Tennessee Central Railway neon sign

This sign was built in the 1940s or 50s when Tennessee Central had a freight depot along 1st Ave. in downtown Nashville. Tennessee Central ceased operation in 1968 and the depot was demolished in 1973. At that time, the sign went into storage in a private collection.

In 2016, the sign came up for auction and the Tennessee Central Railway Museum was the winning bidder. They restored all of the neon tubing and made the sign operational again. In August 2016, the museum put the sign up at their main building facing Willow St.

There's Only One Cookeville mural

This August 2016 Mural is located in the Cream City Depot District on the other side of the building that has the 2015 restored Coca-Cola Mural. That business with there murals is owned by Cookeville Mayor Ricky Shelton who comments that there really is only one Cookeville. "Out of 19,354 incorporated cities across the U.S, there’s only one city named Cookeville and it’s right here in Putnam County." This mural even has a website which hopes to sell T-Shirts someday: theresonlyonecookeville.com/

Originally, In July 2016 the mural said "I Believe in Cookeville" but was deemed too similar to the I Believe in Nashville murals, and was changed to something unique.

Nashville Skyline from East Bank Landing

The relatively new East Bank Landing (a.k.a. Riverfront Landing) is on the east bank of the Cumberland River across from downtown. The Landing opened in Sept. 2015 and is adjacent to Cumberland Park, the East Bank Greenway and parking for Nissan Stadium.

Watson House - Franklin, TN

One of the houses on the Historic Franklin Walking Tour. Built in 1881.

Elrod Falls with video

Elrod Falls is a waterfall open to the public in Hancock County, TN. From the town of Sneedville, it's about 7 miles south along highway TN31, then west on Elrod Falls rd. From there, follow a couple of painted rocks which point the way to the parking area. Then, it's about 500 feet up a trail which parallels the stream at the base of the falls. On this day, the waterfall is dryer than normal, as this area had a drought going into Oct. 2019, but it did rain the day before.

GPS: 36.433980,-83.245350

This waterfall is about 50 feet tall, and empties into a small but surprisingly deep pool at the bottom. From there it cascades over several more rocks before heading downstream.

Greetings from Smyrna Depot District

This 2019 mural is located on the side of a building across Front St. from the Smyrna train depot. The mural is signed by Suzanne Lebeau and sponsored by VisitRutherfordTN.

Lindsley Hall - Nashville, TN

This building on the National Register of Historic Places is now part of the Richard H. Fulton Campus of city government buildings. Before that, the building was the Nashville Children's museum, which became the Cumberland Science Museum (then Adventure Science Center) in 1974. For the remaining history, here is the text of the marker:
The literary building on the campus of the University of Nashville opened in 1854. The structure was designed by Adolphus Heiman, a local architect and stonemason who immigrated to Nashville from Prussia in 1837. The Gothic Revival building used local limestone and served as faculty office space, student housing, and classrooms. The university was both a highly-respected medical college and literary academy from its founding in 1826 to the eve of the Civil War. Because of financial problems, however, after 1855 the school shared the campus with the Western Military Institute.

During the Civil War (1861-1865), the Literary Building was used as both a Confederate and Federal hospital. None of the structures on campus were damaged as a result of war.

The University transitioned to a prep school in 1867 (Montgomery Bell Academy) before eventually the facilities became the home of Peabody Normal School. The campus was closed in 1915 when Peabody moved to their present site near Vanderbilt University. Today, only the Literary Building remains and serves as offices for Metro Nashville government.

1957 Chevy Bel Air - Portland, TN

This 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air 2-door hardtop was seen at a car cruise-in along Main St. in Portland, TN.

Central Presbyterian Church - Huntsville, AL

From the historic marker:
This church which had its origins in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church was first mentioned in a meeting of the Prebytery on April 7, 1812. It became known as First Presbyterian Church of Huntsville, Alabama. In 1828 the first building was constructed on Greene Street north of Holmes Street. In 1845 a second building , designed by George Steele, was erected at this site. The present building was begun in 1899. In 1906 this church became known as the Central Presbyterian Church when united with the Presbyterian Church, USA.

Tennessee Barn

This barn is located in Claiborne County along highway TN345 East of Tazewell. It's a couple of miles West of the junction of TN63.

This barn helps protect an old green Ford from the elements, but that car has not driven in years. Above that entrance, it says the barn belongs to the Forker Boys.

Pine Cove Motel - Nashville, TN

Here's an old neon sign for the long gone Pine Cove Motel. I'm not sure what business is there right now, but it's not a motel. There's a tiny bit of neon tubing left hanging on to the E in Motel.

This is located on Clarksville Pike (US41A) about 2-3 miles north of Briley Parkway and 2-3 miles south of Old Hickory Blvd.

Music City Walk of Fame slideshow

The Music City Walk of Fame in downtown Nashville honors significant contributors to Nashville's musical heritage and significant achievements in the music industry.

Each honoree is commemorated with a large stainless steel and terrazzo star embedded in the sidewalk in Walk of Fame Park between the Country Music Hall of Fame, Bridgestone Arena, and Schermerhorn Symphony Center.

The Nations neon sign - Nashville, TN

This neon sign is in front of the Nations Bar & Grill on 51st Ave in Nashville. However, the sign is also the unofficial welcome to The Nations neighborhood. This part of West Nashville is the area between I-40 and Centennial Blvd and has become one of the more trendy areas lately.

As for the sign itself, The Nations is a re-purpose of an old sign. The neon tubing has been added in just the last few months. Before that, it had only been painted for the Nations for a couple of years. The sign had been blank for a long time before that as there once was an auto body shop here a long time ago.

Old Abe Coal painted sign - Manchester, TN

Old Abe Coal is a brand from the Peerless Coal Company with a motto of "an Honest Value." Apparently, they have been out of business for a long time. I had never heard of them when I found this hand-painted ad along Coffee St. in Manchester

Rogana - Hugh Rogan's Stone Cottage

Hugh Rogan was born in Ireland in 1747, moving to America in 1775. He was part of the Donelson party that arrived in Nashville in April 1780. In 1784, he sold his Nashville property and bought a farm along Bledsoe Creek in Sumner County. In 1796, he journeyed back to Ireland so that he could relocate his wife and son back here at his two room stone house. The house served as a Mass Station for Catholics for over 50 years.

In 1998, the house was moved to its curent location at Bledsoe's Fort Historical Park. You can look inside the cottage during the yearly Colonial Fair that happens in May.

Doctors Building - Nashville, TN

Today this building is a Homewood Suites Hotel. The exterior of a portion of the first floor is a filming location for the TV show Nashville (Highway 65 Records).

Here is the building history from Wikipedia:
The Doctor's Building is a six-story commercial building in Nashville, Tennessee that was constructed in 1916 (some sources say 1910) and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The building site was the former location of the home of railroad magnate Colonel E.W. Cole, with his home being the last 19th-century mansion on Church Street. A new building, known as "The Doctor's Building" was then constructed as a three-story building, with medical offices on the upper floors, and retail shops on the ground floor. A few years later (in either 1916 or 1921), it had three more stories added, increasing its size to 100,000 square feet. The design, by architect Edward E. Dougherty of the architectural firm "Dougherty and Gardner" was of the elaborate Beaux-Arts or Renaissance Revival style. The exterior is sheathed with glazed polychrome terra cotta.

In the 1940s and 1950s, the building consisted of office space for many of the city's doctors and dentists.

The VegaCal Iron Man - Hartselle, AL

VegaCal
Gets the Bile
(other side): VegaCal
For the Liver

It used to be that advertisements along the roadside used to be more imaginative. Vega-Cal was a liver tonic sold in the Birmingham area back in the 1930s. The company had a few of these iron man advertisements placed at important roads around the area. However, only the one near Hartselle survives.

To find this, from Hartselle, take AL Highway 36 west from town. Since it is a local landmark, the cross street is Iron Man Rd. To walk up and see it, park in front of Iron Man Market. It is repainted every three years by the Hopewell Homemakers Club.

For more info:
www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/56363
www.birminghamrewound.com/features/vegecal.htm

Boiling Spring Academy - Brentwood, TN

Boiling Spring Academy is a resotred one room schoolhouse in Brentwood, TN that dates back to 1832. The school was built on land that also contains several old Indian Mounds.

The first classes were held at this private school in 1833. In 1887, the building became a public school. Around 1900, the building was also used as a multi-denominational church, and what had been the main door became the middle window, with the door moving to the side. It's use as both a school and a church stopped in the late 1910s as the Primm family, who owned the surrounding farmland, used the building to store hay, corn and tobacco.

In 2003, the Primm family donated the land to the city of Brentwood, who made this Primm Historic park after a year of renovations. The park is along Moore's Lane (TN441) near the intersection of Wilson Pike (TN252), however the gate is often locked. The park is also accessible via the city Bicycle Greenway system. The Academy is listed on the National register of Historic Places.

For the whole story, read the brochure PDF here:
www.brentwood-tn.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid...

Ryman Auditorium Balcony

I am one of those people who has always said 'I've lived in Nashville m entire life but has never been to the Grand Old Opry." I still haven't been to a show, but at least now I have taken a tour of the historic concert venue.

I do think the self-guided tour is well worth the money. This includes the opening video, which was far more interesting than a typical tourist site video. The guided backstage tour is probably best suited for the biggest country music fans as photos are not allowed except for one backstage view of the stage.

The place is full of history, from the architecture, wooden construction, Opry barn backdrop, stained glass windows and the Confederate Gallery.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryman_Auditorium

Nashville Zoo: new Gibbon Mother & Baby Male (2016)

One of the featured animal exhibits at the Nashville Zoo is Gibbon Island, home to several white-cheeked gibbons. On June 5th, 2016 Singwah the gibbon gave birth to the first white-cheeked gibbon to be born at the Nashville Zoo. For the first several weeks after the birth, zoo staff kept them off exhibit for monitoring and bonding time. The family made their public debut together on July 5th.

For more info:
www.nashvillezoo.org/our-blog/posts/white-cheeked-gibbon-...

New Salem Baptist Church – Sevierville, TN

The New Salem Baptist Church was built in 1886 by Isaac Dockery, noted African American builder, and is Sevierville’s oldest surviving building, Sevier County’s oldest brick church building, and the only historic African American church in the county. The Gothic-revival church served the thriving African American community until the 1950s when the last services were held by the original congregation. Since that time, the church has been used by other congregations and denominations, and the historic integrity has slowly been chipped away. The original bell tower and pulpit furniture have been removed and the overall interior has been altered significantly. Even with these changes, the church was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2003, and a Tennessee Historical marker was placed on the grounds in 2006.
knoxheritage.org/etpa/east-tennessee-endangered-heritage/

Oscar Mayer Wienermobile

I was able to mark one item off my bucket list in 2016 when I was able to finally photograph the iconic yet elusive Oscar Mayer Wienermobile. I'm not sure why this became so important to me, but along the way I acquired a plush version along with a hot wheel of the noteworthy car.

Then, in the spring of 2016 I went to my regular grocery store and there it was! I only had the camera on my phone, but there it was. Then, when I got out of my car, it drove off because it had to visit a dozen more grocery stores that weekend.

I don't they plan their stops too far in advance, but it's tough to find out where they will be. The only way to track it is with their app, which never worked to well for me.

Then, I learned they would be at the 4th of July celebration in downtown Franklin, TN, so I made sure that is how I would spend my holiday. I found it, and it was parked right next to the county courthouse on 3rd Ave. I also got a Wienerwhistle for my son.

Read the history of the car here:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wienermobile

Mountain Dew: Born in Tennessee Mural - Destroyed by Tornado

For someone who loves Tennessee and Mountain Dew, this is a great mural. The mural features a billboard with the early slogan "It'll tickle your innards" and a painted barn with the Tennessee original. Other Tennessee sights depicted here are the Memphis Pyramid, Nashville Batbuilding and the Knoxville Sunsphere.

This mural is located in East Nashville near the Five Points area at the intersection of Woodland St. and 10th St., which used to be a Family Dollar.

Update: This mural and the building it was painted on were destroyed by the March 03, 2020 tornado. See this picture: pbs.twimg.com/media/ESK9bKdWAAAq37K?format=jpg&name=l...

Fisk University's Jubilee Hall - Nashville, TN

Jubilee Hall on the campus of Fisk University in Nashville, TN, was the university's first permanent building, completed in 1876. Funds to build Jubilee Hall were raised by the Fisk Jubilee Singers in their first European singing tour in 1873.

Jubilee Hall was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1974.

Frostee Freeze Drive-In neon sign - Tazewell, TN

This Drive-in is in Tazewell along Youngstown Rd. (Old US25E) near the intersection of Broad St.

May a Horse be With You

A lot of people are thinking about the brand new Star Wars movie which is coming out. However, the people in Shelbyville, TN are also thinking about Tennessee Walking Horses. Shelbyville is the home of the national celebration. This mural is signed 2018 Matt Reasor. This mural faces Lane Pkwy just west of Main St. in the same parking lot as Goodwill.

Hatch Show Print neon sign (2016)

Hatch Show Print is the famous poster manufacturer that makes prints the old-fashioned way. Today, they are located inside of the Country Music Hall of Fame along 5th Ave. Previously, when I had photographed their sign, their shop was on Broadway.

Cold Spring School - Portland, TN

From a nearby Tennessee Historic Commission marker:
Cold Spring School - circa 1857-1933
2.8 miles northeast is the site of Cold Spring School. It was built on land donated in May 1857 by Thomas Baskerville for a school and meetinghouse. Early in the Civil War, it was used by Camp Trousdale as a military hospital. There, in 1866, David Lipscomb organized the Portland Church of Christ. Landowners Jim and Bill McGlothlin gave the schoolhouse to the citizens of Portland for a museum of local history. In September 1975, it was relocated to Richland Park.

Tennessee Civil War Trails Marker at Richland Park:
In May 1861, the Tennessee General Assembly passed legislation to raise and equip the Provisional Army of Tennessee and train the units at camps throughout the state. Camp Trousdale was established—initially at Richland (present-day Portland)—as the main concentration point for companies formed in Middle Tennessee. The camp was named for former governor William Trousdale of Gallatin. Gen. Felix K. Zollicoffer (1812-1862) was its first commander, with his headquarters at the home of Thomas Buntin near the present Maple Hill Cemetery.

Because of a lack of potable water, Camp Trousdale moved in June to an area of wide rolling fields near the one-room Cold Spring School that Thomas Baskerville had constructed in 1857. The school served as a regimental hospital. Soon more than 6,000 men were drilling in the camp, and some of the sick were treated at the school building. Later, Camp Trousdale relocated to present-day TGT Road, again because of water contamination. The only barracks in the state that housed Confederate troops were built there, then razed in February 1862 before Union forces arrived and occupied the area.

Federal troops under the command of Lt. Col. Gustavus Tafels, 106th Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiment, subsequently fortified the Louisville and Nashville Railroad, constructing Fort Mitchell to guard the nearby trestle. Fort Smith, named for Col. George P. Smith, 129th Illinois Infantry, served as a temporary railroad to receive and ship Union supplies by wagons to Nashville.

Here is a third marker in front of the school:
Cold Springs, a rural one room school, was built near cold water springs on the Thomas Baskerville farm, near Mitchellville, Northern Sumner County. During the Civil War the school was a hospital for Confederate troops quartered at Camp Trousdale.

Howard McDowell, former student, mobilized efforts to move and restore the building. Structure donated by Jim & Bill McGlothlin. School moved into Richland Park in September, 1975.

Official agreement signed by City of Portland, McGlothlin families, and Highland Rim Historical Society, November 1, 1975.

The Big Chicken - Shady Lawn Truck Stop

The Big Chicken, adorned with a chef hat, knife and fork, is located at the Shady Lawn Truck Stop at exit 6 off Interstate 65 in Giles County, TN. Inside, the truck stop sells T-shirts advising one to Respect the Chicken." It has been here for many years, but until recently it had been colored white and dark gray.

JFG Special Coffee sign - Knoxville

"The Best Part of the Meal"

This 60 year old neon sign in South Knoxville which faces downtown was fully refurbished a few years ago.

Until 2010, this sign was at a small parking lot aloung Council Pl. overlooking the Tennessee River. This is what it looked like from the street. This is what it looked like from the bridge.

It underwent a complete renovation from Sept. 2010 to Sept. 2012 so that it would be in complete working order with 852 new light bulbs. It was moved to a higher location so that it's now in the parking lot of the Kerbela Temple overlooking Sevier Ave. It was relit during the Labor Day 2012 Boomsday Celebration. Here's the view from the bridge today.