Forgotten Treasures of Americana: Hammocks In Centennial Park

On the latest edition of Forgotten Treasures of Americana, Stoney Keeley relives encountering some hammocks in Centennial Park.

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In our never ending quest to provide all of our readers with relatable, ‘slice of life’ style content, we here at the SoBros Network feel the time to weigh in on social commentary has officially come. It’s once again time for me, Big Natural, to open up the leather-bound parchment pages of the annals of history. Put on your plush robe, light your pipe, start a fire, and get ready for deep contemplation. This is the as-often-as-I-remember-to-write-it column: Forgotten Treasures of Americana. Today, we will be looking back at the historic piece of Nashville lore, the (maybe made-up) hammocks that hung in the trees at Centennial Park.

Full disclosure – I don’t know how much of this is Forgotten Treasures of Americana and how much of it is me just trying to see if I’m completely insane or not.

Let’s flip the calendar back to 2006. I was a young man back then – just 20 years old. Since I was a devout rule-follower, I didn’t have any interest in sneaking into bars or *gasp* even worse….getting a fake ID. Instead, we did wholesome activities for fun. We’d get together and play ultimate frisbee out in Charlie Daniels Park in Mount Juliet. Every now and then, we’d head down to Nashville and venture around Centennial Park.

One night, we were there – on the 27th Avenue side of The Parthenon. There was a grove of trees that have since been cut down. And, guys being dudes, we decided that we would start climbing them. One of my buddies got about 15-20 feet up in a tree and says, “hey guys – there’s a hammock up here.

Now, I’ve always been one for climbing trees. I dare say it was my favorite pastime as a child. But, as a 6’2″ 230-pound 20 year old, I was little hesitant to climb that high in a tree. So, I didn’t experience them myself. But, sure enough, my buddy stretched out and gave it a go.

We were all petrified, thinking that old thing was going to dry rot with him in and we’d end the night at the hospital. But, all’s well that ends well. Though I didn’t climb up there, I got up high enough to see them and could vouch for their existence. I was completely enamored by it.

Later that night, we got all the way back to Mount Juliet at 3AM and realized that my buddy didn’t have his car keys. So, we drove BACK downtown, retraced our steps, and still never found them and it actually kind of ruined our entire weekend.

I remember asking around. I was obsessed – where in the rightful fuck did these things come from?!?! The best I got was that they were tied up there in the 70s by hippies who frequented the park. I guess it was a popular hangout spot back then too? To this day, it remains a mystery to me.

Anyway, I can’t find any actual evidence of these ‘hippie hammocks.’ There are no testimonials online. I can’t find any photos of it. Is this the fucking Mandela Effect? Except it’s just me and not a whole lot of people? I don’t know. I’m freakin’ out, man.

Nashville, help your boy out – am I crazy? Did these hammocks actually exist?

FORGOTTEN TREASURES OF AMERICANA ARCHIVES

3D Doritos
3OH!3
AIM
American Gladiators
The Basilisk
The Bermuda Triangle
Braided Belts
Citizen’s Arrest
Hasbro WWF Action Figures
Homework
Mama’s Family
Muppet Treasure Island
Playing Outside
Quicksand
Slamball
Starwood Ampitheatre
Surge
That Marilyn Manson rumor…
The Super Soaker 50

Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley

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