Henderson County

            Henderson County was established in 1821 and was named for Colonel James Henderson, who served under Andrew Jackson and commanded Tennessee troops at the Battle of New Orleans. The county seat is Lexington and it is the highest in elevation of all the West Tennessee county seats. During the Civil War, Lexington and Parker’s Crossroads were battle sites during General Nathan Bedford Forrest’s West Tennessee Campaign of 1862. Henderson County has seven Century Farms and the oldest is the Snider Farm that was founded in 1822. For more information regarding Henderson County, go to the Tennessee Encyclopedia of History & Culture website.

For a brief historical sketch of each farm, click on the farm name.

Houston Farm

McBride Farm

Meadow Brothers Farm

Rhodes Farm

Robinson Farm

Snider 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

Houston Farm

Kenneth Ray Houston

Lutie W. Houston

Located southeast of Lexington, Tennessee, Church Gray Houston established the Houston Farm in 1881. On 110 acres, the farm produced cotton, corn, hogs and cattle. Married to Martha Jane Bartholomew, the couple had eight children. However, three of them died in infancy. In the early 1900s, a small cabin was built on the land.

            The next owner of the land was the founder’s son, James Troy Houston. During his ownership, many changes occurred on the farm. In the 1940s, the Flat Creek Canal was straightened and a new channel was dug that improved about 50 acres of bottomland. Also during the 1940s, electricity came to the community and was introduced to the farm. With the introduction of electricity, the farm was transformed and the family was able to use lights, refrigerators and electrical farm machinery.

In 1976, the grandson of the founder, Kenneth Ray Houston acquired the farm. In the 1980s, the community encountered a change with the development of Tennessee Highway 201 that went through the property.

Today, Kenneth still owns the farm and works the land that produces corn, soybeans, milo, hogs and cattle. The log cabin that was built in the 1900s still stands.

Photo: A log cabin on the Houston Farm.

McBride Farm

Charles H. McBride

In 1906, James Franklin McBride bought a small farm of 49 acres south of Lexington.   Married to Martha Gower McBride, the couple had five children-- Lessie, Allie, Jonas, Paul and Phillip.  A diverse farming operation, the family raised corn, cotton, beef cattle, swine and hay.

            The second and current owner of the farm is the founder’s grandson, Charles McBride. He and his wife Joyce (Presley) are the parents of Mickie Ratliff, Tina Hahn and Marsha Crowell.  On acreage added over the years, Charles produces corn, beef cattle and hay.  He has been an active member of the Farm Bureau since 1962, and from 1967 to 2002, he served as the Farm Bureau’s advisory director.  Since 2002, he has served as the Henderson County Farm Bureau Director. His wife Joyce serves as the County Farm Bureau Women’s Director Chairman.

Meadow Brothers Farm

Edward H. Meadows, Jr. 

The Meadows Brothers Farm was founded in 1895 when T. J. Butler purchased 440 acres just east of Mifflin, where he grew cotton, corn and hay as well as swine and cattle. Over time, Butler increased his holdings to 1,800 acres as he purchased other farms in Henderson and Chester Counties. According to the family’s records, Butler gave each of his seven children 150 acres. 

            T. J.’s daughter, Callie, and her husband, John Jonas Meadows, had five children. On their portion of land, the family continued to raise the types of crops that had proved successful for the founding generation, Hankins noted.

            The third generation to own the farm was their sons, Howard and Houston Meadows. Howard married Angeline King in 1925 and they had two sons, Edward Howard Jr. and John King. Six sharecroppers, along with the family, tended the farm until about 1980. Eventually, the Meadows brothers obtained the land, although John sold his part to brother Edward.

            In 1994, the current owner and great-grandson of the founder, Edward H. Meadows Jr., acquired the property. Today, Chad Davies, a family friend and local farmer, works the land.

Currently, the farm supports the traditional crops of cotton, corn, hay and livestock, including hogs and cattle. The family reported that in 2000, 14 acres of the original farm were given to Middlefork Road Baptist Church for a new church.

Rhodes Farm

Bill Rhodes

Carolyn Booth

Located just south of Lexington, the Rhodes Farm was founded in 1900 by Thomas Neal Rhodes. Married to Beatrice, the couple had four children: H. L. “Hubert,” Nettie, Ella and Floyd. On 236 acres, the family produced cotton and corn. Thomas and Beatrice lived their entire married life on the farm and were buried in the Old Jacks Creek Cemetery in Henderson County.

            In 1924, Thomas and Beatrice’s son, Hubert, became the owner of the land. He and wife Edna had five sons—Loyd, Howard, Gilbert, Carmon and Burl. The family’s main cash crops continued to be cotton and corn. 

            After Hubert’s death in 1959, Howard purchased the farm from the other heirs and became the sole owner of the farm. He and wife Opal were the parents of Bill and Carolyn. In 1985, Bill and Carolyn Rhodes Booth purchased the farm from Howard and Opal, though they gave them a life estate until their deaths, according to the family’s records.

  Currently, the farm is worked and rented by Chris Grissom, who raises cotton, corn, wheat and soybeans on the acreage. A farmhouse that was constructed by Howard Rhodes in 1936 still stands, and Bill’s son, Robin Rhodes, who is the great-great-grandson of the founders, and wife Molly live in the house. Robin works for the Tennessee Farm Bureau.

Photo: The Rhodes farm house was built in 1936.

Robinson Farm

Evelyn Adams Robinson

            Located seven miles north of Lexington is the Robinson Farm that was established by Harman Adams in 1848. On 267 acres, the farm produced corn, cotton, horses, hogs and cattle. During the Civil War, Harman’s meat that was stored in the smokehouse was taken by Union soldiers. Harman fathered five children and their names were Tom C., Jasper, Dock Franklin, Juliana, and Nancy. In 1869, Harman died and was buried in the Adams cemetery in the community.

The next owner of the land was the founder’s son, Dock Franklin Adams. Married to Freedonia Tennessee Caroling White, the couple had five children. Under his ownership, the farm cultivated corn and raised hogs, horses and cattle. As time moved on, the land was passed to Dock’s son, Newton Addison Adams. Newton wed Mary Frances Pruett and they eight children. Their son, John Everett Adams became the fourth generation to own the land. During the 1940s, the Tennessee Valley Authority brought electricity to the Robinson farm with the installation of power lines.

In 1962, the great great granddaughter of the founder, Evelyn Adams Robinson and her husband Leslie C. Robinson acquired the farm. Today, the farm produces hay and cattle and continues to experience the changing landscape that has been brought by the expansion of State Route 22 North that goes through the property.

Snider Farm

Mrs. Goy Snider

Bobby Snider

            In 1822, Joseph Reed of North Carolina acquired a homestead of 160 acres and established the Snider Farm, which stands five miles southeast of Lexington. The founder, who was the father of two children, raised corn, cotton and livestock. His sons, William and Jack Reed, became the farm’s second owners. Jack had no children, but William was the father of four and upon William’s death, the property passed into the hands of his children. At an unspecified date, John and Fannie Dyer Reed purchased the shares of the other heirs and became the farm’s sole owners.

            The farm continued to pass through the generations and in 1975, it came into the possession of Mrs. Goy W. Snider, the widow of the great great grandson, and her children, Bobby and John Snider. Bobby and John work the farm’s 230 acres, raising corn, soybeans and swine.

Photo: The farm house on the Snider Farm.

Timberlake Farm

John Richard Timberlake

            In 1826, Richard Timberlake founded the Timberlake Farm. Located four miles north of Lexington, the 3,200 acres produced cotton, corn and cattle. Married to Tabitha Trice Timberlake, the couple had ten children. In addition to managing the farm, Richard built a log cabin and added extensions to the cabin as his family grew.

            Richard’s son, Edward Julius Timberlake became the second generation to own the land. During his ownership, the Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railroad acquired some of the farm land in exchange for building a switch track and establishing a “whistle stop” for produce and passengers. Eventually, Edward constructed a house, a cotton gin and a general store on the land. Edward and his wife, Louisa Hutchings Small Timberlake had eight children and their son, John Richard Timberlake became the next owner of the farm.

            In 1897, John built a house across the railroad from his father. As time moved on, the cotton gin and the general store burned and were not replaced. In the early 1900s, John started a hardware and furniture store, an ice and coal business and a funeral home in Lexington, Tennessee. John fathered three children and his son, Edward Ambrose Timberlake obtained the land. During his ownership, he closed the hardware and furniture business and moved back to the farm and devoted his time to raising cotton, corn, cattle hogs and sheep on the land. In addition to managing the farm, Edward built a house on the farm in 1947. After Edward died, the his wife, Ophie Bauman Timberlake managed the farm and raised their three children.

            In 1989, the great great grandson of the founder, John Richard Timberlake acquired the Timberlake Farm. Today, the farm cultivates corn, soybeans and wheat. The house that was built in 1897 stills stands on the property.

Photo: The Edward Ambrose Timberlake house that was built in 1947 and is presently occupied by John Richard Timberlake.