Grinder's Stand
Encyclopedia
Grinder's Stand was a stand, or inn, located on the historic Natchez Trace
. A replica can be visited today at the Meriwether Lewis Park, located on the Natchez Trace Parkway
in Lewis County, Tennessee, south of Nashville
, southwest of Columbia
, and east of Hohenwald, Tennessee
.
The inn is known as the place where Meriwether Lewis
died, by suicide (as suspected by his friend and colleague, Thomas Jefferson
) or murder (as suspected by his family).
The tavern is believed to have been established in 1807. Its proprietors were Robert Evans Grinder and Priscilla Knight Grinder. The original stand consisted of two rough log cabin
s adjoined at right angles with a dogtrot between them. Both rooms had doors facing the Natchez Trace, and one room also had a door facing the detached kitchen behind the stand. A barn and stable were also located on the property, although the original locations of these two buildings have not been determined.
According to tradition, Robert Grinder sold whiskey to the Indians
, whose lands came within a few feet of the cabin. The proper use of the stand was to provide food and lodging to travelers passing through the Natchez Trace.
In the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps
built a replica cabin less than 20 feet from the remains of the original stand. However, the current cabin does not authentically match the design of the original.
Natchez Trace
The Natchez Trace, also known as the "Old Natchez Trace", is a historical path that extends roughly from Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee, linking the Cumberland, Tennessee and Mississippi rivers...
. A replica can be visited today at the Meriwether Lewis Park, located on the Natchez Trace Parkway
Natchez Trace Parkway
The Natchez Trace Parkway is a National Park Service unit in the southeastern United States that commemorates the historic Old Natchez Trace and preserves sections of the original trail....
in Lewis County, Tennessee, south of Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, southwest of Columbia
Columbia, Tennessee
Columbia is a city in Maury County, Tennessee, United States. The 2008 population was 34,402 according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates. It is the county seat of Maury County....
, and east of Hohenwald, Tennessee
Hohenwald, Tennessee
Hohenwald is a city in and the county seat of Lewis County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 3,754 at the 2000 census. The name "Hohenwald" is a German word that means "High Forest". The town was founded in 1878 and later merged with a town named "New Switzerland" to the south. New...
.
The inn is known as the place where Meriwether Lewis
Meriwether Lewis
Meriwether Lewis was an American explorer, soldier, and public administrator, best known for his role as the leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition also known as the Corps of Discovery, with William Clark...
died, by suicide (as suspected by his friend and colleague, Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
) or murder (as suspected by his family).
The tavern is believed to have been established in 1807. Its proprietors were Robert Evans Grinder and Priscilla Knight Grinder. The original stand consisted of two rough log cabin
Log cabin
A log cabin is a house built from logs. It is a fairly simple type of log house. A distinction should be drawn between the traditional meanings of "log cabin" and "log house." Historically most "Log cabins" were a simple one- or 1½-story structures, somewhat impermanent, and less finished or less...
s adjoined at right angles with a dogtrot between them. Both rooms had doors facing the Natchez Trace, and one room also had a door facing the detached kitchen behind the stand. A barn and stable were also located on the property, although the original locations of these two buildings have not been determined.
According to tradition, Robert Grinder sold whiskey to the Indians
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
, whose lands came within a few feet of the cabin. The proper use of the stand was to provide food and lodging to travelers passing through the Natchez Trace.
In the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps
Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...
built a replica cabin less than 20 feet from the remains of the original stand. However, the current cabin does not authentically match the design of the original.