Along Highway 57: Historic LaGrange, Tennessee

Unlike the other towns along Highway 57, LaGrange did not come about because of the Memphis & Charleston Railroad. It was platted in 1829 and developed by early settlers, and its original street plan was supposedly patterned after that of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Memphis & Charleston Railroad reach LaGrange in 1838, but a financial “panic”, as recessions were called in that day, led to the railroad going into bankruptcy. Since LaGrange was very much a going concern before the railroad arrived, it is not surprising that the business district is on the opposite side of town from the railroad, and there are still a number of historic homes and business buildings, many of which predate the Civil War. Unfortunately, only 133 people actually live in the town, and Main Street, though much better preserved than that at Moscow, was equally empty.