Tom Lee Park
Encyclopedia
Tom Lee Park is a city park located to the immediate west of downtown
Memphis
, Tennessee
, overlooking the Mississippi River
. Encompassing about 30 acre
s (0.12 km²) parallel to the Mississippi River for about one mile (1.6 km), it offers panoramic views of the Mississippi River
and the shores of Arkansas
on the opposite side. The park is named after Tom Lee, an African-American riverworker, who saved the lives of 32 passengers of the sinking steamboat
M.E. Norman
in 1925.
Luxury homes and condominiums line the top of the bluff overlooking the park and the river. The park hosts events throughout the year, perhaps most notably the major weekend events during Memphis in May
. Tom Lee Park is a popular location for walkers, joggers, roller bladers and cyclists.
s (0.12 km²), running south from Beale Street
, bounded by the Mississippi River to the west, and Riverside Blvd to the east, offering panoramic views of the Mississippi River
.
The park is located at 35.13955606°N 90.05808020°W.
Late during the afternoon of May 8, 1925, Lee steered his 28 ft (8.5 m) skiff Zev upriver after delivering an official to Helena, Arkansas
.
Also on the river was a steamboat
, the M.E. Norman
, carrying members of the Engineers Club of Memphis, the American Society of Civil Engineers, and their families.
Tom Lee died of cancer
on April 1, 1952 at John Gaston Hospital. Two years after his death, the park along the Memphis Riverfront was named in his honor and a granite obelisk was erected.
In October 2006, a bronze
sculpture by artist David Alan Clark was erected in the park to commemorate the event and to honor the civil hero. The sculpture depicts the rescue of a survivor saved from drowning in the Mississippi River.
Among several events held throughout the year, the park is well known throughout the city and region as the site of different outdoor events.
celebration is the primary event in the park.
The Beale Street Music Festival
is a three-day event during the Memphis in May celebration, hosting over 60 musical acts annually on three stages, ranging from blues, to hip-hop, to metal.
The Sunset Symphony concert, the largest annual performance event of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, is a highlight in the park during Memorial Day weekend, near the end of the Memphis in May celebration.
Downtown Memphis, Tennessee
Downtown Memphis, Tennessee is the central business district of Memphis, Tennessee and is located along the Mississippi River between Interstate 40 to the north, Interstate 55 to the south and I-240 to the east, where it abuts Midtown Memphis....
Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, overlooking the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
. Encompassing about 30 acre
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
s (0.12 km²) parallel to the Mississippi River for about one mile (1.6 km), it offers panoramic views of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
and the shores of Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
on the opposite side. The park is named after Tom Lee, an African-American riverworker, who saved the lives of 32 passengers of the sinking steamboat
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
M.E. Norman
M.E. Norman
M.E. Norman was a -long sternwheel steamboat operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.On May 8, 1925, the M.E. Norman sank after an explosion. Tom Lee, an African-American riverworker, saved the lives of 32 passengers.-Sinking of the boat:...
in 1925.
Luxury homes and condominiums line the top of the bluff overlooking the park and the river. The park hosts events throughout the year, perhaps most notably the major weekend events during Memphis in May
Memphis in May
Memphis in May is a month long festival held in Memphis, Tennessee. The festival itself is split into four main events: The Beale Street Music Festival, the kick-off event which showcases a mix of local and national music acts, International Week, a group of events dedicated to the country that is...
. Tom Lee Park is a popular location for walkers, joggers, roller bladers and cyclists.
Geography
Tom Lee Park is approximately one mile (1.6 km) long, but not more than 400 ft (120 m) wide at any point. It encompasses about 30 acreAcre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
s (0.12 km²), running south from Beale Street
Beale Street
Beale Street is a street in Downtown Memphis, Tennessee, which runs from the Mississippi River to East Street, a distance of approximately . It is a significant location in the city's history, as well as in the history of the blues. Today, the blues clubs and restaurants that line Beale Street are...
, bounded by the Mississippi River to the west, and Riverside Blvd to the east, offering panoramic views of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
.
The park is located at 35.13955606°N 90.05808020°W.
Sinking of the M.E.Norman
The park is named after area resident Tom Lee (1885–1952).Late during the afternoon of May 8, 1925, Lee steered his 28 ft (8.5 m) skiff Zev upriver after delivering an official to Helena, Arkansas
Helena, Arkansas
Helena is the eastern portion of Helena-West Helena, Arkansas, a city in Phillips County, Arkansas. As of the 2000 census, this portion of the city population was 6,323. Helena was the county seat of Phillips County until January 1, 2006, when it merged its government and city limits with...
.
Also on the river was a steamboat
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
, the M.E. Norman
M.E. Norman
M.E. Norman was a -long sternwheel steamboat operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.On May 8, 1925, the M.E. Norman sank after an explosion. Tom Lee, an African-American riverworker, saved the lives of 32 passengers.-Sinking of the boat:...
, carrying members of the Engineers Club of Memphis, the American Society of Civil Engineers, and their families.
One man rescues 32 lives
Tom Lee witnessed the M.E. Norman capsize in the swift current 15 mi (24 km) downriver from Memphis at Cow Island Bend. Although he could not swim, he rescued 32 people with five trips to shore. Lee acted quickly, calmly and with no regard for his own safety, continuing to search after night fell. Because of his efforts, only 23 people died.Posthumous honors
To honor the hero, the Memphis Engineers Club raised enough money to purchase a house for Lee and his wife.Tom Lee died of cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
on April 1, 1952 at John Gaston Hospital. Two years after his death, the park along the Memphis Riverfront was named in his honor and a granite obelisk was erected.
In October 2006, a bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
sculpture by artist David Alan Clark was erected in the park to commemorate the event and to honor the civil hero. The sculpture depicts the rescue of a survivor saved from drowning in the Mississippi River.
Events held in Tom Lee Park
Music
The annual Memphis in MayMemphis in May
Memphis in May is a month long festival held in Memphis, Tennessee. The festival itself is split into four main events: The Beale Street Music Festival, the kick-off event which showcases a mix of local and national music acts, International Week, a group of events dedicated to the country that is...
celebration is the primary event in the park.
The Beale Street Music Festival
Memphis in May
Memphis in May is a month long festival held in Memphis, Tennessee. The festival itself is split into four main events: The Beale Street Music Festival, the kick-off event which showcases a mix of local and national music acts, International Week, a group of events dedicated to the country that is...
is a three-day event during the Memphis in May celebration, hosting over 60 musical acts annually on three stages, ranging from blues, to hip-hop, to metal.
The Sunset Symphony concert, the largest annual performance event of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, is a highlight in the park during Memorial Day weekend, near the end of the Memphis in May celebration.