I had my notebook open and pencil in hand not long ago, trying to come up with an idea for a new column. I suddenly realized it was right in front of my face.

A production line at the Musgrave Pencil Co. in Tennessee, shown in 2016. (Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg News) Scott Johnson, president of the Musgrave Pencil Co. in Shelbyville, Tenn., was ready to send ...

In the 1950s, the small town of Shelbyville, Tennessee, was declared "Pencil City" by the governor. Back then, it was home to a half-dozen pencil manufacturers. The nickname has stuck. But for the ...

A lecture series and a new Collierville museum exhibit called Made in Tennessee explore the history of manufacturing in the state, from iron nails to pencils to whiskey to toy horses. The exhibit at ...