Shelby County

Bragg Brothers Farm

Castles-McCalla Farm

Davies Plantation

Glenn Farm

Goldsby Farm

Humphreys Flower Farm

Louise Reid Farm

Maplecrest Farm

Rembert Place Farm

Sydney Bryant Ray, Jr. Farm

Vernon 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

Bragg Brothers Farm

Howard Starr Bragg, Jr.

            The difficulties of managing a twentieth century West Tennessee plantation are recorded in the history of Bragg Farm. In 1836, Charles A. and Mildred Redford Starr established the farm. According to tradition, the family “left ‘impoverished Virginia’ to establish a farm in a ‘veritable land of milk and

honey.’ “ The Starrs owned 520 acres, but later sold 140 acres of this property. Corn, cotton, wheat, tobacco, cattle, horses, poultry and swine were the crops and products raised on this self-sustaining farm.

            Of the founders’ four children, Sally Starr Bragg, the wife of Henry T. Bragg, inherited 195 acres in 1879. About 20 years later, the Braggs acquired another 791 acres of the Starr property. Wealthy late nineteenth century landowners, the Braggs produced cotton, corn, sorghum, wheat, cattle, swine, horses, and poultry. They were the parents of six children and their son Howard Starr Bragg inherited 104 acres in 1906. Over the next eighteen years, Howard greatly increased the size of his farm. By 1924, he operated a plantation of

1, 437.5 acres, but “subsequent depressed farm prices, drainage district taxes, high interest, and the Great Depression led to near disaster.” Bragg mortaged some of this property twice and a stroke left him paralyzed. He died in 1937, “leaving his widow, Maude Wellborn Bragg, and his oldest son, Howard S. Bragg, Jr., the job of saving the farm from its creditors.”

            The Braggs were able to keep the plantation in operation. During World War II, the Navy rented 300 acres of the farm “and used the area as a training airfield for pilots in flight training at the Millington Naval Base.” “As farm mechanization modernized farming methods,” tenant and sharecropper farming on the property ended in the 1950s. During the 1960s, soybeans replaced cotton as the farm’s major agricultural commodity. In 1976, Howard and his son Howard, III, farmed 1, 477.5 acres, cultivating soybeans, cotton and peanuts. The Braggs also managed a herd of beef cattle and sold gravel and timber from their land. Ten years later, the Braggs had stopped growing peanuts, but continued raising the typical crops of a modern-day West Tennessee farm.

Castles-McCalla Farm

Elizabeth F. McCalla

            Just one mile north of Rosemark, James C. Castles established the Castles-Mcalla Farm in 1875. On 175 acres, the farm produced cotton and soybeans. Along with his wife, Elizabeth W. McQuiston Castles, they had eleven children. In addition to his farming duties, James served as a squire and administered justice on the site.

            In 1921, J.C. Castles died and the land was divided among his six surviving children. Their names were W.T., Lois, Hope, Ruth, Elizabeth and Charles. Under their ownership, they raised the same crops as the founder. One of the children, Elizabeth Castles Flippin, received 100 acres as part of her share of the land. At her death in 1922, her three children inherited the property. Their names are P.J. Flippin, Jr., Elizabeth F. McCalla and Charlotte Castles Flippin.

On July 23, 1945, Elizabeth F. McCalla bought her siblings interest in the land. Today, Elizabeth lives in the original two-story white farmhouse that was constructed in 1875 and she manages the farm that produces cotton and soybeans.

Davies Plantation

Ellen Davies Rogers

            Located four miles south of Brunswick, the Davies Plantation has one of the best documented properties in the state. Historians have designated Davies Manor, the plantation home, as the oldest house left standing in West Tennessee. Family tradition states that a Native American chief built the two original rooms of the house in 1807.

            The plantation’s history begins in 1838 when Logan E. and Frances Vaughn Davies established a homestead of 200 acres. Eleven years later, Logan and his brother James acquired joint title to the property and they operated the land in partnership until 1894. At that time, the plantation contained 1, 237 acres of land. Besides raising cotton, corn, wheat, timber products and livestock, the brothers owned a cotton gin and a grist mill.

            In 1895, James and four other heirs of Logan Davies, his son Gillie, his daughter Linnie and his nephews, Julius and William, inherited the farm. Both Julius and William became doctors in the community. Gillie built and operated a race track at the farm. As the farm’s primary manager, Gillie and his wife Frances Stewart purchased an additional 500 acres of land. During these years, the plantation yielded cotton, timber, cattle and sheep and specialized in the breeding of Berkshire swine.

            Ellen Davies Rodgers, the granddaughter of the founders, inherited her first tract of family land in 1931 and received her last tract 45 years later upon the death of her husband Hillman P. Rodgers. Today, Mrs. Rodgers manages over 1,800 acres which produce cattle, hay, soybeans, wheat, corn, pasture and timber. Her home, Davies Manor, is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and the Tennessee Historical Commission has identified the property with a highway marker monument.

Glenn Farm

Glenn Dodds

            Several major cotton and corn plantations appeared in West Tennessee in the years immediately following the Civil War. Seven miles west of Millington is one of the more interesting of these late nineteenth century plantations, the Glenn Farm, established in 1870. Its founders, Granderson and Tennysee Carroll Glenn initially owned 500 acres, to which they later added 1,500 acres of land. Granderson, a veteran of the Civil War, specialized in cotton and corn cultivation. Of the founders’ five children, Hugh B. Glenn inherited 1, 430 acres in 1919. He later sold 930 acres of this property. The remainder he planted in fields of cotton and corn. His wife was Lillian Hammontree and they were the parents of three children.

            In 1945, Hugh left 200 acres to the current owners, Carolyn Glenn Dodds, Hugh Glenn, Jr. (the founders’ grandchildren), Robert D. Dodds and Mrs. Bill Miller (the founders’ great grandchildren). C. R. and Robert Dodds worked the land, raising cotton, soybeans and cattle. At that time, Robert lived in the original home of Granderson Glenn, built prior to 1875. Today, Glenn Dodds owns the land.

Goldsby Farm

Jeannie Goldsy Ticer

            Terrell and Sydney Jennings Goldsby moved from Georgia “in search of new land” and founded the Goldsby Farm in 1830-1831. The farm initially contained 108 acres, but the founders developed it into a major antebellum plantation of over 2,200 acres. The founders’ slaves harvested crops such as cotton, corn and wheat and also raised several types of livestock.

            Terrell and Sydney Goldsby were the parents of four children and in 1867 they deeded 459.7 acres of the family landholdings to their son Solomon J. Goldsby. Married twice and the father of ten children, Solomon found it difficult to operate such as large farm in the late nineteenth century. At the time of his death, he owned only 100 acres of land. Agricultural commodities produced at the farm during these years included cotton, corn, wheat, hay and livestock.

            In 1944, Edwin P. Goldsby, the great great grandson of the founders, inherited a portion of the family land. By 1976, he and Dewitt Goldsby owned 99 acres and specialized in cotton and soybean production. Since the original Century Farm survey, however, Edwin has passed away. His daughter Jennie Goldsby Ticer and her husband presently manage the property.

Humphreys Flower Farm

David and Marily Gaines

            Located four miles southwest of Arlington, Abner Calton Wellborn on December 7, 1870. On 84 acres, the farm produced cotton, cattle and horses. Born in Huntsville, Alabama, Abner received his law degree from Transylvania College in Lexington, Kentucky and was admitted to the bar in 1848 in Shelby County, Tennessee. For twenty-four years, he served as a member of the Shelby County Court system. Married to Ionia Monette Early, the couple had seven children.

            In 1902, Abner’s son, Roger Mignon Wellborn acquired the farm. Under his ownership, the farm raised cotton, corn, hay and dairy cattle. Although Roger was a graduate of the Memphis Medical College, he practiced for only a short time and then began farming and dairying and worked closely with the agricultural extension service of Shelby County. Along with his wife, Naoma Jones, they had three children named Howard, Herman and Lillian.

            In 1915, the granddaughter of the founder, Lillian Wellborn Humphreys became the sole owner of the land. Lillian’s husband, Clinton Humphreys was an active member of the Farm Bureau for thirty years and also served as the past president of the Shelby County Farm Bureau. In addition, he was a Shelby County Soil Conservation supervisor for twenty-six years. While Clinton was active in many farm related organizations, Lillian served as the secretary-treasurer of the Ladies Auxiliary of Tennessee Soil Conservation Districts.

            Today, Lillian and Clinton’s daughter, Marily Humphreys Gaines and her husband, David are the current owners of the farm. The farm produces cotton, soybeans, flowers and bulbs.

Louise Reid Farm

John Cummings

            Quite small farms are not the norm among the Century Farms of West Tennessee, but the development of the Reid Century Farm provides insight into the history of small farms in Shelby County. Located two miles east of Bolton, the Reid Farm was established by David W. and Martha Wherry Reid in 1860. They initially began with a tiny farm of five and a half acres, but over the next fourteen years, they increased the farm’s boundaries by 61.2 acres. The parents of two children, the Reids raised cotton, corn and cattle. Aubrey Lee Reid inherited 67.7 acres from his parents in 1904 and continued to produce the same commodities his parents had. He wed Ruby Fowler and they had one child, Louise Reid.

            In 1972, Louise Reid Cummings inherited the entire farm. As of 1976, her husband John Cummings bred beef cattle on a portion of the property and rented the remainder for the cultivation of soybeans.

Maplecrest Farm

Jack H. Battle, Jr.

            The old Macedonia community is the home of Maplecrest Farm, established by William Battle, III, and Chloe Boddie Battle in 1846. A veteran of the War of 1812, Battle left North Carolina for Shelby County in 1830. Here he established a farm of 198 acres which he called “Dark Corner” because of the “dark shadows cast by the dense forest” of that section of Shelby County. William, his wife Chloe and their thirteen children “made varied types of contributions to the educational, political and agricultural welfare of Shelby County.” The farm grew to 502 acres and the family relied upon a large number of slaves to produce the farm’s commodities of cotton, corn, sheep, horses, mules, swine and cattle.

            During the Civil War, William was held as a prisoner of the Union occupation force. In 1867, Dr. Alfred Battle, William’s son, took control of 316 acres of the family property. The farm continued to yield staple crops such as cotton and large herds of livestock. Alfred married Martha Taylor and they were the parents of seven children. Paul Pelham Battle acquired 75 acres of his grandparents’ land in 1912. This veteran of World War I later expanded his landholdings by 113 acres. Planting the farm’s first fields of soybeans, Paul also raised cotton, corn, hay and cattle. His wife Houston Cocke “was a teacher in the Shelby County schools for 43 years.” Paul and Houston were the parents of three children.

            In 1972, Jack Battle acquired 150 acres of the original farm. Four years later, Jack and his son Jack Battle, Jr., worked 660 acres, raising soybeans, corn, hay and cattle. At that time, a log room of the nineteenth century Fred Battle house still stood on the property and was used as a tenant house. Today, Jack Battle, Jr., owns and operates Maplecrest Farm.

Rembert Place Farm

Beth Goforth

Pamela Oglesby

A. Lee Tucker

            New developments in the processing of cotton distinguish the history of the Rembert Place Farm, the oldest Century Farm in Shelby County. Established by Andrew Rembert in 1824, the farm originally consisted of 2,000 acres located ten miles north of Memphis and was known as Seven Hills Plantation. Andrew moved to Shelby County “from Georgia seeking ‘new’ land.” Married twice, Andrew was “a leader in political and civic affairs.” His farm was a profitable producer of cotton, corn, hay, cattle and sheep.

            In 1844, the founder directed the construction of a fine plantation house, which remains standing today. The following year, however, control of the plantation passed into the hands of his son Samuel Stokes Rembert. A writer and inventor as well as a planter, Samuel “received the first patent for a cotton picker in 1850.” His cotton crop was reknowned throughout the area. Samuel’s spouse was Anne Duncan, who was the mother of thirteen children. During the Civil War, three of their sons joined the Confederates and one died at the Battle of Shiloh.

            Ruth Rembert inherited 300 acres of the plantation in 1874. She married William Henry Williams and was the mother of three children. Little else is known about this period of the farm’s history. In 1944, 150 acres passed to Anne Charlotte Williams and nine years later, she left this property to her nephew, Rembert H. Williams, Jr., the great great grandson of Andrew Rembert.

            Rembert Williams, Jr., worked the family farm for over 30 years. He specialized in growing soybeans and hay and raising cattle. He lived in the farm’s restored plantation home. Today, Elizabeth Tucker Goforth, Pamela Oglesby and A. Lee Tucker own the farm.

Sydney Bryant Ray, Jr., Farm

Sidney B. Ray, Jr.

            In 1870, William S. and Martha Aycock established a plantation of 1,250 acres located about four miles east of Millington. Aycock, who was the father of three children, specialized in cotton cultivation and stock breeding. In 1928, Sidney B. Ray acquired 37 acres of his grandparents’ property. He and his spouse Frances Koonce later expanded their landholdings by 74 acres. The Rays and their two sons annually planted fields of cotton and soybeans.

            In 1946, the ownership of the farm broadened to include Sidney B. Ray, Jr., and his wife Katherine. Thirty years later, father, son and a grandson, Ronald B. Ray, farmed 111 acres, raising cotton and soybeans.

Vernon Farm

J. Bruce and Mary D. Vernon

Charles L. and Emma G. Vernon

            Self-sustaining farm operations, combined with the cash income generated by a blacksmith shop, proved to be the keys of economic success at the Vernon Century Farm. Acquiring 177.7 acres of land located six miles southwest of Arlington, John M. and Martha Wylie Thompson established the family farm in 1850. A former member of the Shelby County school board, John directed several operations at the farm. He produced “cows for milk, hogs for meat, chickens for eggs and meat, sheep for woolen clothing, geese for feathers for beds, corn and wheat for meal and flour (and) cotton for clothing and in later years to sell.”

            The founders raised five children, one of whom died in the Civil War. Upon John Thompson’s death in 1870, Martha Malinda Thompson Anderson and William Perry Thompson inherited portions of their father’s land totaling 136 acres. That same year, William and his wife Julia Ann Whitehurst built a new farm dwelling. Martha and her husband A. W. Anderson worked with the Thompsons to raise cotton, corn, wheat, vegetables, fruit and livestock. In addition, William managed a blacksmith shop.

            Charles Leland Thompson was the third generation owner of the family farm. In 1919, he “built a house which is still part of the principal residence on the property.” Wed late in life to Mary Jones, Charles had one daughter, Mary Dorcas Thompson. His family owned 154 acres and continued the Thompson tradition of diversified, self-sustaining agriculture.

            Between 1947 and 1964, Mary Dorcas Thompson Vernon and her husband Jewell Bruce obtained title to 130 acres of the original farm. Today, they manage 144 acres and their son Charles Leland Thompson works the land, harvesting soybeans, milo, wheat, hay and fruit. Charles lives in a new house built “near the site of the blacksmith shop of William Perry Thompson.” The farm also contains the five room frame residence of William P. Thompson, constructed in 1870.