The Location
The Webb School is a private coeducational college preparatory boarding and day school in Bell Buckle, Tennessee, founded in 1870. It has been called the oldest continuously operating boarding school in the South. Under founder Sawney Webb's leadership, the school produced more Rhodes Scholars than any other secondary school in the United States.
The Area
The small town of Bell Buckle dates back to 1852, established by local merchant A.D. Fugitt. Bell Buckle flourished with the growing popularity of rail transportation and enjoyed its greatest period of prosperity beginning around 1870. The railroad was the center of business and Bell Buckle became the major stockyard between Nashville and Chattanooga. The population grew to more than 1,000. A thriving community with a hotel, two banks, groceries, physicians, pharmacies, mercantile establishments, a private school and a public school, granaries and other businesses sprang up. During the late 1880’s, William R. “Sawney” Webb, a Civil War veteran and North Carolina educator, arrived in Tennessee to build a preparatory school. The Webb School contributed to the growth and development of Bell Buckle and continues to be a prestigious private boarding and day school with an international student body. The Great Depression of the 1920’s devastated the Bell Buckle railroad trade. One unexpected result of the economic decline was that many of the Victorian and Arts and Crafts style homes were not replaced with more modern structures. In 1976, during the nation’s Bicentennial, an area including the Bell Buckle downtown and continuing to the Webb School property, was listed in the National Register of Historic Places. There are a great many of these homes that have been restored or renovated, not only in the officially designated historic district but also all through the town. Today, it is a thriving arts community with charming rows of eclectic shops, eateries and colorful down-home festivals.
The Jack Trail GeoTour
The Jack Trail GeoTour is a series of geocaches along the backroads and small towns of Middle Tennessee. There is no fixed itinerary, like on a traditional trail, but rather a series of points of interest in a self-guided, goal-oriented plan. We have created a special passport, which you can download here, which lets you track your progress as you hunt specially placed geocaches along the tour. This passport will help you collect “code words” to qualify for special geocoins for completion of the GeoTour.
Special thanks to Monkeybrad for archiving an existing listing to make this cache possible.