Holliman's Southern Cross 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
Jackie Agee
The 7th District of Smith County is home to the Agee Farm,
founded in 1849 by William H. and Lydia Cheek. The parents of two children, the
Cheeks raised corn, wheat, swine, horses and mules on their 123 acres of land.
In 1885, they deeded 84 acres to their daughter Caldona Cheek Foutch and her
husband J. A. Foutch. Caldona and J. A. were the parents of five children.
These second generation owners specialized in producing swine, mules and
horses.
Jackie Agee, the great great great grandson of William and Lydia Cheek, inherited his 70 acres of family land in 1975. He harvests typical northern Middle Tennessee crops such as tobacco, hay, corn and cattle. He also raises cattle, horses, swine, goats, mules and chickens.
Sam W. Allen
While
The next owners of the land were the
founding couple’s sons, William Hershel and Sam Wilson Cox. Sam wed Lois Estelle Rickles and they had
two children, William Henry and Elizabeth Lois.
During World War II, the farm was used for training maneuvers for
In 1960, Elizabeth Lois Cox Allen,
the granddaughter of William Henry Cox, acquired the farm.
In 1983, the great grandson of the
founder, Sam Allen became the owner of the property. He and his wife Gwen live on the farm along
with their sons William (Bill) Wilson Allen and Sam Robert Allen and their
families. The three generations include
Bill and his wife and Teresa and their children Amber and Andrew and Sam Robert
and his wife Michelle and their children
Kristen and Ryan. The children
and grandchildren have raised registered cattle and sheep for 4-H projects and
shows.
Sam W. and his son Bill operate a Grade A
Dairy and raise hay and sheep. The farm contains a large spring that is beside
Dixon Creek that runs into the
Photo: William Henry Cox and family in 1896.
Wyatt Wilson Allen, Jr.
With tobacco cultivation, river commerce and the
Tennessee Valley Authority each subtly shaping its history, the Allendale Farm
typifies the Middle Tennessee agrarian experience. The farm dates to William
Sanders and Susan Black Alexander’s acquisition of 267 acres of land in 1864.
The local postmaster at Dixon Springs, William cultivated and prepared dark
tobacco at the farm. His family also raised corn, wheat, oats, and livestock.
In 1876, Nannie Sanders Allen and her husband George M.
Allen acquired the entire farm. They raised three children. Fall always found
the family busy harvesting the farm’s corn, wheat, oats and tobacco. Using
materials shipped up the
Wyatt Wilson Allen and his wife Elizabeth Cox received
title to the entire farm in 1949. Wyatt, the great grandson of William and
Susan Alexander, worked the land until the 1980s. Cultivating corn, small grains
and tobacco, he also managed herds of cattle and swine. Water projects of the
Tennessee Valley Authority took 100 acres of the farm in 1975. Eight years
later, the farm passed to Wyatt W. Allen, Jr., and his family. The Allens now
possess 182 acres devoted to the production of burley tobacco, corn, milo, and
cattle.
Teddy Allison
The Allison Farm is
located ten miles west of
During
Samuel’s ownership, the farm produced corn, wheat, tobacco, cattle, hogs,
chickens and mules. Along with his wife, Vicie Lou Enoch Allison, they had
seven children. Their names were A. C. Allison, Anna Allison Vantrease, Bernice
Allison, William J. Allison, Jim Allison, Ray Allison and Earl Allison.
As time moved on,
Samuel’s and Vicie’s son, A. C. Allison acquired the farm. Married to Mary
Louise Poston Allison, the couple had one son, Teddy Draper Allison.
In 1990, Teddy became the owner of the property. Today,
Teddy still owns the land and produces beef cattle, hay and burley tobacco. A
smokehouse that was constructed in the 1890s still stands on the farm.
Upper
Photo: A view of the pond on the Allison Farm.
Lower
Photo: This smokehouse was constructed in the 1890s.
Thomas C. Arnold
The Arnold Farm, which lies one mile east of
The farm passed intact to his brother Bell Brown Thompson
and Susan McKinney Thompson in 1914. The Thompsons were the parents of three
children.
In 1934, Mrs. Gertrude Thompson Arnold Weakley acquired
her first tract of family land. Twenty years later, she inherited a second
portion of the farm and now manages 67 acres. Her son Thomas C. Arnold harvests
the tobacco, corn and hay fields and raises cattle. Like several other farms in
the region, the
Jerry W. Baker
The Baker Farm was founded in 1891 by W. C. Baker and his wife
Maude. On approximately 100 acres, they
raised corn, wheat, hay, cattle, hogs, and horses. The founders gave each of their six children
a portion of the farm. Through purchases
from family members and adjacent property owners, Jerry Baker today owns 335
acres including the original acreage. He
and his son, Danny, operate the farm, raising tobacco, hay, and beef
cattle. Jerry and his wife live in a
frame house built by his uncle and Jerry’s daughter, Glenda, lives nearby in a
stone house built by Jerry’s father.
The occupations and accomplishments of Baker’s children reflect their
agricultural roots. Daughter, Lucinda
and her husband Mike Phillips farm in the Dixon Springs community; Phillip and
his family live on a farm in
Photo:
Four generations of the Baker family (along with the family border collies) are
pictured with the Baker Farm landscape in the background. The later William
Campbell Baker, Jr. is standing. Jerry Baker, grandson Mitchell, and sons
Philip and Danny carry on the family tradition.
B. D. Wooten
Both raft and automobile transportation have influenced
the history of the Wooten Farm. In 1870, Henry Douglas and Cara Duncan Gass
founded the Wooten family farm, which is located two miles south of
The Gibbs and their nine children raised corn, swine and
small grains on their land. Lemuel also operated a sawmill and floated rafts
down the Cumberland River to
In 1962, Bernice D. Wooten obtained 58 acres of the
original Gass farm. The great great grandson, Bernice now owns 218 acres and
specializes in cattle production.
Anna Jo Beasley McDonald
In 1870, Alexander H. and Jane Apple Ditty bought 313
acres and established the Beasley family farm eleven miles east of
Their son James Ditty acquired 133 acres of family land
in 1917. Married to Cora Maddux, James fathered two children. He managed the
farm, raising corn, tobacco, cattle and swine, until 1936. At that time, 70
acres passed into the hands of Flora Beasley, the granddaughter of Alexander
and Jane Ditty. Flora helped manage the
land for 50 years and she lived in the family’s original two-story weatherboard
farmhouse. Flora’s son-in-law and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Frank McDonald,
worked the land and annually harvested corn and hay crops and managed a cattle
herd. Today, Anna Jo Beasley is the owner of the land.
John H. Allen
George W. Allen, Jr.
William G. Allen
Beechwood Farm, which stands just east of Dixon Springs,
has been a significant contributor to local agricultural, economic and
political history. In 1831, David and Elizabeth Alexander Burford founded the
Beechwood Farm with 188 acres, which they later increased to 507 acres of land.
David managed one of the region’s model farms. His crops and products included
corn, wheat, small grains, cotton, flax, hemp, tobacco, cattle and sheep. He
also bred race horses and fine mules, mixing his animals with Jacks from
Although title to the farm was not transferred until
1872, Clarissa Burford Allen and her husband Major John D. Allen took over the
farm’s operation in 1868. Major Allen was a Confederate veteran and he “took an
active part in rebuilding the economy of the community, county and state. He
was owner of a thriving General Merchandise and Drug Store (in
In 1975, the farm passed to six children of George W. and
Mary Garrison Allen. Presently, John H. Allen is the operator, producing crops
of hay and tobacco. Beechwood retains many of its mid-nineteenth century
buildings, including an 1832 brick dwelling, a smokehouse, a loom house, a
carpenter shop and cook’s quarters.
Ted W. and Vicki Russell
The 1st Civil District of Smith County is home
to the Cartwright-Russell Farm, founded by James Cartwright in 1832. The
Cartwrights were among the eighteenth century settlers of Middle Tennessee.
Initially owning 154 acres, James expanded his landholdings by over 72 acres.
Tobacco, cotton, corn, hay, horses, cattle and swine were his crops and farm
commodities. In 1840, a farm of over 226 acres passed to the founder’s son,
Richardson Cloud Cartwright. After
Henrietta Dean Cartwright lived until 1900. The farm
changed hands several times among family members throughout the twentieth
century. Lum T. Russell, who was the great grandson of James Cartwright, had
complete control of the family farm from 1946 to 1963. Since his death in 1963,
his heirs have jointly managed 177.8 acres of land, producing cattle, corn and
tobacco. Robert D. Russell and his sons worked the property. In 1989, Ted W.
Russell purchased the farm from his aunts and uncles and became the owner of
the land.
Margaret
Ten miles south of
Jonathan and Betty were the parents of three children and
their son John William Lamb inherited the farm after the death of his father.
John planted the land’s first tobacco patch. He married twice and had five
children. In 1920 Mattie Belle Norris Lamb, the founders’ daughter, inherited
83 acres of the family land-holdings. That same year, Jim and Will Lamb, the
grandsons of the founders, acquired 150 acres of the original farm. Mattie and
her husband John Lamb raised corn, wheat, oats, tobacco, beef cattle, swine and
sheep. Jim and Will Lamb produced those same crops and livestock.
Throughout the middle decades of the twentieth century,
the farm expanded in size. Margaret Elizabeth Lamb Mitchell, the granddaughter
of Jonathan and Betty Lamb, inherited the original 96 acres in 1956. Today,
Elizabeth and her husband Jerry E. Mitchell owns 455 acres devoted to the
production of beef cattle, tobacco, corn and hay. The family uses one
mid-nineteenth century building for work and storage.
Mr. and Mrs. Luther
Hoyte Gwaltney
The history of the Cloverdale Farm details the evolution
of one of Smith county’s largest antebellum plantations into a modern breeded
livestock operation. In 1810, John and Elizabeth Gwaltney of
John Gwaltney, Jr., and his wife Martha Upton purchased
178 acres of the plantation in 1839. The parents of ten children, the second
generation owners harvested corn, wheat, small grains and cotton fields and
managed herds of cattle, swine, horses and mules. By 1860, Gwaltney owned 268
acres in
Luther Hatton Gwaltney, a great grandson of the founders,
and his wife Myrtle obtained 110 acres of the farm in 1905. Nine years later,
Luther sold a portion of the farm to the town of
Luther and Myrtle Gwaltney had four children and in 1937,
Luther Hoyte and Reba Gwaltney received 55 acres of the farm. Luther and Reba
worked this land for 28 years and grew tobacco, hay and garden vegetables. The
family also specialized in the breeding of registered Angus cattle. In 1965,
Luther purchased an additional 30 acres of family property. As of 1976,
Cloverdale Farm was a progressive livestock farm.
Mr. and Mrs. Fred Gwaltney
Cloverdale Farm II is another Century Farm in
Robert Moore
In 1827, Gov. Sam Houston affixed his signature to a land grant of
15 acres for Alfred Davis near Riddleton in
Abner Nelson Davis and Judith Oldham Davis also had one son,
Willis Bethel Davis. Over the years, the farm was under cultivation for
tobacco, corn, and hay as well as fruits and vegetables. In addition, the
successive generations of owners raised cattle, hogs, horses and mules.
In 1975, the current owner
and great-great-grandson of the founders, Robert Moore Davis, acquired the
farm. The farm currently produces tobacco and hay in addition to beef
cattle.
Ford Eastes
Located two miles south of
In 1950, J. B. Eastes acquired 100 acres of his
grandfather’s original landholdings. Little is known about this period in the
farm’s history. The founders’ great great grandson, Ford Eastes, received title
to 123 acres of the family land in 1963. Several of the farm’s early buildings
are used for storage, including the old house, log kitchen and log cabin. As of
1976, the family’s farm products were tobacco, cattle and hay.
Emmett Gibbs
Clara Gibbs
Dating to 1875, the Gibbs Farm is located two and half miles south of
Married to Rachel Gass, Lem fathered nine children and
the farm next passed to Walter and Clara Gibbs, who acquired the farm in three
different transactions between 1936 and 1948. Walter’s crops were corn, wheat,
tobacco, hay, swine and cattle. Clara and her only child, Emmett Gibbs,
obtained the farm’s original 60 acres in 1968 and in 1976, they owned a total of
375 acres.
Deona Lee Thomas
In
1810, John Gwaltney established the Gwaltney Farm. Under his ownership, the 200
acres produced cattle, horses, hay, corn, sheep and pigs. Wed to Elizabeth
Carroll Gwaltney, the couple had fourteen children. According to the family,
during the Civil War seven of the children went north while seven of them
stayed in the south.
The second generation to own the land was John’s and
Elizabeth’s son, Dawson Gwaltney. In addition to managing the farm, he and his
wife, Eliza Jane Ward Gwaltney raised seven children. Their son, William
Gwaltney became the next owner of the property.
During William’s ownership, a prize Walking
Horse was raised on the farm. Known as “Kentucky Squirral” he was shown forty
times in County Fairs and won forty blue ribbons. Along with his wife, Lydia
Wanford Gwaltney, the couple had three children.
William’s
and
In
1999, the great, great, great, grandchild of the founder, Deona Lee Thomas,
obtained the land. Today, Deona still manages the farm while she teaches
private music lessons at her home. Currently, the farm is worked by a family
friend, Jackie Agee. A main farm house, a tobacco barn, a spring house that
were constructed in the nineteenth century still stand on the land.
Photo: A tobacco barn on the Gwaltney Farm.
Holliman’s Southern Cross Farm
E. Guy Holliman
Connie J. Dyer and
Patrick Allison Dyer
B. Jo Atwood
William Mack Holliman
and Dot Holliman
In 1872, Dr. Vachel Mack Clark founded a farm in the 5th
Civil District of Smith County. Dr.
Clark and his wife, Virgie, were the parents of Guy Clark, Fadell Clark
Minchey, and Crongie Clark Holliman. On the land, the family raised sheep,
horses, cattle, corn, wheat, oats, hay, turkeys, geese, ducks, chickens and
hogs.
The next owners of the property were
Crongie Clark Holliman and her husband William Esker Holliman. During their ownership, the couple and their
five children raised corn, tobacco, sheep, cattle, hogs, geese, ducks,
chickens, horses, wheat, garden vegetables and hay. Their children inherited
the farm. Eventually, the heirs sold the property to the current owners in
1985.
E. Guy Holliman, Connie and Patrick Allison Dyer, B. Jo Atwood, William Mack and Dot Holliman, all descendents of Dr. Vachel and Virgie Clark, are the owners. The land is worked by William Holliman, son of Mack and Dot Holliman. Farm products include corn, cattle, tobacco, chickens, horses, goats, hay and oats.
Jo Ella Sloan Kelly
Jason R. and Martha Brockett Sloan founded the Kelly Farm with 100 acres
they acquired in 1834. They had twelve children and raised tobacco and cattle.
Little else is known about these antebellum settlers. Martha obtained title to
the farm in 1858 and her son Elisha B. Sloan received the family land in 1884.
Expanding the farm by 112 acres, Elisha began to plant larger corn and tobacco
fields.
Elisha Sloan wed Mary Goad and they were the parents of
ten children. Their son Charlie and his wife Joella Price inherited the farm in
1909; however, they sold the 112 acres purchased earlier by Elisha Sloan. In
1958, the farm passed to Charlie’s wife, Joella Price Sloan Kelly, the
granddaughter-in-law of Jason and Martha Sloan. As of 1976, Joella still
supervised farm activities that yielded tobacco, hay and cattle. She owned 150
acres of land.
Thomas D. Key
In 1852, Samuel Woodson Garrett founded the Key Farm.
Located five miles north of
The next generation to own the property was Martha
Woodson Garrett Key, who was the daughter of the founder. Along with her
husband, Thomas O. Key, she cultivated the same crops as her father had done. As
time moved on, the farm passed to their daughter, Reba Key Mixon and her
husband Robert R. Mixon, who owned the farm for nearly forty years.
In 1987, the grandson of the founder, Thomas D. Key,
acquired the farm. Today, Thomas continues to own the land and raises corn,
tobacco, hay, cattle and horses
Mr. and Mrs. Kirk
Kittrell
The story of the Kittrell Farm, which is nine miles
northeast of
In 1898, Leslie Kittrell and David and Mary’s other children inherited a farm of approximately 50 acres. Together with his wife Maggie and his six children, Leslie grew corn and tobacco and raised cattle and swine. Kirk Kittrell, the founder’s great grandson, received title to 35 acres of the farm in 1964. Twelve years later, he cultivated corn, hay and tobacco and lived at the farm with his wife and his daughter’s family, Mr. and Mrs. James Kemp.
Elva O. Hart
William Michael Woodard
Just west of
In August of 1916, the founder’s
son, Thomas, known as Rainer Tom,
In 1991, the great great
grandchildren of the founder, Elva Hart and her brother William (Billy) Woodard
became the owners of the farm. Today, Billy and Elva manage the property that
mainly produces hay. Elva is a member of
the Farm Bureau and remembers many of the stories handed down to her. She also advises that the Lancaster Hill
Church of God was built on this farm as was a mop and broom factory. The farm house and a barn, as well as a
cemetery established by the founders,
are reminders of the long tenure of this family in
Photo: A barn on the Lancaster/O'Fallon Farm.
Thomas Wilson Beasley
The Lewis Beasley Farm is one of the two oldest Century Farms in
In 1856, William Sanders Alexander received title to a
295 acre farm which he later expanded to approximately 480 acres. William
“built and operated a General Merchandise store at Dixon Springs and was
Postmaster” for the community. During the Civil War, Union officers used his
home as a headquarters and his daughter Mary “later married an officer, William
Fields, who became manager” of the family general store.
William and his wife Susan raised seven children and
their son Lewis Cass Alexander acquired family landholdings of 500 acres in
1876. A district school commissioner and organizer of the Carthage Bank, Lewis
bred and exhibited race horses. To train his horses, he built a race track at
the farm. Wed to Mary Barksdale, Alexander fathered two children and 450 acres
of the property passed to his daughter Kate in 1897. Kate, who married twice
and was the mother of five children, was keenly interested in agriculture and
participated in many local activities.
In 1948, Lewis Cass Beasley acquired 53.7 acres of the
family land. The great great grandson, Lewis produced tobacco, hay and cattle.
A total of approximately 85 acres passed to his widow Elizabeth Wilson Beasley
in 1982. Her son Lewis Cass Beasley, Jr., worked the land and raised the same
commodities as his father. Today, the farm is owned by Thomas Wilson Beasley.
Carolyn Litchford Harper
and Richard J. Harper
Dr. David W. Litchford
Dating to David and Lecie Odom Litchford’s acquisition of
114 acres in 1878, the Litchford Farm is twelve miles south of
Robert and Ola Barrett Litchford were the farm’s second
owners. They and their six children raised corn, tobacco, wheat, cattle, swine
and sheep on 151.5 acres of land.
In 1977, Mrs. Floy Litchford inherited all of the
original acreage. She lived in the farm’s nineteenth century residence and
reported that the property contained a pre-1860 log house that was used for storage.
In 2002, Floy passed away and her children, Dr. David W. Litchford and Carolyn
Litchford Harper acquired the land. Today, Carolyn and her husband Richard J.
Harper maintain the farm.
Doyle Manning
The Manning Farm initially consisted of 60 acres located
two and a half miles north of New Middleton. Willis and Peggy McClanahan
established the farm in 1826 and later expanded their landholdings to 180
acres. Corn, hay and cattle produced much of the daily sustenance for the
founders and their seven children.
The second generation owner of the Manning Farm was Frank McClanahan, a son of Willis and Peggy McClanahan. He, his wife Grace and his son Fred farmed 140 acres, specializing in cattle production. In 1960, Doyle Manning received title to the farm’s original 60 acres. The great grandson of the founders, Doyle worked a total of 200 acres in 1976 and raised cattle and hay.
Allen O. Mason
In 1892, William J. Robinson founded a 200 acre farm in the
The second owners of the land were the founding couple’s son and grandson, Edgar D. Robinson and Hobert O. Mason, who acquired the property in 1921. During their ownership, the farm produced livestock, hay and small grain. Hobert O. married Dorris E. Mason and they had one son, Allen O. Mason. Edgar wed Artie K. Robinson and their son was named Gerald B. Robinson. Gerald inherited his father’s portion of the farm after his death, though Hobert bought Gerald’s share in 1973. In 1974, Hobert died and left his farm to his son Allen. Allen and his son Allen O. Mason, II, live on the land that has been in their family for 116 years.
Roy K. Moore
In 1867, Joel B. Moore founded the Moore Farm. On 300 acres, he
raised corn, hay, cattle, chickens and hogs. Married to Mary Elizabeth Agee
Moore, the couple had four boys.
In 1910, Joel’s and Mary’s son, J.
B. Moore acquired the farm. During his ownership, the J. B. built a house that
still stands on the land today. Married twice, he fathered six children,
however two of them died at an early age. In addition to raising children, he
also managed the farm and produced tobacco, corn, hay, cattle, hogs and sheep.
According to the family, many soldiers practiced their maneuver training on the
land during the 1940s.
The third owner of the farm was Edna
Allmon Moore, the spouse of J. B., and she obtained the land in 1956. Under her
ownership, she raised hay, tobacco, cattle and garden vegetables. Edna and J.
B. had two sons, Roy and Cordell and they were the next owners.
In 1999,
Photo:
The farmhouse on the Moore Farm.
Roberta Neal Conditt
In 1865, John Oliver and Martha New Alliger founded the
Neal Hollow Farm, which is six miles east of
A farm of 292 acres passed into the hands of Electa
Conditt Hatton and her husband Robert Hatton in 1906. Robert planted typical
crops of the region-corn, sugar cane, wheat and hay. He also managed herds of
cattle and swine. Electa was the mother of one child, Roberta, who inherited
the farm in 1961. Roberta Neal Conditt has supervised operations at Neal Hollow
Farm for the last 25 years. Gilbert Whitfield works the land, producing
tobacco, corn and timber. Neal reports that the property’s original dwelling
and barns remain in use.
Edwin Gordon
Mrs. Gene Oldham, Sr.
A Smith County Century Farm that dates to the Reconstruction
era is the Oldham Brothers Farm, located one mile south of Pleasant Shade. In
1868, Edward Luther and Mary Granide Smith purchased 135 acres which yielded
corn, tobacco, small grains and livestock. A Baptist preacher and founder of
the
In 1970, over 75 acres passed to the founders’ great
grandson, Edwin G. Oldham and the great granddaughter-in-law, Mrs. Gene R.
Oldham, Sr. With the help of their cousin Kindred Oldham, the Oldham currently
cultivate tobacco and raise livestock.
Irma G. Paschall
In 1889, E. M. McDonald founded the Paschall Farm. On 179 acres, he
raised corn, grain and cattle. Married to Elizabeth Preston McDonald, the
couple had thirteen children. Their son, T. J. McDonald was the next owner of
the land.
According to the family, the farm was located near the
In 1960, Edna’s daughter, Irma G. Paschall acquired the
farm. Today, Irma still owns the property and her son Eddie Paschall works the
land. Currently, the farm produces hay and Polled Hereford cattle.
Doyle Phillips
Mary Lois Phillips
The Phillips Farm, located one and a half miles northeast of Brush
Creek, was established by Nathan Wheeler and Sarah Young Phillips in 1859.
Their 60 acres yielded corn, hay, grain, cattle, swine and sheep. The family
also owned and operated a mill powered “by livestock walking on a tread floor
which turned two large millstones.” In 1890, the family property passed into
the hands of the youngest son William Bethel Phillips. William and his wife
Lucy Ellen Gwaltney managed 93 acres and produced corn, hay, small grains and
livestock.
Robert Elbert Phillips inherited the entire farm in 1937.
He diversified the farm’s operations to include tobacco cultivation and the
raising of horses. Phillips and his wife Minnie Ophelia were the parents of
three children, two of whom, Carl R. and R. Doyle Phillips, became the next
owners of the farm. In the 1990s, Carl and Doyle divided the land. Doyle
received the house and 33 acres of the land while Carl obtained the remainder
of the property. In 2002, Carl passed away and his land was hiered to his wife
Mary Lois Phillips. Today, Doyle and his wife Betty raise goats, poultry and
hay on the family farm.
William Alexander
Beasley, Sr.
The Point Breeze Farm is the second Century Farm in
Bettye Talley Andrews
One mile north of the Rome Ferry over the
Gabriel produced many kinds of livestock and foodstuffs,
both for his family and slaves and for the commercial market. He married Sallie
Perry and they were the parents of ten children. Upon Gabriel’s death in 1874,
the farm passed into the hands of his children and Matilda Beasley Haley
inherited 51 acres if the farm. Matilda and her husband William later purchased
another 150.5 acres of the family land and eventually owned 239 acres. Mules,
horses, dairy cattle, swine, corn, wheat and small grains were their chief farm
products.
The great grandson of the founder, Comer Haley, acquired
his first 26 acres of the farm in 1903, soon purchased an additional 220 acres
of family land and eventually owned about 570 acres. Married to Virginia
Stubblefield, Comer fathered one child, Gladys D. Haley.
Between 1953 and 1957, Gladys and her husband William M.
Talley obtained the entire farm. They owned the property for the next fifteen
years. In 1972, their son-in-law and daughter, Sam and Bettye Andrews, who had
managed the land since 1956, bought the farm. Bettye Talley Andrews is the
great great great granddaughter of the founders and the mother of four
children. Corn, tobacco, swine, beef cattle and soybeans are the current
products of Polly Hill Farm.
Rupert Lee Alvis
The R. L. Alvis Farm was founded in 1881 by M. P. Martin
and is located
The second generation to own the farm was Stanton Martin.
Under his ownership, the farm produced corn, hay, cattle and horses.
In 1950, the grandson of the founder, Rupert Lee Alvis
acquired the land. Today, Rupert and his wife Alice Alvis work the land that
produces hay and cattle.
Randy and Susan Massey
In 1872, Joseph T. and Eliza Massey acquired over 78
acres ten miles west of
Walter Leon Massey, the grandson of the founders,
obtained the family land in three separate transactions in 1948, 1959 and 1966.
Leon and his son Randy worked 175 acres and produced corn, tobacco, hay, cattle
and swine. Today, Randy and Susan Massey are the owners of the farm.
Oval Sloan
Standing two miles south of Pleasant Shade, the Sloan
Farm began in 1818 when Braddock and Sally Ferguson Beasley purchased 113 acres
of land. Corn, tobacco, small grains and livestock were their farm commodities.
The family met with some difficulties and temporarily sold the land to
Braddock’s father and moved to
In 1856, Braddock’s son Calvin Beasley received a farm of
130 acres. Married to Susan Gregory, Calvin fathered three children and his son
Henry was the farm’s third generation owner. Mrs. Oval E. Sloan, the great
granddaughter of the founders, inherited a farm of 112 acres in 1953. Tobacco,
hay, sheep and cattle, raised by Oval Sloan and Keith Gresham, were the farm
products in 1976. The farm at that time still retained its original dwelling,
smokehouse and hay house.
Mr. and Mrs. Luther
Smith
Mr. and Mrs. W. C. Smith
Mr. and Mrs. Lowe Smith
Three years after the end of the Civil War, in 1868, E.
L. Smith founded the Smith family farm ten miles north of
In 1962, Lowe Smith, the grandson of E. L. Smith,
acquired the family landholdings. Lowe specializes in livestock production and
now shares ownership with the Luther Smith and W. C. Smith families.
John L. Bass
Mattie Bass Bradley
Star Rock Farm, located eight miles west of
In 1912, Ora Kinslow Bass obtained 46 acres from her parents.
She was the wife of C. H. Bass and together with their two children, Ora and C.
H. grew corn and tobacco and managed a few head of swine. Ora died in 1934 and
her children, John Bass and Mattie Bass Bradley, inherited the farm. John has
worked the land for the last 50 years and currently specializes in the
cultivation of tobacco and the production of beef cattle.
Kathryn Steele Key
Fred G. Key
The transformation of Middle Tennessee farms from self-sufficient
farming in the nineteenth century to the specialized production of tobacco and
cattle in the twentieth century is evident in the history of the Steele Farm.
The Brush Creek community, sixteen miles south of
In 1891, Josephine Wills Gwaltney and her husband Robart G. Gwaltney received title to 184 acres of the Wills’ farm. They specialized in the production of tobacco and beef cattle. The Gwaltneys also sold 38 acres of the property before turning the farm over to the third generation owner, Frankie Gwaltney Steele, in 1941. For over three decades, Frankie and her spouse E. N. Steele raised Angus cattle and tobacco at the farm. Today, the land is owned by Kathryn Steele Key and Fred G. Key.
Shirley B. Jones
The Stonewall Heritage Farm was founded by James Hargrove Smith,
Jr. in 1896. On 50 acres, he raised hay,
corn, tobacco and cattle. While managing the farm, James and his brother owned
and operated Smith Brothers General Store in the community. This was a popular market place for local
produce and also was one of the first places in the county to sell mechanized
farming equipment. In 1898, James
donated land for
James’ son-in-law, Will Orange,
married to Mae Smith Orange, acquired the farm in 1939. Parents of four children, the Orange family
cultivated corn, tobacco and hay and raised cattle. In 1946, Robin Bellar and Era Orange Bellar
, granddaughter of the founders and daughter of Will and Mae, became the third
owners of the property. During the
Bellar’s ownership, the farm produced cattle, hay and tobacco. Robin and Era
had four children and their daughter, Shirley Bellar Jones became the owner in
1993. Today, Shirley Jones leases the farm to her brother Jacky Bellar who
raises cattle on the property. Shirley
also reports that the farm house is being remodeled by the fifth generation of
the family, her daughter Janice and husband Bob Givens.
Photo: The
farm house on the Stonewall Heritage Farm.
Charles and Susan
Beasley
Jessica Lynne Beasley
Ted Maxey Beasley
Sunlit Hill Farm, located near Dixon Springs, came into the
Beasley family through a Revolutionary War grant to the founder, William
Saunders in 1795. After his death, his
widow,
Elizabeth Sutton Nixon
Established by David Colby and Celia Jane Sutton in 1850,
the Sutton family farm is fourteen miles north of
In 1958, one of Gilbert and Sallie’s seven children,
Elizabeth Sutton Nixon, obtained 95 acres of the original farm. She presently
owns 270 acres that yield hay, tobacco, corn and cattle.
Varena Paris Thompson
Dating to Benjamin and Nancy Kitchens Bradley’s
acquisition of 62 acres in 1857, the Thompson Angus Farm is one and a half miles
east of Brush Creek. The Bradleys’ land yielded the traditional products-corn,
hay, cattle and swine-of a small farm in nineteenth century
The Bradleys managed their farm until 1912 when their
daughter Sarah Jane Bradley Ballenger inherited the land. Sarah and her husband
James Ballenger continued to grow corn and hay and raise swine, but they also
established a small dairy. Sarah was the mother of two children and her only surviving
child, Levia Ballenger Paris, inherited a farm of 69 acres in 1941. Levia
Ballenger’s husband, Edgar C. Paris, stopped raising dairy cattle and began to
cultivate tobacco, another popular crop of the twentieth century. The parents
of five children, Edgar and Levia also added 45 acres to the farm’s boundaries.
In 1960, the farm passed into the control of the
founders’ great granddaughter Varena Paris Thompson and her spouse L. V.
Thompson. Over the last 26 years, they have made many improvements in the
farm’s operations, building a new brick house, acquiring natural gas and city
water and raising beef cattle and vegetables on their 200 acres. The family
uses a portion of a nineteenth century log barn in its operations.
Dorris Phillips Ziehr
Josiah Reece, a native of
In 1959, Vallie Johnson Phillips acquired 160 acres of
family land. During the 1960s, the