The following map is for a general geographical understanding. It does not provide the specific locations of the farms because of privacy reasons.
Map courtesy of Carole Swann, Tennessee Department of Agriculture
Elizabeth Friedman
Located south of the
Hal and Denita Jarrett
Brenda Cain
Sherry Guthrie
In 1850, Mitchell and Katherine Armstrong Currie
established the Alta Vista Farm, which is one and a half miles south of
In 1970, John Howard Jarratt, Jr., who is the great
grandson of the founders, obtained title to 100 acres of the original farm. He
and his family lived in the Alta Vista’s 1855 dwelling. The farm is now owned
by John’s son, Hal Jarrett, his wife Denita and Hal’s two sisters, Brenda Cain
and Sherry Guthrie.
Dorothy Curlin Morris
Bobby Curlin Reid
In 1880, Issac Washington Curlin bought a farm
from his father in-law
After the death of Issac in 1912, his son Bob Taylor
Curlin was deeded the farm by his brothers and sisters. Bob married Lillian
Stuart Curlin and they raised cotton, soybeans, corn, hay and cattle on the
farm. During World War I, Bob served as a soldier and went to
Dorothy and Bobby inherited the land in 1972 when Bob
passed away. Today, Dorothy and Bobby continue to own the farm and their cousin
Wilson Thomas works the land. Currently, the farm yields cotton, soybeans and
corn.
Milton L. Booth
In 1894, following the death of her mother, Blanch G. Booth, one
of eight children, inherited 84 acres which had belonged to her parents. Originally covered with timber, the land was
cleared over the years and corn, cotton, and cattle were the primary
crops. When her father and mother, or
other ancestors, first acquired the land
is not known.
Albert Leroy Booth became the next owner of the land in 1941. He and his wife, Mildred Brown Booth, had
five children. Under Albert’s ownership, the family, including five children, produced sorghum, sweet potatoes, cotton, corn, and
raised cattle. In addition, Albert acquired more acreage that was adjacent to
the original farm and built a farmhouse.
In 1974, Milton L. Booth acquired the farm. Today, Milton and his
wife Becky and son Bradley raise cotton, soybeans, hay and quarter horses.
Thomas Edward Castellaw
Betty Castellaw Sims
Castellaw Corner Farm, located 5 miles north of
The current owners of the farm are Thomas Edward Castellaw and
Betty Castellaw Sims. Mr. Castellaw,
grandson of the founders, reports that a cotton gin and a commissary once
operated on the farm and, before electricity came to the area, the house used
carbide lighting. Describing his
ancestors, one of whom was a member of the
Joe Reeves Crafton, Sr.
Pattie Marie Thornton
Crafton
Hugh Fletcher Crafton
Nicholas Thornton
Crafton
Joe Reeves Crafton, Jr.
Dr. Eugene Middleton Crafton
The
Crafton Farm dates to 1831 when George G. Ware acquired 53 acres near
The next owner of the land was George’s daughter,
Caroline “Carrie” Middleton Ware Crafton. She married twice and had one son.
Her first husband was Joseph David Crafton, Jr. who served as a lieutenant in
Company A, Calvary Battalion,
Caroline’s
son, Eugene Calhoun Crafton, Sr. became the next owner of the farm. Married
twice, he fathered three children. During the Great Depression,
As
time moved on, Joe Reeves Crafton, Sr. acquired the property. After serving in
World War II, Joe studied Mechanical Engineering and began working in
Today,
Joe, his wife Pattie and their sons, Nicholas Thornton, Joe Reeves, Jr, Eugene
Middleton and Hugh Fletcher have partial ownerships of the Crafton Farm. The
family is active in the Conservation Reserve Program to help benefit wildlife
and is also involved in the Tree Farm Plan and the Wild Turkey Woodland Plan.
The Crafton farm house that was built in 1873 was remodeled in 1929 and has
been refurbished. In addition, a barn a “Cook’s shed” and a stable/tenant house
have been refurbished and are still being used.
Photo: The
barn and “Cook’s Shed on the Crafton Farm.
Elizabeth Friedman
In 1904, W. H. and Margaret
Adams established a farm of 140 acres.
Cotton, corn and cattle were grown on this acreage. One of their ten children, Tanner E. Adams,
became the second generation to own the land in 1929. Tanner and his wife Mary Lou Wells Adams had
three children.
In 1931, Warren T. Adams, brother to Tanner, acquired the
farm. He had one daughter, Elizabeth Adams Friedman, who became the farm’s
owner in 1959. Currently, Elizabeth and her husband Gerald T. Friedman, Sr.
manage the farm that produces cotton and cattle. Their son Joseph Warren Friedman and his
family make three generations currently living on the farm. Warren and his family live in a house built
in 1941.
Stephen Edward Embry
The Greaves Farm was founded in 1803 by Bennett Greaves.
Born in
The next owner of the property was Bennett’s and Rachel’s
son, Andrew Jackson Greaves. Married to Sophonia Davie, the couple had nine
children. Their son, William Francis Greaves became the third generation to own
the property.
During
the Civil War, William went to
As time moved on, Frank William Francis Greaves acquired
the property. He married Bonnie Lynn Allen and they had three children. As a
result of poor health, Frank only owned the land a short time and he gave the
land to his son William Francis, Jr. Under William Francis, Jr.’s ownership,
the farm cultivated corn, cotton, wheat and oats. In addition, he raised
Today, Stephen Edward Embry, the great great great great
grandson of the founder owns the land. The farm now produces cotton, corn,
wheat and turnips.
Robert Mitchell
David Mitchell
The agricultural development of Joyner’s Hill Farm
mirrors that of many other West Tennessee Century Farms. In the nineteenth
century, the founders produced one perhaps two staple crops for market with all
other commodities geared to home consumption. In the early twentieth century,
however, the region’s farmers have attempted to produce a diverse range of
commercial farm commodities.
Purchasing 160 acres located in the northeastern corner
of
In 1963, Marvin and Virginia Joyner Mitchell received
title to 154 acres of the original farm.
Robert Howell Bailey,
Sr.
Bill Bailey
Louise Bailey Downing
Lagoon
Her daughter, Mary Smith Lee Anthony, became the next owner of the
land. Her husband was Col. James
Grenshaw Anthony and they were the parents of four children. The farm supported cotton, wheat, corn, cows
and sheep. Their son, Willliam Austin Anthony became the farm’s owner in 1854. He fathered 12 children, 10 with first wife
Milinda and 2 with second wife, Julia Dyson.
One son, Mark, enlisted in the Union Army and another son, William L.,
fought for the Confederacy. Family lore
maintains this was deliberate so that one son would be on the winning side and
the family land would be protected. Mark
died in 1864 in
Photo: The Anthonys on the
Lagoon
Sara M. Shelton
In 1905, Harry Hill Stanley and Kathleen
Lyle Stanley founded a farm just east of
The granddaughter
of the founders, Sara Lyle Harris Morris, and her husband, Billy Frank Morris,
acquired the property in 1960. Their
three children were named Karen Lynn, Lee Ann, and
William Harris. This generation
of the family raised cotton, corn, soybeans and cattle.
Since 1971 when Billy passed away, Sara has been the sole
owner. A smokehouse, tenant house, and
two barns still stand on the property.
Sara Frances Norris
Jernigan
Mary Ann Norris Williams
Betty Jane Norris Morris
Robert Calvin Norris
Benjamin Edward Norris
The Norris Farm was
co-founded by Benjamin Edward Norris and his son William Stephen Norris.
Benjamin Edward was born in
William and his wife, Sophia Drake, became the sole
owners of the farm after B. E.’s death. The couple then increased the farm to
1,000 acres while continuing to produce grain and timber.
The son and grandson of the founders, Benjamin Eddings Norris,
was the next owner of the farm. He and his wife Sadie W. Chandler had five
children-John, Roy, Paul, Ezell and Winnie. The family produced corn, beans,
hogs and cows on the 1,000 acre property. Additionally, it was during this
generation that the current farmhouse and barns were built in 1905, just before
B. E. Norris invented a “nut or bolt lock” that was patented in 1908.
Paul Norris became the next generation’s owner of the
family farm. He and his wife Fannie Bessie Williams had six children, and to
the crops of corn, beans, cotton, hogs and cows, the family added strawberries,
becoming the largest producer of this crop in the state. Hence, the Norris
Strawberry Farm was well known as a place to “pick your own” berries, according
to the historical research of the Center for Historic Preservation.
Today, Sara Frances Norris Jernigan, Mary Ann Norris Williams, Betty Jane Norris Morris, Robert Calvin Norris and Benjamin Edward Norris-all great-great grandchildren of farm founder Benjamin Edward Norris owns the farm, where cotton and beans are the primary products produced.
Jimmie E. Outlaw
Betty Jean Outlaw
In 1903, William Price Outlaw became
the owner of the farm. William married Lienna Katherine Mann Outlaw and they
had eight children. Their names were
Dewey Slie, William Henry, Eunice Odell, Edna Earl, Harriett Ann, Luther Jackson,
Sidney Johnston, and Flossie (who died at an early age). Under his ownership,
the farm produced cotton, corn, hay, hogs, cattle and chickens. While managing
the farm, William also served as the Public School Director of the 5th
Civil District in
The third generation to own the farm
was William’s and Lienna’s son, Luther Jackson Outlaw. Larry Cleveland Outlaw and Jimmie Earl Outlaw
are the children of Luther and his wife, Bernice Mann. During this time, the family grew cotton,
corn, hay, and soybeans and raised hogs, cattle and chickens. After Luther and
Bernice passed away, their sons inherited the land. Jimmie married Shelvai Jean (Cathey) and Larry wed Betty Jean (
In 1992, Jimmie Earl Outlaw became
the sole owner of the farm. Currently, the land is worked by Jimmie, his son
Mark and nephew, Gene Outlaw. They raise cotton, soybeans, corn, wheat and hay
as well as hogs and chickens. Over the
years, the Outlaws have been active in agricultural related organizations such
as the Farm Bureau and have received numerous awards in 4-H competitions. In 1989,
Photo: A storage barn on the Outlaw Century Farm.
Georgia W. Elizer
In 1876, Joshua A. Jones purchased land in the northeast corner of
In 1954, the land was divided into
two sections. The northern section was owned by Lurline Jones and the south section was owned by Georgia W.
Elizer, the only child of
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Photo (left): A portrait of Joshua Jones, the founder of the Pineyhill Farm.
Photo (right): William B. Jones, his wife Sallie and their daughter Alma Grace.
Sallie B. Mann
Six miles northeast of
Thomas Jefferson Mann inherited the farm in 1886. Upon
his father’s death, William Bryant Mann inherited a parcel of the family land
and became the third generation owner. Over the years, William purchased his
brothers’ and sisters’ shares and by 1921 he was the sole owner. William married
Martha Cobb and they had two daughters. For the next two decades, William’s
“love for the farm grew” and in his will of 1949 “he entailed the farm for
three generations.”
In 1964, William and Martha’s Daughter Sally B. Mann
became the farm’s owner. Today, Jimmie Lee Lewis works the property. According
to Sallie, “he grows cotton, soybeans and squash for the money crops and a few
cows and hogs and truck crops for home use.”
Maxine L. Stewart
In the nineteenth century, three Dezern brothers immigrated from
their native
Dorothy Tucker Dunlap
The Tucker Place Farm, located adjacent to the town of
The founders’ grandson William Skinner Tucker was the
third owner of