The Little Town that Could

by Helen Dennis

Bell Buckle could have faded into the distant memories of everyone, if it hadn’t been for its resilient community. The town is made up of approximately 500 residents and 164 households, only 215 less residents than when it was in its heyday in 1890. If you want true southern hospitality and charm, this is the place. 

The residents have remained strong willed and resilient since before the town was settled in 1852. Legend says that a settler found a Bell and a Buckle carved on a Beech tree next to the creek. The symbol was carved by the Cherokee Indians to keep the settlers away; “Anything that passes this point that wears a bell or a buckle; Will perish.” The creek’s name came from this Myth, and the town that grew up on its banks proudly took its name: Bell Buckle. 

It started out as a railroad town. A bustling area of growth and prosperity. The hub for livestock between Chattanooga and Nashville. The town gave Webb School, a preparatory boarding and day school $5,000 to relocate from Culleoka in 1886. Everyone thought they would use the money to build buildings; Instead they bought books. It was fortunate that Culleoka made spirits legal, creating the need for Webb School to move, because the school’s presence has contributed greatly to its growth and popularity. But with the Great depression and the invention of the automobile, times changed. The stockyard and prosperity disappeared. The businesses closed and burnt. The town could have just disappeared. But they didn’t. They rebuilt, facing the railroad instead of backing up to it. A new start and direction, but prosperity did not follow. Most of the buildings were boarded up and it wasn’t until the 1960’s that they came back to life. The Old Victorian and Arts and Crafts style homes are still here. Some houses have been restored and renovated, but stand representing the true spirit and origins of the town. The residents could have abandoned the town and moved to more prosperous neighboring areas but they didn’t. 

Local Lore says that Sawney Webb, the founder of Webb School, began planting Daffodils as a “character building exercise” for Webb’s more challenging students. Thousands of bulbs were planted and stretch for over 6 miles of highway leading into Bell Buckle. Some of those daffodils are still there over 100 years later; resilient, just like our town. We celebrate the Daffodil and the arrival of spring every year with the Daffodil Flower Show. 

Some claim that the first fast food was sold in Bell Buckle: An Ice-Cold RC Cola and a fresh Moon Pie. To celebrate it we have our RC Cola and Moon Pie Festival. It’s not only about the food though. The celebration kicks off with a 10 Mile Run, the course takes you through our majestic and historic town. You’ll see the people of our community as well as the beauty that has kept us here. There is a parade, games, fun, and shopping. Then, it’s topped off with the cutting of the World’s Largest Moon Pie. Free Desert for everyone!! Southern hospitality at its finest with a little fun and exercise thrown in. 

Our town may be small, but our community has more than a few artistic people and a patchwork of talents. Our first noted artisan was Anne White-Scruggs. She was the first to recognize and seize the opportunity and potential of the neglected storefronts. The vivid Imagination she displayed in her pottery was just the tip of her personality. You would enter her shop and here “Yell if you need me!” At lunch time you would find an unlocked door and a note saying she was in the Café eating. When you were ready to pay you could find her there. Another resident of note is our poet laureate, Margaret Britton Vaughn. Maggie has a menagerie of flowers on her hat and wears a red Tokyo, Paris, New York, Bell Buckle T-shirt. She wrote the Official Tennessee Bicentennial Poem used to commemorate Tennessee’s 200th Birthday. She is as colorful in spirit and appearance as a lot of our residents. The creativity and resiliency that has allowed us to bounce back in hard times. 

Our biggest celebration is The Webb School Arts and Craft Festival. It’s a celebration of the school as well as the Arts and Crafts that are now part of the heart of the community. Over 800 vendors show up and display their crafts, wares, antiques, and variety of foods. Turning the quiet and uneventful town into a bustling metropolis for just a day or two. All the roads turn into sidewalks; the yards into small retail shops and eateries. We also have a band at the pavilion, hay benches, and hay rides for kids and adults alike. 

And when it’s time to take a load off your feet, you must try the Bell Buckle Café. The food is second to none. And the variety is unbelievable: southern fried foods, carrot soufflé, meat and potatoes. Everything is mouthwatering. And don’t forget the Lemonade. The owner secretly mixes it at home and brings it in. The recipe is a very well-kept secret. It has kept everyone guessing and coming back for more. Like our community, a lot of variety, love and warmth. 

The residents and businesses have survived many trials and tribulations. People and business come and go but the community doesn’t give up. You can hear the rumbling of the past every time a train comes through town. It doesn’t stop anymore, but it’s a reminder of another time. And our town symbol, the quilt, painted on ground, reminds us of what the fabric of this town is made of. We don’t need a lot of fast paced things, because we have the beauty of the town, our imaginative people and occasionally a party. We are thankful for everyone who makes up our community: Past and Present. Without the variety we wouldn’t be who we are: Bell Buckle.