For a brief historical sketch of each farm, click on the farm name:
J. R. Gamble 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
Calvin Baldwin
Located in the city limits of Friendsville in
The next owners of the land were Cicero C. (Dick)
Baldwin, the son of D. P. and Mary. He and his wife, Mae Brown were the parents
of eight children. During this time, the farm produced corn, watermelons, wheat
and some livestock. In addition to helping manage the farm, Dick owned a small
country store and served as justice of the peace.
On July 6, 1950, Calvin C. Baldwin, the founder’s grandson became the third owner of the farm. Calvin and his wife, Wilma, had one son named Larry. They raised hay, vegetables, pulpwood and cattle. Over the years, the farm has experienced some changes by having a new barn built, a new farm house constructed in 1979, the addition of a pond stocked with fish and the development of a new road named after the farm that goes through the property.
Cora F. Anderson Best
What began as a huge
In 1816, George Best, the founder’s youngest son,
inherited approximately 200 acres of the farm. He and his wife Janie Roach had
three children and their labor produced the same commodities as the founder.
Unfortunately, Confederate raiders killed George and his son-in-law Simeon Crye
in 1864. John Best, George and Janie’s son, took control of the family farm
four years later. He married Virginia Montgomery that same year. Together they
raised ten children.
Daniel Best was the fourth generation to till this
William J. Brickey
In an era when there were few sure ways to maintain
the purity of drinking water, and milk could only be refrigerated in a
rudimentary manner, many farm families depended on some sort of distilled
spirits for both meals and relaxation. Farmers such as the Brickeys of Blount
County, who could brew a good ale or make a smooth cider, rarely hurt for business.
The Brickey Farm is in the
Since Peter and his wife Nancy Smith had no children, the
property passed into the hands of William Brickey, a great nephew, in 1856.
William married Susannah Caylor and they raised ten children. William
diversified the farm’s operations by planting a large fruit orchard. The
Brickey farm, like so many others, suffered from marauding troops during the
Civil War and was in a “run-down condition” by the war’s end.
In 1915, 50 acres of the founder’s land went to his great great nephew John H. Brickey and in 1953, the property’s current owner, Jackson C. Brickey, took possession of the old family farm. Mr. and Mrs. Brickey and their son William cultivated the property’s 82.5 acres. In 1994, Jackson Brickey passed away and the land was acquired by his wife. In 2005, William J. Brickey, the current owner, purchased the farm.
Rocklan W. King
Located ten miles north of
Aaron and Susannah’s son, James Walker Burns, was the
next owner of the farm. James and his wife Nancy Pauline Waters built a log
house on the property. James and Nancy had nine children. The farm continued to
produce the same livestock and crops that the previous owner had done with the
addition of tobacco.
The third owner of the farm was Eliza Jane Burns Helton,
the daughter of James and Nancy. Eliza was married to Melvin Charles Helton and
they had one child, Glady Helton, who became the fourth generation owner of the
farm. In addition to owning and managing the farm, Glady was a teacher in
The current owner, Rocklan W. King, is the great great great great grandson of the founder. Rocklan, his wife, Linda Rosa King and their son Rocklan W. King II, have continued to farm Burns-Helton’s 109 acres, generating crops of hay and raising cattle. Today, the farm still has the old farmhouse and barn that was built by James Burns in the nineteenth century.
Photo: This barn was built bt James W. Burns.
Martha Callahan
Daugherty
Richard Daugherty
The Callahan Farm is northwest of
In 1927, Tom Callahan inherited the property from his parents. Although he sold 25 acres, he continued the dairy business. George Callahan, the founder’s grandson, acquired the land in the midst of the Second World War. George, his wife and family, as of 1976, had closed the dairy and used their 200 acres for raising beef cattle. The family lived in a nineteenth century dwelling which originally housed the founder and his family. Today, the farm is owned by Martha Callahan Daugherty and her husband Richard Daugherty. Richard Daugherty, now semi retired from his veterinary practice, was elected President of the Tennessee Cattlemen's Association for 2007-2008.
Photo: Martha Callahan Daugherty received a sign from Commissioner Ken Givens. Her husband, son Andrew and his wife Allison and their son Andrew represent three generations of a Century Farm family.
Kenneth R. Mack
Jacquelyn O’Connor
Just ten miles west of
In 1937, Ross O’Connor and his wife Beulah acquired
the property. During this generation’s
ownership, tobacco and cattle continued to be the primary
income-producing products. Beulah was
very active in community work, including the Home Demonstration Club which
often met on the farm. In addition,
Beulah was involved in the Young People’s Mission Work at church and taught
many members of the community to read and write. Beulah died in 1965.
Ross married Jacquelyn Phelps DeVault in 1977 and she became an owner of
the farm at that time. When Ross died
in 1988, the farm became her property.
Today, Jacquelyn and her husband Ken Mack work the acreage that mainly produces wheat, hay and garden vegetables. They live in the 1917 house, though over the years they have done extensive remodeling. A tobacco barn, built in 1952, by Ross and Jacqueline’s father, Ralph Phelps, remains an important building on the farm.
Photo: This farm house was built in 1917.
George Joseph Davis
Located in the 13th District of Blount
County, the George Davis Farm dates to 1871 when George C. Davis of
At the turn of the century, 50 acres of the farm passed
to the founders’ daughter Betty and her husband A. R. Davis. The new owners did
not change the kinds of crops and livestock produced on the farm, but their son
George J. Davis, who acquired the farm’s 50 acres in 1972, introduced new crops
to the farm’s operations. As of 1976, his agricultural products included
soybeans, wheat and tobacco.
Nellie
John A. Kerr
Helen Kerr
The Anderson Farm records in physical terms the ways
farmers adapted to the often rapidly changing economic circumstances of the
twentieth century. James (Ross)
Their son Cal Anderson was the property’s next owner.
Under his leadership, the farm became a major beef cattle producer. The family
remembers that once “he had 300 cattle in a field at his home ready for
shipment.” But
In 1916, Lon and Bert Anderson divided the property and
began “a fifty period of daily sharing of farm duties.” A progressive farmer,
Bert bred and raised Angus cattle and also operated a dairy for almost 20
years.
Bert Anderson died in 1975 and his wife Nellie retains
the farm, living in the farmhouse built by the founder in 1875. Her daughter
Helen, her son-in-law John A. Kerr and grandson John Kerr, Jr., carry out the
property’s daily operations.
Nellie
Herbert Victor Burns
The H. V. Burns Farm, located two miles northeast of
Townsend, is another Blount County Century Farm dating to the original estate
of Peter Brickey. Nancy Brickey Burns, the great great grandniece of the
founder, inherited 60 acres from her father, William Brickey, in 1915. Along
with her husband John Gamble Burns and their five children,
In 1964, Mr. and Mrs. Herbert V. Burns acquired 40 acres of the original Brickey estate. They still raise a few cattle and use the nineteenth century log farmhouse as a guest house.
Harold W. Prater
In 1906, Samuel E. Prater founded a farm about seven miles from
In 1941, Charles acquired the property. He wed Inez Jones Prater but they had no children. After Charles died, the grandson of the founder, Harold Prater obtained the land. A progressive farmer, Harold has been recognized with his farming achievements such as having the farm of the year in 1988. In addition, he was honored in 1990 by the Blount County Soil Conservation District as the Best Commercial Farmer. He also served as a conservation district supervisor for 15 years. The sons of Harold and his wife Katherine, Harold Steve Prater and Mark David Prater, are the fourth generation to work the land which supports Black Angus cattle, wheat, and corn.
Photo (top): Aerial View of Harold Prater Farm.
Photo (bottom): Harold Prater with Century Farm sign. Courtesy of Daily Times, Tom Sherlin photographer.
Margaret Henry
William Garnet Henry,
Jr.
The story of the Samuel Henry Farm sheds light on the
early political history of
Michael P. Henry
The settlement and development of
By 1852, Edward Scott Wilkinson was managing 250 acres of
his parents’ farm. He began to cultivate cotton and sold some land in order to
purchase some slaves. During the Civil War, Edward served as a Confederate
recruiting officer. He married Nancy Carpenter in 1860 and they raised six
children.
At the turn of the century, the founder’s grandson,
Edward Lee Wilkinson, acquired 212 acres of the property. While continuing to
grow the same crops as his father and grandfather, he supplemented the farm’s
income by teaching for ten years and operating a general store for 62 years.
Edward Lee and his wife Dorotha Tipton had three children. One of their daughters, Carrie Wilkinson Henry, and her sons, Harold and Earl, inherited the farm in 1958. When Harold died, his widow, Zurma Henry inherited his estate including the partnership in the farm. However, Zurma’s son Michael P. Henry purchased the farm and is managing the farm today.
James A. Hitch
Marion H. Hitch
Just northeast of
In 1953, Albert’s and Emma’s
son, James Ivan Hitch obtained the property. James married Irene Rule Hitch and
they had one son, James Albert. James Ivan and his son raised heifers and grew
corn and silage. In 1969, James Albert
Hitch became the third owner of the land. He is married to Marion Haddox and
their four children are Al, Jennie, Walt, and Jane. The Hitches began dairy
farming with about twenty cattle and constructed a dairy barn that still
stands. The Hitches were named farm
family of the month in November of 1979.
They have been active members of the Farm Bureau. James served as
Blount County Farm Bureau President from 1981 to 1987 and
The dairy barn, silo, smoke house, and tenant house that exist on the property and was home to the Hitch family before they built their modern brick home in 1969-70 are all part of the farming landscape that developed over the twentieth century.
Photo: A view of the Dairy Barn.
Benjamin F. Hitch
Janice L. Hitch Driver
The Hitch Farm is located five miles southeast of
In 1899, John Hitch sold his part of the farm to his
brothers, Elias Tipton Hitch and William McCarroll Hitch. Shortly thereafter,
Archibald sold his part of the farm to Elias and William. In 1907, Elias bought
the acreage from William and became the sole owner of the farm. Under his
ownership, the farm raised corn, wheat, barley, sorghum, sugar cane, and
supported chickens, hogs, horses and cattle. Elias was married to Margaret
Lucinda Hitch and they had three children, James William, Thomas Franklin and
Edith. In 1934, the family began to operate a dairy known as Sundale Dairy. The
dairy operated four milk routes into
James and Thomas Franklin became the next owners of the
farm during the 1950s. James and Thomas Franklin raised corn, wheat, soybeans,
hay and beef cattle.Over the next thirty years, the farm land was divided into
different parcels within the family.
James W. Hitch died in 1998, but his children,
Benjamin F. Hitch and Janice L. Hitch Driver still own his share of the farm.
Their 267 acres are leased for hay and cattle farming.
James Luther Burns
Operators of a grist mill and saw mill, the Burns
family was among the economic leaders of Tuckaleechee Cove. Richard W. Burns, a
In 1892, his son James Lawson Burns acquired 26 acres of
the family farm. The crops he produced-wheat, corn, sorghum and
tobacco-reflected the economic realities of late nineteenth century agriculture
in
James and his wife Allie Freshour had ten children and in
1932, ownership of the family farm passed into the hands of Delia,
J. Lloyd Garner
Located fifteen miles south of
When William died in 1860, the property passed into the
hands of his son John F. Garner. John’s first years of ownership were not
pleasant as raiders and federal troops severely damaged the farm during the
Civil War. Garner and his family of five, however, survived the war and
reconstruction period and managed the property for the next three decades.
When Joseph Alexander Garner, the founder’s grandson,
inherited the land in 1891, the farm had 219 acres. He sold about one-fourth of
his holdings and later divided the farm between his heirs. When his son J.
Lloyd Garner obtained a portion of the family land in 1965, he acquired only 45
acres. As of 1977, however, J. Lloyd farmed not only his land, but 115 acres
belonging to the other family heirs. Like his grandfather, J. Lloyd produced
livestock, grain and hay.
J. R. Gamble, Jr.
Roma Lois Gamble
Christine Gamble
Daugherty
Moses Gamble founded the family farm in 1859 when he
purchased 180 acres of land about seven miles east of
After the war, Angeline and her children managed the farm
for the next 30 years, producing the common commodities of the region-corn,
wheat, hay and livestock. Angeline’s son Alexander Breckinridge Gamble
inherited the 180 acres in 1894. Alexander and his wife Alice Magnolia Rowan
had five children and the family was “active in all church and community
affairs.”
J. R., Roma and Christine Gamble, the great grandchildren
of the founders, acquired the farm in 1946. As of 1977, J. R. and his son Roy
A. Gamble worked the land with their 180 acres yielding grain, hay and cattle.
The Lane Farm is located eight miles west of
Clarence married Kate Goddard and they had three
children, Edward Nolan, Virginia Hope, and Jama Marlene. Clarence and his
family continued to raise the same livestock and grow the same crops that his
father had done.
In 1989,
Laverne Farmer
Religious activities, dairy farming and the Civilian
Conservation Corps highlight the history of the Farmer Century Farm. John Myers
of
A few years before the Civil War, William Myers inherited
the property’s 140 acres from his parents. He and his wife Mary Walker had
eleven children. When the property changed ownership in the 1860s, it passed
into the hands of Elizabeth Dunn Freshour, the founder’s grandniece, and her
husband Jacob Freshour. They expanded the farm to over 940 acres. Jacob,
however, donated a portion of this land for the construction of the
In 1914, Samuel A. Farmer inherited 800 acres of the
family farm. Ten years later, the property came into the possession of his son
Jacob Farmer, who married Mima Myers, the great great granddaughter of John
Myers. Like many rural Tennesseeans, Jacob and Mima suffered during the Great
Depression. Although they had to sell 600 acres of land, the hard times also
brought new opportunities; in 1933, the family expanded its dairy operation to
supply milk to two Civilian Conservation Corps camps located nearby the farm.
In 1956, Clark Farmer acquired the farm which now
included about 200 acres of land. He concentrated on beef cattle production, an
emphasis which continues today under the management and ownership of his
daughter LaVerne Farmer.
William Fred McConnell
Descendents of John McConnell also owned the
McConnell Farm. Like the Cedar Crest Farm, this property passed from the hands
of the founder’s son James Campbell McConnell. Today, the founder’s great
grandson, William Fred McConnell, still works the 50 acres he inherited in
1956, producing beef cattle and tobacco. The family managed a dairy since 1976.
Ira Thomas McDonald
Located in the 2nd district of Blount
County, John N. McNabb founded this Century Farm in 1878. Married to Sara
Catherine Richards, John fathered three children. The 78 acre farm produced
corn, wheat and hay. In addition to managing the farm, John served as Justice
of the Peace for the 2nd District of Blount County.
The next owners of the property were Eurie Elizabeth
McNabb Thompson and Maud Bell McNabb Jones, the daughters of John and Sara. At
the death of Sara Catherine, the two sisters, Eurie and Maud paid their third
sister, Abbie for her partial ownership of the property. Like their parents,
Eurie and Maud along with their husbands produced hay, corn and wheat and they
added tobacco, hogs and cows to the farm.
In 1965, Eurie Thompson died and she willed her half
interest in the farm to her sister since she did not have any children. In
1971, 86 acres of the farm passed to the daughter of Maud Jones, Willie Kate
McDonald and her husband Ira, who are the current owners.
Over
the past thirty years, the McDonalds have added a new barn, tool shed, garage
and grainery on the farm and they continue to produce hay and raise beef
cattle.
Joe D. McMurry
The Broady-McMurry family of
When the estate was divided in 1919, Ova Broady
McMurry, the wife of Samuel McMurry, received her share of eleven acres. Ova
and Samuel managed a small cattle herd on this land. In 1962, the founders’
great grandson Joe D. McMurry inherited the eleven acres. As of 1976, he farmed
this land, along with 30 additional acres belonging to other family members.
The farm’s primary commodities were cattle, hay, garden vegetables and poultry.
Ernest Davis
Mildred Davidson
Rowena Wyrick
Several East Tennessee Century Farms stand at the
site of an Old Cherokee village. By selecting these homesteads, the founders
acknowledged that the Native Americans had a “good eye” for land, locating
their villages near a year-rounf water supply and fertile soil. One such farm in
James was married twice and had eleven children. In 1898,
his farm passed into the hands of his son James Robert Davis, and in 1903, the
third generation of
In 1913, the current owners inherited the family farm.
Jama Davis still resides on the property. Ernest (Buck)
Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Kidd
The 7th District of Blount County is home
to the Kidd Farm, which dates to 1860 when Gould Wilson established a farm of
77 acres. Gould married twice and fathered fifteen children. Upon his death in
1878, the seven heirs of his first wife Martha Cook sold their interest in the
property to Gould’s second wide Talitha McCaslan.
In 1901, the property came under control of Gould and
Talitha’s youngest daughter Hettie Ann and her husband James T. Martin. The
Martins had five daughters and together the family produced small grains and
livestock on its 111 acres.
Mrs. Ralph Kidd, the granddaughter of Gould and Talitha
Wilson, inherited 20 acres of the original family farm in 1934. The Kidds, as
of 1976, managed a vegetable garden and a small herd of cattle.
Edward Lee Raulston
Johnny Porter, a native of
Robert A. Porter inherited the family farm in 1856 and
continued to produce the same crops as his father. He married Margaret
Goodfellow and they raised seven children. In 1893, Robert A. Goodfellow Porter
acquired his parents’ land and began raising hay and livestock.
Robert G. Porter and his wife Martha Lou Rhyne had seven
children and in 1928, the property passed into the hands of Mr. and Mrs. Edward
Raulston, their daughter and son-in-law. The Raulstons farm 60 acres of the
original Porter land, raising hay, grain, vegetables and livestock.
Mr. and Mrs. Reese Tip
The Reese Tip Davis Farm, located seven miles
northeast of
Reese Tip Davis, the
founder’s grandson, inherited his father’s property in 1936. As of 1976, the
family still raised corn, wheat and cattle on the land. Tip, however, had added
120 acres to the farm and shared it with his daughter Mrs. Charles Coulter and
her family.
Rex Davis
Located
twelve miles east of
Photo: A log cabin on the Davis Farm.
Robert R. McKenry
In 1845, Samuel McMurray McKenry founded a 166-acre farm east of
In 1915, the founder’s son, Samuel
Edward “Ed” McKenry, acquired the land. While owning the farm, Ed moved to
Ed’s son, Guy McKenry, became the
third-generation owner of the farm. Ed diversified to produce dairy cattle
(milking anywhere from 40 to 155 cows), tobacco, chickens, pigs, goats, sheep,
beef cattle, corn, hay, horses and vegetables.
Ed and wife Minnie Knight McKenry had four children—Robert Russell, Joe
Leonard, Mabel Carolyn and Raymond Eugene McKenry.
In 1951, Robert McKenry, the
great-grandson of the founder, acquired the land. In 1970 and 1981, Bob
received soil conservation awards and his wife Louise, was a part of the
Prospect Home Demonstration Club in the 1960s and 1970s. Their sons, Bobby,
Phillip and Rusty, were active in Future Farmers of America.
Today, Robert and sons Robert “Bobby” R. McKenry Jr. and Phillip
Edward McKenry manage the farm. One of a dwindling number of
In addition to the farmhouse, which the owner lives in, a calf
barn, corncrib, dairy barn, cattle barn and shed continue to be used. Three
generations work on the farm, though family members live on their own land.
Photo:
A view of the landscape and some buildings on the Robert McKenry and Sons Farm.
Mr. and Mrs. Walter
Ralph Phelps
Contributions to
Colville Montgomery Russell inherited the farm from his
father in 1876. Two of
Sadie Russell Phelps, the wife of Walter A. Phelps,
became the sole owner of the family land in 1943. Twenty-one years later the
farm passed into the hands of the founder’s great granddaughter, Isabel Phelps
O’Conner. As of 1976, the great grandson of James G. Russell, Walter Ralph
Phelps, his wife and their eight children lived on the farm, which now totaled
751 acres. The Phelps raised hogs and tended pasture for dairy cows. Their home
was the old two-room brick
Ginna E. French
Larry French
James French
Samuel Henry is a name well-known in
the settlement of the territory that would become
The second generation to own the property was their son,
James. He and his wife, Narcissa Howard,
and their five children, produced grain, hay and livestock on the farm. During
this period, a substantial brick house, built in the Federal style, was
constructed. According to family, the bricks for the house were molded and baked
by slaves from the red clay on the property. James died before the house was
completed and it was under Narcissa’s direction that the house was completed. She lived there until her death in 1885.
The farm’s long history includes generations of owners and all have kept portions of the historic farm in agricultural production. Today, the farm is owned by Henry descendents Ginna E. French, Larry French and James French. Today, Larry works the land where he raises tobacco, hay and cattle. The 1833 Federal house, that was long the home of Narcissa, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Serene Manor (Cedar Crest Farm)
Mrs. Ernest Hair
Patsy Cross
Located twelve miles south of
John and Ann had three boys and three girls to help in
the daily work of the farm, which included feeding and providing shelter for
the sheep, horses, cattle and hogs and tilling the corn and wheat fields. In
1857, James Campbell McConnell acquired 176 acres of the family farm, to which
he added 313 acres. He allocated some of the new land for sheep pasture. He also
donated a small parcel for the construction of the McConnell school. Campbell
and his wife Hester Hudgens had seven children.
In 1911, Eva McConnell Hair, the granddaughter of the
founder, inherited 50 acres of the original family farm. She and her husband
James Alexander Hair and their seven children managed the land much like her
father and grandfather, but added the cultivation of tobacco.
The current owner, Patsy Cross, is the great great
granddaughter of the founder. Since 1979, Patsy and her husband Robert, along
with their three children, have continued to farm Cedar Crest’s 50 acres,
generating crops of tobacco and hay and raising a small herd of beef cattle.
Blanche Gamble
Samuel Walker established this Century Farm, located
one mile west of Walland, in 1809. Married to Rebecca Davidson, Samuel fathered
three children. He constantly increased the acreage of his farm, which produced
grains, hay and livestock; by the 1850s he owned over 500 acres of land. In
1830, he donated land for the construction of a Methodist church and cemetery.
The church was later named “
Through the fourth and fifth generations, represented
respectively by Andrew Jackson Walker and Fannie Walker Gamble, the types of
products produced on the farm remained the same. The size of the property,
however, expanded to almost 300 acres.
In 1969, Blanche Gamble Davis and Aleene Gamble Thomas, the founder’s great great great granddaughters, received tracts of land from their mother. Blanche inherited 135 acres while Aleene acquired 45 acres of the original family farm. Since then, Blanche and Aleene and their husbands, Ernest R. Davis and James H. Thomas, have been dependable producers of hay, grain and cattle.
Jean Wilson Hearon and
Just six miles south of
The next owner of the farm was
Robert’s grandson,
During the 1950s, William discovered large
deposits of high grade iron ore on the property and formed a partnership with
Shird Franklin to mine the ore. The
mining operation ran from 1957 until 1961 and was known as the Big Spring
Mining Company. According to the family,
a large rock washer was constructed at the Big Flat Spring on the property and
thousands of tons of ore were separated and washed from the dirt and rock. The
iron ore was hauled by truck to the rail station in the Greenback community and
was shipped to
In 1999, the great great
granddaughter of the founder, Jean Wilson Hearon acquired 62 acres of the
original farm founded in 1809. Today,
Jean’s husband
Katherine Warren Leffell
The first generation history
of the Warren Farm, located two miles southwest of
In 1870, Marcus Benton Warren inherited 310 acres from
his parents. This former Confederate captain concentrated on the production of
cattle, swine and grain. He married Esther Mead an in 1915, their children
James H. Delia and Bessie inherited a portion of the family land and purchased
another parcel of the farm. They remained unmarried and continued to live on
the farm for the next 40 years. The products of the farm changed, however,
during the first half of the twentieth century. James Homer Warren, a long-time
county court commissioner, added turkeys and tobacco to the farm’s commodities.
Katherine Warren and her husband W. O. Leffell now manage
the farm, having inherited the property in 1956. On their 221 acres, they
specialize in raising Angus Aberdeen cattle. Still dominating the farming
landscape today, as it did over 100 years ago, is the four-story farmhouse,
allegedly based on the home of Harriet Beecher Stowe and built with timber
taken from family land in the nineteenth century.
James A. Davis, was the third generation to own the farm and his son, Walter E. Davis became the next owner. Walter was married to Belle Davis and they had eight children. When Walter died, the estate was settled between the heirs and Rex R. Davis acquired 65 acres of the original property. Today, Rex, his wife, Marilyn Keeble and his child and grandchildren manage the farm and primarily cultivate hay.
Photo: The Warren Farm house is over one hundred years old.