Category Archives: Uncategorized
The Father of Southern Gospel Music
Happy 161st birthday to the Father of Southern Gospel Music! James D. Vaughan was born on December 14, 1864, in the waning days of the Civil War. A native of Giles County, Vaughan lived most of his life in Lawrenceburg, … Continue reading
The New Jackson Highway Goes East
That view has certainly changed! This undated view of Locust Street in Lawrenceburg looking north from the Pulaski Street intersection is part of the Old Jail Museum’s collection of more than 150 historic local postcards. Although today Locust Street is … Continue reading
An Immigrant Girl’s Story: The Adventurous Life of Louise Hovelmeier
Louise Schnettgocke cried as she boarded the ship for America. Although excited by the opportunity that awaited her, the 25-year-old felt a profound sense of “utter loneliness” as she stood on the dock in Bremen, Germany the spring of her … Continue reading
Lawrence County Man Becomes First Tennessee Casualty of World War II
Eighty-four years ago today, a Lawrence County man became the first Tennessean to die in World War II when the Japanese Navy launched its infamous surprise attack on the American Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Private Leland V. Beasley … Continue reading
In His Own Words: Forrest in Western Lawrence County
On this day 161 years ago, one of the South’s most formidable cavalrymen engaged the Union army on the Turnpike in northern and western Lawrence County. As General Nathan Bedford Forrest’s cavalry screened the movements of the infantry of the … Continue reading
The Bombardment of Lawrenceburg
In honor of the 161st anniversary of Hood’s push into Lawrence County, please enjoy these stories told by men who was present with the army during the action, in their own words. Robert L. Morris was part of the cavalry … Continue reading
The Army of Tennessee in Western Lawrence County: A Veteran’s Account
In honor of the 161st anniversary of Hood’s push into Lawrence County, please enjoy this story told by a man who was present with the army during the action, in his own words. John Johnston, from West Tennessee, was a … Continue reading
The Army of Tennessee Moves North: How Hood Road Got Its Name
On this day 161 years ago, Lawrence County was full of soldiers, and their presence left a lasting memorial in the name of a local road. General John B. Hood’s Confederate Army of Tennessee pushed north from Florence on November … Continue reading
The Unclaimed Land Grant that Became Lawrenceburg
On this day in 1786, the people of Nashville were afraid. And they were taking up arms. But what connection does that long-ago militia mobilization have to downtown Lawrenceburg? It’s a long story, but an interesting one. A confederacy of … Continue reading
How Lawrenceburg’s Location Was Chosen
After the first commissioners of Lawrenceburg selected the site of the new city, surveyed it, and obtained the property from the State of Tennessee (although the deed would not be recorded until 1823), they held a public auction to sell … Continue reading
Lawrence County History Trivia 