Brushy Mountain


Growing up in East Tennessee, there were a couple of destinations for kids: east to Knoxville and the University of Tennessee, or west to Petros and Brushy Mountain State Prison. When I was in high school, my mom was in the Prisoner’s Aid Society, and encouraged me to go on one of their sponsored trips to the prison. Maybe it was a warning. No, I didn’t meet James Earl Ray.
Years later, the prison was closed. I was just reading an article about prison closures, and how some have been repurposed. It mentioned that Brushy Mountain has been repurposed as a distillery. If I ever find myself in those parts, perhaps I’ll take a little excursion out to Morgan County and taste their wares. Might be a fun place for a high school reunion field trip. https://www.brushymtndistillery.com/

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