25, 1891 for Robert W Mann and December 5, 1891 for Mary S Mann. Five or more graves
are marked only by their base stones.
Shelby County acquired 1600 acres (6.5 km²) of land in 1928 for use as a penal farm. How and when the remaining formerly private property
of 2900 acres (11.7 km²) was incorporated into what is now Shelby Farms park is unknown.
, in which the prisoners of the Shelby County
Jail were involved in agricultural labor
to provide food for inmates and staff, or to sell overproduction for profit on behalf of the state of Tennessee
.
Parts of Shelby Farms are still used as a semi penal farm. Some inmates of the Shelby County Jail as well as individuals sentenced to community service
are required to do yard work to keep Shelby Farms fields in shape or to pick up litter on nearby streets.
The Shelby Farms Park Alliance (SFPA) was granted a conservation easement
by the Shelby County Commission in December 2006. The easement restricts commercial
and residential development in the park area for 50 years.
In 2007, an agreement was signed between the Shelby County
Mayor
A.C. Wharton and the SFPA, forming the Shelby Farms Park Conservancy (SFPC), a public and private non-profit
partnership established by Shelby County government to help provide day-to-day operations of the park and to develop a planning process for the future of Shelby Farms park.
and biking trails meandering through the park allow visitors to observe wildlife
and nature
. On two lakes rowing boats
are allowed. On one of latter two lakes, Patriot Lake, pedal boats
can be rented. There is a 1.67 miles (2.7 km) paved trail around Patriot Lake. Another paved trail, the 2.75 miles (4.4 km) long Chickasaw Trail, is available to hikers. An unpaved trail, the Tour de Wolf, takes hikers and bikers through the woods of Shelby Farms Park for 6.08 miles (9.8 km). The paved trails are suitable for walking, running, biking, and roller-blading. The Tour de Wolf is suitable for walking, running, and mountain-biking.
Horseback riding is allowed in parts of the park and on a few trails. Horses can be rented as well. A designated runway
to start and land miniature radio control
aircraft
is present in the park for public use.
An 18-hole disc golf
course is located near the welcome center of the park.
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, Shelby County
Shelby County, Tennessee
Shelby County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the state's largest both in terms of population and geographic area, with a population of 927,644 at the 2010 census...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, is one of the largest urban park
Urban park
An urban park, is also known as a municipal park or a public park, public open space or municipal gardens , is a park in cities and other incorporated places to offer recreation and green space to residents of, and visitors to, the municipality...
s in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. At a size of 4500 acres (18.2 km²), it covers more than five times the area of Central Park
Central Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
with 843 acres (3.4 km²).
Lakes, natural
Natural environment
The natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species....
forests, and wetlands provide natural habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
s for many smaller species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
close to an urban metropolitan area
Metropolitan area
The term metropolitan area refers to a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories, sharing industry, infrastructure, and housing. A metropolitan area usually encompasses multiple jurisdictions and municipalities: neighborhoods, townships,...
. Wildlife
Wildlife
Wildlife includes all non-domesticated plants, animals and other organisms. Domesticating wild plant and animal species for human benefit has occurred many times all over the planet, and has a major impact on the environment, both positive and negative....
can be observed in their natural environment from the many trails in the park. Shelby Farms park is home to a bison
Bison
Members of the genus Bison are large, even-toed ungulates within the subfamily Bovinae. Two extant and four extinct species are recognized...
herd.
The land that forms Shelby Farms park was derived from property that had been privately owned in the 19th century. In 1825, humanist
Humanism
Humanism is an approach in study, philosophy, world view or practice that focuses on human values and concerns. In philosophy and social science, humanism is a perspective which affirms some notion of human nature, and is contrasted with anti-humanism....
reformer Frances Wright
Frances Wright
Frances Wright also widely known as Fanny Wright, was a Scottish-born lecturer, writer, freethinker, feminist, abolitionist, and social reformer, who became a U. S. citizen in 1825...
founded the Nashoba Commune
Nashoba Commune
Nashoba Commune was an experimental project of Fanny Wright, initiated in 1825 to educate and emancipate slaves. It was located in a 2,000-acre woodland on the side of present-day Germantown, Tennessee, a Memphis suburb, along the Wolf River...
on parts of what is modern day Shelby Farms. The purpose of the cummune was to emancipate slaves by providing education in practical and cultural skills. Remains of a settlement
Settler
A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established permanent residence there, often to colonize the area. Settlers are generally people who take up residence on land and cultivate it, as opposed to nomads...
from the late 19th century are still present in the modern day park.
From 1929 until 1964 Shelby Farms was used as a penal farm
Prison farm
A prison farm is a large correctional facility where penal labor convicts are put to economical use in a 'farm' , usually for manual labour, largely in open air, such as in agriculture, logging, quarrying, etc...
associated with the Shelby County jail.
Shelby Farms was opened for recreational purposes in the 1970s. In 2007, a public and private non-profit
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
partnership was established to provide for the daily operation of the park and to plan for its future use.
In 2008, a masterplan was put in place for the redesign of the park. The re-design would provide additional hiking and biking trails as well as more opportunities for boating in a much enlarged Patriot Lake.
Geography
Encompassing about 4500 acres (18.2 km²) of land, Shelby Farms is one of the largest urban parks in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is within the area of East Memphis
East Memphis, Memphis
East Memphis is a region of Memphis, Tennessee, that includes several defined and informal subdivisions/neighborhoods such as Colonial Acres, White Station-Yates, Sherwood Forest, Normal Station, High Point Terrace, Belle Meade, Normandy Meadows, St. Nick, Pleasant Acres, Balmoral, and Ridgeway...
Several lakes, natural forests, and the wetlands of the Wolf River
Wolf River (Tennessee)
The Wolf River is a alluvial stream in western Tennessee and northern Mississippi, whose confluence with the Mississippi River was the site of various Chickasaw, French, Spanish and American communities and forts that eventually became Memphis, Tennessee....
are situated in hilly surroundings.
Wildlife
WildlifeWildlife
Wildlife includes all non-domesticated plants, animals and other organisms. Domesticating wild plant and animal species for human benefit has occurred many times all over the planet, and has a major impact on the environment, both positive and negative....
including beavers, deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
, turtles, and different species of birds can be observed in their natural environment
Natural environment
The natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species....
. Although the park is surrounded by routes used by commuter traffic, smaller species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
can still find habitats large enough to survive.
Shelby Farms park is home to a bison
Bison
Members of the genus Bison are large, even-toed ungulates within the subfamily Bovinae. Two extant and four extinct species are recognized...
herd on 56 acres (226,624.2 m²) of pasture land. Former Shelby County Mayor Bill Morris
William N. Morris
William N. "Bill" Morris is a Tennessee politician who served as mayor of Shelby County, which includes Memphis, Tennessee. He also served as Sheriff of Shelby County. He was the president of the Tennessee County Services Association, an organization of county officials.Morris served as the...
was instrumental, along with park superintendent Tom Hill, in introducing the bison
Bison
Members of the genus Bison are large, even-toed ungulates within the subfamily Bovinae. Two extant and four extinct species are recognized...
, which now number about 45.
19th century
Frances Wright
Frances Wright also widely known as Fanny Wright, was a Scottish-born lecturer, writer, freethinker, feminist, abolitionist, and social reformer, who became a U. S. citizen in 1825...
's Nashoba Experiment
Nashoba Commune
Nashoba Commune was an experimental project of Fanny Wright, initiated in 1825 to educate and emancipate slaves. It was located in a 2,000-acre woodland on the side of present-day Germantown, Tennessee, a Memphis suburb, along the Wolf River...
was formed on parts of what is modern day Shelby Farms park. On 2000 acres (8.1 km²) of woodland, humanist
Humanism
Humanism is an approach in study, philosophy, world view or practice that focuses on human values and concerns. In philosophy and social science, humanism is a perspective which affirms some notion of human nature, and is contrasted with anti-humanism....
reformer Frances Wright, an opponent of slavery, founded a multi-racial commune
Commune (intentional community)
A commune is an intentional community of people living together, sharing common interests, property, possessions, resources, and, in some communes, work and income. In addition to the communal economy, consensus decision-making, non-hierarchical structures and ecological living have become...
of slaves, free blacks and whites to prepare slaves and former slaves for their future freedom. Wright believed in the emancipation
Emancipation
Emancipation means the act of setting an individual or social group free or making equal to citizens in a political society.Emancipation may also refer to:* Emancipation , a champion Australian thoroughbred racehorse foaled in 1979...
of slaves by providing education for them in practical and cultural skills.
Remains of an early settlement
Settler
A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established permanent residence there, often to colonize the area. Settlers are generally people who take up residence on land and cultivate it, as opposed to nomads...
from the late 19th century can be found at the eastern tip of Shelby Farms park, consisting of ruins of a residential building, a disintegrated barn, car wrecks dating from the 1950s and 1960s, old fences and a family burial
Burial
Burial is the act of placing a person or object into the ground. This is accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing an object in it, and covering it over.-History:...
site.
In 2005, the family burial site of the Mann family exists with just one grave marker remaining. The last two documented deaths, as indicated on that remaining gravestone, date back to November 25, 1891 for Robert W Mann and December 5, 1891 for Mary S Mann. Five or more graves
Grave (burial)
A grave is a location where a dead body is buried. Graves are usually located in special areas set aside for the purpose of burial, such as graveyards or cemeteries....
are marked only by their base stones.
Shelby County acquired 1600 acres (6.5 km²) of land in 1928 for use as a penal farm. How and when the remaining formerly private property
Private property
Private property is the right of persons and firms to obtain, own, control, employ, dispose of, and bequeath land, capital, and other forms of property. Private property is distinguishable from public property, which refers to assets owned by a state, community or government rather than by...
of 2900 acres (11.7 km²) was incorporated into what is now Shelby Farms park is unknown.
Penal farm
From 1929 until 1964 Shelby Farms was used as a penal farmPrison farm
A prison farm is a large correctional facility where penal labor convicts are put to economical use in a 'farm' , usually for manual labour, largely in open air, such as in agriculture, logging, quarrying, etc...
, in which the prisoners of the Shelby County
Shelby County, Tennessee
Shelby County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the state's largest both in terms of population and geographic area, with a population of 927,644 at the 2010 census...
Jail were involved in agricultural labor
Manual labour
Manual labour , manual or manual work is physical work done by people, most especially in contrast to that done by machines, and also to that done by working animals...
to provide food for inmates and staff, or to sell overproduction for profit on behalf of the state of Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
.
Parts of Shelby Farms are still used as a semi penal farm. Some inmates of the Shelby County Jail as well as individuals sentenced to community service
Community service
Community service is donated service or activity that is performed by someone or a group of people for the benefit of the public or its institutions....
are required to do yard work to keep Shelby Farms fields in shape or to pick up litter on nearby streets.
Since the 1970s
In the 1970s the Shelby County Commission opened the area for recreational purposes.The Shelby Farms Park Alliance (SFPA) was granted a conservation easement
Easement
An easement is a certain right to use the real property of another without possessing it.Easements are helpful for providing pathways across two or more pieces of property or allowing an individual to fish in a privately owned pond...
by the Shelby County Commission in December 2006. The easement restricts commercial
Commerce
While business refers to the value-creating activities of an organization for profit, commerce means the whole system of an economy that constitutes an environment for business. The system includes legal, economic, political, social, cultural, and technological systems that are in operation in any...
and residential development in the park area for 50 years.
In 2007, an agreement was signed between the Shelby County
Shelby County, Tennessee
Shelby County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the state's largest both in terms of population and geographic area, with a population of 927,644 at the 2010 census...
Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
A.C. Wharton and the SFPA, forming the Shelby Farms Park Conservancy (SFPC), a public and private non-profit
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
partnership established by Shelby County government to help provide day-to-day operations of the park and to develop a planning process for the future of Shelby Farms park.
Future
A masterplan was put in place in 2008 to direct a major re-design of the park. An extension of Patriot Lake is planned to accommodate for more boating and surfing activities and to extend the paved trail around the lake. Additional hiking and biking trails are proposed and 1,000,000 new trees are planned to be planted to make Shelby Farms a park of the 21st century.Recreation
HikingHiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
and biking trails meandering through the park allow visitors to observe wildlife
Wildlife
Wildlife includes all non-domesticated plants, animals and other organisms. Domesticating wild plant and animal species for human benefit has occurred many times all over the planet, and has a major impact on the environment, both positive and negative....
and nature
Nature
Nature, in the broadest sense, is equivalent to the natural world, physical world, or material world. "Nature" refers to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general...
. On two lakes rowing boats
Watercraft rowing
Watercraft rowing is the act of propelling a boat using the motion of oars in the water. The difference between paddling and rowing is that with rowing the oars have a mechanical connection with the boat whereas with paddling the paddles are hand-held with no mechanical connection.This article...
are allowed. On one of latter two lakes, Patriot Lake, pedal boats
Pedalo
A paddle boat or "pedalo" is a form of waterborne transport, primarily for recreational use, powered through the use of pedals....
can be rented. There is a 1.67 miles (2.7 km) paved trail around Patriot Lake. Another paved trail, the 2.75 miles (4.4 km) long Chickasaw Trail, is available to hikers. An unpaved trail, the Tour de Wolf, takes hikers and bikers through the woods of Shelby Farms Park for 6.08 miles (9.8 km). The paved trails are suitable for walking, running, biking, and roller-blading. The Tour de Wolf is suitable for walking, running, and mountain-biking.
Horseback riding is allowed in parts of the park and on a few trails. Horses can be rented as well. A designated runway
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
to start and land miniature radio control
Radio control
Radio control is the use of radio signals to remotely control a device. The term is used frequently to refer to the control of model vehicles from a hand-held radio transmitter...
aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
is present in the park for public use.
An 18-hole disc golf
Disc golf
Disc golf is a disc game in which individual players throw a flying disc into a basket or at a target. According to the Professional Disc Golf Association, "The object of the game is to traverse a course from beginning to end in the fewest number of throws of the disc." Of the more than 3000...
course is located near the welcome center of the park.