County of city Hall: Lawrence County
Location of city hall: Public Square & S. Military St., Lawrenceburg
Phone: 931.762.4459
The Person:
"James Lawrence, (born Oct. 1, 1781, Burlington, N.J., U.S.—died June 1, 1813, in a sea battle off Boston, Mass.), U.S. naval officer of the War of 1812 whose dying words, “Don’t give up the ship,” became one of the U.S. Navy’s most cherished traditions.
Lawrence entered the navy as a midshipman (1798) and fought against the Barbary pirates. He was first lieutenant to Lieutenant Stephen Decatur when the USS Philadelphia, which had been captured by the Tripolitans, was destroyed in Tripoli harbour by Decatur-led forces (1804). During the War of 1812 Lawrence commanded the USS Hornet in the capture of HMS Peacock. Shortly thereafter he was promoted to captain of the frigate Chesapeake. On June 1, 1813, the Chesapeake accepted HMS Shannon’s challenge to a sea fight off Boston (see photograph). The Chesapeake was decisively defeated in less than an hour and Lawrence was mortally wounded." ~ Encyclopedia Britannica
The Place:
"Lawrenceburg is a city in and the county seat of Lawrence County, Tennessee, United States, The largest city on the state's southern border between Chattanooga and Memphis, it lies on the banks of Shoal Creek. The population was 10,428 at the 2010 United States Census. The city is named after War of 1812 American Navy officer James Lawrence.
"Located around 80 miles (130 km) southwest of Nashville at the junction of U.S. Routes 43 and 64, Lawrenceburg is called the "Crossroads of Dixie."
HISTORY
"According to a recent theory, the Lawrenceburg area is the likely site of "Chicasa"—the place where Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto and his men wintered in 1540–41 (earlier theories have suggested this campsite to have been in northern Mississippi.) The Cherokee sold the area to the US in 1806.
"Upon moving from East Tennessee in the early 19th century, around 1817, David Crockett served as a justice of the peace, a colonel of the militia, and a state representative. David Crockett established a powder mill on Shoal Creek originally called the Sycamore River. This area is now home to David Crockett State Park. Crockett was elected as a commissioner and served on the board that placed Lawrenceburg four miles (6 km) west of the geographic center of Lawrence County. Crockett was opposed to the city being located in its current location, largely out of fear of flooding. He and his family lived in Lawrenceburg for several years before moving to West Tennessee after a flood destroyed his mill.
"After World War II, the Murray Ohio Manufacturing Company, a U.S. producer of bicycles and outdoor equipment, moved its manufacturing operations to Lawrenceburg, building a new factory and assembly plant. Over the next several decades, the Murray factory grew to be one of the largest in the United States: 42.7 acres (173,000 m2) under roof.
"A 500-year flood struck Lawrenceburg in July 1998, killing two people on Shoal Creek.
"Following the flood, the city undertook a 10-year flood control project that dramatically reduced risk for a catastrophic flood that had plagued the town since the days of Davy Crockett." ~ Wikipedia