I had my notebook open and pencil in hand not long ago, trying to come up with an idea for a new column. I suddenly realized it was right in front of my face.
You see, it wasn’t just any pencil. Tennessee History for Kids once ordered several boxes of burnt orange writing utensils from the Musgrave Pencil Co. They have the Tennessee History for Kids emblem on them, along with the words “This pencil manufactured at Musgrave Pencil Co. in Shelbyville, TN.”
The pencils have proven to be a great gift for teachers, who have a constant need for them. And they have turned into a history lesson in their own right.
Shelbyville’s Musgrave Pencil Co. was founded in 1916 and has been owned and operated by the same family for five generations. Although the pencil business isn’t what it once was, Musgrave continues to produce a good product, employ people and contribute to the economy of Bedford and surrounding counties.
Musgrave is also all that is left of Shelbyville’s nickname. In the 1950s, Tennessee Gov. Buford Ellington declared the Bedford County seat “Pencil City U.S.A.” because, at that time, there were a half-dozen pencil factories in or near there.
Why? The original reason is linked to the natural products of the central basin of Tennessee. Bedford, Maury, Williamson and Wilson counties have lots of “red cedar,” or juniper trees…
