Temperance Hall, Tennessee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Temperance Hall, Tennessee
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 Temperance Hall, Tennessee
Location in Tennessee
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| Country | United States |
| State | Tennessee |
| County | DeKalb |
| Founded | 1798 |
| Founded by | Stephen Robinson Sr. |
| Elevation | 594 ft (181 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
37095 (Liberty, TN)
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| ZIP code |
38569 (Lancaster, TN)
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| Area code(s) | 615/629 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1313794 |
Temperance Hall is a small community in northern DeKalb County, Tennessee, USA. It's about 4 miles (6.4 km) west of Center Hill Dam. Stephen Robinson Sr. started the community in 1798. He was one of the first four people to settle in DeKalb County.
Contents
Where is Temperance Hall?
Temperance Hall is located at 36°4′59″N 85°54′05″W / 36.08306°N 85.90139°W. The community is found along State Highway 264 and Smith Fork Creek. It sits between the towns of Alexandria and Center Hill Lake. The area covers about 0.9 square miles (2.3 square kilometers). Most of Temperance Hall is in ZIP code 37095, which is for Liberty. A small part is in ZIP code 38569, for Lancaster.
A Look Back: Temperance Hall's History
Early Days and First Settlers
The area was first visited by a hunting group in 1780. They hunted many animals, including bears, buffalo, and deer. There was enough food to feed everyone at Fort Nashborough for the whole winter.
Stephen Robinson Sr. came to the area in 1798. He was from Cumberland County, Virginia. He came with Adam Dale and the brothers Leonard and John Fite. Even though Native American tribes lived there, these four settlers successfully started new communities. Temperance Hall was first part of Smith County. But in 1850, the border changed, and it became part of DeKalb County.
Mills and Early Buildings
Many mills were built along Smith Fork Creek in Temperance Hall. This creek is a branch of the Caney Fork River. The biggest mill was built by Samuel Caplinger. It was located about half a mile northwest of town. This mill worked until a flood mostly destroyed it in 1946. Some parts of the mill can still be seen today.
Caplinger also built a house on a nearby hill in 1821. This house was very unique. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. However, it was removed from the list and torn down in 1989.
Growing Community and Businesses
Many homes were built near the mill. Settlers liked the rich farmland along the Smith Fork. Soon, stores, a hotel, a bank, and churches opened. Mt. Zion Baptist Church opened in 1850. Other churches followed, located right in town. Many doctors also started their practices there.
A post office opened in 1850 but closed in 1904. The "Temperance Hall Bank & Trust Company" operated for many years. It closed during the Great Depression. One important person from Temperance Hall in the 1800s was Colonel William Brickly Stokes. He was a politician and a general for the Union during the American Civil War.
Life in the 1890s
By the 1890s, Temperance Hall was a busy community with about 150 people. It had three dry goods stores, one drug store, and two blacksmith shops. There were also two mills. The town had three doctors, many carpenters, and people with other jobs. Most residents were farmers. They grew corn, wheat, and sorghum, and raised livestock. These goods were sold in bigger cities.
Temperance Hall had one of the first telephone offices in DeKalb County. It worked for many years before closing in the early 1950s. There was also a stockyard in town. Livestock bought there would be taken to Hickman to be shipped by train. On February 15, 1895, one of the mills burned down. A lot of snow on the ground helped stop the fire from spreading to other houses. The mill lost all its corn, wheat, sorghum, meal, flour, and lumber.
Famous Race Horses
Temperance Hall was also known for its race horses. Some of them were famous across the country. One quarter horse named "Ariel" belonged to Colonel Stokes. Ariel won so many races that he was banned from most tracks. So, Stokes painted Ariel a different color to enter more races. He kept winning until the paint started to remove the horse's hair!
Schools in Temperance Hall
The first school was a one-room log house near the Methodist Church. Later, a bigger two-story building was built. It was called Earl Academy, named after its first teacher. School started at Earl Academy on January 23, 1895. By February, over 100 students were enrolled. Many people thought it was the best school in the county.
In 1920, a new two-story school building was constructed. This building served as the school until it burned down in June 1949. A new one-story building was built in the early 1950s. This served as the school until it closed in the 1960s because there were not enough students. The building was fixed up and reopened on October 31, 1971. It became a community center. Today, it is still used as a community center.
Pearl Hunting
Many people in the Temperance Hall area used to hunt for pearls. They found these pearls inside mussels in the Caney Fork River. Many pearls found were sold for hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars.
Changes Over Time
Temperance Hall was never officially made into a town. But for many years, it was one of the most successful areas in DeKalb County. However, during the Great Depression, many people moved north to find work. Because of this, many businesses in Temperance Hall and nearby Alexandria started to close. Almost all the stores, schools, banks, and the Temperance Hall Hotel closed. The hotel was later turned into a house and is still standing today.
By the 1990s, the last store in Temperance Hall had closed. Only three small churches and the community center remained. From the 1980s to the 2010s, the community center hosted a weekly country music dance. Local bands would perform there. The center also serves as the voting place for Temperance Hall and nearby communities. It can also be rented for special events.
How Temperance Hall Got Its Name
Temperance Hall got its name from a local group called the Sons of Temperance. This group met on the second floor of the town's hotel. The second floor had a long hallway. People would gather there to hear talks and speeches about the idea of temperance. Temperance meant avoiding alcohol. This hallway became known as "Temperance Hall," and that's how the town got its name.
Temperance Hall in Music Videos
The town has been a filming location for at least two country music videos. John Anderson filmed a video there in 1986. The band Alabama filmed their hit song "Song of the South" there in late 1988. Many people came to watch the filming of "Song of the South." You can even see the crowd in the music video!
Education
Students in Temperance Hall attend schools in the DeKalb County School District. Younger students (PreK–8) go to DeKalb West School in Liberty. Older students (9–12) go to DeKalb County High School in Smithville.
Notable People from Temperance Hall
- William Brickly Stokes, a Union Army colonel and politician
- John Rose, a politician
