The Forgotten Frontier Woman

Tucked away deep in the rolling hills of  Belvidere, Tennessee, is a sylvan ridge. The sloped area is home to towering trees where singing birds flit about. 

But it is also home to the resting ground for a long forgotten woman. The path to her grave winds up the ridge and the sunlight becomes obstructed by leaves. Approaching this ancient cemetery, the songbirds become distant. Only the breeze of a late spring afternoon can be heard. Dilapidated headstones come into sight and among them stands an 8-foot tall limestone memorial. Rounding to the front of the monument, a small bouquet of pink plastic flowers rest at the ground. The shell of a cicada long gone sits atop the false flora. Looking to the monument, the rustic carvings spell out a quiet reminder of who rests here: “POLLY FINLAY CROCKETT.”

As the first wife of American legend Davy Crockett, Polly Crockett lived an interesting and difficult life. Despite the fame of her husband, Polly’s legacy has become more of a short fable that’s seldom told. Regardless, her presence in Franklin County has endured for more than 200 years.