T. O. Fuller State Park, Tennessee state park in South Memphis, United States
T. O. Fuller State Park is a state park in South Memphis, Tennessee, covering woodland areas between Mississippi flood plains and forested ridges. The grounds include hiking trails as well as sports facilities such as tennis courts, basketball courts, and softball fields.
The park was established in 1938 with the help of the Civilian Conservation Corps, making it the first state park for African Americans east of the Mississippi River. During construction in 1940, workers uncovered the remains of a prehistoric Native American settlement that would later become part of the park's public offering.
The park is named after Thomas O. Fuller, an African American educator whose name remains tied to this green space in South Memphis. Today the park is a gathering place for local families, with sports fields and picnic areas that see regular use throughout the week.
Comfortable shoes are a good idea if you plan to walk the trails, as the terrain shifts between flat flood plain areas and sloped woodland ridges. The swimming pool is seasonal, but the sports courts and picnic areas are generally accessible throughout the year.
The Chucalissa Indian Village and Museum within the park sits directly on top of the original settlement site, so visitors walk over ground that has been inhabited for roughly 1,000 years. This is one of the few places in the country where a museum is built on the very archaeological site it interprets.
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