Map courtesy of Carole Swann, Tennessee Department of Agriculture
For a brief historical sketch of each farm, click on the farm name.
Mildred Meece
In 1839, William and Delila Jackson Brown established
Beechwood Farm on 509 acres located in the 1st District of Lewis
County. While the facts about the farm’s early history are sketchy, the Browns
must have enjoyed some success because they purchased an additional 75 acres of
land. Their crops included corn, wheat, cotton and the family also looked after
herds of cattle, swine and sheep.
The founders were the parents of six children and their
son John Wesley Brown was the farm’s second generation owner. John expanded the
farm to over 700 acres. Together with his wife Annastasia Holmes and his five
children, he grew corn, wheat, oats, hay and raised all types of livestock,
including mules. Upon his death in 1918, John left his property to his children
and they managed the land in partnership for the next four decades.
Between 1958 and 1961 Mildred Meece, the founders’ great granddaughter, acquired 475 acres of original family land. The land “had suffered the ravages of sharecroppers and neglect,” but Mildred slowly “restored (the farm) to its former state.” She now manages 581 acres and specializes in beef cattle production. The family uses one of the farm’s early log cabin residences as a hunters’ lodge.
Jimmy B. and Betty Sue
Perry
Established
by John Campbell Perry in 1845, the Double E Farm originally had 232 acres
devoted to corn, cotton, wheat, sheep, cattle, and swine. Perry, who married twice, fathered six children
and son Robert Campbell Perry, inherited approximately 12 acres of land in
1889. He and his wife Flora Anderson
had seven children and the property passed to their son Otey Perry in 1943. Jimmy B. and Betty Sue Perry obtained the
farm in 1970. As of 1976, they had
greatly expanded, owning an additional 440 acres and raising corn, hay,
tobacco, cattle, and swine.
Ben Lankford
In the early 1800s, Jimmy Lankford and his son Benjamin Lankford came to
Benjamin’s son, William Lankford became the second
generation to own the farm. In addition to managing the farm, William received
medical training in
Their
son, Enos Hickman Lankford became the next owner of the farm.
In 1960, Enos died and the land was acquired by Carlos
Hubert. On the farm, Hubert raised corn, hay, tobacco, cattle, horses and hogs.
In 1992, Hubert was named the
Photo:
Landscape and a rainbow on the Lankford Farm.
Nadine Robnett Cochran
Dorothy Robnett Sharpe
Rebecca Robnett Pollock
Located ten miles south of
The next owner of the farm was the founder’s son, Lois
Dodson Robnett. Along with his wife, Hessie Davis Robnett, they raised corn,
soybeans, hay, cattle, hogs and sheep on the farm. According to the family,
during the Great Depression, Lois and Hessie traveled by horses and buggy to
try to sell their produce to a mining community known as Allens Creek. After
the Depression was over, Lois built a new barn on the farm.
In 1975, Nadine Robnett Cothran, Dorothy Robnett Sharpe,
and Rebecca Robnett Pollock the grandchildren of the founders, acquired the
farm. Today, the farm is managed by the family, but it is rented to people
outside of the family and mainly produces corn and soybeans. Although the
farmhouse has been remodeled and added on to over the years, two rooms of the
original house remain intact.
Photo: The farmhouse on the Robnett Farm.
L. C. Loveless
Allie Sisco Loveless
A. J. Sisco
In 1906, Andrew Jackson (A. J.) Sisco established the
Sisco-Loveless Farm near the mouth of Indian Creek and Big Swan Creek. The 92 ½ acres supported a variety of
livestock and crops including peanuts, wheat, corn, hay, hogs, cattle, horses,
cotton and mules. In addition to managing the farm, A. J. ran a country store
and a saw mill. Married to Martha J.
Whiteside Sisco, the couple had six children.
A. J.’s and Martha’s youngest child, Allie Sisco Loveless, became the next owner
of the farm. Married to Comer Loveless,
they c ultivated corn, hay, and soybeans and raised cattle, chickens, goats and
horses. Also active in the community,
the Loveless farm hosted an annual fish fry on July 4th and Christmas party for the community for a
number of years. Her son describes his
mother as a “Christian lady who always fed many people,” including preachers
who were holding gospel meetings.
Today,
L.C. Loveless owns the land along with his wife Bonnie R. Loveless and his
mother Allie. The farm now raises corn, wheat, soybeans, hay, horses, cattle
and hogs. The family lives in farm house
built in 1910. A barn constructed in
1906 still stands on this farm that celebrates its 100th anniversary
this year.
Photo: A log
house and spring house at the Sisco-Loveless Farm.