Lewis County, Tennessee: History
Lewis County was formed in 1843 from parts of Perry, Hickman, Lawrence, Maury and Wayne counties. It was named for explorer Meriwether Lewis of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Lewis's grave is located at the geographic center of the county. The bill for its creation was proposed by Powhatan Gordon in the Tennessee State Senate.
On August 10, 1884, a mob attacked a worship service of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in what is known as the Cane Creek Massacre. Four Latter-day Saints and one member of the mob were killed.
On October 7, 2009, a ceremony was held at the cemetery to commemorate the bicentennial of Meriwether Lewis's death. A bust of Lewis was presented to the National Park Service, which manages the site.