Buford Pusser

Buford Pusser (December 12, 1937 - August 21, 1974) was the sheriff of McNairy County, Tennessee (in West Tennessee) from 1964 to 1970. Pusser's life was the subject of Walking Tall, a 1973 film that became a cult classic (with two direct sequels of its own, a TV movie, and a brief TV series). This was remade 31 years later as a somewhat less realistic and more mainstream film in 2004 by the same name (also dedicated to Pusser), starring The Rock. Like the Rock, both men have backgrounds in professional wrestling.

Related Topics:
December 12 - 1937 - August 21 - 1974 - McNairy County, Tennessee - West Tennessee - 1964 - 1970 - Walking Tall - The Rock - Professional wrestling

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Pusser waged a virtual one-man war on moonshining, gambling and other vices on the Mississippi-Tennessee border. After serving as Adamsville's police chief and constable from 1962 to 1964, Pusser won the election for sheriff, and during his tenure as Sheriff he was shot eight times and stabbed seven. His "war" on the "State Line Mob" was brought to national prominence when his wife Pauline was killed in an ambush meant for him August 12, 1967. When Pusser stepped down as sheriff in 1970, he was re-elected as constable by a majority of voters who wrote his name on their ballots. He served in that position for 2 years. Pusser was the subject of three biographical books written by W.R. Morris: The Twelfth Of August, Buford: A Biography and The State Line Mob. The movie Walking Tall was made as a homage to Pusser, and is a combination of loosely based fact and Hollywood revisionism. During production of the movie, Buford ran for McNairy County Sheriff in a comeback attempt, but was defeated by the incumbent sheriff in 1972. There is a Buford Pusser Museum at the house where he was living at the time of his death in 1974. One newspaper article on the wall at the museum quotes Buford as saying Walking Tall was "60 percent true."

Related Topics:
Moonshining - Gambling - Mississippi - Tennessee

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Pusser died in an automobile crash August 21, 1974, after he hit an embankment and was ejected from the car.

Related Topics:
August 21 - 1974 - Embankment

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It should be noted that there are those who believe that he was corrupt and was involved in much of the vice that took place at the State Line establishments. Some local residents report that he took bribes from moonshiners and the owners of the State Line bars and brothels. They contend the violence was the result of conflicts between the corrupt Sheriff and the criminal element that thrived in the area. This is vigorously disputed by others and each year in May there is a Buford Pusser Festival in Adamsville, Tennessee, his hometown.

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