BACKGROUND:
The L&N Railroad served as a working line running through
the Vollintine-Evergreen community from before the Civil War to
1980. The route previously extended from downtown Memphis to
Raleigh, and beyond to Nashville and Louisville. In its later
years, the L&N route exclusively served the huge Sears
Distribution Center at Crosstown.
CSX abandoned the L&N Railroad right-of-way in 1980,
including 1.7 miles passing through Vollintine-Evergreen. The City
of Memphis chose not to purchase the land, so the area laid vacant
and unmaintained for years. Dumping, litter, and high weeds became
commonplace, and the area turned into an attractive haven for
crime. Neighborhood residents were afraid to walk the area because
of its "no-man’s land" appearance.
The community received grant funds from the Pew Charitable
Trusts in 1995 to undertake widespread community revitalization.
The Vollintine-Evergreen Community Development Corporation used
some of these funds to purchase the abandoned right-of-way in
November 1996 and subsequently renamed it the V&E Greenline. By 1998,
no additional Pew grant funds were available, and since then
Greenline maintenance has been funded solely with tax-deductible
contributions from neighbors and trail users. Residents began
maintaining the area on a small scale, and later extended the
operation so that volunteers now maintain the entire 1.7 miles of
the V&E Greenline. Today the trail features a community garden,
an arbor, and two pedestrian bridges, and is frequented by exercise
buffs, cyclists, pet walkers, and nature lovers. The Greenline has
been named as a Trail of
the Month by the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy.
THE CACHE:
This section of the V&E Greenline is known as "The Cut," so
named because railroad engineers blasted a cut through a slightly
elevated portion of the route to create a level grade, leaving
steep banks on each side of the pathway. Since the abandonment of
the line in 1980 the area became overgrown with kudzu, a
fast-growing invasive species that frequently kills large trees by
blocking sunlight and robbing vital nutrients. To the delight of
residents whose property adjoins this section, community volunteers
recently removed the kudzu, exposing the long-hidden natural beauty
of the area.
You'll be looking for a camouflaged Lock&Lock container
holding a logscroll, a pen, and a few small trade items. There's no
need to enter private property to reach the cache, although you'll
have to leave the trail itself. Be sure to check out the strange
tree at the cache site; you'll see that it's actually two distinct
species that have grown together. Enjoy!
 Kid Friendly 
Lunchtime Cache  Dogs Allowed
 Rails to Trails
 Beware of Muggles!
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