Even an odd street name like “Granny White” fades into the background for anyone who regularly drives the shady two-lane road to Brentwood. But a few listeners have submitted Curious Nashville questions about it, like this one:
Was Granny White Pike named for a real woman? Who was she? When and where did she live?
Yes, Granny White was a real person. That we know. You can visit her grave, which is just off the pike that bears her name. And that grave is just a stone’s throw from the inn and tavern that was part of her rags-to-riches story.
The details of that story are a little harder to pin down. People have been curious about this mysterious figure for decades. A Nashville newcomer wrote in to the Tennessean back in 1972, asking for some explanation. (continue reading at WPLN)