The town of Lewisburg dates back to the early 1800s, named for frontier explorer Meriwether Lewis of the famed duo Lewis and Clark, a prominent figure on the Nashville's Trace: Backstage to Backroads Trail. Until the early 1900s, this was a trading and shipping center for livestock and farm goods produced here in Marshall County. Today, it's known as the home to the World Headquarters of the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders' & Exhibitors' Association and also as the host of one of Tennessee's most unique festivals: Goats, Music & More held each fall. The celebration features the "fainting" goat, an unusual breed brought to the area by a settler in the mid-1800s. Due to a rare genetic (and painless) condition, the goats become stiff, lose their balance and often fall over when startled. The breed nearly faced extinction in the 1980s, but today the quirky goats are thriving worldwide, thanks to places like Lewisburg that celebrate their novelty.
