This town was named by Andrew Jackson. He is said to have carved "this is War Trail Creek" into a beech tree on his nearby property, marking a Native American warpath. The town was a Confederate winter camp after the Battle of Stones River in Murfreesboro, and a downtown stagecoach stop and tavern became an informal headquarters for Confederate officers. The late 1800s earned Wartrace a reputation as a health resort town, when special trains brought visitors to the sulphur springs that dotted the village and the water was bottled and exported for a brief time. In the early 20th century, the town was thriving, welcoming railroad travelers and producing agricultural bounty. The Tennessee Walking Horse breed was developed here, and the idea for the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration was born here in 1938, when a group of breeders and trainers gathered at the Walking Horse Hotel. Today, it's a well-preserved historic town with loads of character.
