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Once upon a time in Lebanon, Tennessee a full service hotel sat on the west side of town. The establishment offered up a gourmet dining experience, bowling alley and dance hall. But the most important and perhaps the biggest draw to Horn Springs Resort was the mineral water that was tapped, bottled and sold to guests. Continue reading “Horn Springs Resort”

Past, Present, Future… A Life Lived in Wilson County

Former Shop Springs Student At this year’s Wilson County Fair, I was a bit surprised what made me the most “giddy”. No, it wasn’t the Ferris wheel, or the pig races, or even my usual favorite- the rooster collection. It was Pete’s Store in the Fiddler’s Grove section of the fairgrounds. Why was this piece of the past that had now been placed in my present so exciting to me? Because Pete’s Store, once located in Doak’s Crossroads, is a part of a very special memory to me. It was my first experience with community and with commerce.

My family owned a farm just across from the store, so this was the place where my parents would purchase many of our daily necessities. One of the usual practices of that day (early 60’s) was an account that was paid at the end of the month (and all the while, I thought my dad just had to sign in to purchase flour, candy or gasoline). Pete’s Store was also a gathering place to meet your neighbors and discuss any local issue that needed solving by that part of the community.

Mr. Pete’s wife, Mary Smith, served as the principal at Shop Springs School. I have fond memories of experiencing a three classroom school with grades 1 -8. I called several in the community who attended the school and asked them to gather for a picture and to discuss their memories with me for this article – Jo Smith (WANT Radio), Glen McPeak ( MTEMC), Jamie Johnson ( On Call Medical), Rick Thorne (THW Insurance), Becky Jennings (Wilson Bank and Trust), and John Clemmons.

We laughed as we went back to the days. The staff consisted of 3. The older girls served the lunch and the older boys got to burn all the milk cartons each day of school. The bus driver would stop so we could get off to pick opossum berries to eat. We enjoyed the music class, performing in the school plays (even the parents got parts), and cleaning up our own classrooms. We all agreed that Mrs. Mary Smith was strict and had very high expectations that taught us life skills that we all benefit from even now.

To this day, I can still see Mr. Pete behind the register making sure we were all doing fine at home and Mrs. Mary molding the minds of the children who attended Shop Springs School. It was more than a business and school; it was their life, their community, their little piece of this big  world that they made a better place. And over 40 years later, I was reminded as I walked into that store at the fair how they got it right. Perhaps, as we consider how we can impact Wilson County for the future, we can learn from our past.

Living in the Past… Long, white, beautiful gowns and impeccable manners combine to create the backdrop for a Cotillion Party with members
of the Wilson County Cotillion club. Continue reading “Memories of Cotillions Past”

Prospect is Paying it Forward for all of us The term “paying it forward” comes from the simple idea of doing good works for others to repay the good things that have happened to you. Prospect, Inc. is a local non-profit corporation that at its core is paying it forward for the whole  ommunity of Wilson County and twenty other counties across the State of Tennessee.

Continue reading “Prospect Is Paying it Forward”

Mike Jones is a passionate man. He’s passionate about football, faith and especially family. He’s a regular guy. He’s just like most of us with a few minor distinctions. Okay they may not be so minor. The Mike Jones I’m referring to is a retired defensive lineman whose career in professional football spanned nearly a decade-a lifetime for a lineman- for teams like the Arizona Cardinals, New England Patriots, St. Louis
Rams and the Tennessee Titans where Jones helped carry the Titans to their first Super Bowl and assisted with their first AFC Championship.

Continue reading “More Than Just Football”

Move over Tori and Dean, This B&B is the Real Thing… If the hustle and bustle of the pending holiday season has you prepared to cancel  Christmas in favor of Festivus, it may be time to take a 24 hour breather. Rest and Relaxation can be found less than an hour from Nashville at the Historic Watertown Bed and Breakfast located just off the square in Watertown, Tennessee.

Continue reading “Watertown Bed & Breakfast”

The Art of Food Preparation Cumberland University is fortunate to be part of an exciting new business venture in Wilson County. Thanks to many local advocates including State Representative, Stratton Bone, Linda Shelton of the Tennessee Department of Agriculture and Sue Sykes, President of Tennessee Gourmet, Lebanon has been chosen to be the home of the new Cumberland Culinary Center.

Continue reading “The Art of Food Preparation”

Their Home IS a Labor of Love For Jamie and Lynda Burge… Close your eyes and imagine the sound of wind bustling through the leaves on a Crate Myrtle and wood crackling in a fire pit while your children giddily roast marshmallows on embers. If you can picture this you’re imagining what I’m seeing at Lynda and Jamie Burge’s home just off Old Hickory Lake in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee. Their home rests on three acres of land in a lake community. I’m jealous, but it’s not until I hear their story of how they got where they are that I realize how much they have in
common with most of us.

Continue reading “The Burges House & Gardens”

Regardless of whether your holiday festivities will be big or small, chances are that the holiday table in your home will have a succulent ham as its centerpiece. One of the places those from Wilson County can purchase this holiday staple is our new locally owned and operated HoneyBaked Ham Co. and Café.

Continue reading “Ham For The Holidays”

Eat, Drink and Be Merry While we love to see Jolly Fat Santa around Christmas, no one wants to see the image of him staring back at us in the mirror! With Christmas Parties, cookie swaps, family dinners it’s no wonder the average American can gain 1 and 4 pounds between Thanksgiving and the New Year.

Continue reading “Keeping Healthy During The Holiday Season”

One of the most beautifully restored homes in the area can be seen on a leisurely drive down West Main in Lebanon. The skillfully restored facility is known as “Mitchell House” and is the heart of the corporate headquarters for CBRL Group, Inc., the holding company for Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc.

Continue reading “Historic Mitchell House Of Lebanon”