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Grinder's Switch Depot

Grinder's Switch Depot

Album Featured Hickman Co

Image 17/65

Jun 27, 2008 18:45

  Original

Grinder's Switch is a real place made famous as the hometown of fictional character Minnie Pearl. Instead of being an actual town, it was just a railroad switch. There was a depot at this switch, part of the NCStL line, and an employee there was the father of Sarah Colley Carter, the real life person behind Minnie Pearl. That original depot is long gone, but some people in Centerville want to take advantage of the Minnie Pearl heritage (just like Loretta Lynn has done in Hurricane Mills). In the 1980's, these people planned a park, and needed another depot, so they purchased this L&N depot from the tiny Dickson County town of Slayden. Additionally, they put some vintage farm equipment here, but that park never fully materialized. However, they built a nearby Ag Expo. The train tracks are right behind me here.