Author Archives: Clint

Before he was executed by firing squad, one Lawrence County man took a last long drink of water–from his own grave. William Carroll Rowland was a simple man who lived a relatively quiet life. Illiterate and poor even by the … Continue reading →

Cancelling classes due to widespread illness is nothing new to Lawrence County. In fact, almost a century ago, the county government ordered a lot more than the schools to close their doors in order to help combat a deadly epidemic. … Continue reading →

Less than a day after a local woman called down fire from God upon him, a cold-blooded bandit king took his last drink from a clear spring in Lawrence County, leaving his name behind as his only memorial. In southwestern … Continue reading →

The quarrel between George Anthony and his brother-in-law Charles Nunnelly finally boiled out of control on a cool winter’s afternoon in the outskirts of Lawrenceburg. It began some years before over a disputed tract of land, and, for reasons that … Continue reading →

Has the government ever conducted a mass-confiscation of guns in Tennessee? You might be surprised to learn that the answer is yes. But what might surprise you even more is that the government responsible for this mass-confiscation was not the … Continue reading →

This photograph of Lawrenceburg from 1920 shows the north end of the Public Square, focusing on the old First National Bank building and the Gibbs-Belew building. Notice the large number of frame residential buildings in the background. Until the mid-20th … Continue reading →

In the waning months of 1954, the city of Lawrenceburg was busy replacing the old iron bridge on Old Waynesboro Road near the entrance to David Crockett State Park. In its place, they were erecting one of three new modern … Continue reading →

The lot was home to a timber-frame saloon and pool hall in the 1890s—one of many such seedy establishments that dotted the Square before Lawrenceburg voted to go “dry” in the early 20th century. But, after that burned, a brick … Continue reading →

Why did the commercial focus of Lawrenceburg suddenly shift from North Military Street to North Locust Street in the early 20th century? The history of one iconic Lawrence County building will tell us. Its story is the story of the … Continue reading →

A secret society’s meeting place, a silent movie theater, a performance hall, and a pool hall all under the same roof in downtown Lawrenceburg? That’s part of the colorful past of the Gallaher Building, on the east side of the … Continue reading →