A bridge in Lincoln County, about 1905
PHOTO: A. J. Dyer III
County Seat: Fayetteville
First of all, Lincoln County isn’t named for President Abraham Lincoln (after all, most people from this part of Tennessee fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War). But it is named for a northerner -- a Revolutionary War General from Massachusetts named Benjamin Lincoln.
They take pride in their heritage in Lincoln County, and there's even a small local history museum there (you can visit it on the web here). The museum is located in an old milk bottling plant that opened in 1927 and closed in 1967.
Admiral Frank Kelso
PHOTO: US Navy
Another tidbit about Lincoln County: Tennessee has a great heritage of naval heroes, such as Admiral David Farragut (from Knoxville), Admiral William Lawrence (Nashville), and Captain Robert Anderson (Bakerville). Also included in this esteemed group is Vice Admiral Frank Kelso, chief of naval operations during the 1991 Persian Gulf War. As you will see if you visit the Fayetteville Lincoln County Museum, Kelso is from Fayetteville. And, by the way, the nearby town of Kelso, Tennessee, is named for his great great uncle Henry Kelso.
The Lincoln County Courthouse is also located in Fayetteville.
