Oct 31/17 Halloween in Lynchburg Tennessee

We left Kingsport , found a Starbucks a ways down the road, it is about 4 1/2hours to Lynchburg Tennessee. The countryside is very pleasant, large properties in the towns we pass through, very well kept. Graveyards are present in all  the churchyards, well tended with lots of floral arrangements, mostly plastic. This is moonshine country, Chattanooga, Tallahassee,  Tulahola. We see signs to the Davy Crockett homestead. 

We arrive in Lynchburg and it is about lunchtime. We go into Lynchburg Fixin’s, as we enter the girl calls out Y’all set where u’all like, the tables are Formica topped, chairs are chrome, totally fifties diner style, not fancy, its always been like this, it is not a reproduction! 

Lynchburg exists because of Jack Daniels Whiskey. 

We see a sign for Jack Daniels tours  .....”there are road trips, and then there are pilgrimages” another proclaimed “Jack Daniels, every drop, made right here, welcome to the source”

Before we took the tour we visited the Jack Daniels House.....this house is only for Squires or for purchasers of a full barrel of Jack Daniels. Jeff is a Squire, nominated by his friend Preston Westmoreland. We took a few photos and then went to the visitor area to sign up for a walking tour. Jeff as a Squire was “welcomed home” and exempted from the tour Fee. 

A little history......

Jack Daniels was the 10th born child in his family, his mother died in childbirth, his father remarried and Jack and his stepmother did not see eye to eye. Jack left home age 6 to live with the Green family, where he learns to distill at age 7. Members of the Green family are still employed  in the business today. Jack registered his distillery at age 16, it was the first ever registered in America. 

Jack died at the young age of 61, he kicked his safe early one morning when he had forgotten the combination, resulting in a broken toe, left unattended it became gangrenous and although he had subsequent amputations it eventually killed him months later. The business went to his nephew Lem who worked with him, but was shut down in prohibition for 30 years. Lem’s sons who inherited the business sold it in 1953 for $20 million to the Browns who still own it today.

A couple of  other interesting  facts .......all the JD in the world is made right here in Lynchburg, a dry country where you cannot purchase a drink or consume one. The whiskey is fermented 4-7 years and aged  in Oak barrels which are only used one time then sold all over the world. 

Lastly, the 620 employees in Lynchburg each receive a bottle of Old no.7 on the first Friday of every month.....they call it Good Friday ! 

A very interesting tour which we highly recommend.  We moved on down the road to Fayetteville for the night. Finished our day with dinner at Tammy’s Outback.....a bizarre bar where Halloween costumes were in vogue....everyone seemed to know everyone else......good people watching!