What) Strolling Jim was the first world champion Tennessee Walking Horse. As anyone from Wartrace will tell you, a Tennessee Walking Horse is a show breed, raised to caper nobly around a ring. According to local lore, a trainer named Carothers spied Strolling Jim in a field pulling a plow. Carothers immediately recognized that Strolling Jim was a new kind of horse and in 1939 he won the world champion title.

    The Strolling Jim Restaurant, part of the Walking Horse Hotel, houses the world's largest collection of Tennessee Walking Horse photos and art. Films of Strolling Jim play on video monitors while Strolling Jim hats and T-shirts are for sale in the gift shop. As its owner points out: "People here still remember him. Evidently he had charisma." Strolling Jim's granite tombstone, complete with an engraved portrait, stands outside the stables behind the Hotel. Everyone is welcome to visit and pay their respects. (1)

    Where) 101 Spring Street at the corner of Highway 269/Spring Street and Highway 64/Blackman Boulevard West

    Why) Initially, this just seemed like another horse themed Buckys for Pam but it turned into something more along the lines of the Mystery Spot except I was the one that got bothered not Pam.

The entrance to the hotel looks normal enough but my nerves were telling that I would not be welcome inside that door.

So I got to play the "spot the grave" game in that mindset.  Scroll over to the right and see how long it takes you.

There were actually two graves in the right of that picture between the wood pile and the red roofed building.

I was even nervous taking the short walk back to those graves.  I seem to recall that I was looking out for snipers or wild dogs.

That is why I convinced Pam to leave shortly afterward instead of going into the hotel to see this nice picture of Jim. My agitation (which is very rare for me) finally dissipated once we left Wartrace. When we arrived back home I did some research and discovered that the hotel is haunted. Strangely, Pam noticed my unusual behavior but was not bothered herself. She actually found the situation a bit humorous. (2)

"There is a mysterious presence in the sleepy little town of Wartrace, Tennessee that has turned a once thriving community into a virtual ghost town.  For decades local residents have reported dark shadows, unexplained noises and eerie voices coming from inside the Hotel.   Many of these occurred when the building was completely abandoned." (3)

"According to respected paranormal investigators the Historic Walking Horse Hotel is one of the most haunted buildings in the country. However, unlike other prominent haunted locations with malevolent histories, the birthplace of the Tennessee Walking Horse has no such story. None! Based on everything we know today there is no logical explanation why the Walking Horse Hotel has the amount of unexplained occurrences it consistently has. Personally, I’ve always maintained the belief that because we welcome spirits rather than fear them they know that they’re always welcome. I also maintain the belief that our spirits still recognize the building as a hotel and come and go as they may have long ago." (4)