Inside the Black Cat Tavern

It’s an obscure landmark, but one that harkens back to an era that is both dark and fascinating all at once.   The Black Cat Tavern operated as a popular nightclub on the outskirts of Murfreesboro in the period during and after prohibition. It is best described as a cave to which a manmade entrance was added, creating an enclosed space. It consisted of three rooms which included a dance hall, a dining room and a kitchen in addition to the natural cave area with an underground stream.  Situated alongside a major highway but hidden by dense foliage, it remains virtually invisible to the average passerby.  

Little can be confirmed regarding details of this establishment’s history.  Although enough rumors and second hand stories exist that indicate it was a place that your mamma would have probably told you not to go. That didn’t discourage those back in the 20’s from hanging out at the underground jazz joint that some have  termed a “speakeasy”.  It’s even believed that Jean Faircloth MacArthur , the 2^nd wife  of American General Douglass MacArther  of WW2 fame partied  here on occasion. 

Overwhelmed with curiosity to learn more about the Black Cat, we decided to take a small expedition to this underground hideaway and see for ourselves.  Arriving at the location we cautiously slipped through the bars that block the entrance.  We then examined each room of the dank edifice with our flashlights, clearing away a jungle of cobwebs as we made our way through.   I’ll be the first to confess that the Black Cat is a little spooky.  It’s not a place that I recommend going for a night out.

 But the tavern wasn’t always such an eerie place. The walls were once covered in cedar planks and heat was provided by a set of fireplaces which surely provided a warm ambiance during its heyday.  It’s easy to imagine this place as a fun underground venue for nightlife.

We’ve all got romantic ideas about this era that are given to us by pop culture. But in reality it was still a relatively dark period in American history.  Poverty and disease were rampant.  At the local hospital women were often given scopolamine, tied to tables and left to hallucinate for days before giving birth. Sexy times eh? The Black Cat Tavern was nothing fancy. It was basically just a hole in the ground where people went to get drunk. But still it represents a part of American culture.  Even the darker elements of our past in my opinion should not be forgotten.

For all the paranormal researchers and ghost chasers that drop in to read this post,  I should add that the Black Cat is near the top of my list Murfreesboro's Most Haunted locations which is the subject for a later post in October. 

The property is currently managed by the Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation Department and closed to the public. Safety and adequate funding are likely the reasons that Black Cat has remained a low priority for historic preservation.  The collapsed floors and broken beer bottles left by previous visitors make it a hazardous hangout.    

 Many fascinating monuments to American cultural history such as this are lost either through urban development or simply allowed to deteriorate.  Some remain hidden because they represent dark and uncomfortable periods in the past and others are simply hazardous and inaccessible.

 With enough encouragement from others who are aware of its historical significance, I think a gradual restoration of the Black Cat site might be feasible. It’s certainly worth a call to city officials at the Murfreesboro Department of Parks and Recreation to express your support for the idea of preserving this old-time venue. What you do you think?


Here are a few pics from a recent trip to Black Cat.

The Mysterious Black Fox Camp Springs of Murfreesboro Tennessee

Whilst checking out a book called Indian Trails of the Southeast  I discovered that two ancient Native American paths, the Creek War Trace and the Nickjack Trace intersect just down the street from my house. I then discovered that where these trails converge is a place called Black Fox Camp Springs named after the famous Cherokee Indian Chief . It's a beautiful patch of swampy wetland and forest which is the former site of Black Fox's hunting camp. This is the spot where he made his legendary escape from Major James Ore's force of militiamen who were part of the Nickajack Expedition en route to attack the Chicamauga towns of the "Lower Cherokee" in September of 1794. 

According to the story, Black Fox's men were taken buy surprise. It's said that he escaped by diving into the spring where he subsequently emerged 3 miles away at Murfree Springs. Now, either this whole story is a load of BS or there's a subterranean link between the two locations. I tend to believe the later isn't impossible based on the fact that both Springs share the same source and seem to located along the same limestone aquafer  which is essentially an underground waterway.   The question is did Black Fox actually make his escape this way? If he did travel underground  all the way to Murfree Spring it stands to reason that he was familiar with this route and that he did not swim the entire way underwater. I'm sure most people are skeptical of this legend and I can understand why. 

 I have confirmed the presence of a cave entrance at Murfree Springs. But I have yet to identify any possible entrances to any subterranean caverns at the Black Fox Camp site.  It's my guess as of today that the entrance has been covered up. This may have happened either when the nearby neighborhood development inserted a drainage pipe into the spring or when the land was altered to create "Todds Lake" which is the crappy little artificial swamp-lake that lies immediately  NW of the Spring. There is no way to know for sure whether or not he really made his escape underground. However, studies conducted in 1999 using dye tracing methods did confirm underground links in this area. At any rate, the impact of development and erosion since the late 1700's has altered the surface geology so substantially that any previously existing passages or entrances may indeed be lost forever.  

Most people in Murfreesboro have no idea that this immediate area near the springs called Dilton was actually the first to be settled by Europeans in Rutherford County. Black Fox Camp Springs and Dilton  were almost selected over the Murfee Springs location to become the center for the community's development. Overall the place has a quiet air of mystery. The area South of the Spring is one I use to get away from things when I don't have time to go far but still wan't to be alone. 
 

Black Fox Camp Spring (December 2012)

The distance between Black Fox's Camp and Murfree Springs is about 3 miles.

Back on the Nickajack - December 5th 2012

Returned to explore more of the Nickajack trace this morning and look for possible Indian burials along the banks of Lytle's Creek as well as any sign of Sasquatch activity. I haven't found any yet as it is too far from the Stones River where the majority of sightings occur.  I don't plan on digging up dead Native Americans but I'm always on the lookout for mounds, arrowheads  and other artifacts which might surface as a result of the rain.  You see this was no side street back in the day.  The Nickajack Trace/Trail is part of the larger Cisca-St. Augustine Trace which ran down to Spanish Florida via Savannah Georgia. Indians used this trail for hundreds or possibly thousands of years for travel, trade and warfare. While we associate this area with Chief Black Fox, in reality this was an important location for thousands of other natives who likely used this spot as a camp and water source.



If you are interested in finding trails like this one a good resource is Indian Trails of the Southeast William E. Myer published in 1925. 

Remnant of the ancient Nickajack Trace outside Murfreesboro, TN

My handsomely well-shaped leg sustained a pretty good gash while fording Lytle's Creek. My feet however  are not so handsomely well-shaped.

Drums along the Nickajack?: a possible paranormal incident

I have to report one incident of note that  might be attributed to paranormal activity. While exploring the area near Black Fox's old camp my partner Reagan and I heard the faint sound of  tribal drums but were unable to detect the direction of the sound. It was very strange. This happened on 3 occasions. I will be returning to take some EVP recordings at a later time.

Additional information:

 Indian Trails of the Southeast William E. Myer 1925