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
George Martin Armstrong
The history of the Armstrong Farm, with its commodities
ranging from rice and cotton to dairy products, underscores the excellent
quality of
The farm’s third generation owner was William James
Armstrong, who operated the farm until the turn of the century when it was
divided between his seven children. Purchasing the shares of his brothers and
sisters, William Clay Armstrong became the farm’s fourth owner. He introduced
Holstein dairy cattle to
George Martin Armstrong inherited part ownership of the
family land in 1955. Nineteen years later, he became the farm’s sole owner.
George produced milk, hay and silage on his 118 acres of land.
William D. and Anna Marie Campbell
The Campbell Farm was founded in 1895 by Mary M. Trimble Campbell
and her husband, Charley A. Campbell.
The 115 acres yielded corn, barley, tobacco, vegetables, and wheat and
also supported sheep, chickens, swine, cattle, and mules. The couple had 5
children, and their grandson William Dean Campbell is now the current owner of
the farm. With his wife, Anna Marie and their six children, they raise hay,
vegetables, and cattle. There are
currently three generations living on the 93.5 acres of land. On the farm, there still stands an old log
barn built in 1864, a two-story house built in 1879, a lard house and a
smokehouse.
Photo:
The farmhouse on the Campbell Farm was built in 1879.
Alyne Queener Massey
Elizabeth Queener
The Cross Bridges Farm is located nine miles west of
Under Willis’ ownership, the farm produced cotton, corn,
cattle and hogs. In addition to managing the farm, Willis built a large
two-story plantation house on the property.
According to the family, Willis supported the
As the years passed by, Hinton Stother inherited the land
and he raised cattle, corn, wheat and hogs. Although he married Lucille Gordon,
they had no children. However, his neice, Addie Frierson lived with them. In
1929, the house that Hinton’s father had built burned to the ground.
The
next owner was Addie Frierson Armstrong Queener. Married to Millard Queener,
the couple had three children. In 1970, two of Adaline’s daughters, Alyne
Queener Massey and Elizabeth Queener inherited the farm. Today, the sisters
continue to own the farm that now produces timber, hay, tobacco and cattle. In
recent years, the owners have taken an interest in the historical and environmental
significance of the area and they have donated a conservation easement to the
James Forgey Russell,
Jr.
For almost 150 years, the Russell family has been closely
involved with the history of the
The farm’s second generation owner was William James
Russell, the husband of Patricia Forgey Moore. William, who attended the
Of William and Patricia’s six children, Jame Forgey
Russell became the farm’s next owner. At this time the farm contained 626
acres. A graduate of the
In 1963 James Russell, Jr., who is the founders’ great
grandson, inherited the family farm. Today, James owns over 1,000 acres and
raises corn, wheat, soybeans, hay and cattle. A graduate of the University of
Tennessee, he has been a member of the Maury County Quarterly Court and a
director with the Middle Tennessee Bank and the Southern Livestock Auction
Company. In his farming operations, James still uses “three large barns of
original construction, in fairly good condition.” The family also reports that
“the residence, which was built about 1860, is a two-story frame structure of
Greek Revival architecture.
Anne Queener Massey
Elizabeth Queener
Another Century Farm that was founded in 1810 by Thomas James Frierson
is the Kingstree Farm. The history of the farm follows the history of the Cross
Bridges Farm and is owned by Alyne Queener Armistead Massey and Elizabeth Myers
Queener. Today, the 420 acres produces wheat, oats, rye, tobacco and livestock.
Mr. and Mrs. Harry
Clinton Lunn
Located five miles east of Spring Hill lies the
Lunn-Ragan Farm that was founded by Nancy McPherson Ragan in 1869. On 107
acres, the farm produced corn, hay, wheat and cattle. Married to Thompson
Ragan, the couple had eight children. In 1842, her husband helped co-found the
In
1905,
As
time moved on, Beulah and her husband Thomas A. Cammuse became the owners of
the land. In 1947, Beulah and Thomas gave one acre of their land to relocate
the
In
1968, the great, great, great grandson of the founder, Harry Clinton Lunn
acquired the farm. Today, Harry, his wife and their two sons live on the farm.
Currently, the farm produces tobacco, hay and Angus cattle.
J. B. and Shirley Napier
In 1887, Rebecca Burns Napier established the Napier
Farm. Located seven miles from Columbia, the 600 acres produced corn, wheat,
oats, sugar cane, hay, vegetables, hogs, cattle, sheep, goats, chickens, mules
and horses. Along with her husband, William Clement Napier, they raised one
son, Elias Wills Napier.
Elias Wills Napier became the next owner of the land.
Under his ownership, the farm cultivated the same crops and raised the same
livestock as the founder. Married three times, Elias fathered twelve children.
His son, John Bunch Napier was the third generation to own the farm. John
married twice and he had two children, Mary Agnes Napier
In 1979, J. B. acquired the property and he still owns
the land today. Currently, J. B. and his wife Shirley live on the farm and
raise cattle, corn, wheat, soybeans, hay and tobacco.
A. and Mary L. Dixon. The 365 acre farm
produced corn, tobacco and beef cattle. John and Mary never had any children
and their second cousin, Jonas H. Erwin became the next owner of the land.
Along with his wife, Minnie Lee Yancey Erwin, Jonas raised two children,
Ethlebert (Bert) Hamilton Erwin and Margaret Lee Erwin. In 1927, the farm was
officially named
Over the next thirty years, the farm passed to Bert and Lizzie’s
children, Eugene and J. B. Upon their return from World War II in 1945, J. B.
and Eugene took over the day-to-day management of the farm. Here they began the
dairy operation that became known statewide as the Erwin Brothers Dairy Farm.
Lower left corner photograph is a scenic view of Rebel Springs located at Pleasant Valley Farms.
John Doak Matthews
Families of agrarian entrepreneurs, such as the Matthews
of Maury County, who owned and operated the machinery that processed the
region’s raw materials, shaped the
Joseph Matthews willed J. Millen 140 acres and John
Galloway 220 acres of the family land in 1902. John made several improvements
to the farm, installing a telephone and a new water system in the family
dwelling. His crops included corn, wheat, cotton, swine, cattle, horses and
mules. He and his wife Ellen Morgan raised three children and in 1935, their
son Elliott Lindsey Matthews inherited 153 acres of the family farm. By
installing electricity and by planting tobacco, Elliott continued the
progressive trend of the farm’s operations.
In 1947, Elliott, John D. and James A. Matthews, the
founders’ great great grandsons, became joint owners of Tanglefoot. The
brothers “developed and operated a Grade ‘A’ dairy operation” and also
cultivated tobacco, wheat, corn and soybeans. In 1973, John was named
Robert Leslie White, Jr.
Located eight miles west of
Luke White’s spouse was Nancy Sparkman and they raised
eight children. In 1892, their son Mitchell obtained 78 acres of the family
farm. A traditional general farmer, Mitchell White was also an important local
builder. Among his projects were the
Whistle Top’s current owner is Robert Leslie White, Jr.,
who is the only son of Robert and Tennie Kinzer White. The founders’ great
great grandson, Robert works 270 acres which yielded tobacco, wheat, soybeans
and beef products.