Bridge across Lake Placid at Chickasaw Park dedicated to Armour
After over 50 years of waiting, the Armour family finally was able to see the bridge across Lake Placid at Chickasaw State Park dedicated to Joe Armour.
On Friday, June 17, Tennessee State Parks officials named it the Joe Armour Memorial Bridge honoring the former park superintendent.
Naming the bridge honors his contributions to the continued management, improvement and enjoyment of the park.
“Chickasaw State Park owes a lot of its appeal to Joe Armour,” said Park Manager Ron Elder. “He loved the park and its many visitors, and he was committed to making the park experience the best it could be. We are very proud to have the bridge named for him.”
Armour, the superintendent from 1963 until his death in 1969 at the age of 38, had the original idea to build a foot bridge across the lake connecting the recreation area and the camping area. Other amenities added to the park during Armour’s time as superintendent included the lighted baseball field and a restaurant.
Once the bridge was built in 1971, it was supposed to be named after Armour for his dedication to Chickasaw Park, but “it fell through the cracks.” Since then, the bridge has been enjoyed by the thousands of visitors that have visited Chickasaw State Park over the years even after its replacement in 2018.
“Words are inadequate in thanking everyone for your help and support in making a dream a reality. Our daddy, Joe Armour, has been gone for more than 52 years, but today he was honored by having the Chickasaw State Park bridge renamed the Joe Armour Memorial Bridge,” Armour’s daughter, Janeane Moore, said. “This has been a dream of Kakki’s, Monica’s, and mine since daddy’s death…However, when the man who was working to get this done changed jobs, the dedication fell through the cracks. But with Senator Page Walley’s leadership, it all came to fruition today. I can never thank him enough. I also want to thank the more than 60 people who supported us today, including State Representative Kirk Haston, who also helped with this project. And for the culmination of our dream to come to life on Father’s Day weekend was just icing on the cake. Please, when you next visit Chickasaw State Park, take a walk across the footbridge and see my dad’s picture. It thrills me to know that children, including my grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and beyond will enjoy this bridge in perpetuity. It will forevermore be known as The Joe Armour Memorial Bridge.”
Daughters are Kakki Armour Bird, Janeane Armour Moore and Monica Armour Meeks. Joe was married to Lois Armour.
Chickasaw State Park, which is on some of the highest terrain in West Tennessee, was named for the Chickasaw tribe who once inhabited the area. The park is along the border of Hardeman and Chester counties and was one of Tennessee’s New Deal-era state parks. The territory became a state park in 1955 when all park duties returned to state control and the park and forest lands were deeded to the state.