“OUR DREAM PARK” JOE HAMM, THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF BIG HILL POND STATE PARK

Jacob York

McNairy County is no stranger to iconic citizens. Car salesman and music enthusiast Earl Latta, little-known but widely read author Jack Boone, legendary disc jockey Dewey Phillips, and a host of other famous individuals all called McNairy home. While these people may have more recognition, their impacts at home are nothing like the ones of the hometown heroes who made deep, long-lasting changes in the county.

Joseph “Joe” Hamm was born in 1927 in Ramer. Joe was the fourth generation of men to make a living at the A.B. Hamm store, opened by his great-great-grandfather, A.B., in 1873. Joe graduated from Ramer High School and following a short stint in the military, Joe returned to the area. Soon after, in the mid-1950s, Joe was approached by Mr. John Howell.

Mr. Howell was the owner of a large chunk of property west of Ramer, an area known to locals as Big Hill. Mr. Howell had been known to allow his friends to hunt on his land for a small price. However, as this “business” began to grow, Mr. Howell came to the realization of how valuable the land was. He approached Joe about selling his land, ensuring that the land be protected and conserved in some way. Little did Mr. Hamm know, that this approach from Mr. Howell would spark a decades-long effort toward conserving this area for generations.

Joe got to work immediately. Working with other local leaders, Joe began working towards a plan to get this land to the attention of the state and federal government. In a letter to Senator Estes Kefauver on June 27, 1963, Mr. Hamm wrote, “It would be a waste of time for me to tell you that McNairy County needs a shot in the arm or I should say pocket book because you know it as well as I do. We feel that this area properly developed would be That needed shot.” He continued, “The proposed Big Hill Pond Park and Wildlife Area lies in the southwest corner of McNairy County…It has the largest colony of beavers in the state, good deer hunting, and some of the best bass and bream fishing in West Tennessee. There are very few acres in this whole area that can be cultivated profitably.” In closing, Joe included a drawn map of the area and wrote, “We appreciate your interest and hope that you can find some way to help bring this park about so that everyone can enjoy it.”

Joe had been in contact with Mr. William M. Roberts, the Director of the Pickwick Electric Cooperative (PEC) in McNairy County. In a letter dated the following day, June 28th, Mr. Roberts wrote to Mr. Edward J. Meeman at the Memphis-Press Scimitar, “I was glad to hear that you are interested in the Big Hill Pond Park project…The State recently received a $77,395 grant from ARA (Area Redevelopment Act) for a study to determine of building and operating full-service tourist facilities in the Tennessee State Park system.” In the end, Mr. Roberts wrote, The Big Hill Pond area is one of those potential parks… Mr. Joe Hamm and I would like to discuss this Big Hill Pond area with you at your earliest convenience… Would like to hear from you in regard to this matter.” With these letters, a team was beginning to assemble, dedicated to furthering the possibility of a Big Hill Pond park in McNairy County. A new release in the McNairy County Independent from December 9, 1963, said, “A strong case for the development of the Big Hill Pond Area for hunting and fishing purposes, park facilities, wilderness area preservation, and land and water use was presented to Secretary of Agriculture Orville Freeman, December 5th by a group of Tennesseans. Participating in that discussion from McNairy County were Joe Hamm, Ramer, Travis McNatt, and William M. Roberts of Selmer.”

In the 1960s, Joe stayed busy working on behalf of the county. As his work on Big Hill Pond continued, Joe was undertaking several other tasks as well. In late 1963, Joe and a few other community leaders began developing plans for chartering a McNairy County Chamber of Commerce. These plans took effect much quicker than the park, with the McNairy County Chamber of Commerce organizing in February of 1964. Founding members of the Chamber included Mr. William M. Roberts from the PEC, Mr. Wayne Elam of Ramer, Mr. Billy Ray Crossnoe of Friendship, and, of course, Mr. Joe Hamm. At the same time, Joe was also serving as a Commissioner to the McNairy County Commission from Ramer. On top of all of this, the family store, opened by A.B. Hamm in 1873 was still up and running.

By the late 1960s, the Big Hill Pond plans had taken shape and were in action. Master plans for the development of the park began churning out in late 1965. In a letter to Mayor L.A. Blanton of Adamsville, TN, from December 1966, Walter L. Criley of the Tennessee Department of Conservation wrote, “We have requested in our proposed continuation budget a staffing pattern for Big Hill Pond beginning next July 1 and to include a park superintendent and one park attendant.” In 1968, the park had a small staff and one lone road, but no other developments had been made. In a letter from Mr. William Roberts on September 3, 1968, he wrote to Chairman Joe Forbis of the Tennessee Conservation Commission, “This summer, as you probably know, the state has announced an $8-million development in Blesdoe map included in Joe Hamm’s June 27, 1963 letter.

County at Fall Creek Falls, this within 25 to 30 miles of an existing state park, Cumberland Mountain.” He continued, “It appears to many of us who have been working for eight or ten years in an effort to secure the development of the Big Hill Pond area as a state park, that our efforts have been in vain. West Tennessee deserves one or two outstanding state parks.” After a few more years, the park finally began to develop with the Travis McNatt Lake being filled in 1976, the Dismal Swamp Boardwalk being constructed the same year, and the park trails finishing development in 1978.

The efforts of Mr. Hamm, Mr. Roberts, and countless others paid off when Big Hill Pond State Park was officially opened in 1977. By this point, these men had worked for nearly twenty years towards this park’s development. At the same time, they also dedicated years of work to other developments in the county like the McNairy County Chamber of Commerce, which was operating with strength by 1977.

Joe never stopped fighting for Big Hill Pond. In 2000, as the state legislature was preparing a new budget, Tennessee State Parks were caught in the middle of it; and Big Hill Pond was on the chopping block for funding. An article from the Jackson Sun on July 7, 2000, said, “Big Hill Pond State Park remains on the list of nine state parks to be closed by the Department of Conservation…McNairy County Chamber of Commerce Director Tracy Redmon said, ‘We keep fighting that battle. That park means a lot to the people here.’ Closing the park would mean the loss of jobs for three full-time and two seasonal employees.” The same year, Joe wrote a letter to State Senator John Wilder, saying, “The relentless pursuit of you, Bill Roberts and dedicated citizens, sportsmen, conservationists and public officials resulted in the establishment of Big Hill Pond State Rustic Park…Now that our dream park is caught in the budget crisis, we ask you to strongly consider our fair share of revenue for Southwest Tennessee.” Luckily, the state did not close Big Hill Pond and it continues to attract guests today.

With the persistent work of citizens like Joe Hamm and William Roberts, the economic development of McNairy County has been immensely successful, taking the shape of a monumental state park, a strong Chamber of Commerce, and a county of prosperous citizens. Because of their dedication to McNairy County’s success, growth, and prosperity, these men, whether the citizens realize it or not, are cemented in the history of the county forever.