A History of Versailles
and the Building…

The Fried Tater Cafe is located within one mile northwest of the beginning of the Harpeth River Valley and was originally Indian territory with the Cherokee, Creek, Chickasaw, and Shawnee Indians using it as hunting grounds. French explorers from the north and from Canada, as early as 1710, immigrated into the area and middle Tennessee territory. The store location has been many things since the 1700's such as a trading post between the Indians and French, a registration site for the army, Company A, 24th Tennessee Regiment, a gas station, and a grocery store. The building lasted as a trading post until after the Revolutionary War. When Tennessee became a state in 1796, the area became known as Versailles pronounced, "vr-sai", in honor of King Louis' hometown, Versailles, France. During an incognito trip, the King of France visited the area. Upon the king's return to France, he wrote letters to President Andrew Jackson, kiddingly asking if Tennesseans still slept three to a bed and carried whiskey in a tin around their necks, in reference to his sharing a bed with two others at an overcrowded lodge during his visit to the area.

As English settlers entered the area and began pronouncing Versailles as "ver-sales", the residents gradually changed to the English pronunciation. The Versailles store was the heart of the community! Rough terrain, lack of roads and communications made governing the area challenging, which made Versailles very important for communications, being used as a drop point, trading, and a social gathering center. Rockvale was established after 1870. The Nance family built and operated the first store in the late 1800's and has been directly involved in building relationships and businesses in Versailles/Rockvale. The Lake family is honored to carry on the tradition of serving the community, as this building has, by bringing people together. Please join in and be a part of the rich history, and experience the Versailles spirit as you visit with us and fellowship with your neighbor.

-Written by the Lake Family and excerpts taken from, The History of Versailles