Promise Land

Promise Land is a Tennessee historical marker in Dickson County.

Dickson Co, along Promise Land Rd. in front of St. John Church

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In this locality shortly after the Civil War, freed slaves established Promise Land, the first African-American community of Dickson County. Early settlers were Nathan Bowen, Washington Vanleer, and two brothers, John and Arch Nesbitt. In time, the community encompassed about 1000 acres, included 50 homes, several stores, two churches and a school. Although only the St John Church and the schoolhouse remain, heirs of the original African American landowners still own much of the land.

TodayHistorical map

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David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries

Historical maps covering this location

1796 · Map of The Tennassee (sic) Government. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
1797 · Tennassee Government. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
1838 · Tennessee. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
1862 · Johnson's Kentucky & Tennessee (1862) (Barry Lawrence Ruderman Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
1864 · Kentucky And Tennessee (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)

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What that marker records spans 1777 to 1789, overlapping William Gabby's years there.

From one family's 77-marker roster

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Marker text and location from the Tennessee Historical Commission, as the Commission publishes them on its marker map.

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