Everyone knows that Jasper Newton Daniel established his distillery in the holler just north of Lynchburg in 1866 but did you also know that settlers formed the city of Lynchburg around 1821 and Moore County around 1871. That means that 2021 will mark the bicentennial or 200th anniversary of Lynchburg and the sesquicentennial or 150th anniversary of Moore County.

In fact, according to the state archives, founders created the city of Lynchburg by the Acts of Lynchburg on October 23, 1871 and local organizers will celebrate on October 23, 2021 with a birthday party at the Gazebo on the historic Lynchburg Square beginning at 5 p.m. Event organizers plan to serve birthday cake and other refreshments. There will be live music and maybe a special guest or two.

During the event, author and local historian Jillian Rael will present a slide show of historical images she’s been gathering from local and state archives over the past several months. Rael is an architectural historian and library science major who wrote Around Lynchburg, which explores the story of not only Jack Daniel’s but also the pioneer families who helped create this area.

The Moore County Archives staff secured copies of the original Acts of Lynchburg and Acts of Moore County – the founding documents of our town – from the State Archives and they will be on display during the event.

The Moore County Historical Society plans to also issue commemorative Founding Families certificates to any individual or family who can prove their ancestors lived in Moore County from the date of its founding around December 14, 1871 through the 1880 Census. {To learn more about that program, click here.}

Locals can also contribute family recipes and a photo to the Lynchburg 200/Moore County 150 Commemorative Cookbook. Committee members will be gathering heirloom recipes from families across Moore County over the next month, which will be published in a single collection that will be sold in limited numbers to the public. To submit a recipe or reserve your copy, email [email protected]. {To learn more about that cookbook, click here.}

Local organizers began planning the Lynchburg 200th Birthday Party in March of this year. The committee, made up of a group of local volunteers, plans a commemorative cookbook, t-shirt, and poster sale in addition to the October 23 event. We’ll update with addition information here as it become available. •

{The Lynchburg Times is the only daily newspaper in Lynchburg. Covering Metro Moore County government, Jack Daniel’s Distillery, Nearest Green Distillery, Tims Ford State Park, Motlow State Community College, Moore County High School, Moore County Middle School, Lynchburg Elementary, Raider Sports, plus regional and state news.}