Around The Bend Traditional Cache
-
Difficulty:
-
-
Terrain:
-
Size: 
(small)
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
Parking in a level paved parking lot within 20 feet of cache. Room for small items.
If you were to ask some of my friends they would say that I have definitely gone "around the bend". However, this cache has nothing to do with that kind of "around the bend".
Most of the river bends along Duck River in Hickman County were named for the pioneer settlers in the area. This is true of the area know as Totty’s Bend which was named for Robert Totty. Totty, who was born in Virginia, settled in Hickman County in 1810. He first settled at the mouth of Morgan's Creek and lived a few weeks in the wagon, which bought his family across the mountains of East Tennessee into this area and then lived in a tent for several months while building a house.
Totty and his wife, Sandal Andrews Totty, brought four sons and two daughters with them. Two of their sons, Matthew and William, served in the War of 1812. After the war they received a land grant in Totty's Bend. They both died in 1815 and their farm was inherited by their brother Robert Totty, Jr. Robert Totty Sr. entered a tract of land in Totty's Bend in 1810 and moved here in 1815.
In the early years of Hickman County's history the county's unit of the State Militia played a prominent role in military affairs and Totty's Bend residents played a prominent role in the local state militia. Members of the Totty family were prominent members of the state militia. The state militia law expired in 1853, but was reorganized in 1861 for a short time. The old state militia was the forerunner of our present Tennessee National Guard system. In the early days militia was used for protection against Indian raids and later in case of civil disobedience or other emergencies.
The leading occupation of Totty's Bend has always been agriculture. The area is blessed with much scenic beauty. The fertile river bottoms and rolling hills blend in with the picturesque bluffs and wooded hills across the river. This area has produced some of the county's most progressive and successful farmers.
I love old cemeteries and of course I am going to recommend that you visit the cemetery at the nearby church. Although Robert Totty is not buried in the cemetery, all of the Tottys who rest here are his decendents.
Be sure and check out the original Totty's Bend School which is down the road less than a mile. This structure is now used as a community center for area residents.
This cache is located near a church. Please be respectful and not vist the area during services.
DUE TO THE FLOOD OF MAY 2010 YOU CAN NO LONGER CROSS THE DUCK RIVER FROM TOTTY'S BEND TO LITTLE LOT (LANDSLIDES AND CLOSED BRIDGE). THE ONLY WAY TO GET BACK TO LITTLE LOT IS THROUGH CENTERVILLE AND BACK OUT HIGHWAY 100.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Gur nafjre vf oybjvat va gur jvaq