Night Riders Of Reelfoot Lake: The Untold Story by R. C. Forrester, with Betty Burdick Wood.
In 1908, a group of masked men, calling themselves Night Riders, terrorized the people near Reelfoot Lake in West Tennessee.
The game-rich lake was born of the great earthquakes of 1811-1812. In 1869, J. C. Burdick came there from Illinois and began an important commercial fish and game business.
However, the fishermen found their livelihood threatened when the lake was suddenly claimed by a group who planned to drain part of it for farmland. The struggle that followed found Burdick pitted against the land company and also soon unfairly blamed by many residents for their plight.
Utilizing for the first time photographs and unpublished material preserved by the Burdick family, this book tells the story of the Night Riders and of J. C. Burdick’s lifelong efforts to free Reelfoot Lake.
Rebel C. Forrester served as Obion County historian for many years; during this time he has written, edited, or co-edited nine books dealing with the history of Obion County, Tennessee and nearby areas. He founded the Obion County Historical Society in 1976.
Betty Burdick Wood, granddaughter of J. C. Burdick, was Organizational Chairman of the Obion County Museum, Past President and Charter Member of the Obion County Historical Society, Life Member and former VP for West TN on the Tennessee Historical Commission and Chairperson of state owned Historic Sites.
The cost of the book is $29.95 plus $5.00 S/H. and is available from Lanzer Printing (http://www.lanzers.com), 203 South 1st Street, Union City, TN 38261. Phone: 731-885-0651.