| |
 |
Historical
In 1800 Matthew Lyon (for whose son the County was named in 1854) brought his Vermont-born fellow pioneers to settle on this site on the bank of the Cumberland River. They purchased lots from David Walker who had acquired the original site some time after 1790. The town was incorporated in 1810 and named for the large eddies in the river at this point. It then saw a number of changes. It became the seat of Livingston County on its formation in 1799, then of the newly established Caldwell County in 1809 and finally of Lyon county. The Eddyville Post Office was established on April 1 1801. When half the old town was secured for the Barkley Lake impoundment in 1959-1962, the city was moved to its present location.
Because of the importance of navigation on the Cumberland River, many skirmishes took place between the Union and CSA forces. On October 17 1864, CSA Gen. H. B. Lyon captured the Union garrison and removed them from the town. Subsequently the Union gunboat “Silver Lake” shelled the town and took Lyon’s wife hostage, whereupon he released Capt. Hugh M. Hiett and 8 USA officers.Eddyville overlooks the site of the final Civil War encounter east of the Mississippi River, although it is now underwater.
140 Confederate soldiers from the Army of Northern Virginia, under Col. L. A. Sypert succeeded in driving back an attack from the US force under Capt. S. M. Overby on April 29 1865. There were casualties on both sides, but by May 6 most of the Confederates had been killed or captured.
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
Eddyville |
Chamber Of Commerce |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
