Columbia in Maury County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)
"Betty Lee Park"
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, June 6, 2020
1. "Betty Lee Park" Marker
Betty Lee Erwin McCord (1925-1953), a Maury County, TN native, was dedicated to the health and well-being of the youth of this area. Our beloved Betty Lee was a physical education teacher and girls basketball coach at Columbia Central High School from 1947-1953. Following her untimely death on December 25, 1953, this property was given as a recreational park by her parents, Bert and Elizabeth M. Erwin and family. The purpose of these grounds is to carry on Betty Lee's visionary efforts in providing youth with a place to exercise for good health and to learn good sportsmanship through sports activities. This property was formerly dedicated to the memory of Betty Lee Erwin McCord on April 27, 1956.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Education • Parks & Recreational Areas • Sports • Women. A significant historical date for this entry is April 27, 1956.
Location. 35° 38.319′ N, 87° 2.645′ W. Marker is in Columbia, Tennessee, in Maury County. It is at the intersection of Santa Fe Pike and Royal Oaks Drive, on the right when traveling
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Regionally, this marker is in Middle Tennessee and in Greater Nashville. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: GrafTech International / National Carbon Company (approx. 0.2 miles away); John Harlan Willis Memorial Bridge (approx. 1.2 miles away); Saint Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church (approx. 1.4 miles away); Thank You (approx. 1.4 miles away); Jane Knox Polk Chapter (approx. 1½ miles away); The Polk Family (approx. 1½ miles away); Camille Leonie Herndon (approx. 1½ miles away); Greenwood (approx. 1½ miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, June 6, 2020
2. “Betty Lee Park” Marker
Regarding "Betty Lee Park". Her first name is spelled Bettye on her grave stone in McCain's Cumberland Presbyterian Church Cemetery in Maury County.
Duck River Valley Chronicle 1956 Notice. April 27 [1956] - Mrs. Bert Erwin and daughter Margret Erwin Foster conveyed 6 acres of land to the city of Columbia to be used as a playground and recreation area for children. The land is in the Royal Oaks subdivision on Santa Fe Pike and was presented to Mayor Tom F. Williams. The park is a memorial to Miss Betty Lee Erwin McCord, physical education teacher at Central High School, killed in a 1953 auto accident.
Also see . . . Source for different spelling of first name. (Submitted on June 11, 2020, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
Credits. This page was last revised on May 11, 2025. It was originally submitted on June 10, 2020, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 592 times since then and 50 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 10, 2020, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
