In 1834, the State of TN hired Professor James Hamilton to find its geographic center in order to locate the state capital as near as possible to the center of the state.
However, certain circumstances and politics left the capital in Nashville, although Gov. James K. Polk wanted it moved to Murfreesboro. In 1976, 1/2 mile N.E. on Old Lascassas Rd. an obelisk was placed by the Rutherford County Historical Society at the state's geographic center.
Lynchburg, TN is home to the Jack Daniels Distillery - which is the oldest registered distillery in the United States and averages over 250,000 visitors every year.
According to the Jack Daniel's website, founder Jasper Newton "Jack" Daniel was born in September 1846. If the date is correct, he might have become a licensed distiller at the age of 20, as the distillery claims a founding date of 1866. Daniel was one of thirteen children to Calaway Daniel and Lucinda Cook.
Jack Daniel's grandfather, Joseph "Job" Daniel emigrated from Wales as did his Scottish wife to the United States. He was of Welsh, Scottish, English, and Scots-Irish descent.
Jack died in 1911 from blood poisoning which started from an infection. The infection allegedly began in one of his toes, which Daniel injured one early morning at work by kicking his safe in anger when he could not get it open (he was said to always have had trouble remembering the combination).
