Tennessee has quite the history of making history. From playful pastimes and political milestones to sweet innovations and horse racing royalty, the Volunteer State has produced more than its share of national “firsts.” Here are a few trailblazing moments that started right here in Tennessee.
Chattanooga was home to the first patented miniature golf course.
Garnet Carter, co-founder of Rock City and owner of the Fairyland Inn on Lookout Mountain, came up with the idea for miniature golf in the 1920s as a more accessible and family-friendly alternative to traditional golf for his hotel guests. In 1927, he patented his design, complete with playful obstacles like windmills and ramps, making it the first patented miniature golf course in the U.S. The concept caught on quickly, and soon, mini golf was being played across the country.
The first U.S. guide dog team was from Nashville.
In 1928, a blind 20-year-old Nashville native named Morris Frank traveled to Switzerland, where he was paired with Buddy, a female German Shepherd trained as a seeing-eye dog. Together, they became the first working guide dog team in the United States. With Buddy by his side, Frank gained the confidence and freedom to live more independently, which launched the guide dog movement in America. In 1929, Frank co-founded the nation’s first guide dog training school, The Seeing Eye, in Nashville, paving the way for hundreds of thousands to gain greater independence.
Iroquois: the horse that made history.
Iroquois made headlines in 1881 when he became the first American-bred and owned horse to win England’s Epsom Derby. He later retired to Belle Meade Plantation, where he stood at stud and went on to become the leading sire in the United States in 1892. His legacy endures, not only in racing bloodlines but through the Iroquois Steeplechase, an annual event held at Percy Warner Park benefitting Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt and other local community non-profits.
The first female U.S. Senator was a Tennessean.
Hattie Wyatt Caraway, born in 1878 near Bakersville, Tennessee, made history in 1932 as the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate. Although she represented Arkansas, her Tennessee roots helped shape her groundbreaking career. Caraway championed women's rights and social welfare and opened doors for generations of women leaders.
America’s first combination candy bar was made in Nashville.
In 1912, Nashville’s Standard Candy Company introduced the Goo Goo Cluster, the first combination candy bar. The Goo Goo mixed marshmallow nougat, caramel, peanuts, and milk chocolate, in a delicious departure from typical single-ingredient candies. It paved the way for the combination candy bars we love today.
Cotton candy was invented by a Nashville dentist.
Yes, you read that right! In 1897, Dr. William Morrison, a dentist from Nashville, partnered with candy maker John C. Wharton to invent a machine that spun sugar into delicate threads. The two introduced their creation called “Fairy Floss” at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair, where it was an instant hit. It quickly spread to amusement parks, carnivals, and fairs nationwide, becoming an iconic symbol of childhood joy and indulgence.