Williamson County

Bagend Farm

Beech Hill Farm

Blue Grass Farm

Cannon Farm

Cedar Lane Farm I

Cedar Lane Farm II

Creekside Farm

Dripping Springs Stock Farm

German Farm

Green Brothers Dairy Farm

Hunt Beasley Farm

Locust Guard Farm

Maple Crest Stock Farm

Maplewood Farm

Midway Farm

Moss Side Farm

Ozburn Hollow Farm

Pleasant View Farm

Reynolds' Grant Farm

Riversmeet Farm

Sullivan Givens Farm

Valley View Farm

Walker Farm

Westbrook Farm

Woodland Farm

Woodland View Farm

Map courtesy of Carole Swann, Tennessee Department of Agriculture

Bag End Farm

Susan McCall Fisher

In 1848, Nancy P. Smithson purchased a farm in the Bethesda community from Dr. Samuel Henderson. Although she owned 125 acres, little else is known about the farm during this time. By 1855, her son, Charles E. Smithson had acquired the property. Married to Jane Giles Smithson, the couple had nine children.

            In 1891, during the settlement of Charles E. Smithson’s estate, his son, Charles T. Smithson acquired the land with the Henderson house on it. After Charles T. died, his daughter, Alice Smithson McCall obtained the acreage with the house. According to the family, the house consisted of two log rooms separated by a dog-trot with a log kitchen. Under Alice’s ownership, the farm produced beef cattle, sheep, dairy cattle, tobacco, wheat and hay. Married to Andrew L. McCall, they had one son, Herbert L. McCall.

            As time moved on, Herbert became the next owner of the property. Along with his wife, Mildred Creswell McCall, they had two children, Herbert and Gerald. Eventually, Herbert’s son acquired the land and then it passed to the current owner, Susan McCall Fisher. Today, the farm produces sheep and some of the land is rented for cattle and tobacco. The white frame farm house is over the original log cabin and an old log smokehouse that was constructed in 1898 still stands.

Photo: A landscape scene on the Bag End Farm.

Beech Hill Farm

Mr. and Mrs. Sam R. Ogilvie

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Battle

            Dating to 1800, when William and Mary Harris Ogilvie moved from North Carolina to homestead in the new state of Tennessee, Beech Hill Farm is one mile south of College Grove. Along with the Locust Guard Farm, it is the oldest Century Farm in Williamson County. The founders located their property near a spring that still supplies the farm with fresh water. William built a log house for his family, but as needs changed during the antebellum era, he made several additions to the original log home. This dwelling remains standing and serves as the current farmhouse.

            J. S. Oglivie and his wife Rachel Webb obtained 650 acres of the farm in 1810. They were the parents of five children. Agricultural products during this period included corn, tobacco, hay, cattle, swine, mules and sheep. In 1896, J. S. Oglivie, Jr., and S. J. Oglivie, the grandsons of the founders, inherited a farm of 350 acres. Working as partners, they raised the same crops and commodities that their grandfather and father produced. In 1931, J. D. Ogilvie acquired 150 acres of the family landholdings. He and his wife Bettye Maxwell remained the farm’s operators for the next three decades.

            Sam R. Ogilvie and his sister Mrs. Robert Battle, the great great grandchildren of the founders, received the farm’s 150 acres in 1964. Sam works the land and in 1976, he raised corn, tobacco, hay and cattle.

Blue Grass Farm

Charles and Carol Bond

Don and Phyllis Bond

            Blue Grass Farm, established by John B. and Elizabeth Bryan Bond in 1825, has been a significant contributor to the breeded industry for 60 years. It lies in eastern Williamson County where John Bond had operated a blacksmith shop in the community as early as 1797. His 715 acres yielded tobacco, sheep and other subsistence crops. John and Elizabeth were the parents of ten children and their son Cicero Columbus Bond inherited the farm in 1848. A magistrate representing the 12^th District, Cicero was a profitable farmer of tobacco, corn, wheat and livestock. The Civil War and Reconstruction era devastated his operations, however, and Cicero “was forced to move from the homeplace during Reconstruction to one log room. After years of hard work, he was able to recoup his resources (and) this log room is the nucleus of the present home.”

            Wed to Rachel Blythe, Cicero fathered four children and in 1909, his son James William Bond obtained the farm. James W. and Leo G. Bond, the great grandsons of the founders, received title to the family landholdings in 1953. Sixteen years later, Charles and Dan Bond acquired 420 acres of the original farm. Today, the brothers manage 870 acres and operate a grade A dairy. They also raise tobacco and beef cattle. In 1984, Charles and Dan “received a certificate from the American Polled Hereford Association for 64 years of continual breeding of Polled Hereford cattle.”

Cannon Farm

Edgar Brown Cannon

Marguerite Cannon

            Associations with some of the founding fathers of Middle Tennessee, highlight the history of the Cannon Farm, which stands ten miles south of Franklin. Established by Samuel and Nancy Perkins in 1842, the Cannon farm is a portion of the original land grant of Colonel Hardy Murfree, a Revolutionary War veteran who is buried on this property. Samuel’s 775 acres produced swine, cattle, sheep, cotton and corn.

            Of the founders’ five children, Agatha Perkins Cannon, the wife of William Perkins Cannon, became the farm’s second generation owner. Her husband William was the son of former Tennessee Governor and Whig party leader, Newton Cannon. The Cannons were major antebellum planters, but the Civil War led to significant property losses when Federal troops camped at the farm. At the end of the war, William and Agatha’s son Newton came home and “helped his father put the Cannon place back in order.”

            Edgar Brown Cannon, who is the great great grandson of the founders, is the current owner of the family land. He still owns the farm’s original 775 acres and has expanded his landholdings by an additional 90 acres. Cannon, his wife Marguerite and his family continue to occupy the farm’s mid-nineteenth century dwelling. A century-old springhouse is also intact. The farm’s commodities presently are cattle, corn, wheat, soybeans, tobacco and hay.

Cedar Lane Farm I

Elizabeth McCord Crunk

            Located twenty miles south of Franklin is the Cedar Lane Farm that was established in 1896 by James Walker. On 187 acres, the farm produced corn, wheat, cattle, hogs, horses, cotton, broom corn and chickens. Married to Rebecca Cathy Walker, the couple had three children. Their names were Laura Ann Walker McCord, John B. Walker and Sara Ellen Walker.

            The next owner of the farm was James’s daughter, Laura Ann Walker McCord. Along with her husband, William F. McCord, they had two children. During their ownership, they cultivated corn, cotton, hay, tobacco, broom corn and raised hogs, cattle, horses and chickens.

            In 1932, Laura gave her son, Walker Leland McCord the land. Under his ownership, he raised the same livestock and crops as his parents and added goats, sheep and ducks. Married to Annie Lou Reed McCord, the couple had two children, Laura Elizabeth McCord Crunk and Dorothy Louise McCord Ryan.

            In 1999, the great granddaughter of the founder, Elizabeth McCord Crunk became the owner of the property. Today, Elizabeth and her niece Bettye Cason work the land that produces hay, beef cattle, pasture, vegetables, chickens and goats.

Cedar Lane Farm II

Dorothy McCord Ryan

            The Cedar Lane Farm II was founded by James Walker and follows the same history as the Cedar Lane Farm I, until 1999 when the great granddaughter of the founder, Dorothy McCord Ryan acquired the land. Today, Dorothy still owns the land but it is leased for pasture to Thomas E. Locke. 

Creekside Farm

Marion Adkerson

Florence Minks

Nell A. McLaughlin

            Early experiments with livestock breeding took place on Creekside Farm in Williamson County. By the 1860s, John B. and Cynthia McEwen had established Creekside Farm one mile north of Franklin. The parents of five children, the founders farmed 60 acres, planting hay, corn and wheat. John also used the place as an “experimental farm for breeding cattle.” The second generation owners were Sallie Florence McEwen Rosser and her husband Rev. William L. Rosser. In 1867, Sallie Florence wrote that “Mr. Rosser is delighted with farming. Almost every pleasant day he spends in the garden and fields till he is getting so tanned you will hardly know him.”

            A month after writing this letter, however, Sallie Florence died in childbirth. In 1890, her daughter Florence Rosser wed George M. Adkerson and they moved into Creekside. The Adkersons expanded the farm by an additional 20 acres and built a new barn and buggy house. Two of the Adkerson children, James M. and Branch O. Adkerson, managed the farm throughout the twentieth century. James died in 1955 and Branch died in 1985. At that time, the property was left to their three sisters. Today, the Adkerson sisters manage 80 acres and Roy Bishop works the farm, raising vegetables, hay and cattle.

            Two mid-nineteenth century buildings remain at Creekside. The two-story house, built in 1835, exhibits Greek Revival detailing typically found in Middle Tennessee. The springhouse is of native limestone and dates to 1866. Along with supplying water, the springhouse also served as a place to cool foodstuffs.

Photo: The two-story house on the Creekside Farm was built in 1835.

Dripping Springs Stock Farm

Margherita Meacham

Florence M. Pewitt

            In 1869, Milton Skiles and Pina Jane Meacheam established the Dripping Springs Stock Farm, which is eight miles west of Franklin. Upon purchasing their 120 acres, the Meachams hadn dug a well and built a log house. Their farm products were corn, cattle, hay and swine. The parents of eleven children, the Meachams in 1903 willed the property to their daughter-in-law and son, Mrs. Elizbaeth Meacham and John Milton Meacham. The second generation owners were model progressive farmers. While “John Meacham was active in agricultural improvements and politics,” Elizabeth “organized and was active her (entire) lifetime in the Bingham Home Demonstration Club.” They expanded the farm by 199 acres and raised new crops and livestock such as tobacco and sheep.

            The Meachams had three children and today their two daughters, Margherita and Florence, jointly own the original 120 acres. Henry E. Pewitt, Florence’s husband, works the land, producing tobacco and cattle. He and his sisters live in the family’s nineteenth century dwelling, which was remodeled in 1903.

Photo: The farm house on the Dripping Springs Farm.

German Farm

Mr. and Mrs. O. F. Williams

John Williams

            Five miles east of Franklin stands the German Farm, established by Zacheus and Emeline McEwen German in 1830. Zacheus was the son of Daniel German, an early settler of Williamson County. Zacheus and Emeline were the parents of fourteen children. They specialized in breeding fine horses while also producing the basic crops and livestock of the self-sustaining 300 acre farm. During the Civil War, Union troops camped at the farm but did not substantially damage its fields or buildings.

            Over 100 years later, in 1972, 40 acres of the original homeplace passed into the hands of O. F. Williams, Jr., and John Williams, the great grandsons of Zacheus and Emeline German. Today, the Williams brothers jointly own 480 acres. They annually harvest crops of grain, tobacco, hay, corn, wheat and soybeans. In addition, they manage a herd of beef cattle.

Green Brothers Dairy Farm

Allen J. Green, Jr.

Ben L. Green

            The development of the dairy industry in the early twentieth century gave many farmers an opportunity to make their land productive once again. In an increasingly urban society, dairy farmers supplied milk to households who no longer owned their milk cow. The Green Brothers Dairy Farm is one of the leading dairy operations in the county. A former government surveyor from North Carolina, Sherwood Green founded the farm in 1808. His original 640 acres stands just east of Nolensville. A practitioner of general agriculture, Green was a Revolutionary War veteran who married twice and fathered twelve children. In 1840, he left the farm to his youngest son Edward J. Green. Edward wed Mary King and together they raised nine children. Although the record is uncertain, Edward may have served as a local magistrate. He fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War.

            Lundy L. Green, the founder’s grandson, inherited 140 acres of the farm in 1920. In addition to practicing mixed agriculture, Lundy established the farm’s dairy. He wed Maude York and they were the parents of two sons who jointly acquired the land later in the century. Working as partners, Allen J. and John E. Green produced dairy products and general agricultural commodities. 

Hunt-Beasley Farm

Alice E. Sparkman and Ollie Joe Sparkman

            In 1886, J. Buchanan Hunt established the Hunt-Beasley Farm. Located fifteen miles south of Franklin, the 60 acres produced grain, hay and cattle. Married to Ella Beasley Hunt, they had one child, Evie Hunt.

            The farm passed to Evie and she had one child, Willie Mae with her husband N. C. Beasley. As time moved on, Willie Mae inherited the property. Along with her husband, J. R. Jones, they had two children, J. W. and Alice.

            In 1985, Alice E. Jones Sparkman the great granddaughter of the founder acquired the land. Today, Alice and her husband Ollie Jones Sparkman work the land and produce hay, sheep and cattle.

Photo: Ella Beasley Hunt, Evie Hunt and J. Buchanan Hunt in front of their house.

Locust Guard Farm

Emma Mai Ring

Robert A. Ring

            The 6^th District of Williamson County is home to the Locust Guard Farm, which is one of the two oldest Century Farms in the county. John Motheral, a Revolutionary War veteran from North Carolina, and his wife Jane Currie established the farm in 1800. On their initial 400 acres of land, they planted fields of corn and small grains and raised herds of cattle, sheep and swine.

            The parents of seven children, the Motherals deeded 225 acres to their son Joseph in 1822. Joseph and his spouse Anness Lea Williams transformed the farm’s appearance and activities. Joseph directed the completion of the farm’s stone fences and the construction of a grist mill, new barns, milk house and a “machine house for spinning and weaving.” The family survived the Civil War without any damage to their agricultural operations.

            Joseph’s will in 1872 stipulated that his land south of the Harpeth River would go to his three daughters, Emaline, America and Jane. His grandson Henry Hiram Ring became the next operator of the Locust Guard homestead and later acquired the landholdings of his aunts. When his mother Emaline Ring died in 1898, Henry became the farm’s sole owner.

            “For many years a magistrate of Williamson County,” Henry was a graduate of the University of Tennessee. Together with his wife Sarah McClellan, Ring introduced new commodities to the farm, including honey, walnuts and alfalfa. Sarah inherited the family’s 269 acres upon the death of her husband in 1930. Her sons, James E. and Ned Ring, worked the property, establishing a large peach and pecan orchard, installing a modern irrigation system and constructing several new farm buildings. Robert Ring joined his Uncle Ned in 1959. A graduate of the College of Agriculture at the University of Tennessee, Robert brought new management techniques to the farm’s operation.

            In 1953, Locust Grove passed into the hands of the surviving children of Sarah McClellan Ring. Eight years later, the farm was deeded to its current owners, Emma Mai Ring and her nephew Robert Ring. Robert, who is the great great great grandson of the founders, worked the land in 1976, harvesting corn, soybeans, wheat and hay. He also managed a herd of cattle.

            As of 1976, Locust Guard Farm retained three early nineteenth century buildings: a log smokehouse, a milk house and the original log home, which had been incorporated into the present family home.

Maple Crest Stock Farm
 

Mr. and Mrs. William Harris Ogilvie

Kathleen Smith Ogilvie

Mr. and Mrs. Walter William Ogilvie, Jr.

            Among Tennesseans today there is probably no single animal better loved than the Tennessee Walking Horse. The Maple Crest Stock Farm has played an important role in the development of this show horse. The farm dates to 1870 and was originally located on 125 acres of land that stood 20 miles southeast of Franklin. William Harris Ogilvie was the farm’s founder. A student at Cumberland University at the outbreak of the Civil War, William joined the Confederate army. He received his degree after the war and always had the reputation of being “a fine schoolteacher.” Ogilvie and his wife Annie Lou raised three children. Working together, the family built a profitable and diversified farm. Eventually the Ogilvies owned over 500 acres which yielded wheat, red clover, corn, tobacco, beef cattle, sheep and horses. In addition, William specialized in breeding mules for market.

            Walter William Ogilvie inherited one-third of the family land in 1920 and after purchasing the shares of his brothers and sisters, he became the farm’s sole owner. His 515 acres produced grains, burley tobacco, horses, cattle, sheep and swine. Walter was best known, however, as a leading breeder of Tennessee Walking Horses. A founder of the Tennessee Walking Horse Association in 1934, he bred the show horses until his death in 1977.

            Walter married Kathleen Smith and together they raised three children. In 1977, the property passed into the hands of Kathleen and the children. Today, the 515 acre farm produces crops of tobacco, beans, wheat, oats and hay. William H. Ogilvie, who lives at the farm and works the land, also raises beef cattle. Two of the farm’s original buildings-a granary and a barn-remain part of the farm’s physical surroundings.

Maplewood Farm

John Wills Napier Lee, III

            Located sixteen miles south of Franklin, Maplewood Farm dates to Samuel B. and Susan Napier Lee’s acquisition of 5,000 acres in 1810. This major early nineteenth century plantation yielded a large cotton crop and herds of mules and horses for market. Later in the nineteenth century, John Wills Napier Lee inherited the family land. He and his spouse Molly Core were the parents of three children. No longer did the family manage cotton fields; instead the Lees grew wheat and corn. John also bred horses and in 1872, according to the family, he “acquired a horse which won the world’s champion pacing record and was famous as a site throughout the nation.”

            J. W. N. Lee, Jr., received title to Maplewood in 1944. He farmed the land until his death in 1963 when it passed to his oldest son and to his half-brother, Sam Linsey Lee. In 1985, John Napier Lee, III, obtained 223 acres of the original plantation. This great great grandson raises corn, hay, cattle and swine.

            Maplewood is not only one of Williamson County’s oldest Century Farms, it is one of the best preserved as well. Its nineteenth century buildings include its original two-room dog trot cabin, built in 1819, and the Maplewood plantation dwelling, constructed from 1835 to 1840.

Photo: The farm house on the Maplewood Farm.

Midway Farm

Hortense Powell Cooper

 Margaret Powell Lowe

            From antebellum plantation to family farm corporation, the evolution of the Midway Farm over the last 150 years makes it one of the more interesting Century Farms in the region. In 1832, Lysander and Elizabeth Crockett McGavock established the Midway Farm, which is one mile south of Brentwood. McGavock, son of David McGavock, the famous Nashville landowner, initially owned 640 acres but by his death in 1855, possessed over 1,250 acres of land devoted to the production of corn, small grains, beef cattle, tobacco, sheep, swine and dairy cattle. Lysander and Elizabeth raised six children and since their two sons died before Lysander, he left the farm to his four daughters in 1855.

            Margaret E. McGavock, who never married, lived at the farm for her entire life. During the Civil War, the Battle of Nashville directly affected the farm’s fortunes. “The house,” according to tradition, “was probably saved from burning by Aunt Cynthia who met the Yankee officers at the door and persuaded them not to let it be harmed. After the war, it was very difficult to keep things going, especially as there was no grown man to rely on, but somehow (the sisters) managed and did not have to sell any of the land.”

            In 1923, Mrs. Margaret Hayes Powell and her brother McGavock Hayes inherited approximately 550 acres of the farm. The great grandchildren of Lysander and Elizabeth McGavock, they “held the land together until 1956 when they partitioned it.” Hayes took the house site and the land that now comprises the Brentwood Country Club. Margaret Powell’s 306 acres remained in production. Cattle and soybeans were the farm’s chief agricultural commodities.

            The current owners, Hortense Powell Cooper and Margaret Powell Lowe, acquired a farm of 306 acres in 1966. They are the great grandchildren and manage Midway’s production of cattle, hay and soybeans. In 1976, M. E. Savage worked the land for the sisters, who have since formed a corporation named PLC Properties, Ltd. 

Moss Side Farm

Malcolm Moss Gibbs

            The Moss Side Farm, established in 1810 by Francis Giddens, a Revolutionary War veteran from Virginia, stands just west of Thompson Station. Francis and his wife Mary White owned 340 acres and harvested crops of corn, wheat and cotton. In the fall of 1810, James and Priscilla Buford Giddens gained title to 174 acres of the property. James served with the Tennessee troops during the War of 1812. Like his father, he cultivated corn, wheat and cotton.

            James and Priscilla Giddens had five children, but when James died in 1818, Priscilla retained full ownership of the property until her death in 1856. During these decades, the children did much of the farm work and kept the property self-sustaining. In 1844, however, Sarah Giddens Moss and her husband William H. Moss acquired a portion of the family land. Increasing their landholdings to over 290 acres, the family planted larger fields of wheat, corn and cotton. Sarah died during the Civil War, in 1862, but William lived to the age of 88.

            In 1888, William gave two of his daughters, Martha Moss Chappel Kennedy and Evelina Moss, a farm of 291 acres. The sisters, assisted by Martha’s first and second husbands, managed crops of corn, wheat, millet and tobacco. In 1904, Martha willed 245 acres to Evie Moss Gibbs, the great granddaughter of the founder. Evie and her husband Alfonzo Gibbs built a progressive farm of 370 acres. Alfonzo was also a prominent politician, serving in the Tennessee House of Representatives between 1911 and 1913, in the Williamson County Court for 20 years and the county highway commission for ten years.

            Malcolm Moss Gibbs, who is the great great great grandson of the founders, acquired the farm’s original 174 acres in 1963. Malcolm owned 365 acres in 1976 and produced cattle and tobacco. At that time, a smokehouse, a store house and the farm’s dwelling, built in 1814, still stood on the property.

Ozburn Hollow Farm

F. Perry Ozburn, Jr.

Robert Ozburn, born in 1755 in York County, Pa,, was the son of Scots-Irish immigrants. By the time the colonies rebelled against England, Ozburn was living in Mecklenburg County, N.C., where he enlisted in 1775 to fight for independence from England. He served in the colonial army from 1775 until 1781.           

In 1785, Ozburn married Jane Wylie, also of North Carolina, and seven children were born to the couple before they moved to Williamson County, Tenn., and founded this farm in 1806. Robert died in 1834 and Jane in 1849. They are buried in the family cemetery in Palmore Hollow. Their sons, James and Thomas Ozburn were the next owners of the farm and produced corn, wheat, swine, and cattle.  

Through succeeding generations, the Ozburn family continued to work the land in the hollow. In 1976, the bicentennial of America’s Independence for which his great-great-great-grandfather had fought, Frank Perry Ozburn acquired the farm. Three generations of the family live on the farm today, where the original log house is under restoration, and a smokehouse, springhouse and log barn remain from the 19^th century. Regarding the farm, historian Virginia Bowman wrote, “The house and its grounds are beautifully maintained, and it enjoys a special place in Williamson County’s honor roll of historic landmarks.”  

Pleasant View Farm

Mr. and Mrs. James Cannon Gentry

            Cotton was once the dominant crop in Williamson County agriculture, but in the twentieth century, tobacco, cattle and corn have replaced King Cotton, an agricultural development reflected in the history of Pleasant View Farm. Established by Samuel F. and Sarah Malone Glass in 1848, the Plesant View Farm is three miles west of Franklin. Samuel purchased his initial 449 acres from Meredith P. Gentry, an important leader of the Whig party in Tennessee. Samuel managed a cotton plantation and operated a hat factory on East Main Street in Franklin. He died in 1859 before he finished his plantation house, but his son Samuel F. Glass, Jr., later completed the construction and became the farm’s second generation owner. Samuel wed Agnes Hunter and was the father of four children. In addition to cultivating cotton and tobacco on his 578 acres, Samuel began raising mules. One of his early corn cribs “has feeding racks six feet tall.”

            Corinne Glass Gordon and her spouse Edward Allen Gordon were the third owners of Pleasant View. Their land produced corn, tobacco, swine and hay. Their three children, Corinne, Agnes and Fielding, inherited joint ownership of the farm from their parents. Corinne, who married Hugh Channell, later bought her sister’s share of the property. After her brother Fielding died, Corinne and Hugh assumed management of the family land.

            Mrs. James Cannon Gentry, the great great granddaughter of Samuel and Sarah Glass, obtained title to 496 acres of family land in 1974. Her son Allen Gentry works the farm, raising wheat, hay, tobacco and cattle. The property contains three pre-1886 buildings: a one-room log cabin with half dove-tail notches, a log barn and a two-story brick house which features “common bond brick, 6 over 6 windows and paired brackets.” A prehistoric village site from the Mississippian period also stands at Pleasant View Farm, an indication that agriculture has been practiced on this land for hundred of years.

Reynolds’ Grant Farm

James Reynolds

            In the 22^nd District of Williamson County, 20 miles southeast of Franklin, stands the Reynolds’ Grant Farm, established by Richard C. and Susie Scales Reynolds in 1865. Their 110 acres yielded corn, wheat, pasture, horses, mules, swine, geese and chickens. The founders, who were members of the Edwards Grove Methodist Church, were the parents of eleven children. In 1899, Reuben Scales Reynolds acquired all of his parents’ land. He and his wife Effie Hargrove managed a diversified agricultural operation typical of that time. Grains, corn, hay, chickens and milk products were some of their commodities. The family also made molasses.

            Of Reuben and Effie Reynolds’ ten children, James King Reynolds obtained the entire farm in 1929. Jim operated the property through the hard times of the Great Depression and 50 years later he remained its manager. In 1976, cattle, goats, pasture and hay were the agricultural products raised on the farm.

Riversmeet Farm

Harriett McCullough

            The Leiper’s Fork community of Williamson County is home to several historic farming operations. Seven miles west of Franklin stands one of the most significant, Riversemeet Farm, founded in 1816 by Henry Hunter. Possessing over 2,000 acres, Henry was an important antebellum planter. He wed Jane Bennett and fathered five children. In 1856, Henry gave his son John Henry 374 acres; three years later, John married Martha Bennett. During the Civil War, John left his new bride in charge of their self-sustaining farm while he fought in the 44^th Tennessee Infantry.

            The farm’s third owner was the founders’ grandson Bennett Hunter. Bennett, his wife Harriett Gambill and their three children managed a total of 450 acres and specialized in general farming and raising livestock.

            Through transactions in 1946 and 1964, Riversemeet passed into the hands of Mrs. Harriett H. McCullough, the great granddaughter of Henry Hunter. Harriett lives in the family’s mid-nineteenth century dwelling and directs the farm’s operations. Harry Sanders works her 450 acres and uses the farm’s century-old smokehouse, well house and barn in his daily activities.

Sullivan Givens Farm

Grady and Stacey Givens

Sullivan Givens Farm was founded in 1904 by Owen Thomas “Tee” Sullivan and his wife Matilda Jane Tidwell.  The founder’s father, William, was an Irishman who served in the Confederate Army.  He took care of mules that pulled the wagons on which cannons were hauled.  The family recalls that he was still breaking mules at age 90.

 Owen and Matilda Sullivan had nine children and on their farm of 48 acres they produced turnips, sweet potatoes, Irish potatoes, fruit, hogs, and beef cattle.   The couple had nine children.   The founder used mules to build a stock pond that is still uesd today.  Prior to the building of State Route 100 in 1928, the Nashville-Centerville Road ran through the original farm and parts of the road can still be seen.  The farm was the location of a general store beginning in the 1920s.  The store building, still standing, was also a bus stop for the Ladd bus line that ran from Nashville to Centerville. 

            Members of the family have been active in the community over the years. Ora Sullivan Givens, was a notary public, a member of the Home Demonstration Club, and a school teacher for many years.  Her husband, K. E. Givens, was elected Justice of the Peace in 1957 and the family recalls that many couples were married on the farm.  Other family members have been active in 4-H through the years.  The current owners are Grady and Stacey Givens.  Their 81.26 acre farm produces hay, vegetables, fruit, and beef cattle.  An ice house, fertilizer shed, and equipment shed, all from the 1930-40s, still stand on the land today. 

Photo: Landscape Scene on the Sullivan Givens Farm.

Valley View Farm

Kerry and Sharon Connell

            In 1827, Allen F. Wood founded the Valley View Farm, which is 20 miles southeast of Franklin. Allen began with a small farm of 50 acres that he later expanded to 147 acres. A practitioner of general farming, Wood also raised livestock. In 1881, the founder gave his daughter Mary Ann Wood Sanford, the spouse of Reuben Sanford, 50 acres of the original farm. The Sanfords and their four children developed a self-sustaining property. Wheat, corn, hay, cattle, swine and chickens were their crops and farm products.

            Robert Sanford, who is the great grandson of the founders, obtained a farm of 147.5 acres in 1945. He has since expanded his property to over 200 acres and presently specialized in beef cattle and hay. Valley View’s original log dwelling built in 1827, remains as one of the rooms of the family dwelling.
Today, the farm is owned by Kerry and Sharon Connell.

Walker Farm

Carl H. Walker

            The Walker Farm was founded in 1900 by William Thomas Walker and his wife Harriet Beech walker. The 180 acres yielded grains and fruits and also supported horses, mules, swine, cattle and sheep. Walker owned and operated a grist mill and a saw mill from which he hauled lumber to Nashville by wagon pulled by mules. The couple had 10 children, and their son William George Walker became the next owner of the farm. With his wife, Era Frances Overby Walker and their six children, the family continued to raise livestock, grains and fruits. Era taught at the Triangle School and was a member of the Union Valley Demonstration Club. Mr. Walker was a member of the Farm Bureau as well as a committeeman. As progressive farmers, the Walker’s land was used for several demonstration projects. The grandson of the founders and current owner is Carl H. Walker, Sr. Today, four generations of the Walker family live on the farm and raise beef cattle, hay, fruits and vegetables. The Walker family, with historic photographs of the family and the nineteenth century farmhouse were featured in the book by Richard Warwick entitled Williamson County, Out There in the First District (Heritage Foundation, 2001). 

Westbrook Farm

Jesse E. Short, III

Mary Anne Short Warren

William Miller Short

Susan Short

Kathy Short Simpson

James B. Short

Located three miles west of Franklin lies the Westbrook Farm that was founded in 1887 by Jesse Armistead Short and Benjamin Franklin Short. On the 194 acre farm, J. A. cultivated wheat, oats, barley and corn, while B. F. raised cattle and bought livestock from other farmers. According to the family, the various grains that were grown on the farm were ground at a nearby mill known as Boyd’s Mill. The portion that the family did not need was sold or traded to other families.

Although J. A. never married, B. F. wed Frances Tennessee Boyd and they had on son, Jesse Edelin (J. E.) Short, Sr. As time moved on, Jesse became the next owner of the land. Under his ownership, he grew row crops of grain and corn and raised cattle, pigs and Karakul sheep. During this time, J. E. was the only owner of the Persian sheep in the state and he “took pride in educating others about the attributes of the breed.” The pelts of the lambs were black and curly and valued as pelts for coats. As the sheep matured, their fur became white and non-curly, however, they were valuable sources of wool. J. E. married Lucile Corrine Cotton Short and they had three children. Their son, Jesse E. Short, Jr. became the third generation to own the farm. Married to Alma Carter Bennett Short, they had four children.

In the 1960s, Highway 96 was built and approximately ten acres were sold to the State of Tennessee to build the highway. In addition to the highway, strip mining for phosphate occurred on the property. In 1963, Jesse and his son Jesse E. Short, III became farm partners and developed a grade A dairy farm.

In 1979, Jesse E. Short, Jr.’s children and grandchildren acquired the land. The farm continued to be a dairy farm until 1994 when it became unprofitable. Today, with the help of a neighbor named, Jimmy Jewell, the farm yields soybeans, corn, wheat and tobacco. A log smokehouse, a wash house and a granary that were all constructed in the nineteenth century still stand on the land.

Photo: Aerial View of the Westbrook Farm.

Woodland Farm

Ann Elizbabeth Moran

            Early transportation routes, the Civil War and the Great Depression have shaped the history of the Woodland Farm. Established by Sam Houston and Margaret Fain Moran in 1857, the Woodland Farm is ten miles northwest of Franklin on the old Natchez Trace. On their 175.75 acres, the Morans raised cattle, swine, sheep, corn and wheat. They “were upstanding citizens” who taught their twelve “children to be hardworking, independent men and women.” Sam, who served in the Civil War with Napier’s Confederate cavalry, suffered years afterward from injuries sustained at the Battle of Chattanooga.

            In 1912, James Walker Moran inherited the entire farm from his mother. James transformed Woodland into one of the most successful farms in Williamson County. Under his ownership, the property expanded to over 1,150 acres of land. James also invested in the National Bank of Franklin. When the bank failed in the Great Depression, Moran “lost heavily,” but “by hard work and self denial, he and Mrs. Moran kept their daughters in school and saved their farm.” Wed to Emma Fly and father of four children, James served as a magistrate representing the 6^th District for 36 years.

            Ann Elizabeth Moran, the founders’ granddaughter, inherited 195 acres of the farm in 1973. Today, she supervises the work of her brother-in-law Paul Kinnie, who raises the farm’s tobacco and cattle. Woodland Farm is particularly notable for its remaining nineteenth century farm buildings, including the dwelling, buggyhouse, smokehouse and barns.

Woodland View Farm

R. N. Herbert

            With 100 acres, Richard Herbert, a native of England, established the Woodland View Farm in 1820. His initial agricultural commodities included cattle, swine, grains and foodstuffs. At an undetermined time, Robert Nathaniel Herbert inherited the family land. Married twice, Robert was the father of nine children. Exisiting records indicate that he was a successful farmer of grain and livestock.

            George O. Herbert, the founder’s great grandson obtained title to the farm’s original 100 acres in 1968. Eight years later, George and his son R. N. Hebert worked a total of 220 acres, raising hay, grain, livestock, cattle and swine. Also at that time, the farm retained a barn built in 1845 and a rock springhouse, both of which the family used in their daily operations. Today, R. N. Herbert owns the land.