The park that the Nashville Town Park Committee has been discussing for months now has a name, and it’s one with a story behind it.
What has been called the “Washington Street Park” for lack of an official name is now “Lincoln Pinch.”
The new name pays tribute to a person who used to live on the land at Washington and Johnson streets — and to the fictional place he created.
The small log cabin that still stands at this corner used to be the home of William “Bummer” Mobley, a stonemason by trade who was also skilled at spinning yarns. He often took up residence on the Liars Bench on the courthouse lawn, where many local men would gather to loaf and tell tall tales.
Lincoln Pinch was his creation. A blurb in a 1977 edition of the Brown County Almanack described it:
“Once upon a time, there lived in Brown County the discoverer — nay, the creator — of a land of limbo he called Lincoln Pinch.
“W. W. Mobley, nicknamed ‘Willie,’ or more popularly, ‘Bummer,’ promoted it so enthusiastically he did everything but sell lots there.
“Lincoln Pinch was never chronicled; not even his family knew how Bummer spelled it, if spell it he even did. Bummer dreamed it up for conversation and embellished it throughout his life.
“He claimed to receive messages from there. He tried to convince everyone that he believed that when one died, a person didn’t necessarily go to heaven or hell. That person could end up in Lincoln Pinch. It wasn’t like purgatory, just a place in the ‘other world’ where the locals, especially, were able to set up their new life in this non-earthly plane. The average person couldn’t find it. It was shrouded in the Brown County fog.
“Bummer’s friends would often bring up the subject of Lincoln Pinch to hear if anything was new, and he always obliged. ‘You remember so-and-so?’ he’d tell them. ‘Well, he’s down there in Lincoln Pinch having himself a time, and doing the same work he did up here.’
“Sometimes Bummer would often cut off an argumentative adversary with the suggestion, ‘You can go to hell — or, I take that back, you can go to Lincoln Pinch instead.’ Playing along, his adversary would ask, ‘And just where is Lincoln Pinch?’ Bummer would say, ‘Well, that is 10 miles below hell.’
“From time to time, Bummer would be in a quiet mood, seeming to be moping pensively with hands behind his back and not acting his usual self. ‘What’s the matter?’ someone would ask. He would have some reply, such as, ‘Well, they had a terrible fight down at Lincoln Pinch last night.’ Then he would fill in the story about how a dear departed friend had been in a terrible fight with another dear departed one. He said, ‘It was really something. I’m going down there to check on things.’ And off he’d go.”
Brown County Historical Society archivist Rhonda Dunn had researched the history of this land and the people who lived on it for her newsletter, the Brown County Journal. The Brown County Democrat received that newsletter and passed it on to the Nashville Town Parks Committee, knowing that the committee was wanting suggestions for names for the park.
“Lincoln Pinch” was the committee’s favorite.
Other suggestions received from the community were Ruth Reichmann Park, Sarah Spicer Harden Park, Cardinal Park, Recovery Park, Hope Park, Alberta Schrock Memorial Park and Mobley Park.
The park at this time is envisioned to stay an open green space. It may host special events from time to time.
The parks committee is in the process of collecting monetary donations to place benches in the park. They’ll be made out of recycled plastic lids, which Town Hall and parks committee members have been collecting for months.
The committee also has talked about dismantling the cabin and repurposing it as a shelterhouse on the site.
No timeline has been set for completing the park.
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The Nashville Town Park Commission has been collecting plastic lids and monetary donations for months in an effort to place benches in this new park.
Park commission President Alisha Gredy announced last week that they have collected almost enough plastic to make eight benches, but they still need monetary donations.
If anyone wishes to sponsor a bench, the cost is $350, and a plaque will be placed on it in honor of a person, group or business.
If interested, contact Phyllis Carr at Town Hall at 812-988-5526 or [email protected].
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