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PtoHkatfon B I '■-i \ 60 ■s_r» -7f^ \ J' -P ■y \ A v//«tr«//e. pRANKi.iM w I L "S M ■d" .\ \ ^^aptad . ... Jiap e^ 7«/>n«ssee' CZ^SZj C^olum^tok^ \ 'y -e'io Co, ^1 larr r ■■ ■• ■-t WILLIAMSON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY JOURNAL Number 8 Spring 1977 Published by Williamson County Historical Society Franklin, Tennessee 1977 WlLllAMSON COUNTY PUBri'C DBRARY ' .RENTWOOD BRANCH WILLIAMSON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY JOURNAL Number 8 Spring 1977 Published by the Williamson County Historical Society Mr. & Mrs. George F. Watson, Publication Chairmen OFFICERS President . Mrs. William Gatlin Vice-President . Mrs. Joe Bowman Treasurer .. Herman Major Recording Secretary . Mrs. Marvin Rainey Corresponding Secretary . ... .. Mrs. Jane Bristor and Mrs. Herman Major PUBLICATION COMMITTEE Mr. & Mrs, George F. Watson Miss Mary Trim Anderson Dr. Rosalie Carter Glenn I. Johnson Mrs. Clyde Lynch The WILLIAMSON COUNTY HISTORIAL JOURNAL is sent to all members of the Williamson County Historical Society. The annual member ship dues are $5, which includes this publication and a monthly NEWSLETTER to all members. Correspondence concerning additional copies of the''WILLIAMSON COUNTY HISTORICAL JOURNAL should be addressed to Mrs. Clyde Lynch, Route 9, Franklin, Tennessee 37064. Contributions to future issues of the WILLIAMSON COUNTY HISTORICAL JOURNAL should be addressed to Thomas Vance Little, Beech Grove Farm, Brentwood, Tennessee 37027, Correspondence concerning membership and payment of dues should be addressed to Herman Major, Treasurer, P. 0. Box 71, Franklin, Tennessee 37064. 11 It is with great pleasure that we present the eighth annual WILLIAMSON COUNTY HISTORICAL JOURNAL, 1977. We feel that this year's JOURNAL is outstanding and one that will be treasured for years to come. It contains all of the weekly HONOR ROLL articles which have appeared in THE REVIEW APPEAL newspaper. They give much that is of historical value to the county. This year has been a good one for the Historical Society. We have enjoyed the interesting and informative programs Mrs. Virginia Bowman has provided: The October meeting was a covered-dish supper in the lovely home of Mr. & Mrs. A. Battle Rodes. Their daughter, Mrs. Sally Lee, gave the history of Beechville which was most interesting and enjoyed by all of us. The food was excellent^ The tour of Thompason Station in November included the Methodist Church, Church of Christ, and the beautiful old home of Mr, & Mrs. William J. Darby. The history of each place was interesting and historicali The Christmas party at Beech Grove Farm, home of T. Vance Little, will certainly be long- remembered. The carolers did an excellent imitation of the caroloers as we remember them being portrayed in the "Christmas Story" by Dickins, a very beautiful and sentimental touch. The old-fashioned Christmas decorations and goodies, certainly put us all in the true Christmas spirit. February was the annual "Show and Tell" program - it seems each year brings forth many different and interesting articles. Special thanks goes to Mrs. Battle Rodes for the historical article she read. It was a letter written by her grandmother telling of seeing and talking to Sam Davis just before he was hanged. The March program was special for the women - Mrs. Duncan Callicott told about dolls and showed some of her most treasured antique dolls. Ill The first Sunday in April will be the dedication of the historical market at the Courthouse. The marker was one of our Bicentennial projects. In May this year, the Awards dinner will be held jointly with the Heritage Foundation, June will see the Society members having a covered-dish picnic at historic Devon Farm, home of Mr. and Mrs. C. William Green. There are many interesting plans being made for the future - possibly a meeting during the summer months and some tours around the county. Also, we hope to be working closer with the Heritage Foundation on some other projects. We express our sincere thanks to the Publication Committee: Ginny and George Watson, chairmen; Louise Lynch, Glenn Johnson, Mary Trim Anderson, and Dr. Rosalie Carter, and to all who wrote these articles and furnished information for this JOURNAL. Special thanks goes to Louise Lynch for the good job she does publishing the JOURNAL each year. A thank you also goes to our hospitality committee: Linae Sinclair, chairman, Martha Fuqua, and Marie Copass. The refresh ments are always good and the fellowship great. Annie I^i Gatlin <Mrs. W. C. Gatlin) President, 1976-1977 IV WILLIAMSON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY BICENTENNIAL PROJECTS By Lula Fain Moran Major (Mrs. Herman Major), Chairman, Bicentennial Committee In the fall of 1975, the following were appointed to serve as the Bicentennial Committee of the Williamson County Historical Society; Mrs. Sam Hartsfield, Miss Mary Sneed Jones, T. Vance Little, and Mrs, Herman Major, chairman. After much discussion, sifting of ideas, and investigation, three projects were selected as recommendations to the Society, and on January 5, 1976, the members voted to accept these as their projects for the year of 1976. The projects were: (1) to prepare for microfilming by the Tennessee State Library and Archives the original marriage bonds and licenses of Williamson County from 1800 through 1850; (2) to place an historical marker at the Williamson County Courthouse; (3) to sponsor a weekly column in a local paper that would be of historical interest to the readers. Project no. 1 was completed April 5, 1976. The Society placed a set of the seventeen reels of microfilm of the marriage bonds in the War Memorial Public Library, Franklin, Tennessee, for public use. Members of the committee for this project were: Mrs. Herman Major, chairman, Mrs. Joe Bowman, Mrs. Brent Cook, Mrs. Roy Donnahoe, Mrs. William Gibbs, Mrs. Sam Hartsfield, Miss Mary Ellen Hendricks, Mrs. Clyde Lynch, Mrs. G. R. Plummer, and Mrs. Charles Tomlinson. When the Society voted to place a marker at the Courthouse, the preference was for it to be placed on the building, and the resolu tion was so adopted by the county court. However, when the committee V met, the decision was made to place it in the left front corner of the courthouse yard as no appropriate place could be found on the building itself. Those who came to make the site selection were the following members of the Historic Sites Committee: Miss Ann Moran, chairman, Battle Rodes, and Mr. and Mrs. John Weakley Covington. Also present were Mrs. W. C. Gatlin, president of the Williamson County Historical Society; Mrs. Joe Bowman, County Historian and Society member; Miss Mary Sneed Jones, and Mrs. Herman Major of the Society's Bicentennial Committee. After clearing the change of location with the County Judge, Wilburn Kelley, the marker was ordered in August 1976, and was de livered to the Williamson County Highway Department before Christmas. The marker was inspected for accuracy and was set in place March 15, 1977. The wording on the marker is: Courthouse Williamson County's first courthouses, one log, one brick, were in the center of the square. This the third, completed in 1858 under the supervision of John W. Miller, is one of seven antebellum courthouses in Tennessee. The four iron columns were smeltered at Fernvale and cast at a Franklin foundry. It was used as Federal headquarters during the Civil War and served as a hospital after the Battle of Franklin. The interior was remodeled in 1937, 1964, and 1976. The annex was added in 1976. Erected by the Williamson County Historical Society 1976 The decision was made to confine our efforts in connection with our third project to writing biographical sketches of persons, no longer living, who had made some significant contribution to life in our county or elsewhere, and who at some period in their lives were residents of Williamson County. VI The sketches were compiled, printed in THE REVIEW APPEAL news paper under the column heading "Williamson County HONOR ROLL," and reprinted in this issue of our journal. The members of this committee were: Miss Mary Trim Anderson, chairman, Glenn I. Johnson, T. Vance Little, and Mrs. Herman Major. For myself, as chairman of the Bicentennial committee, for the other members of the committee, and for the membership itself, I would like to express thanks to each and every person who made a contribution of time or money, or both, for the successful completion of these three projects. It is felt that the time has been spent to good advantage, and it is hoped that the work done will be beneficial to many in the future. All three projects have been completed. VLl WILLIAMSON COUNTY HISTORICAL JOURNAL Number 8 Spring 1977 Contents Page Anderson, William 1 By Janice Anderson Herbert Andrews, Mark Lyell Locke 7 By Mary Clare Andrews Joy (Mrs. Tom Joy) Baugh, Mrs. Johnnie Nichol 9 By Miss Mary Trim Anderson Bell, John 13 By T. Vance Little Benton, Thomas Hart 17 By T. Vance Little Blackburn, Rev. Gideon 19 By Helen Sawyer Cook (Mrs. R. B. Cook) Buchanan, Governor John Price 23 By Lula Fain Moran Major (Mrs. Herman Major) Cannon, Governor Newton 29 By Virginia McDaniel Bowman (Mrs. Joe Bowman) Carter, Fountain Branch 41 By Dr. Rosalie Carter Eaton, John Henry 47 By Virginia McDadiel Bowman (Mrs. Joe Bowman) Faw, Judge Walter W. 51 By Miss Mary Trim Anderson and Mrs. Emily Beasley Brittain Gentry, Miss Susie 55 By Miss Chloe Yates Hardeman, Thomas 59 By Miss Mary Sneed Jones Haun, Andrew Jacob 53 By Miss Mary Trim Anderson viii Page Hill, Green By T. Vance Little Johnson, Dr. Charles Claudius gg By Mary Johnson Mills (Mrs. L. L. Mills) Laws, Dr. Hiram A. -j-y By Elva Mayo Darby (Mrs. William J. Darby) Little, Tom By Anne Beasley Johnson (Mrs.