07/27/2026
RUTHERFORD, TN: A Gift from Davy Crockett: Larry Belew's Treasured Keepsake Still Tells a Story Thirty Years Later:
In the small West Tennessee town of Rutherford, history has never been something confined to books or museum displays. Here, history is personal. It is shared across front porches, remembered by generations of families, and sometimes preserved in the most unexpected of treasures.
One such treasure belongs to longtime Rutherford resident Larry Belew.
For nearly 30 years, Larry has carefully preserved one of his most prized possessions—a genuine coonskin cap presented to him by Fess Parker, the beloved actor who introduced millions of Americans to Davy Crockett through Walt Disney's legendary television series of the 1950s.
Parker's portrayal of the Tennessee frontiersman sparked a nationwide fascination with Davy Crockett, and the famous coonskin cap became one of the most recognizable symbols in American popular culture.
That remarkable gift came during Davy Crockett Days in Rutherford in June 1996, when the community welcomed Fess Parker as the festival's Grand Marshal. For Rutherford, it was more than simply hosting a celebrity—it was welcoming the man who had helped introduce one of Tennessee's greatest folk heroes to generations of television viewers.
Among those helping make Parker's visit memorable was Larry Belew.
Rather than allowing the actor to stay elsewhere, Larry graciously opened his own home, offering Parker Southern hospitality that reflected the values for which small Tennessee towns have long been known. It was an act of kindness that left a lasting impression.
As a heartfelt gesture of appreciation, Fess Parker presented Larry with a coonskin cap, a keepsake forever linking one Rutherford family to one of television's most beloved western heroes.
Today, three decades later, Larry still carefully preserves that treasured cap.
For many collectors, such an item would simply be a valuable piece of television history. But for Larry, it represents something far greater—a friendship formed during an unforgettable week, a reminder of Rutherford's hospitality, and memories of a celebration that united an entire community.
Those who know Larry describe him much the same way they remember that week.
A lifelong resident of Rutherford, Larry has long been respected as a kind, generous, and dependable member of the community. He has spent his life among neighbors who know him not simply by name, but as a friend always willing to lend a helping hand.
His willingness to welcome Fess Parker into his own home came naturally, reflecting the warmth and generosity that have long defined both Larry and the people of Rutherford.
Rutherford itself continues to honor the legacy of the famous frontiersman. The town proudly maintains a Davy Crockett Museum, preserving artifacts and stories connected with Crockett's life and keeping alive the history that has become an important part of the community's identity. Each generation that walks through its doors gains a greater appreciation for the man who became known as the "King of the Wild Frontier."
The story of Larry Belew and his treasured coonskin cap has become a part of that local history.
It reminds us that some of history's most meaningful artifacts are not found in large museums or behind glass in distant cities. Instead, they remain in the homes of ordinary people whose generosity, kindness, and love for their hometown created memories that endure for generations.
Today, nearly thirty years after Davy Crockett Days welcomed Fess Parker to Rutherford, the treasured cap Larry Belew received remains carefully preserved—a tangible reminder of an unforgettable visit, of a grateful television legend, and of a small Tennessee town whose hospitality left a lasting impression.
Like the town itself, Larry's story proves that the greatest treasures are often not measured by their value, but by the memories they carry and the friendships they represent.
“Have you visited the Davy Crockett Museum in Rutherford, TN”
(Davy Crockett Museum is one of Gibson County's most treasured and visited attractions)
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Many thanks to the employees of Rutherford City Hall for information leading to this article.
By: Robert G Reynolds of Tennessee History
[email protected]
