Waverly Disaster

Waverly Disaster is a Tennessee historical marker in Humphreys County.

Humphreys County, West Railroad St. in Waverly, Tennessee

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On February 24, 1978, two days after a Louisville and Nashville train wrecked on this site, workmen were cleaning up when 22,000 pounds of liquid propane fuel from a derailed tanker car ignited and caused a massive explosion. The blast and resulting fire destroyed a great part of Waverly's old town section that included homes and businesses. Sixteen people were killed in the disaster, including Waverly's police and fire chiefs. More than 200 people suffered injury, and damage was in the millions of dollars.

TodayHistorical map

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USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection

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)
1864 · Kentucky And Tennessee (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
1936 · Waverly, Tennessee (USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection)
1950 · Waverly, Tennessee (USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection)

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

Waverly Disaster

Historical maps covering this location

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