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 Buford Pusser
N 35° 14.180 W 088° 23.823
16S E 372880 N 3900146
Buford Pusser was Sheriff of McNairy County, Tennessee from 1964-1970. The 1974 motion picture "Walking Tall" was based on his life.
Waymark Code: WMPXD
Location: Tennessee, United States
Date Posted: 09/08/2006
Views: 297
Buford Pusser was Sheriff of McNairy County, Tennessee form 1964 - 1970. He is know for his crusade against the Dixie Mafia, which was in charge of organized crime, drugs and gambling near the Tennessee-Mississippi State Line. When he was elected sheriff in 1964, he was only 26-years old making him the youngest elected sheriffs in Tennessee.
On August 12, 1967, Sheriff Pusser received a call at his home reporting a disturbance on New Hope Road. His wife Pauline decided to accompany him on the call. As they neared the New Hope Methodist Church two cars pulled along side and opened fire. Pauline Pusser was killed and Sheriff Pusser was seriouly wounded. Buford Pusser recovered and served as Sheriff of 2 1/2 more years before. Due to term limits Sheriff Pusser was prohibited from running for another term.
The 1973 movie Walking Tall was based on the his life.
Buford Pusser died August 21, 1974 from injuries he received in an automobile crash, which occurred on Route 64 near the intersection of Lawton Road. Sheriff Pusser died at the scene of the crash and is buried in the Adamsville Cemetery in Adamsville, Tennessee.
Description:
Buford Hayse Pusser the Sheriff of McNairy County, Tennessee from 1964 to 1970. Pusser is known for his virtual one-man war on moonshining, gambling and other vices on the Mississippi-Tennessee border. He joined the Marines when he was seventeen, but his military career was cut short during basic training when it was discovered he had asthma. He thereafter lived in Chicago for a short time, working as a wrestler. While there, he met and married his wife Pauline. Pusser soon thereafter returned to his home state, moving with his wife to Adamsville, Tennessee.
Pusser served as the Adamsville, Tennessee police chief and constable from 1962 to 1964. He then ran for McNairy County, Tennessee sheriff in 1964, and won. Thus, at the age of 26, Pusser became the youngest sheriff in the history of the state of Tennessee.
At that time the Dixie Mafia was led by Jack Hathcock who ran The Forty-Five Grill, a restaurant and dance hall near Corinth, Mississippi, just inside the Mississippi state line. The restaurant had opened in 1950, as a front for gambling with a reputation for violence towards any patrons who complained about crooked games. The restaurant was also the focal point for organized crime that included bootlegging. Jack was killed by Carl Douglas "Towhead" White, who was the infamous leader of the State Line Mob, who successfully claimed self defense. Jack's wife, Louise Hathcock would soon become White's mistress.
On February 1st, 1966 Pusser attempted to arrest Louise Hathcock for robbery; when she opened fire on him, he fired back and killed her.
Already a local hero, Pusser's "war" on the "State Line Mob" was brought to national prominence when his wife, Pauline, was killed on August 12, 1967 in an assassination attempt meant for him, which was ordered by Carl Douglas "Towhead" White
In 1970, Pusser relinquished his role as sheriff due to a law limiting the number of terms a sheriff could serve. Pusser was elected again as constable by a majority of voters who wrote his name on their ballots. He served in that position for 2 more years.
Pusser died August 21, 1974 from wounds sustained in an automobile crash in which his car hit an embankment and he was ejected from the vehicle. Buford Pusser was buried beside his wife in the Adamsville Cemetery in Adamsville, Tennessee.
Source: Wikipedia
Date of birth: 12/12/1937
Date of death: 08/21/1974
Area of notoriety: Law Enforcement
Marker Type: Headstone
Setting: Outdoor
Visiting Hours/Restrictions: Dawn to Dusk
Fee required?: No
Web site: [Web Link]
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