Murfreesboro might not be a bustling metropolis, but it’s certainly big enough to have its tall tales. And although the jaded souls of long dead Civil War soldiers or spectral locomotives might haunt the city limits of nearby communities, Murfreesboro has a legend all to itself.
Located at the corner of Main Street and Middle Tennessee Boulevard, Davis Market innocently sits across the street while keeping a mindful eye on its prey: MTSU students. Legend has it that if you buy beer from the normal-looking store you will never leave Murfreesboro.
“I heard about the curse within the first two months or so of my freshmen year,” says senior recording industry major Chris Oliver. “I didn’t know that was the exact store, I just knew it was a market somewhere.”
It could only be evil in its purest form that would situate a cursed beer depot within walking distance of the tailgating capitol of campus, but it’s doubtful that was the intention when Davis Market opened Aug. 8, 1957.
“Mr. Davis left the A & P store to start this place and he brought a lot of customers with him,” explains Lonnie, a Davis family friend and long-time employee of the store.
When asked how the legend of the curse initially began, Lonnie credited a group of hippies from the ?70s.
“They were out here doing some research with a university,” he recalls. “They figured out that this building was located in the exact center of the universe and ever since the curse has been around.”
Of course, when several generations of college students passed the legend on, subtle differences were eventually introduced. Eventually, a way to break the dreaded spell was thrown into the mix.
To relieve yourself of the woes of damnation you must, well . . . relieve yourself. And not just anywhere. To break the curse and escape the boundaries of Murfreesboro you must let all of the bad energy flow on the geographic center of Tennessee.
Located just a mile away from campus, the obelisk monument was erected in 1976, somewhere around the time the curse began. With the erection of a new monument and the establishment of the center of the universe, an urban legend was born.
“I never pissed on a monument, but I’m gone,” laughs Daniel Harris, an MTSU grad who is putting his Concrete Management degree to good use in Orlando, Fla.
“At the same time, I know people who bought beer there and still live there,” adds Harris. “I don’t know. Maybe I’m some sort of an anomaly.”
While Harris feels confident that his choice of beer store has no bearing on his future, other students aren’t so willing to risk their future.
Oliver shared a story about a friend of his who is afraid to shop at Davis. When told he could purchase incense in the store, Oliver’s friend balked at the suggestion, stating he’d never leave town if he bought anything in there.
“I told him I’m out of here as soon I’m done with school,” insists Oliver. “That’s not going to stop me from going anywhere.”
April Davis is the current manager of Davis Market. Her family has owned the store since it opened in 1957 and she says the curse doesn’t bother her at all.
“People talk about it all the time when they come in here, but they keep coming,” she gladly points out.
“All it is is what people think it is,” insists Lonnie. “The kids love it. It gives them some kind of tradition and keeps them coming back.”
“We’ve always looked after the customer,” says April. “As long as we do that, I don’t think we’ll have a problem.”
When I contacted the Murfreesboro Police Department to ask if they experienced any problems of public urination because of the curse, the answer was surprising.
“I’ve never even heard of it,” admits Officer Kyle Evans. “I’m familiar with Davis. I went to MTSU for three years and I’m back there now working on my masters and I have no clue what you’re talking about.”
He doesn’t recall any cases dealing with public urination, saying the strangeness of such a report would be easily memorable.
So while the legend hasn’t made itself known to the entire city of Murfreesboro, there are certainly those who are familiar with it. There are less of those who respect it.
“Fridays and Saturdays are our busiest days,” says Lonnie. “Game days are pretty busy, too.”
The fear of eternal location obviously isn’t enough to keep people away from nice people and fair prices. Each person must decide for themselves if they choose to believe or ignore the curse of the dreaded mom-and-pop store.
As for myself, I might have cursed myself during the course of my investigation. While there, I picked up my favorite seasonal brew. The lure of cheap Winter’s Bourbon Cask Ale was just too much for me to worry about some silly curse. Now if you’ll excuse me, I think I need to use the restroom.
