Ripley in Lauderdale County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)
Hands Across America Mid-Point
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, April 23, 2023
1. Hands Across America Mid-Point Marker
Hands Across America was a public fundraising event when 5 million to 6.5 million people held hands for 15 minutes in an ostensible attempt to form a continuous human chain across the contiguous United States. On Sunday, May 25, 1986, at this location, Ripley was the mid-point of the unprecedented, continuous human chain across 16 states for 4,125 miles when more than five million people held hands for 15 minutes to raise money and awareness of programs to fight adversities, hunger, and homelessness, within the United States.
Erected by Tennessee Historical Commission. (Marker Number 4E 187.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Charity & Public Work • Notable Events. In addition, it is included in the Tennessee Historical Commission series list. A significant historical date for this entry is May 25, 1986.
Location. 35° 45.941′ N, 89° 32.445′ W. Marker is in Ripley, Tennessee, in Lauderdale County. It is at the intersection of U.S. 51 and Cleveland Street (Tennessee Route 208), on the right when traveling north on U.S. 51. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in West Tennessee. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Deep South, in the Upper South, and in the Mississippi Delta. 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 13 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Lauderdale County Courthouse (approx. 1½ miles away); Ripley, TN (approx. 1½ miles away); Fort Pillow (approx. 6.6 miles away); Alex Haley's Boyhood Home (approx. 6.7 miles away); Battle of Fort Pillow (approx. 8.3 miles away); Roark Bradford (approx. 10.3 miles away); Dyersburg Army Airfield (approx. 11.6 miles away); Key Corner (approx. 12½ miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Ripley.
Also see . . . Remembering Hands Across America. History website entry:
After USA for Africa garnered
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, April 23, 2023
2. Hands Across America Mid-Point Marker
Sam Cali via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0), May 25, 1986
3. Hands Across America
The event as seen at Eakins Oval in Philadelphia.
Credits. This page was last revised on August 22, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 1, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 1,221 times since then and 235 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on May 1, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
