A local Tennessee media source, the Johnson City Press, offers an article about Nick Grindstaff, a famous local hermit who lived near the Appalachian Trail, and whose grave site will receive a new gravestone due to the efforts of local residents. The article describes the hermit, his life, motives, and woes.
From the article:
The epitaph on Grindstaff’s tombstone has a lot to do with preserving his memory. It reads that the hermit “lived alone, suffered alone, died alone.” It is carved in granite along with the name “Uncle Nick Grindstaff” and giving his birth as Dec. 26, 1851 and death on July 22, 1923. The stone is encased in a chimney-like structure made of mountain stones standing more than 6 feet tall. A pamphlet written about Grindstaff by his friends Asa Shoun and R.B. Wilson reports that the gravestone was purchased shortly after Grindstaff’s death. They paid $208.07 for the stone to honor their friend.