The Brushy mountain state penitentiary was established after the Coal Creek war in 1981, a lockout of coal mine workers in Coal Creek and Briceville, Tennessee. Here, there was no hope - and no escape... ⛓️ Learn more with #MysteriesOfTheAbandoned, new at 8p ET on Discovery. | Discovery

Country music star Jamey Johnson and Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary owner Pete Waddington lead the way to RM Brooks Store in Rugby in the inaugural Sheriff Wayne Potter Memorial Ride to benefit pancreatic cancer research. | Weco Radio Station

Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary stands as a testament to a harsh past, its foreboding stone walls built by the hands of its own inmates starting in the 1920s to replace the original 1896 wooden structure. The prison, dubbed "The End of the Line," housed some of the state's most notorious criminals, including James Earl Ray, whose unsuccessful 1977 escape attempt added to the penitentiary's grim legacy. Beyond the famous inmates and brutal conditions, the prison is steeped in stories of parano