NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – If you frequent the Forest Hills area, you may wonder: was Granny White Pike named after a real person?

The answer is yes. It was named in honor of Lucinda “Granny” White, who is remembered as one of Nashville's first pioneers.

Davidson County historians said in 1800, she and her orphaned grandchildren made the 800-mile trip from North Carolina to Tennessee in a cart pulled by oxen. Along the way, she would bake and sell ginger cakes which would ultimately help her acquire 50 acres of land on what was then called ‘The Middle Road’ between Nashville and Franklin. 

There, White ran a log tavern and inn that became famous for its food, brandy, and comfortable beds and even played host to distinguished guests like Andrew Jackson and Thomas Hart Benton.

“Just imagine up on the very top of the hill, you had this big, long, sprawling cabin,” said Dr. Carole Bucy, Davidson County historian. “She [White] did weaving, she did cooking, she did alcohol brewing, she was very, very entrepreneurial, and she took care of herself and her descendants.”

Bucy told News 2 that White was unusual in that she was self-sufficient at a time when women had no rights of their own.

“She was involved in all manner of things, but she had a life of true independence,” Bucy said. “Honestly, I can't think of another woman in Tennessee history who had as much freedom as Granny White had until way after the suffrage movement.”

‘The Middle Road’ was renamed to ‘Granny White Pike’ in White’s honor in 1855, according to the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County. Today’s Granny White Pike runs from Brentwood to South Nashville.

White was buried 200 feet south of her tavern in 1816 where she remains to this day. To see her grave, head to the corner of Granny White Pike and Traveler's Ridge Drive.

Additionally, the City of Brentwood is home to Granny White Park which was named after White for her contribution to the history of the area.

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/on-tour-middle-tn/the-person-behind-granny-white-pike/