Meriwether Lewis grave site on the Natchez Trace Parkway
Meriwether Lewis Site Main Page
Explorer Meriwether Lewis of Lewis and Clark fame died on October 11, 1809, of gunshots to the head and chest while staying at Grinder’s Stand, an inn along the Natchez Trace. It is believed he committed suicide, but murder cannot be ruled out. Due to the lack of forensic science at the time, his true fate may never be known.
Lewis had been appointed governor of the Upper Louisiana Territory by President Thomas Jefferson when he became caught up in a financial scandal. On September 9th, he set out from New Orleans to clear his name, deciding to take the Natchez Trace instead of sailing to Washington, DC. The Trace was well known for its thieves and murderers who preyed on travelers, so murder is definitely a possibility for anyone meeting his demise along the trail. However, supposedly Lewis had written his will just before the journey, and he had also tried to commit suicide earlier and was restrained, thus the reason for the suicide theory.
Lewis was buried near Grinder’s Stand, though the exact location was lost over the subsequent years. In 1848, the state of Tennessee set out to locate the grave and erect a proper memorial. One old-timer named George Nixon was consulted, and he pointed out what he believed to be the grave site. The grave was opened and Lewis’s remains were positively identified (those examining the remains concluded that he was murdered, though most historians still stick with the suicide theory). The state erected the memorial that still stands today.
Meriwether Lewis grave inscription
Meriwether Lewis grave inscription
Meriwether Lewis grave inscription
Meriwether Lewis grave inscription in Latin
To counter the suicide theory, starting in 1993 Lewis’s descendants lobbied to have the body exhumed once again, but since the site was now part of the National Park system, the National Park Service had to agree, which it did not. Requests persisted through 2010, but the NPS stuck with its decision.
The grave is located in a field that is encircled by a loop road. There are two shoulder parking areas along the loop that hold one car each, so on a busy day you will most likely have to park at the Grinder’s Stand site. Here you will find the Meriwether Lewis Visitor Information Center, a modern cabin constructed to resemble a typical stand of the early 1800s. The walk to the grave site from here takes about five minutes.
Meriwether Lewis Visitor Information Center on the Natchez Trace Parkway
The field where the Lewis grave sits is also the final resting place for over one hundred pioneers of the area. A cemetery was established in the 1850s and is now known as the Pioneer Cemetery. The National Park service erected commemorative markers at all of the graves in 1927, but it has since replaced them with in-ground markers so the field is easier to mow.
Grave marker at the Pioneer Cemetery on the Natchez Trace Parkway
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Last updated on November 29, 2021
