Centennial Park, Pride, and Albert Cashier

Centennial Park has been a centerpiece of the city since the early twentieth century, known especially for the large replica of the Parthenon. While the Parthenon has often been a symbol of Nashville’s culture of education, this was also an important site of Nashville’s queer history! The Pride Festival’s growth and success during the early 1990s are largely thanks to a man named Jim Hawk, who, shortly after he came out, led the planning committee. Under his guidance, the city’s first Pride Ball was held here at the Parthenon, which raised thousands of dollars. Hawk later served as executive director of OutCentral, Nashville’s LGBTQ cultural and community center from 2008-2018.

Now, let’s take a moment to step back in time. More than 150 years ago, in 1862, Nashville was occupied by Union troops during the Civil War. Remember the historical marker I mentioned as you drove in? It describes a major hill just west of Centennial Park that was the strong point for Union defenses during the Battle of Nashville, which occurred in mid-December 1864.

One of the Union soldiers who fought in that battle was Albert Cashier, born in Ireland as Jennie Hodgers in 1843. He moved to the United States sometime before 1862 and enlisted in the army as Private Albert D.J. Cashier in Belvidere, Illinois. Before the Battle of Nashville, Albert also participated in a reconnaissance mission during the Battle of Vicksburg in 1863. Hundreds of women impersonated men to fight in the war, but Cashier continued to live as a man even after the war ended.

After the war, Cashier was struck by a car. At the hospital, the doctors discovered his sex assigned at birth but chose to keep the information private. The same kindness was not afforded to Albert in 1913, when he was hospitalized for dementia. Upon entering the facility, the staff made the same discovery and forced him to wear dresses. The case made national news and the government tried to sue Albert for collecting a war pension. Luckily, his former Union brothers came forward to support him and spoke out against the hospital’s treatment. He died in 1915 and was buried in his Union Army uniform with full military honors. His gravestone respects his identity as Albert D.J. Cashier in Sunny Slope Cemetery in Illinois. Cashier’s service in the Civil War is currently the earliest known documentation of transgender existence in Nashville.

Now let’s head to North Nashville to learn more about the incomparable Jackie Shane. From Twenty-Seventh Avenue, turn onto Parthenon Avenue (directly behind the Parthenon) then turn RIGHT onto Thirty-First Avenue North. As you turn, look to your left; the hillside that is now the Centennial Dog Park was the site of the Battle of Nashville Federal Defenses. Learn more about the Battle of Nashville on our Civil War Driving Tour. Now, continue on Thirty-First Avenue as you cross over Charlotte Avenue; now you are on Twenty-Eighth Avenue North. Continue for another mile, then turn RIGHT onto Jefferson Street. Your next stop, the Elks Lodge, will be on your left.