1876 artwork by Henry Mitchell, via Wikipedia Commons
Tennessee ranks seventh among states and provinces with markers in this database. Tennessee is a state in the United States of America located in the American South. It is also in the East South Central region. Tennessee is some 42 thousand square miles in size with a population of around 6.8 million people. The state is divided into 95 counties and all of them have entries in this database. In Tennessee we have discovered historical markers in 463 cities and towns lying in 497 different ZIP Codes.
There are at least 7,105 historical markers in Tennessee, by our count. We have cataloged 7,090 historical markers and 473 war memorials—each individually presented on 7,443 illustrated, annotated, and searchable pages of the Historical Marker Database. Pages for historical markers from this state make up 3.4% of our total. In addition, we are reasonably certain of another 15 historical markers in Tennessee that we don’t yet have, and instead show on our Want List. Our correspondents have been finding and adding hundreds of markers a month to the database from all over the world, so next time you visit this page you will probably find that the numbers here have changed.
Click or scan to see this page online.
The first Tennessee marker in the database, Graceland, was added March 6, 2006. It was photographed in Memphis in Shelby County. The last one added was submitted on April 7, 2024, and titled The Burning of Hale's Mill. It is in Byrdstown in Pickett County. Keeping in mind that the erection date of many markers in the database is not known, one of the earliest historical markers we know of in Tennessee was erected in 1849. More than one was erected that year. This one of them: Mexican War Monument, and one of our correspondents found it in Lawrenceburg in Lawrence County on March 16, 2012.
Tennesseans don’t want to forget their Civil War history. How do we know? Because there are more historical markers in the database from Tennessee about the Civil War—2,639 of them—than about any other historical topic. It is followed by Industry and Commerce with 922 markers.
The first marker added to the database with the Civil War topic was Free Hill Road, added September 9, 2007. It had been erected in Hendersonville in Sumner County. The last one submitted also was submitted on April 7, 2024, and titled The Burning of Hale's Mill. It had been erected in Byrdstown in Pickett County. The earliest marker erected with the Civil War topic that we have listed was erected in 1869. It is Unknown Confederate Dead Monument, found in Union City in Obion County on September 10, 2020.
What is the most interesting historical marker in Tennessee? What we know is that Geographic Center of Tennessee is the most viewed entry in the database from Tennessee since it was added in 2009. It is located in Murfreesboro in Rutherford County. This year so far, the most viewed Tennessean entry is also located in Murfreesboro. It is Evergreen Cemetery.
Counties, Cities and Towns
The Tennessee county with the most historical markers listed in this database is Davidson County, with 1450 of them. It is followed by Hardin County with 631 markers. The Nashville area of Davidson County has the highest number of markers within its limits, 1345. In Hardin County the area with the most markers, 612, is Shiloh.
Checking the database for the city or town in Tennessee with the most markers we again find Nashville at the top of the list with 1345 markers in or near it. And Shiloh also shows up again in next place, with 614 markers. For the ZIP Code with the most markers it’s 38376 at the top of the list with 613 markers in its delivery area. (ZIP Code 38376 is assigned to Shiloh TN.) It is followed by ZIP Code 37219 with 421 markers. (37219 is assigned to Nashville TN including the Nashvle delivery area.)
Historical Markers Near These Tennessee Cities and Towns
Getting back to Davidson County, the first marker added to the database from there, Davidson County / Sumner County, was added September 9, 2007. near Hendersonville. The last one submitted was uploaded on March 10, 2024, and is titled England Park and was erected in 2012, in Nashville. The earliest marker erected in Davidson County that we have listed was erected in 1849. It was Tomb of James Knox Polk, found in Nashville on July 16, 2015.
By Darren Jefferson Clay, April 7, 2024
Latest Entry from Tennessee “The Burning of Hale's Mill”
And finally the first, last, and oldest markers from Shiloh. The first: Shiloh United Methodist Church, was added April 3, 2008. It had been erected in 1978. The last: Ohio added on June 2, 2023. The earliest marker erected was erected in 1902: 77th Pennsylvania Infantry, added on December 14, 2010.
Who Puts Up Historical Markers?
The Tennessee Historical Commission is currently in charge of the familiar silver and black official historical markers found all over the state. We have 1,513 of their markers in the database. Also, a number of counties have erected historical markers on their streets and roads and within their public areas, as have some cities and towns.
By Julie Santee, October 2016
A Tennessee Historical Commission Historical Marker
Then there are federal government agencies that put up historical markers, especially in national parks and other areas under their jurisdiction. And finally, there are the numerous public and private organizations and individuals that erect markers. Some do this as a continual endeavor, and others once in a while, to mark something, someone, or someplace they find important or interesting. When one of our correspondents comes across one that satisfies our criteria, we add it to the database.
Off the Beaten Path
You’ll find that even the smallest, least populated, or most rural areas of Tennessee have been marked with history. Check out Sequatchie County, Pickett County and Hancock County. We've only found, respectively, 5, 4, and 2 historical markers there. Visiting one or more of these parts of Tennessee might make for a pleasant road trip, and maybe you’ll discover more historical markers while you’re there. If you do, perhaps you’ll take the time to photograph them and, when you get home, become an HMdb correspondent by adding them to the database. Happy Hunting!
Tennessee ranks seventh among states and provinces with markers in this database. Tennessee is a state in the United States of America located in the American South. It is also in the East South Central region. Tennessee is some 42 thousand square miles in size with a population of around 6.8 million people. The state is divided into 95 counties and all of them have entries in this database. In Tennessee we have discovered historical markers in 463 cities and towns lying in 497 different ZIP Codes.
There are at least 7,105 historical markers in Tennessee, by our count. We have cataloged 7,090 historical markers and 473 war memorials, each individually presented on 7,443 illustrated, annotated, and searchable pages of the Historical Marker Database. Pages for historical markers from this state make up 3.4% of our total. In addition, we are reasonably certain of another 15 historical markers in Tennessee that we don’t yet have, and instead show on our Want List. Our correspondents have been finding and adding hundreds of markers a month to the database from all over the world, so next time you visit this page you will probably find that the numbers here have changed.
Click or scan to see this page online.
The first Tennessee marker in the database, Graceland, was added March 6, 2006. It was photographed in Memphis in Shelby County. The last one added was submitted on April 7, 2024, and titled The Burning of Hale's Mill. It is in Byrdstown in Pickett County. Keeping in mind that the erection date of many markers in the database is not known, one of the earliest historical markers we know of in Tennessee was erected in 1849. More than one was erected that year. This one of them: Mexican War Monument, and one of our correspondents found it in Lawrenceburg in Lawrence County on March 16, 2012.
Tennesseans don’t want to forget their Civil War history. How do we know? Because there are more historical markers in the database from Tennessee about the Civil War, 2,639 of them, than about any other historical topic. It is followed by Industry and Commerce with 922 markers.
The first marker added to the database with the Civil War topic was Free Hill Road, added September 9, 2007. It had been erected in Hendersonville in Sumner County. The last one submitted also was submitted on April 7, 2024, and titled The Burning of Hale's Mill. It had been erected in Byrdstown in Pickett County. The earliest marker erected with the Civil War topic that we have listed was erected in 1869. It is Unknown Confederate Dead Monument, found in Union City in Obion County on September 10, 2020.
What is the most interesting historical marker in Tennessee? What we know is that Geographic Center of Tennessee is the most viewed entry in the database from Tennessee since it was added in 2009. It is located in Murfreesboro in Rutherford County. This year so far, the most viewed Tennessean entry is also located in Murfreesboro. It is Evergreen Cemetery.
Counties, Cities and Towns.
The Tennessee county with the most historical markers listed in this database is Davidson County, with 1450 of them. It is followed by Hardin County with 631 markers. The Nashville area of Davidson County has the highest number of markers within its limits, 1345. In Hardin County the area with the most markers, 612, is Shiloh.
Checking the database for the city or town in Tennessee with the most markers we again find Nashville at the top of the list with 1345 markers in or near it. And Shiloh also shows up again in next place, with 614 markers. For the ZIP Code with the most markers it’s 3 8 3 7 6 at the top of the list with 613 markers in its delivery area. (ZIP Code 3 8 3 7 6 is assigned to Shiloh TN.) It is followed by ZIP Code 3 7 2 1 9 with 421 markers. (3 7 2 1 9 is assigned to Nashville TN including the Nashvle delivery area.)
Getting back to Davidson County, the first marker added to the database from there, Davidson County / Sumner County, was added September 9, 2007. near Hendersonville. The last one submitted was uploaded on March 10, 2024, and is titled England Park and was erected in 2012, in Nashville. The earliest marker erected in Davidson County that we have listed was erected in 1849. It was Tomb of James Knox Polk, found in Nashville on July 16, 2015.
And finally the first, last, and oldest markers from Shiloh. The first: Shiloh United Methodist Church, was added April 3, 2008. It had been erected in 1978. The last: Ohio added on June 2, 2023. The earliest marker erected was erected in 1902: 77th Pennsylvania Infantry, added on December 14, 2010.
Who Puts Up Historical Markers?.
The Tennessee Historical Commission is currently in charge of the familiar silver and black official historical markers found all over the state. We have 1,513 of their markers in the database. Also, a number of counties have erected historical markers on their streets and roads and within their public areas, as have some cities and towns.
Then there are federal government agencies that put up historical markers, especially in national parks and other areas under their jurisdiction. And finally, there are the numerous public and private organizations and individuals that erect markers. Some do this as a continual endeavor, and others once in a while, to mark something, someone, or someplace they find important or interesting. When one of our correspondents comes across one that satisfies our criteria, we add it to the database.
Off the Beaten Path.
You’ll find that even the smallest, least populated, or most rural areas of Tennessee have been marked with history. Check out Sequatchie County, Pickett County and Hancock County. We've only found, respectively, 5, 4, and 2 historical markers there. Visiting one or more of these parts of Tennessee might make for a pleasant road trip, and maybe you’ll discover more historical markers while you’re there. If you do, perhaps you’ll take the time to photograph them and, when you get home, become an HMdb correspondent by adding them to the database. Happy Hunting!
Tennessee ranks seventh among states and provinces with markers in this database. Tennessee is a state in the United States of America located in the American South. It is also in the East South Central region. Tennessee is some 42 thousand square miles in size with a population of around 6.8 million people. The state is divided into 95 counties and all of them have entries in this database. In Tennessee we have discovered historical markers in 463 cities and towns lying in 497 different ZIP Codes. 
