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Hitting the (Barbecue) Sauce in Lynchburg
by Harvey L. Gardner
You've heard the saying; "You have to be going there on purpose, because it isn't on the way to anywhere." That's certainly true of Lynchburg, Tennessee (Pop. 361).
Lynchburg, however, is a place you may just want to visit on purpose.
Life in a town the size of Lynchburg isn't that much different from many small towns in America. People get up with the sun, work hard for a living, and relax with their families at the end of the day. They greet their neighbors with a wave and are never too busy to stop a while for some friendly conversation. They enjoy life leisurely.
The tiny town of Lynchburg is the county seat of Moore County, Tennessee's smallest county. Moore County has been home to the Jack Daniel Distillery since before Mr. Jack received his license to distill back in 1866, but it's a dry county and has been ever since Prohibition. You'll be served some cool lemonade during your tour of the distillery.
The centerpiece of Lynchburg, like most county seats, is the courthouse square. You can't miss Lynchburg Hardware & General Store, where you can still buy a Coke for a dime. It's also a good place to get the latest news, swap a good story, pet the town dog, or just sit down for a game of checkers.
Many other fascinating businesses around the square can keep you browsing for hours. The Moore County Jail and Museum is an interesting place to see.
The most famous business in Lynchburg, besides the Jack Daniel Distillery, is Miss Mary Bobo's Boarding House, just off the square. It started in 1867 as a traveler's hotel, and Mr. Jack took his lunch there. Miss Mary Bobo ran the boarding house until her death in 1983, just a month short of her 102nd birthday. During her day, most of the boarders who lived and took all their meals there were old bachelors and the federal agents assigned to Lynchburg to regulate the distillery.
Since 1984, Jack Daniel's great-grandniece, Lynne Tolley, has been the proprietress. It's no longer a boarding house, but is still a great place for a real home-cooked meal and for experiencing Southern hospitality at its finest. You'd better call ahead for reservations -- worth the little extra effort.
There's no better way to start your day than with a good country breakfast, along with a cup of fresh hot coffee. The place to do that in Lynchburg is the Countryside Restaurant.
Coffee in Lynchburg, some people claim, tastes better than coffee made anywhere else. But maybe you ought to be the judge of that yourself. While you're deciding, help yourself to a plate of biscuits with cream gravy and some country ham on the side.
When you see the sign on the highway that says, "WELCOME TO METROPOLITAN LYNCHBURG, MOORE COUNTY TENNESSEE," you know you're in for a good time.
Lynchburg has many special weekend events throughout the year. Why don't you plan on making a "pit stop" in Lynchburg for the 14th Annual Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbecue in October? It's the one day of the year when everyone in Moore County hits the sauce--the barbecue sauce that is.
Teams compete for prize money in seven categories including poultry, beef brisket, whole hog, pork ribs, pork shoulder, sauce (which must contain some of the hometown product) and dessert. You can sample them all. The barbecue competition is sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbecue Society. Teams qualify by winning a state championship or a competition. As many as 50 teams compete.
Along with the barbecue, you're sure to enjoy other activities like the country dog competition, the rolling pin toss, or the butt bowling. The festivities begin at 9 a.m. (Central Time), with the barbecue judging starting at noon. Awards will be handed out at 4:30 p.m.
Barbecue is reason enough to go anywhere, but there's another southern culinary delight almost as famous: Mary Ruth's Fried Pies. Mary Ruth Hall is a hostess at Miss Mary Bobo's Boarding House. Before that she was a Moore County extension agent for 33 years. She knows how to cook. Every year Mary Ruth and other members of her church make thousands of fried pies to sell at the annual barbecue cookoff. The secret to a good fried pie, Mary Ruth says, is good crust, just like any other pie. Hers are so good that her family skips pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving in favor of her fried pies with ice cream.
There are other things to see and places to go in the area in case you want to make more than just a day trip. Other area attractions include Tim's Ford Lake (5 miles), Tim's Ford State Park (15 miles), Shelbyville, Tennessee Walking Horse Capital (17 miles), Huntsville, Alabama's Space and Rocket Center (45 miles).
Lynchburg has six excellent bed and breakfast inns. Lodging is also available at Tim's Ford State Park, Tullahoma, Shelbyville, and Fayetteville.
Lynchburg is 70 miles from Nashville, located 27 miles southwest of I-24. Exit onto Highway 55 south at Manchester and drive through Tullahoma to Lynchburg.
Harvey L. Gardner is an author, columnist, freelance writer, and public speaker. He is a former newspaper editor and publisher, and has authored two books. He writes a popular human interest/humor column, "Tantalizing Trivialities," a mixture of fun, frivolity, nostalgia, inspiration, humor, love, marriage, tall tales, work, and other absurdities. He publishes an online newsletter, "The Gardner Letter," on motivational topics.
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