A Brief History of Johnsonville

Situated in west-central Tennessee in Humphreys County, the historic town of Johnsonville now lies at the bottom of Kentucky Lake. Prior to construction of a dam across the Tennessee River at Gilbertsville, Kentucky in 1944 and the subsequent creation of Kentucky Lake, Johnsonville lay on the east bank of the Tennessee River. Flowing south to north, and relatively straight at Johnsonville, the river was approximately 400 yards wide at the town, which originated as a ferry landing. Before the waters of Kentucky Lake covered Johnsonville, Trace Creek emptied its waters into the river approximately one-half mile north of the town on the east bank, and Reynoldsburg Island split the river flow two miles downstream from the town. As stated by Irion and Beard, "river traffic that was headed upstream passed the island through a narrow chute that hugged the west bank. South of the island, the channel abruptly cut to the east bank. Shoal water, through which no vessel could navigate, lay east of the island" (1993:3). Both the mouth of Trace Creek and Reynoldsburg Island now lay submerged beneath the waters of Kentucky Lake.    Drawing courtesy of David Meaghers The town of Johnsonville became a strategic supply point for the Union when they selected the ferry town as the western terminus of the Nashville and Northwestern military railroad. In an effort to support General Sherman's siege of Atlanta, the railroad was established to transport military supplies coming up the Tennessee River by steamboat and then transferred on to Nashville by rail. Based on archival data and historic period photographs, above is David Meagher's artistic representation of the landing during its tenure as a Union supply depot. In an effort to cut Union supplies, Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest sacked the town on November 4, 1864. The attack caused the destruction of four Union tinclads, a number of transport steamers and barges, quartermaster supplies on the bank, and much of the town itself (for an excellent account of the battle and the events leading up to it see Irion and Beard 1993). Perhaps the most significant vessel types lost at the Battle of Johnsonville were the four Union tinclads: the 140-foot sternwheeler Undine #55; the 156-foot sternwheeler Key West #32; the Elfin #52, a 155-foot sternwheeler; and the sidewheeler Tawah #29 (Irion and Beard 1993:42-43; Way 1983; Lytle and Holdcamper 1975). Along with the loss of the four Union Navy tinclads, a number of transports and barges were also destroyed as a result of Forrest's raid. In 1867, the now-civilian Nashville and Northwestern Railroad built a bridge across the river, thereby insuring Johnsonville's continuance as a port. However, the construction of the bridge piers caused the formation of several bars that seriously narrowed the channel used by packet steamers (Corps of Engineers Annual Reports 1908:561). Below is an aerial photograph that shows Johnsonville in 1939, just a few years prior to its inundation by the waters of Kentucky Lake. The Nashville and Northwestern Railroad Bridge, which was dismantled prior to the damming of the river, is shown along with a spur line which leads to the Johnsonville landing. Occupying the landing that once acted as a main supply depot for the Union, immediately to the north of the bridge is what appears to be a large, multi-storied freight transfer building ("elevator") with a barge at its foundation, and just downriver is a sand and gravel business. Numerous barges can be seen being loaded or offloaded by a derrick crane at this site. A large sand bar is located adjacent to the barges; another emanates from the mouth of Trace Creek.   1939 aerial view of Johnsonville looking north or downriver. Note freight terminal building just downriver from the bridge. Barge in front has on deck an aggregate hopper used in the concrete industry. Just downstream are a series of barges being loaded or offloaded with what appears to be sand and/or gravel. Also note large sandbar just downstream as well as one at mouth of Trace Creek; small launches; and a lack of buildings upriver of the bridge (courtesy of the Tennessee Historical Commission).