Page 58 AAFAACTION Spring 1996

Sent by Carol Hughes Gipson, #724 tion called Brown's Station was built Nashville. The Mill Creek land, which on John Brown's land. A number of probably included the station, stayed in From A Past Remembered by Paul families lived safely for a time at the Cockrill family until 1807, when Clements (Nashville, TN: Clearview Brown's Station, but in the spring of 272 acres were sold to John Alford, Press, 1987), pp. 116-118. who had been serving This book contains a collec­ as a soldier in the tion of Antebellum Houses in Revolutionary War Davidson Co. TN. when John Brown had journeyed to the "In early 1780 John Brown Cumberland region.. Alford arrived in the Cumberland was born in northern , on wilderness [of Tennes­ the Pennsylvania border, but had see].... In 1786 he was moved to the central part of the state granted a 640 acre tract of 1788 the terror of Indian warfare came by the time of the revolution. He had land about eight miles south of pioneer to the outpost on Mill Creek.... [After remained there until 1806, and by the Nashville on the west fork of Mill several massacres and attacks,] time he and his wife, Elizabeth, came Creek, near the main trail which led Brown's Station was abandoned by the to Davidson County, , he through the forests of southern survivors who moved to a stronger was already forty-six years old, and Davidson County. From the earliest fortification closed to Nashville. most of his nine children were grown. days of the region's settlement, there John and Elizabeth Alford lived on had been a handful of fortified outposts "The Indian wars lasted until 1795, and the west fork of Mill Creek until she known as stations, but in the middle in that year John Brown sold most of died in 1822, and he remained there 17808 ... the number of stations his grant to John Cockrill, who made until his own death in 1837, after dramatically increased and a fortifica­ his home about two miles west of ------, Spring 1996 AAFAACTION Page 59 i which James F. May paid thirty dollars growing family when he bought the unmarried older sister, White May, and an acre for 172 acres, which may have Alford place in 1837. The fme two­ with her younger brother, William.... included the site of Brown's Station. story brick house into which the family moved may have possibly been built "After staying in the May family until "James Francis May was a member of by John Alford, but it was probably 1888, the house was subsequently one of Tennessee's most prominent constructed by James MAy soon after owned by James C. Bradford, and after famil ies. In 1786 his grandfather, his purchase of the property. The new its purchase by William Granberry in , founded Knoxville, farm would not receive James May's 1909, the May House remained in the which became the first capital of full attention until 1841, when his half Granberry family for over seventy Tennessee.... [His mother, Mary brother, John Overton, reached the age years." McConnell White] married Dr. Francis of twenty-one and took over his late May, and in 1806 they moved to father's plantation, and when he AAFA NOTE: John B. Alford was b. Nashville.... James Francis May, the relinquished management of the in Frederick Co., VA, on 8 May 1760, third of five May children, was born in Overton estate. James MAy was not yet the son of William and Letticia Alford. 1812 and was only five years old when thirty years old and was one of the John and Elizabeth Bibb were m. 2 his father died in 1817 at the age of area's most promising young men.... March 1783 in Amherst Co., VA forty. He and Eliza had four children, and a [McDonald, Some Virginia Marriages fifth child would soon be born on the 1700-1799, Vol 19, p. I-see "In 1820 young May's widowed farm, which was the home of around Booklist]. John d. 24 April 1837 in mother married Judge John Overton, thirty family slaves.... Davidson Co.. TN. an old family friend who was among the wealthiest and most powerful men "(In 1843 James MAy was killed in a We have an 8xlO color photograph of in the region.... James May and his carriage accident.] A son was born to the gravestone of Elizabeth Bibb four brothers and sisters moved to John Eliza May near the time of the tragedy, Alford, wife of John Alford. The Overton's plantation, Traveller's Rest, and she named the child after her engraving reads: which was located about two miles husband. Young James Francis May from where Brown's Station had been spent his early years in the house Elizabeth Alford built, and during the years in which which had been built by his father, but was born in Amherst James May was growing up there, after his mother died in 1854, James, City, Virginia, Nov Judge Overton continued to treat him his brother and two sisters went to live the 20th 1758 died in as a son, although a half brother and in Williamson County with an older Davidson County two half sisters were born to young sister who had married the year Tennessee May's mother. In 1833,justafter before.... July the 4th 1822 James reached the age of twenty-one, Overton died, and in 1837 James May "[During the War Between the States, The gravestone is in the Alford lOOk over the management of the the May] farm was ravaged by Federal Cemetery on the Granberry Farm, Hill Overton plantation.... foraging detachments which descended Road, Brentwood, TN. The photo on the neighborhood. The war came to includes an old fence and building in "[In 1834. James May married Eliza an end, and by 1870 the widowed Ann the background. If anyone would like a Perkins.] James May was probably still [MAy] Ewin was sharing the house on color xerox copy of this photo, please living at Traveller's Rest with his MillCreek with her child, with her send $2 to AAFA. '0> - .­-

.' Write a biographical sketch of an "Alford" you know. We'll print it in AAFA ACTION and preserve the memory for the future.