Marshall County

Allen Farm

Craig Farm

Fuller Homeplace Farm

Hillview Farm

Homeplace Farm

Lanier-Smith Farm

Moses Farm

Ogilvie Farm

Orr's Green Valley Farm

Ridge Vale Farm

Ruth-E Farm

Shady Lawn Farm

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

Allen Farm

Mrs. Thomas H. Allen

            The history of the Jersey cattle breed plays a special role in the story of the Allen Century Farm. Samuel Ewing established the property, which is six miles north of Lewisburg at the village of Berlin, in 1833. Ewing served as the postmaster at Berlin and practiced general farming on his 100 acres of land. Married to Terresea Fonville in 1837, Ewing fathered three children and in 1870, the farm passed to Dr. Thomas Alexander Allen, the son-in-law of the founder. Although Dr. Allen managed a property of approximately 222 acres, his sons, Harris and Kennie Allen, carried out the farm’s everyday operations. According to the family, the brothers “were among the first farmers to bring registered Jersey cattle into Marshall County. They bred and sold Jerseys, made and stamped butter for sale and sold milk and cream.”

            In 1943, Thomas H. Allen acquired the family property. The great grandson of the founder, Allen managed the farm until his death in 1972. After his death, his widow began supervising the farm operations, which, in 1976, produced crops of corn, hay and tobacco. Mrs. Allen lives in the farmhouse built by Dr. Thomas Allen in the late nineteenth century.

Craig Farm

William Troxler Craig

The Craig Farm was founded in 1860 by James L Coffey. Located 8 ½ miles East of Lewisburg, the 323 acres produced corn, wheat, cattle, sheep, horses, hogs and chickens. Married to Martha Jane Ramsey, the couple had five children. In addition to managing the farm, James made some improvements by remodeling the farm house.

            The next owner of the land was James’s son-in-law, B. B. Craig. According to the family, B. B. was very interested in seed corn and planted the crop along with raising hogs and beef cattle.

            In 1946, the great grandson of the founder, William Troxler Craig acquired the property. Today, William still owns the land but he leases it to Larry Gambill, who has no relation to the family. The house that the founder constructed still stands and is occupied by the current owner.

Photo: A Flower Garden on the Craig Farm.

Fuller Homeplace Farm

Allen Dixon Fuller

            Dating to 1811, the Fuller Homeplace Farm lies on the Marshall County-Williamson County border and is currently one of the region’s model progressive small farms. David and Miriam Wright Ross, its founders, owned 555 acres and raised corn, grain crops and livestock. Riggs and his son Gideon assisted in the construction of the Fishing Ford Road, which provided the farm with an efficient transportation route between Nashville and Huntsville.

            After purchasing 165 acres from his father, Gideon became the farm’s second generation owner. Gideon was a veteran of Andrew Jackson’s command in the War of 1812. As a farmer, he expanded “his landholdings in this area to 1,000 acres in Williamson, Marshall and Rutherford counties” and produced apples, peaches, cherries, small grains and livestock. In addition, this thrice-married farmer served as the local postmaster and donated land for the construction of the Church of Christ at Riggs Cross Roads.

            The farm’s third generation owner was Gideon Wright Riggs, the founders’ grandson. Gideon and his wife Nancy Allen raised seven children and the family inherited approximately 50 acres of the farm in the mid-1870s. When Gideon died in 1879, the farm passed to his daughter Mary Riggs Fuller, who “was a devout member of the Church of Christ.” Mary’s husband William A. Fuller worked the land, raising corn, wheat, small grains and livestock.

            At Mary Riggs Fuller’s death in 1960, Agnes Josephine Fuller and the other surviving children inherited the farm. Agnes, who taught school for over 45 years, made not changes in the farm’s operations. In 1968, her nephew Allen Dixon Fuller purchased almost 49 acres of the family land. A graduate of Middle Tennessee State University, Fuller manages a model small farm, raising grain crops, livestock, fruit, sweet and Irish potatoes and catfish. He also breeds and trains Tennessee Walking Horses.

Hillview Farm

S. Cullen and Patty R. Smith

Located 3 miles South of Cornersville lies the Hillview Farm that was founded by Shelby Marsh in 1843. Under his ownership, Shelby raised cotton, corn and small grains. Married to Dorinda Marsh, the couple had two children. Their daughter, Belle Marsh Haywood, became the next owner of the land.

Belle married Egbert Presley Cullen Haywood and they had seven children. While raising the children, they also cultivated cotton, corn, hay, small grains and tobacco on the farm. According to the family, the Beck Oil Company came to the farm in 1921 to “bore for oil” on the hill behind the farm house. Although the well was dug to 1,400 feet, they found no oil.

In 1970, the great grandson of the founder, Sam Cullen Smith became the owner of the farm. Today, Cullen still owns the land, however, his son Sam works the land. Currently, the farm produces corn, hay and dairy cattle. A house that was constructed in the nineteenth century still stands and is used by the family as their primary residence.

Photo: An aerial view of the Hillview Farm.

The Homeplace Farm

Melissa Davis

            Located in the Catapla community of Marshall County, the Homeplace Farm began in 1821 when Francis and Jane Carruthers Finley purchased 68.5 acres of land. General farmers, the Finleys diligently tilled their soil and earned enough money to acquire 100 additional acres and to purchase some slaves. In 1863, Frances Carroll Finley inherited the farm. Wed to Mary Milan and the father of seven children, Finley worked the land as his father had, producing cotton, corn, wheat and cattle.

            The founders’ grandson Newton Marshall Finley acquired the family land in 1894. He too was a profitable general farmer and he expanded the farm to 230.5 acres of land. In 1918, Newton left the homeplace to his only daughter, Lilly Finley Davis, the spouse of William M. Davis. Lilly and William, the parents of two sons, specialized in raising chickens for market.

            In 1972, Homeplace Farm passed into the hands of the founders’ great great great grandchildren, Dudley, David, Beth and Melissa Ann Davis. As of 1976, Beth and Melissa’s father Finley Davis produced hay and beef cattle on their 230 acres. Today, Melissa Davis owns the farm.

Lanier-Smith Farm

Joseph Branham Smith

            The Lanier-Smith Farm dates to 1847 when Benjamin Bugg Lanier founded the farm. On 242 acres, a log house was built. According to the family, the house consisted of two rooms with an open hall that was between and a kitchen that made the house L-shaped. During this time, the farm produced hogs, sheep, cattle, hay, wheat, oats, corn and barley. Benjamin married Mary Donelson Lanier and they had five children. After two years of living on the farm, Benjamin passed away. He and three of their five children died in four years time, leaving Mary and two of their sons, Benjamin Jones Lanier and Robert Nicholas Lanier.

            As time moved on, Benjamin Jones and Robert Nicholas became the next owners of the land. During the 1880s, Robert moved to Texas and Benjamin bought out his share of the property. Under his ownership, Benjamin raised the same livestock and crops as the founder. Married to Almanza Katherine Wallace, the couple had three children. Their names were Ivie Lanier, Lillian Lanier and John Lanier. Eventually, the land passed to Ivie Lanier Smith.

            In 1964, Ivie Lanier Smith died and her son, Frank Donelson Smith acquired the property. Along with his wife, Jessie Branham Smith, they raised three children.

            Today, Frank’s son and the great, great grandson of the founder, Joseph Branham Smith is the current owner of farm. Currently, the farm produces sheep, beef cattle, hay and pasture. The original log house that was built in 1848 still stands on the property with other barns and houses that were constructed in the nineteenth century. 

Moses Farm

Allen Moses

Moses Farm was founded in 1898 by W.S. Moses and his wife Elizabeth Ann Moses.  The 72 acres yielded timber, orchards, a garden, corn, hay, cattle, and swine. The couple had three children. Their son, John Harrison Wiley, became the next owner of the farm.  With his wife, Maggie Ownby Moses, and their four children, the family raised tobacco, corn, hay, and livestock.  The grandson of the founders and current owner is Allen Holt Moses.   The farm produces hay, tobacco, cattle, hogs, and timber.  A house, originally built by John Harrison Moses in 1930, a barn built over 100 years ago, a garage built in 1928, and smokehouse built in 1904, still stand on the land today.  

Photo: The current farmhouse on the Moses Farm was built in 1931.

Ogilvie Farm

James Floyd Ogilvie

Brenda Ogilvie Brown

Joe Boyd Ogilvie, Jr.

In 1851, William H. Ogilvie founded the Ogilvie Farm that is located fifteen miles North of Lewisburg. On 537 acres, the farm produced cattle, horses, wheat and hay. Married to Mary Gentry, the couple had four children.

            William’s and Mary’s son, Romulus Ogilvie was the next generation to own the land. During the 1860s, Romulus, like many Tennesseans fought in the Civil War. Under his ownership, he cultivated corn, oats and hay and raised cattle, hogs, chickens and horses. Along with his wife, Elizabeth Morgan Ogilvie, they had four children. Their names were William H. Ogilvie, Sallela Ogilvie, Pearl, Ogilvie and James Ogilvie.

            The third generation to own the farm was William Harris Ogilvie. Married to Jimmie Floyd Ogilvie, they had four sons. As time moved on, the four sons became the next owners of the land. Although all of the brothers owned the farm, Jason Floyd Ogilvie lived on the farm and worked the land while his brothers pursued careers others than farming. In 1963, the original farm house burned and a new brick home was built as a replacement.

            In 1999, the great grandson of the founder, James “Jimmy” Floyd Ogilvie acquired the farm. Currently, the farm is owned by Jimmy, Brenda Ogilvie Brown and Joe Boyd Ogilvie, Jr. Today, the farm is a modern dairy complete with a parlor barn, a loafing barn and a lagoon. In addition to the dairy, the farm produces hay. According to the family, the farm was rated in the top ten in the state in milk production for 1999.

Photo: A view of the Ogilvie Farm landscape.

Orr’s Green Valley Farm

Mary Lynn Orr Berlin

Joe Raymond Berlin

James Orr, who was married to Elizabeth Lowrance Orr, founded Orr’s Green Valley Farm in 1817.  On 110 acres located west of Lewisburg, the couple produced oats, corn, lumber and wheat and supported hogs, sheep, cattle and bees. 

During his ownership, James Orr gave a parcel of land for a Cumberland Presbyterian Church, presently known as Bear Creek Church. The family recalls that “he was ordained a ‘Ruling Elder’ of that church and until his death considered the human cornerstone of the church. …”  Also, during this time the farm was recognized as a leader in the Jersey cattle industry.

              James and Elizabeth Orr had seven children. One of their sons, Thomas Walker Orr (born 1822), kept a journal and in it is an account of his arrest and imprisonment in Pulaski during the Civil War, as well as other events and a ledger from farm sales in 1881 and 1882.

Thomas’s brother, Robert Moore Orr, was the next owner of the farm. Married to Mary Ann Pickens, the couple had seven children. The farm produced corn, tobacco, wheat, swine, sheep and cattle. Subsequent family owners include their son, Robert Riggs Orr, and his wife Ella Mai Pickens;  James Walker Orr and his wife Bertha McNeese Orr, and James Wayne  and Linda Hinds Orr, parents of the current family owner, Mary Lynn Orr Berlin. Along with her husband, Joe and their children, the Berlins  live on the farm and raise hay and horses. They reside in a house built in 1845 and  maintain the adjacent smokehouse, from the same period,  as a guest house. The family has a collection of items of family and community history  from the 19^th and 20th centuries that document the contributions of the Orr family to the agricultural, religious, and  civic life of Marshall County.

Photo: The James Orr house in the 1860s.

Ridge Vale Farm

Thomas Clayton Wilson

William Stephen Leonard Wilson

Ridge Vale Farm was founded by Thomas Leonard and his wife Hannah James Leonard on land purchased from men who received Revolutionary War North Carolina military service Warrants and Tennessee Grants.   The portion containing the founder’s house, cemetery, and Leonard’s Bluff was a 230 acre parcel that Leonard purchased in 1809.  In early 1816, the farm was licensed to make up to 145 gallons of whiskey, a practical use of the corn produced there.

As the farm passed down through generations of sons, starting with Griffith James Leonard, it continued to be used for corn as well as hay, cattle, horses, and sheep.  The family’s interest in horses led to William Stephen Leonard organizing the Petersburg Colt Show that operated for 50 years.  A log barn and old buggy “house” dating prior to 1900 remain on the farm landscape.  Today Thomas Clayton Wilson, the 4^th great-nephew of the founder, his wife, Edna, and their two children reside on 480 acres, raising cattle, horses, and hay.  A portion of their land came from a farm owned by the founder’s grandson, Civil War veteran and prisoner of war, Samuel J. Leonard.

Photo: Leonard Family Cemtery on the Ridge Vale Farm.

Ruth-E Farm

Joe Moss, Jr. and Betty Lee Moss

E. Daniel Moss

Located three and a half miles north of Caney Springs, Tennessee is the Ruth-E Farm that was established in 1783 by David Wilson.  Prior to moving to this area, Major Wilson served in the Revolutionary War and fought against General Cornwallis, who ultimately surrendered to Gen. George Washington at Yorktown.  As a result of his service, Wilson was granted 4,096 acres and with this land, he established the farm. In addition to serving in the war, David was an important figure in Tennessee’s history, helping to found  Sumner County and Wilson County is named after him.

Wilson was married to  Jean Rowen Wilson and the couple had eight children.  In 1840, David’s nephew Jonathan Wilson acquired the farm.  After Jonathan, the farm passed through seven more generations including the current owner, Joe P. Moss, Sr. and his wife Ruth Ethelene Wilson for whom the farm is named.

In the 1970s, Joe P. Moss, Sr.'s and Ruth's three children, Edward Thomas Moss, Joe P. Moss, Jr. and Betty Lee Moss acquired the land. In 2002, Joe, Jr.’s son Daniel E. Moss purchased 56 acres of the farm.  The 500 acre farm now produces hay, hogs, timber and cattle. 

Photo: A barn and landscape scene on the Ruth-E Farm.

Shady Lawn Farm

Ronnie Trout

            In 1898, John Bond Trout established the Shady Lawn Farm in Marshall County. On 128 acres, the farm produced hay, corn, tobacco, dairy cattle, mules, horses, hogs, turkeys and chickens. Married to Callie Jones Trout, the couple had eleven children. In 1913, J. B. built a farm house on the property

            As time moved on, John’s and Callie’s son, Jasper Herman Trout, acquired the land. During his ownership, he purchased 50 additional acres for the farm. Jasper married Elizabeth Adelle Barnes Trout in 1917 and over the years they had ten children.

            In 1983, the grandson of the founder, Ronnie Trout became the owner of the farm. Today, Ronnie and his son Michael Concy Trout work the land that produces alfalfa, hay, grass, corn and dairy cattle. The farm house that was constructed by the founder still stands as a reminder of the long legacy of the land.