Tobacco barn at Mile Post 401
An old tobacco farm, complete with real tobacco hanging from the rafters of a tobacco barn, is located near Milepost 401 on the Natchez Trace Parkway. Leland Greenfield, a Burly tobacco farmer, built the barn in 1959. The family sold the property to Tennessee in 1977, which then turned it over to the National Park Service for inclusion in the Natchez Trace Parkway.
Tobacco hangs in the Tabocco Barn on the Natchez Trace Parkway
Near the barn is a sign that mentions a ten-minute trail that you can take through the old farm. I did not see any sort of trail, and I walked all around the vicinity looking for one. Thus, I have no idea what this sign is referring to.
Once done at the barn, you can take a drive on Old Trace Road, a two-mile segment of the original Natchez Trace. The road passes through what used to be Leland Greenfield’s tobacco farm, though no traces of the farm exist today. This is a one-way road, and RVs are not allowed. The road starts off paved, but eventually becomes a dirt road. I do not recommend driving this if you have a convertible with the top down or any other vehicle that you cannot close the windows or top, for the dirt from the road will circulate through the air and cover the inside of your vehicle with a fine layer of grime. Ultimately, the road is nothing more than a drive through the forest. If you don’t want to subject your car to a dirt road, there’s no reason to take this drive. Just stop and see the barn.
Old Trace Road, an original segment of the Natchez Trace
If you head north on the Natchez Trace Parkway from the tobacco farm, be on the lookout for an old cemetery on your right just after you cross a bridge. This is not an official stop on the Parkway, so you must park on the shoulder of the road. Pull over as soon as you cross the bridge, for the cemetery is literally at the north end. There are only four graves with readable tombstones, all from the Cathey Family. The rest of the graves are marked with simple field stones or have headstones with inscriptions that are no longer readable.
Cathey Family Cemetery near the Old Trace Road on the Natchez Trace Parkway
Cathey Family Cemetery on the Natchez Trace Parkway
Grave of child Alam Cathey located on the Natchez Trace Parkway
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Last updated on November 26, 2021
