Wellwood Remembered
Dave Hinman, station manager of WLJT, the PBS station in Martin at the University of Tennessee at Martin campus, was enlisted to document the move of the Wellwood Country Store to Casey Jones Village. He did an incredible job of telling the Wellwood story from it's beginning to its new life in Casey Jones Village. He interviews Romus Hight, Joy Moss and Clark Shaw. It aired on Channel 11's "West Tennessee Journal" recently.
It is touching, historical and the priceless tale of a family and story come full circle. Old Country Store founder Brooks Shaw worked at the Wellwood country store as a young boy and it later inspired his love of antiques and the creation of the Old Country Store we know today. His son, Clark Shaw, saved it after it closed when he purchased the store built in 1925 a number of years ago. His dream came true when it was moved to Casey Jones Village in March of 2009 to sit beside the Store it inspired. It is undergoing renovation and will reopen very soon.
WLJT has the segment posted on their website http://www.utm.edu/organizations/wljt/ and on You Tube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ib1SGKiUG1o .
Enjoy this trip down memory lane and our heartfelt thanks to Dave Hinman for preserving Wellwood's heritage for all of us.
Museum Expansion Opens June 19th!
All Aboard!
Major Expansion of
Casey Jones Museum
on Track For June 19th Opening
Posted June 13th, 2009: Casey Jones' famous last ride may have taken place almost 110 years ago but his memory is alive and well in Jackson , Tennessee . A major expansion of the Casey Jones Home & Railroad Museum is set to open June 19th. The Train Station addition is a joint project of the City of Jackson and Brooks Shaw's Old Country Store who has privately managed the Casey Jones Museum for over 30 years. Call it the little engine that could, but this Home and Museum are about to venture into a a whole new era expecting hundreds of thousands of visitors annually from all over the world.
In a move that preserved the railroad museum for generations to come, the City of Jackson was awarded a federal enhancement grant in the fall of 2005 from the Tennessee Department of Transportation signed by Governor Phil Bredesen. The project was funded by an 80/20 match by the grant and Brooks Shaw's Old Country Store. Construction of the 7,500 square foot "Train Station" began in the fall of 2008 and it is scheduled to open by June 19th. Bruce Green Contractors in Martin, Tennessee was the construction company led by Mike Youngblood.
The public is invited to a Ribbon Cutting & Dedication Ceremony scheduled for 11:00 am on Friday, June 19th, 2009 followed by a tour of the new building, reception and live musical entertainment. Descendants of Casey Jones are scheduled to attend including four grandchildren Nancy Howse and Tom, Bob and Dan McKenzie. Casey Jones mini-train rides will be available for kids of all ages Friday and Saturday along with various activities throughout the weekend. Museum hours will be 9:00 am to 8:00 pm daily.
Clark Shaw, CEO of the Old Country Store, is the project coordinator who also designed the building. Lawrence Taylor is the Executive Director of the Museum and his wife, Norma Taylor, is the Museum Historian. The Train Station project committee consisted of Clark Shaw , the Taylors and Shaw's sister, Deborah Shaw Laman, Casey Jones Village marketing director.
The Museum has also partnered with West Tennessee Healthcare Foundation to form a non-profit arm of the Casey Jones Home & Railroad Museum allowing individual and corporate sponsors to take 100% tax deductions for contributions. All donations to the Casey Jones Historical Fund will be used for either new exhibits or educational programs as well as for the upkeep of the Casey Jones Home. Visit the West Tennessee Healthcare Foundation website at www.wthfoundation.org for more information.
The new "Train Station" was designed to recreate the look and feel of an 1890's train depot. Guests will enter through a lobby to buy their ticket as if boarding a train. They will begin the tour in the theatre and view an updated short film on Casey Jones' life and legend produced by Doug Viar. The tour will continue through a permanent Exhibit Hall and the Jackson Railroad Room dedicated to Jackson , Tennessee 's rich railroad history. Guests will then walk onto a platform as they exit the Train Station as if to board a train in 1900 and be able to climb into the cab of the 130 ton locomotive engine replica of Casey's #382 and ring the bell. The original Home of Casey Jones is a highlight of the tour decorated in period furniture. Guests will then complete their tour back into the Train Station with a visit through the new Museum train store filled with railroad gifts of all kinds complete with a Thomas the Tank Engine corner including a reading nook and Thomas video screening area.
Spaces in the building will be ideal for children's birthday parties and for local community meetings and functions of all kinds. Catering services will also be available through Brooks Shaw's Old Country Store.
Visit http://www.caseyjones.com/ for more details. The Museum number is 731.668.12-2-2 like a train whistle. The address is 30 Casey Jones Lane , Jackson , TN on the Highway 45 By-pass at I-40 exit 80A. An additional contact number is the Old Country Store at 731.668.1223.
Dee Moss in Tennessee Home & Farm Magazine!
Dee Moss Featured in Tennessee Home & Farm Magazine!
There is a tremendous article on master woodcarver Dee Moss of Wildlife in Wood Studio based here in the Village in the summer 2009 issue of Tennessee Home & Farm magazine. It is written by Abby Seldon. You can read the article at the link below and the entire magazine online at www.tnhomeandfarm.com .
Dee has worked in the Gazebo for many years and when the Judge Milton Brown railcar was moved to the Village in December of last year the Gazebo (which was 30 years old) was removed to make room for the Judge. So....Dee's new home will be in the Wellwood country store that was moved to the Village this Spring. It is under renovation and will be ready this summer. It's going to be so neat. It's the country store where Brooks Shaw who founded the Old Country Store worked as a young boy. It's really a story that has come full circle and the country store that inspired him to later open the Old Country Store as an antique museum. Read our full history on the Old Country Store section. Dee will have a brand new studio in the building.
We are so proud of this article on Dee Moss. He is an incredibly talented artisan. He is a genuinely nice man and we couldn't be happier that he is featured in this beautiful magazine produced for the almost 700,000 members of the Tennessee Farm Bureau. Many thanks to them and congratulations to Dee! http://tnhomeandfarm.com/index.php/site/tennesseeliving/articles/his_ducks_in_a_row/
In Honor of Memorial Day
Posted Monday, May 25th, 2009:
Today in America we honor the men and women in the military who have given their lives in service to their country. To quote the original Army proclamation regarding this holiday from 1868, "Let no neglect, no ravages of time, testify to the present or to the coming generations that we have forgotten as a people the cost of a free and undivided republic."
Literally over a million men and women have died in wars throughout our nation's history. They are our heroes from the Revolutionary War to Iraq and Afghanistan. As the proud daughter of a member of the US military who served in World War II, Brooks Shaw, today we pause to honor and commemorate their ultimate sacrifice and the sacrifice of their families so that we can enjoy the freedoms we have today. God bless them and God bless America.
In honor of our military we daily offer a discount in our Old Country Store restaurant to active duty and retired military as a small token of appreciation for their service to our nation.
Here is a picture of a picture so pardon the glare but it's a wonderful portrait of Brooks Shaw during his service in World War II... 
Wellwood Story to Air on WLJT!
He has done numerous stories on gatherings and happenings at the Village from the Barbershop Chorus to Hobo Festivals among others through the years. Dave even taped an entire Casey Jones Old-Time Music Festival one year and played it all on his station. He's great to work with and we appreciate his friendship greatly....
http://wow.utm.edu/organizations/wljt/WTJ.html Enjoy all of the stories posted online about great attractions and interesting events in our area. The Wellwood story will be added soon I'm sure. Thanks!
We're all a-Twitter!
We joined the Twitterdome craze! Won't you join us and follow along as we tweet to the world?
Find us at http://twitter.com/oldcountrystore and spread the joy!
Casey Jones Day is April 30th!
Casey Jones Museum News!
All aboard for the summer as our new addition to the Casey Jones Museum is well underway. We are very proud to formally announce the formation of a non-profit arm for the Casey Jones Home & Railroad Museum with the West Tennessee Healthcare Foundation. See how you can be a part of history too in our press release below...
The new "Train Station" addition currently under construction
March 20th, 2009
Construction of
Casey Jones Museum Expansion
on Track for Summer Travel Season
(Jackson, TN) Casey Jones’ famous last ride may have taken place almost 110 years ago but his memory is alive and well in Jackson, Tennessee. The original 1880’s home where the famous railroad engineer lived with his wife and three children at the time of his heroic death on April 30th, 1900 has been a museum in Jackson, Tennessee since 1956. It is owned by the citizens of Jackson and has been privately managed by Brooks Shaw & Son’s Old Country Store for over 30 years. Call it the little engine that could, but his home is about to venture into a whole new era just in time for the summer travel season.
In a move that preserved the museum for generations to come, the City of Jackson was awarded a federal grant from the Tennessee Department of Transportation approved and signed by Governor Phil Bredesen allowing the Casey Jones Home & Railroad Museum to build a major 7,500 square foot transportation museum. Construction is well underway and the addition is scheduled to open by early summer 2009. The home of Casey Jones is temporarily closed until construction is complete for exhibit and renovation purposes. Clark Shaw, CEO of the Old Country Store, is the project coordinator. Lawrence Taylor is the Executive Director of the Museum and his wife, Norma, is the Museum Historian.
The TDOT grant and a private funding match provided by the Old Country Store is paying for the construction of the Museum expansion. The grant does not allow any funds for interior exhibits or the restoration needs of the Casey Jones Home. The Museum is currently seeking community partners to assist us in funding goals.
Museum officials have announced this week that they have partnered with West Tennessee Healthcare Foundation in forming a non- profit arm of the Casey Jones Home & Railroad Museum allowing individual and corporate sponsors to take 100% tax deductions for contributions. All donations will be used for either new exhibits or educational programs as well as for the upkeep of the Casey Jones Home. Contributions to the Casey Jones Historical Fund can be made online at www.wthfoundation.org/makeadonation . Once registered, a "Community Fund" donation can be made by selecting from the "Designation" drop down menu. Donations can also be made by mailing a check to: West Tennessee Healthcare Foundation 620 Skyline Avenue Jackson, Tennessee 38301.
The new “Train Station” will recreate the feel of an authentic 1890's train depot. Guests will enjoy a new theatre that will show an updated film on Casey Jones’ life and legend, a permanent Exhibit Hall and traveling Exhibit hall. The Museum exhibits will be widely expanded in the new building and include artifacts from the life and legend of Casey Jones, his fireman Sim Webb, the life of a typical 1900 railroad worker in Tennessee as well as numerous other train related exhibits.
Museum guests will walk onto a platform as they exit the back door of the Train Station as if to board a train in 1900 and be able to climb into the cab of the 130 ton locomotive engine in place very similar to Ole #382 that Casey Jones rode to fame. Visitors will also tour the attached 80 foot rail car will be filled with an extensive model train exhibit. The original home of Casey Jones is the highlight of the tour decorated in period furniture. Museum guests will then return to the Train Station that will house a new official Gift Shoppe and children's reading area. Spaces in the building will be ideal for children's birthday parties and for local community meetings and functions of all kinds. Catering services will also be available.
The Museum will be open daily from 9 am to 8 pm beginning in June. A Ribbon Cutting & Dedication is scheduled for the third weekend in June. The ribbon cutting is scheduled for 11 am on Friday, June 19th followed by tours of the new building and a reception.
Visit http://www.caseyjones.com/ for updates. Casey Jones Village is located on the Highway 45 By-pass at I-40 exit 80A in Jackson, Tennessee.
Old Country Store Wins Best Restaurant!
Old Country Store Named Jackson's
Best Restaurant Five Years in a Row
( Jackson , TN ) For the fifth year in a row, Brooks Shaw's Old Country Store was named Jackson's Best Overall Restaurant. Casey Jones Village was honored in several categories at the Jackson Sun Readers’ Choice Awards reception held at the Aeneas Building in downtown Jackson Thursday, March 12th. Casey Jones Village was voted Best Local Attraction for 2009 having received that distinction every year of the competition. In addition to "Best Overall Restaurant", the Old Country Store also won “Best Southern’ Cookin".
Readers of the Jackson Sun newspaper annually vote on their favorite local and area businesses in a number of categories with the winners formally announced at the reception. Categories include Entertainment, Food, Medical, Retail, Media and Services.
The Old Country Store was founded in April of 1965 by the late Brooks C. Shaw and Anne Shaw as an antique museum and grew into a restaurant due to the popularity of its small lunch counter that served classic Southern fare. The company CEO is T. Clark Shaw, son of the founders. Deborah Shaw Laman, daughter of Brooks and Anne Shaw and company vice president and marketing director, said, “We are so thankful to the Jackson and West Tennessee community who has supported us since we opened in 1965. It's a joy to do what we do and we appreciate the opportunity to be an ongoing part of the fabric of Jackson, Tennessee.”
Casey Jones Village is also is the home of the Historic Casey Jones Home & Railroad Museum that is currently undergoing a major expansion set to open this summer. Casey Jones Village is located in Jackson on the Highway 45 By-pass off Interstate 40 exit 80A and is annually named one of the Top 10 Travel Attractions in the state of Tennessee. The website is www.caseyjones.com .
Wellwood Store Comes to Casey Jones Village!
Posted March 11th: The Wellwood Store has arrived! Through rain, hail, sleet or snow we persevered and the Wellwood Store has come to town. It was a sight to see today as the little country store that could made the twenty mile trek to its new home in Casey Jones Village. See full story below...
Posted March 13th: Enjoy the pictures!
After we restore and renovate the Wellwood country store, we hope to have it open as an extension of the Old Country Store gift shoppe by Memorial Day! 
Leaving the Wellwood Community
Approaching the railroad tracks on Highway 70 near the airport
Rounding the curve onto the Highway 45-Bypass at Airways (Hwy 70)
Coming down Casey Jones Lane to its new home!
Posted March 1st, 2009:
We are so excited about this story...read the press release below!
Historic Wellwood Country Store
Relocates to Casey Jones Village
(Jackson, TN) Sometimes a story comes full circle. So it is with the acquisition and move of the Wellwood Country Store next to Brooks Shaw's Old Country Store in Casey Jones Village. Founder Brooks Shaw worked at the historic 1925 building as a teenager and later inspired his love for Southern antiques. It led to a collection of over 15,000 antiques on display since 1965 at Brooks Shaw's Old Country Store in Jackson that is today one of Tennessee's legendary landmarks. Plans call for the Wellwood store to be moved to Casey Jones Village this next week.
The Wellwood Store is a classic rural Southern country store. It is a white wood frame shotgun style building that is 52 feet long and 20 feet wide. It was opened in 1925 by the Jesse Edwards family and operated almost continuously until 2001. The country store has had a number of owners through the years but was acquired by its original owner's daughter, Dorris Joyner, and her husband, Floyd, who operated the store in their retirement years. In its new home in Casey Jones Village, the Wellwood Store will be an extension of the Old Country Store Gift Shoppe with over 700 square feet of space created to look much like it did when Shaw worked there in the late 1930's and early 1940's as a young man. It will be filled with hundreds of original antiques that are a part of the Shaw collection and authentic country store reproductions of items as would have been found from the 1930's back to the 1880's. A portion of the building will be the studio of master wood carver, H. Dee Moss.
The Old Country Store was founded in 1965 as an antique museum dedicated to Pop's Old Country Store and Mom's Home Cookin' by Brooks and Anne Shaw. His passion for collecting Southern antiques led to the opening of a museum as a tribute to country stores in the South. It is possibly one of the largest private antique collections in the country. Mr. Shaw passed away in 1971 at the age of 46.
Clark Shaw, his son and company CEO said, "It's a dream come true to bring the store where my Dad worked as a boy to sit next to the Old Country Store that was inspired by it. It really completes the story of the very store that led to his journey to collect antiques in the early 1960's. His doctor told him for health reasons to find a relaxing hobby ~ antiquing as it turned out ~ that led to the Old Country Store we know and love today. Now they will be side by side."
Shaw continued, "For 15 to 20 years, it's been my dream to someday own the little store and relocate it to the Village as a tribute to our father, Brooks Clark Shaw. When I shared this with Mrs. Joyner, she was very pleased and allowed us to buy the building giving the relocation her blessing. Our cousins, Joy Carr Moss and Linda Carr Czigan, stopped there for years as children on their school bus stop. They helped us lay out the store with their vivid memories of what the store looked like at that time."
Shaw explained, "Our goal is to lay out the Wellwood Country Store as close as possible to where everything was at the time my Dad worked there including the checker board, pot bellied stove, candy case, soda box, dry goods and hoop cheese." He concluded, "Dad was fond of saying, "I worked for 50 cents a day and all the hoop cheese I could eat." It's also a tribute to the hardworking people of the Wellwood community which was a focal point of the rural West Tennessee community for many years. We are honored to restore and preserve the Wellwood Store for future generations to enjoy."
Brooks Shaw's Old Country Store is located at 56 Casey Jones Lane in Jackson, Tennessee. The Old Country Store serves Southern food in its award winning restaurant and has a Gift Shoppe, authentically recreated 1890's Ice Cream Parlor, "To Go" Market and private meeting rooms.