Bellbuckle, Bedford County, Tennessee

Bellbuckle, the third town of the county, was founded in 1852 by A. D. Fugitt, the original owner of the land on which the town now stands. Bellbuckle takes its name from a small creek by that name, which runs near the town, and the creek derived its name from the fact of a representation of a bell and buckle, which are carved on a large beech tree, which stands near the head of the stream. The carving was discovered on the beech by the earliest settlers, and as to the carver; when the work was done, or the reason thereof, is one of the mysteries, though many traditions concerning the same have been handed down. Bellbuckle is situated on the Nashville & Chattanooga Railway, fifty-one miles southwest from Nashville, and ten miles northeast from Shelbyville, and has a population of about 800. The town was laid off into lots in 1854 and incorporated in 1856. During the war the corporation lapsed, but immediately thereafter a new charter was obtained, since when it has been in force and effect. The present town board is as follows: Mayor, S. P. Jones; aldermen: G. H. Miller, W. R. Muse, T. J. Oglevie, B. E. Thomas, Z. T. Beachboard and J. M. Freeman; George Moon, recorder; A. Melton, marshal.

Early Merchants

A. D. Fugitt opened a general store in Bellbuckle in 1852, being the first merchant.
Clark & Miller, W. B. Norville, R. D. Rankin, W. R. Pearson and R. D. Blair, all of whom kept general stores, were the other business men of the fifties.

Merchants 1860

The merchants of the sixties were

Lamb & Weirback, W. C. Cooper, Norville & Beachboard, R. D. Blair & Son, Thomas & Claxton and R. D. Rankin, all general stores.

R. D. Wallace ran a flouring-mill.

Merchants 1870 and 1880

McFarrin Bros., Jamison & Miller, Haggard Bros., W. L. Garner, R. A. Hoover, T. J. Peacock, W. C. Cooper, J. F. Johnson, Johnson & Hite, W. P. Crawford, Oglevie & Crawford and B. E. Thomas, all of whom kept general stores,

B. E. Thomas, who kept a stock of drugs in connection with the post office.

Business Men 1880

The business men from 1880 and of the present are:

W. P. Crawford, T. J. Peacock, A. H. Newman, R. A. Hoover. J. W. Pattey and E. F. Gomer, general stores.

D. W. Shiver & Co., A. L. Haggard and Howland Bros, family groceries.

R. L. Justice, drugs and family groceries.

B. E. Thomas, drugs and post office.

H. Hall, undertaker and cabinet-maker.

Manufactories

The manufactories are represented as follows:

R. F. Wallace & Co., plows and wheelwrights.
George Bailey and Meldon Bros., blacksmiths and wagon-makers.
W. S. Putnam, blacksmith and carriage-maker.
R. F. Wallace, steam saw-mill and manufacturer of Wallace's patent double shovel.

Bellbuckle has a large creamery, which was established in 1885 by a stock company with. $5,000 capital. The creamery is supplied with milk from the numerous herds of fine milch cows in the neighborhood. It is fitted up with the latest improved machinery, and has a capacity of handling 6,000 pounds of milk per day.

The one hotel of the town is conducted by Mrs. Winnett. The railroad company erected a good brick depot in 1862, which is in use at the present time. The streets run north and south and east and west, being continuations of the following pikes: Bellbuckle & Beach Grove Pike, leading east; Bellbuckle & Liberty Pike, leading north; Bellbuckle & Flatwood Pike, leading west, and a short pike leading into the Shelbyville & Fairfield Pike.

Physicians

The practicing physicians of the town have been in the order named:
Drs. Smith Bowlin, T. C. McCrory, W. F. Long, T. C. Henson, W. F. dairy, J. W. Acuff, W. R. Freeman, T. F. Frazill, and H. E. Finney, dentist.

The secret societies of the town consist of Good Templar, Masonic and Odd Fellow, lodges of those fraternities being organized in 1860.

The first school established in Bellbuckle, and one of the first in the county, was Salem Academy, which was founded in about 1820. Numerous changes were made in the old school, and in 1880, when a handsome brick building was erected and the name of the school was changed to that of Bedford College (see chapter on schools of county). Besides this school the public common schools are conducted for a term of five months each year. An addition of importance to the schools of Bellbuckle, and also of the county, is the Webb School, which was recently removed to that place from Maury County, where it was known as the Kuleoka Institute. The colored school, which is taught five months in the year, is held in the colored church building.

Churches

The Methodist Episcopal Church, a handsome brick, was erected in 1878, at a cost of about $4,000.
Missionary Baptist Church (frame) was erected in 1873, at a cost of $1,500.
Cumberland Presbyterian Church was erected in 1883, is of brick, and cost $4,000.
Christian Church was erected in 1883, is of frame, and cost $2,000.

The colored churches are the Baptists and African Methodist Episcopal, both of which are frame buildings which cost each about $400.

  AHGP Tennessee

Source: History of Tennessee, Goodspeed Publishing Company, 1886.