Buffalo Valley, Putnam County, Tennessee

Buffalo Valley is an unincorporated town in far western Putnam County, Tennessee, United States.[1] The zipcode is: 38548.[2] The town could be described as a ghost town.[3]

Buffalo Valley, Tennessee
Unincorporated community
Buffalo Valley, Tennessee
Buffalo Valley, Tennessee
Coordinates: 36°08′29″N 85°47′12″W
CountryUnited States
StateTennessee
CountyPutnam
Elevation
518 ft (158 m)
Time zoneUTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
38548
Area code(s)931
GNIS feature ID1278920[1]

History

There was much activity in Buffalo Valley at an early date. There was a grist mill before 1803. At its height, Buffalo Valley was a transportation hub with three grist mills, four general stores, a pole and timber yard, several livestock dealers, a produce dealer, a bank and two blacksmith shops.[4] Evidence of such activity is still present today.

Flooding was a major cause of the town's decline.[5] In the early 20th century, Buffalo Valley suffered one flood that swept a railroad bridge away and another that devastated the entire town.[6] In the late 1990s, a scene for the movie The Green Mile was filmed in Buffalo Valley. The film utilized a railway bridge which crosses the Caney Fork River for a scene involving John Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan).[7]

As of 2019, the old Buffalo Valley School turned 90 years old.[3] What remains of the flood-prone town are some houses,[8] an active church,[9] an abandoned church,[10] a post office downtown,[11] a few abandoned stores[12][13] and the old school building (now a community center and library).[14]

Geography and Environment

Topography and Hydrology

The southwest end of town is located at the confluence of the Caney Fork River and Big Indian Creek, with the rest of the town being along the creek.[15][16] The area near town has abundant streams, rolling hills and large green pastures.[17]

Flora and Fauna

Long before settlement was made, there was a huge canebrake of Arundinaria gigantea (River Cane) in the area.[18] American bison would descend from the nearby Highland Rim to the valley to graze in the winter; the town was named when a particularly large one was killed.[19]

Climate

Buffalo Valley's climate is humid subtropical (Köppen Cfa, Trewartha Cf), giving the area mild winters and hot, humid summers. Precipitation is generally highest in spring and lowest in August to October, although a secondary peak does occur in December. On average, there are 208 sunny days, 37.4 days of highs over 90 °F (32 °C), 76.9 days of sub-freezing lows, 0.3 days of lows below 0 °F (-18 °C) and 106.8 days with at least 0.1 inches of precipitation.[20]

Notes
  1. "Buffalo Valley, Putnam County, Tennessee". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
  2. United States Postal Service (2012). "USPS - Look Up a ZIP Code". Retrieved 2012-02-15.
  3. "Buffalo Valley School celebrating 90 years". Herald Citizen.
  4. http://www.ajlambert.com/history/hst_fcbv.pdf
  5. http://www.ajlambert.com/history/hst_fcbv.pdf
  6. http://www.ajlambert.com/history/hst_fcbv.pdf
  7. "Filming Locations for The Green Mile (1999), in Tennessee and North Carolina". The Worldwide Guide to Movie Locations.
  8. https://www.google.com/maps/@36.1421617,-85.7856345,264m/data=!3m1!1e3
  9. https://www.google.com/maps/@36.1421617,-85.7856345,264m/data=!3m1!1e3
  10. https://www.google.com/maps/@36.1404808,-85.7645817,3a,48.7y,96.43h,78.51t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sN9gcmz5AmK7l_eoaysY6kQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
  11. http://www.ajlambert.com/history/hst_fcbv.pdf
  12. https://www.google.com/maps/@36.1395677,-85.7871973,3a,60y,276.11h,89.46t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sfh2bneFGPYe5l2xVk4eHdA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
  13. https://www.google.com/maps/@36.1372186,-85.7894469,3a,60y,101.3h,89.39t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sVuHppqw1TwHqjk-ZdGLNvQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
  14. http://www.ajlambert.com/history/hst_fcbv.pdf
  15. "Google Maps". Google Maps.
  16. http://www.ajlambert.com/history/hst_fcbv.pdf
  17. http://www.ajlambert.com/history/hst_fcbv.pdf
  18. http://www.ajlambert.com/history/hst_fcbv.pdf
  19. http://www.ajlambert.com/history/hst_fcbv.pdf
  20. https://www.bestplaces.net/climate/zip-code/tennessee/buffalo_valley/38548


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