The Location
This cache is placed with permission on the grounds of the Bell Buckle Town Park, near the site of the former Project Monkey Cache..
The Area
The small town of Bell Buckle dates back to 1852, established by local merchant A.D. Fugitt. Bell Buckle flourished with the growing popularity of rail transportation and enjoyed its greatest period of prosperity beginning around 1870. The railroad was the center of business and Bell Buckle became the major stockyard between Nashville and Chattanooga. The population grew to more than 1,000. A thriving community with a hotel, two banks, groceries, physicians, pharmacies, mercantile establishments, a private school and a public school, granaries and other businesses sprang up. During the late 1880’s, William R. “Sawney” Webb, a Civil War veteran and North Carolina educator, arrived in Tennessee to build a preparatory school. The Webb School contributed to the growth and development of Bell Buckle and continues to be a prestigious private boarding and day school with an international student body. The Great Depression of the 1920’s devastated the Bell Buckle railroad trade. One unexpected result of the economic decline was that many of the Victorian and Arts and Crafts style homes were not replaced with more modern structures. In 1976, during the nation’s Bicentennial, an area including the Bell Buckle downtown and continuing to the Webb School property, was listed in the National Register of Historic Places. There are a great many of these homes that have been restored or renovated, not only in the officially designated historic district but also all through the town. Today, it is a thriving arts community with charming rows of eclectic shops, eateries and colorful down-home festivals.
South Central Tennessee
South Central Tennessee’s back roads can be the best roads to find adventure! Find American history, outdoor adventure, peace and quiet, culinary delights, charming towns and one-of-a-kind attractions just a short drive from Nashville's famous tourist destinations. Whether visiting our historical civil war sites, traveling along the Natchez Trace Parkway, hiking in our beautiful state parks tours, sampling local libations at our distilleries and vineyards, shopping in our charming small towns or exploring our great geocaches, you are sure to find adventure as you Discover South Central Tennessee!
The Discover South Central Tennessee GeoTour
The Discover South Central Tennessee GeoTour is a series of geocaches along the backroads and small towns of South Central Tennessee. There is no fixed itinerary, like on a traditional trail, but rather a series of points of interest in a self-guided, goal-oriented plan. We have created a special passport, which you can download here, which lets you track your progress as you hunt specially placed geocaches along the tour. This passport will help you collect “code words” to qualify for special geocoins for completion of the GeoTour.
While Discovering South Central Tennessee you may also want to check out our other Official GeoTour
click below for more information.
