For a brief historical sketch of each farm, click on the farm name.
The following map is for a general geographical understanding. It does not provide the specific locations of the farms for privacy reasons.
Artemus Benjamin Rowe
Located
in the Howard’s Quarter community, the A. B. Rowe Farm has 315 acres of acres.
In 1870, Wiley “Richard” established the farm on land that his wife Martha
Pearson had inherited from her father. In addition to growing the same crops as
their neighbors, the Rowes also cultivated sugar cane.
Henry
Brownlow Rowe, one of Richard and Martha’s eight children, was the farm’s next
owner. On his 215 acres he produced cattle, swine, corn, hay and sugar cane
while also adding tobacco to the farm’s crops. Married to Vestena Turner, Henry
fathered six children.
In
1943, the founders’ grandson Artemus Benjamin Rowe inherited the family farm.
The Rowes still live in the family’s nineteenth century farmhouse and cultivate
corn, tobacco, wheat and livestock.
Aaron and Jewell Lynch Beason
Located ten miles north of New Tazewell, TN is Beason Acres
that was founded in 1855 by Isaac Beason. Initially, the farm had 200 acres and
produced tobacco, corn, wheat and cattle. Isaac’s son, William was the next
owner of the land, along with his wife Elizabeth. William and Elizabeth had
three children and raised the same crops and livestock that the founder had
done. Their son, Philip Lander Beason, along with his wife Rachel, became the
third generation to own the farm in 1912. They had nine children and supported
the same foodstuffs and animals that the previous owner had done.
In 1929, the great grandson of the
founder, Aaron Beason, and his wife Jewell Lynch Beason became the owners of
the farm. Today, Aaron, Jewell and their
children still own the farm. The 130
acre farm now produces corn, wheat, tobacco and strawberries. In addition, the
owners raise cattle and horses. Three log barns and a house contructed before
1950 still stand on the property today.
Photo:
Landscape View of the Beason Acres farm.
Jerry R. Brooks
Armstead Brooks established the Brooks Farm, located
about five miles east of Tazewell, in 1829. He and his wife Nancy began farming
with only 50 acres, devoted to the production of sheep, swine, corn and
vegetables. Their only son Joseph Brooks owned the family land until his death
in 1920. In addition to producing the same crops as his father, he cultivated
wheat. Joseph and his wife Arreany had four children and their son Pomp became
the third generation to farm this
Virgil Brooks, the founders’ great grandson, was the next
owner of the Brooks Farm. He and his wife Dessie grew corn, cattle, tobacco and
garden crops on their 50 acres and today they retain a lifetime dowry to the
property. However, their son Jerry and his wife Joy live on the farm and make
its daily management decisions. Adding seventeen acres, Jerry cultivates the
same farm crops as his father.
Visitors to the Brooks Farm often comment on its nineteenth century atmosphere. A log house (c. 1860) covered with weatherboard, a corn crib and buggy shed are in poor condition but remain standing. The old family cemetery, which dates to the early 1800s, is also intact.
Joanna B. Kennedy
Joseph Nathaniel Buis
Lela Elaine Buis
Just south of Tazewell on the 
Roundtop Ridge is the Buis Ridge Farm that was founded
by John Lewis Buis in 1897. Married to
Maude Levina Buis the couple had three children, Anne Gibson Buis, John L.
Buis, II and Joseph Nathaniel Buis. On
the 358 acres, the family raised tobacco, hay, corn, a wide variety of fruits,
tomatoes, Irish and sweet potatoes, beef cattle, hogs, chickens and turkeys. John owned a hotel and store in New Tazewell
and much of what was grown on the farm was used at the hotel and sold at the
store or peddled from wagons around the community and to miners in
The second generation to own the
property was the founder’s son, Joseph Nathaniel Buis. During World War II,
Joseph served in the army in the 
In 1991, Joe and Grace divided ownership of the farm between their two daughters though Joe and Grace maintain a life estate and control of the land. Currently, the responsibilities of the farm are shared by the family which includes Joe, Grace, and Lela Buis and Joanna and Barron Kennedy III and their children Barron IV and Sarah Joanna. The land supports timber, beef cattle, hay and garden vegetables. A number of buildings built over time, including a house and three barns, a silo, a corn crib, a smoke house and an outdoor privy, illustrate the continuing diversity of this family farm.
Photo (top): John Buis and wife Maude.
Photo (bottom): A Cattle barn and landscape on the Buis Ridge Farm.
Loyd C. Campbell
The importance of tobacco and beef cattle to modern
Benjamin and Phebe’s only son, Joseph, was the next
generation to own the property. He too farmed 350 acres and produced the same
crops and animals as his father. Joseph and his wife Nora were the parents of
two boys and their oldest son Clarence became the third generation to live on
the farm.
Like so many twentieth century farmers, Clarence added
tobacco to his commodities. He and his wife Ida also raised cattle, hay, corn
and vegetables on their 238 acres. In 1979, Clarence and Ida passed the farm to
their son Loyd C. Campbell, who continues to specialize in tobacco and cattle
production.
Paul Cardwell
Located seven miles west of New Tazwell, the Cardwell
Farm became a Century Farm in 1984. One hundred years earlier, John and Millie
Cardwell established the property with 26 acres reserved for the production of
corn, swine and vegetables.
The founders raised two boys and their oldest son, W. A.
Cardwell, became the next owner of the farm. Compared to his father, Cardwell
expanded the farm’s operations, adding wheat and cattle to its products. W. A.
and his wife Rachel were the parents of eight children and their son Paul
obtained the land in 1969. Paul had 100 acres to the property and today is a
profitable farmer of tobacco, hay, vegetables and cattle.
Woodrow and Sarah
Chumley
Over the generations, the Chumley River Farm has
evolved from a small self-sustaining operation of less than 100 acres to a
large commercial farm of almost 500 acres. The farm stands along the
In 1894, Lewis G. Chumley, his wife Annie Hammock and
their seven children acquired these 75 acres, raising cattle, corn and
vegetables, but replacing sheep with swine. Van W. Chumley, the founders’
grandson, inherited the property in 1921. Like so many of his neighbors, Van
began to cultivate tobacco, along with the common foodstuffs of
Woodrow Chumley, one of Van and Della Bussell Chumley’s
fourteen children, inherited the farm’s 75 acres in 1950. With his wife Sarah,
Woodrow now manages 450 acres, with tobacco, corn, hay and garden crops as the
most important agricultural commodities.
Ruth and Lon Campbell
In 1883, James Cunningham founded Dogwood Farm at a
location south of New Tazewell. On 84 acres, he produced the common crops found
in late nineteenth century Claiborne County: corn, wheat, swine, cattle and
vegetables. In 1893, James was murdered and his brother John inherited the
farm.
From John’s hands, the farm eventually passed to a nephew
Richard Cunnigham then a niece Cora E. Pressnell. Today, the founder’s great
niece Ruth Campbell and her husband Lon own 25 acres of the original Dogwood
Farm and their nephew Larry Pressnell works the land, producing tobacco, hay,
garden crops and cattle.
Garnetia Whitaker McNew
and Paul McNew
Located six miles northeast of Tazewell on
The founders had two children and their son, Jeremiah
Southern, became the next owner of the farm. Jeremiah continued to raise the
same crops and livestock that his father had done with the addition of tobacco.
Jeremiah and his wife had one daughter, Laura Belle Southern, who became the
third generation to own the farm.
Laura and her husband
Harvey Whitaker had four children and cultivated the same crops and livestock
with the addition of wheat. In addition to managing the farm, Harvey and Laura
operated a blacksmith shop on the farm where they made and repaired farm tools
for several years. Their son, Paul Whitaker was the next owner of the farm
land.
In 1975, Garnetia Whitaker McNew, the daughter of Paul
and great great granddaughter of the founder acquired the farm. Garnetia and
her husband Joe McNew, grew many of the same vegetables and products that the
previous owners had done. Using the abundant timber from the farm land, Joe and
Garnetia cut the timber and built a brick ranch house in 1984.
In
1985, Joe McNew started a hobby of collecting and grafting old apple trees onto
semi-dwarf root
stock. These apples are
not grown for the market, instead they are grown to preserve the old varieties
of apples.
Today,
the farm continues to produce many agricultural products and has many
structures on the land such as two large barns, a tool shed, a brick ranch
house and a cabin.
Photo (upper
left) : This three room log cabin was built by Harvey and Paul Whitaker in
1930.
Photo
(bottom right): An apple orchard on the Echo Acres Farm
John England
Ben England founded the
Ben and Margaret England had eleven children and in 1939,
their son John inherited two different parcels of the original property,
totaling 55.5 acres. Today, “Doc”
Roy George Fortner
Ten miles west of New Tazewell stands the Fortner
Farm, which dates to 1873. Elisha and Sarah Day Fortner began with
approximately 200 acres reserved for raising cattle and cutting timber. In
operating his timber business, Elisha cleared several new parcels of land. His labor
allowed the next owner, his son Issac, to expand the farm’s crops to include
corn and tobacco.
The second generation owners had only one son, Roy
George, who inherited the farm in 1950.
Anna Belle Fugate
Throughout the nineteenth century, the Fugate Century
Farm was a center of economic activity. Jerrield D. Mayes established the
Fugate Farm, located three and a half miles northwest of Tazewell, in 1845. He
married Caroline Treece and they had ten children. The Mayes family raised
wheat, corn, vegetables, cattle and swine while also operating a corn and wheat
mill. The mill, where area farmers processed their crops for market, was a
community gathering place.
During the Civil War, the men of the family “went to war
leaving the women to take care of the farm and home.” According to family
tradition, Caroline Mayes once had to chase down a group of raiders and make
them “return a team of mules.”
Daniel H. Mayes was the second generation owner of the
family land. He continued to operate the mill and also managed a farm of wheat,
corn, cattle, swine and vegetables. With his wife Belle Thompson, Daniel raised
six children.
In 1952, Anna Belle Fugate, the founders’ great
granddaughter, inherited 90 acres of the family farm. Her husband Tom Fugate
currently works the land, producing cattle, hay and vegetables.
The Holt Farm, located three and a half miles
northeast of Tazwell, is the second Century Farm in
The current owner, Alice Smith Holt, is the widow of Edgar A. Holt, the great grandson of the founder. Today the farm has 200 acres, which yield hay and tobacco and is also home to a tree nursery.
Josie C. Pearson
The J.C. Pearson Farm is the second Century Farm in
Joe Lewis
The Lewis Dairy Farm is another Claiborne County Century
Farm dating to the eighteenth century. Joseph and Mary Tussey Walker willed the
farm to their daughter Annie and her husband John Lewis in 1791. At this time,
the property consisted of approximately 300 acres, which yielded hay, wheat,
oats, corn and cattle.
In 1875, the founders’ grandson Joseph Lewis inherited
125 acres of the farm. He and his wife Lewann Pearson gave the farm to their
only surviving son Robert White Lewis. The founders’ great great grandson,
James Henry Lewis, was the next generation to inherit the family land and upon
his death in 1980, he willed the land to his son Joe Lewis. Today, Joe, his wife Barbara and his mother Alice
Lewis farm a total of 257 acres. They specialize in the dairy business, but
also grow tobacco. The farm contains two mid-nineteenth century buildings, a
log smokehouse and a farmhouse.
John Newton Fugate
David A. Fugate
Lassie Riley
Angie Fugate
During the first generation of settlement, the
Ritchie family, who founded the Fugate Century Farm in the late eighteenth
century, was among the agricultural leaders in
Alexander, III, was a drummer and bugler during the
Revolution, but besides his marriage to Elizabeth Doherty, little else is known
about his life. His son James Ritchie, III, was the farm’s next owner. James
farmed 300 acres, which yielded grain and livestock. His wife was Barbara
Parkey and one of their five children, Elizabeth Ritchie Fugate, became the
fourth owner of the family land before 1860. Elizabeth and John Fugate suffered
hard times during the Civil War. They were Confederate sympathizers “until some
bands marauded the country-side . . .they buried their hams in an attempt to
save some food for themselves.” After the war, Arch Peter Fugate acquired the
family land and expanded it to a total of 600 acres. His most important cash
crop was his tobacco.
In 1943, 349 acres of the property passed into the hands
of John N. Fugate, the great great great grandson of the founders, who later
acquired 130 additional acres in 1946 and 150 more acres in 1964. A producer of
tobacco, grain, swine and cattle, John has been one of the leading farmers of
As home to one of the county’s founding families, the
Fugate Farm is a community gathering place every Fourth of July, when an annual
pig roast takes place. Despite the vibrant nature of this successful twentieth
century farm, there are reminders of the farm’s deep historical roots: the
Daughters of the American Revolution have placed a marker on the grave of
Alexander Ritchie, III, and three log pens built prior to 1886 remain in use
for storage and for hanging tobacco.
Kenneth and Barbara
Simmons
The Kenneth Simmons farm, located eight miles
northwest of New Tazewell, is the second Century Farm in
Kenneth Simmons, the founder’s great great grandson,
obtained 26 acres of the farm in 1961. A member of the Claiborne County Court,
Kenneth raises cattle, tobacco, hay and vegetables. He and his wife Barbara,
their daughter Melinda and their son David and his family live on the farm
today.
James Douglas Welch and
Linda Welch
Dating to 1830, Landgrant Farm is located in the
Powell Valley of Claiborne County, Elijah Jones, a sergeant in the
Lucinda Jones Welch and her husband James M. Welch
acquired 70 acres of the property in 1887. Forty years later, their son Mont
Ulas Welch inherited the farm. During
Robert W. Parrish
Niel C. Parrish
Located on Little Sycamore Road in
The property next passed into the hands of John and
Vesta McNeil Parrish, the granddaughter of the founders,
owned 103 acres of the family land until her death in 1971. Vesta and her
husband Robert William Parrish were profitable farmers, producing tobacco,
corn, vegetables and cattle. Two of her sons, Robert W. and Niel, currently own
the land. Robert and his son’s family work 73 acres. His section of the farm
contains a portion of the original log farmhouse and a nineteenth century log
corn crib.
N. Don Pearson and Wonette B. Pearson
Large initial landholdings characterize the early
history of the Don Pearson Century Farm. In 1825, John Pearson established this
Century Farm, located ten miles east of Tazewell in the Howards Quarter
community. John and Frances Carpenter Pearson, who would have six children,
began farming with 2, 060 acres. They managed a farm of corn, wheat, sheep,
cattle, swine and horses.
William H. and Emma Stone Pearson were the second generation owners of the family land and for the next 100 years, the farm passed through family hands until N. Don Pearson, the founders’ great grandson, acquired the property in 1964. Don tills 135 acres of the original farm to which he added 65 acres located in Snake Hollow. His nephews, Eddie Don Rowe and Randy Rowe, harvest the farm’s corn, wheat and tobacco crops.
Photo:
Filled to capacity! Until the mid-twentieth century, mule-drawn wagons
were the way farmers moved crops from the field to market.
Six miles southwest of New Tazewell stands the Neely
Farm, which Charles Neely established in 1853. With 175 acres, Charles and
Celia Meyers Neely raised vegetables, corn and cattle and managed a small
orchard of apple and peach trees. Charles also served the community as a county
magistrate.
Descendents of Charles and Celia Meyers Neely also
own the troy Neely Farm of Claiborne County. The founders’ son Silas Neely became
the property’s second owner in the early twentieth century, inheriting 35
acres, which he used for tobacco, corn, vegetables and livestock production.
Silas and his wife Ollie had eight children and in 1945,
their son
Billy B. Campbell
Eleanor Johnson Campbell
Barry Shane Campbell
In 1907, Nelson Campbell founded an 80 acre farm located north of
Tazewell. Married to Martha Lewis, the couple had twelve children. On the farm
they raised tobacco, corn, wheat, hay, dairy cattle, hogs and horses.
The next generation to own the farm
was the founder’s son, Barton Campbell, who acquired the land in 1921. During
his ownership, the farm produced tobacco, corn, hay and cattle. Married to Maggie Hargraves Campbell, they
had two children, Billy and Lillian.
Billy Campbell, grandson of the founders, acquired the property in 1993. Billy and his wife Eleanor Johnson Campbell and their son, Barry Shane, own and live on the forty-acre farm. The family grew tobacco until 2006, but now raise hay and cattle. The original barn and corn crib continue to be used.
Photo: A view of the barn and landscape on the Nelson Campbell Farm.
The production of
burley tobacco in
Melborne Overton was the second generation owner and
together with his wife Mary and their three children, he managed the land much
like his father, but added cattle to the farm’s agricultural products. The
third generation owners were William A. Overton, his wife Patsy and their five
children. An important agricultural innovator in
In 1958, Douglas Overton, the founder’s great grandson, acquired 225 acres of the family land. Today, his brother Charles and his family live on the farm, but Doug is the property’s manager. A granary and smokehouse from the nineteenth century still stand on the farm grounds.
David and Wilma Rogers
The Rogers Brothers Farm is one of the best documented
Century Farms in
In 1903, William Brownlow and Campbell Cawood Rogers,
the sons of French Haggard Rogers, inherited the farm’s 350 acres. During their
ownership of the property, they purchased 233 additional acres. The brothers
also diversified the farm’s agricultural products, raising swine and turkeys.
They operated a grist mill, a water saw mill, planning mill and a dry kiln.
According to the family, “they sawed many house and barn patterns in the
William and his wife Mary Ann had no children, but
Campbell and his wife Anna Ausmus had eleven children and in 1935, the brothers
began to will their land to Robert L. Rogers and other male members of the
family. Robert once homesteaded in
Robert’s sons, David H. and William B. Rogers, inherited
140 acres of the farm in 1960. They quickly transformed the land into one of
David Rogers and his son Stephen expanded the farm’s
products to include alfalfa, rye and oats. More importantly, they “built a
Grade A Dairy producing over two million pounds of milk annually.” Although
they have modernized the farm’s operations and constructed several new
buildings, the
Photo: Built in 1844 by David William Rogers, this grist mill is located on Davis Creek.
Roger Green
The Rowe Farm, established by Richard and Martha
Emeline Rowe in 1870, is twelve miles northeast of Tazewell. The founders
initially owned 150 acres, devoted to corn, wheat, vegetables, swine and
cattle. Their land next passed to their son Willie Rowe, who continued to produce
the same crops and livestock. Willie and his wife Vernie had three boys and one
daughter and upon their deaths, the farm was divided among these children.
Lon Rowe, the founders’ grandson, inherited 40 acres and
in 1981, Roger Green obtained his great great grandparents’ land. Roger no
longer raises livestock at the farm, but grows corn, hay, vegetables and
tobacco.
Verlin and Goldie
Simmons
John “Guider” Keck established the Simmons Farm,
located fifteen miles west of Tazewell, in 1859. Keck grew vegetables, wheat
and corn on his land. Married twice, he had eleven children. His daughter
Charlotte Jane Keck and her husband J. M. Williams were the next owners of the
property. Charlotte and J. M.’s son Timothy was the third generation to manage
the family farm. Timothy diversified its agricultural products, adding cattle
and tobacco.
In 1972, Goldie Williams Simmons and her husband Verlin
inherited 70 acres of the original family farm. They have since acquired an
additional 130 acres of land. Today, they specialize in the production of beef
cattle and tobacco and grow garden crops as well.
Steven Bryon and Tammy
Rogers
The Rogers Dairy Farm is the second Century Farm in
In 1980, while still a student at
William Jennings
Breeding
Eva Breeding
Franklin Levy Breeding
In the 4th District of Claiborne County,
John and Elizabeth Stone Breeding established the family ranch in the late
1820s. In 1826, they built a two story log house which still stands about three
miles east of
John and Elizabeth Breeding had thirteen children and
their second son, Thomas Wesley Breeding, was the next owner of the family
land. Thomas and his wife Margaret Johnston raised eight children, but all of
the sons, save for William F. Breeding, moved away to
Today, William J., Franklin L. and Eva Breeding own the
property, with William living on the farm’s 130 acres and producing its cattle,
hay and tobacco.
J. M. Wallen
The Wallen Farm, located twelve miles northeast of
Tazewell, is the second Century Farm in