By David Jackson/Forever Communications
Paris, Tenn.–Dr. Jeff Morris, long-time resident of Buchanan and dentist in Paris, shared the history of the Buchanan community with a well attended “Lunch and Learn” program on Friday at the Paris-Henry County Heritage Center.
Visitors enjoyed a meal of salad, quiche, and dessert prior to Morris’s informative session focused around the Buchanan General Store, Buchanan School, and other landmarks of the area. The program is one of the series sponsored by the Paris-Henry County Bicentennial Committee.
Morris, whose grandfather and grandmother Crutcher, came to Buchanan to operate the store before they would eventually purchase it and run it until it closed in 1985. Jeff remembered many times as a youngster greeting community members when they would come in and sit and discuss politics and world events around the old pot bellied stove at the back of the building.
Dr. Morris reviewed vendors who used to bring items to the store for sale. Local resident Betty Struton pointed out that the store ran a credit system before credit cards were invented allowing many of the farmers in the area to establish a credit account that would allow them to have groceries and essentials, to be paid at the end of the growing season. “Lots of people had no other way to feed the families during hard times without their assistance,” she said.
Buchanan School still stands today but to many it’s a sad sight today compared to times past of community events like PTA beauty pagents, fall festivals and heated basketball games between neighboring rivals, Puryear, Cottage Grove, Henry and Springville and Grove.
Decreased from a high school to an elementary program and eventually closed all together with the merger of Springville and Buchanan into the present Lakewood School, its history was remembered by many in attendance.
According to one, Buchanan didn’t have a lot of academies that were flourishing at the time but a school was established in a barn like structure that would later become the “Old Tator House” next door to the present 98-year-old building of the Buchanan Community Church formally the Buchanan Methodist Church.
“Charming Name and Charming Story of Cottage Grove” will be presented by June Kemp on April 22 with others to follow May 20th, June 4th, July 8th and Wednesday August 5th.
You can reserve a seat by calling 731-642-1030 or emailing director@phchc.com. A meal is supplied and a donation form $12 to $20 is appreciated.