Joyner Farms

Key Farm (1855)

Key Farm (1856)

Lloyds’ Shore Farm

McGaugh Farm

Millrock Hill Farm

Overall Farm

Roach Farm

Robert Holman Farm

Roberts Farm

Rodney Holman Farm

Stone Farm

W.F. Pierce Farm

Wehman Farm

Whitesell Farm

Allen Farm at Totten Wells

Mary L. Hutchinson Thorpe

Benjamin Totten and Adam Huntsman jointly acquired title to 3,500 acres in 1820 and during the following year, Benjamin and his wife Polly McDonald moved to the farm site and established their plantation.  Totten supervised the cultivation of corn and cotton.  Located on an early stagecoach route between Bresden and Hickman, Kentucky, the plantation also was the site of a general store and post office.

            Benjamin Totten died in 1847 and left a portion of the plantation to his daughter Sarah Totten Allen and her husband Dr. Nicholas Lewis Allen.  Allen owned and operated a medical office and a dry goods store in the town of Jacksonville.  As a farmer, he raised cotton, corn, wheat, and livestock.  The Civil War brought hard times to the Allen family.  Soldiers looted and burned the farm house and corn cribs.  Moreover, Union troops torched the town of Jacksonville. To escape the depredations, Sarah Totten Allen moved the family to the railroad town of Harris Station.

            Upon Sarah Allen’s death in 1900, her son Lewis Devereaux Allen inherited approximately 200 acres of the property.  Lewis, who attended college in California, married a schoolteacher, Mary B. Smyth.  They were the parents of four children.  In 1887, Lewis built a new home for his family at Harris Station.  During these decades, the farm changed profoundly in its operations.  The railroad provided the family with a more direct way of marketing their agricultural commodities.  The family became diversified farmers, raising cotton, tobacco, corn, wheat, cattle, swine, and sheep.

            The farm’s fourth generation owners were Lawrence D. Allen, Lewis N. Allen, and Marene Allen., the great grandchildren of the founders.  Never married, Marene taught in the Union City school for 39 years and during the Great Depression ‘her school teaching salary saved the farm.”  In 1972, Martha Allen Hutchinson and her husband Charles M. Hutchinson obtained their first tract of family land. Martha, the great great granddaughter of the founders, received the landholdings of her Aunt Marene in 1981. Martha and Charles owned 350 acres in Obion County and harvested crops of soybeans, corn, and wheat.  At the death of Martha Hutchinson in 2012, her daughter, Mary L. Hutchinson Thorpe became the owner of this farm as well as the Foulks Farm.  Mrs. Thorpe writes that she intends to maintain these two farms for another generation of family ownership.

Broadview Farm

Dudley Morris

Mrs. John Fuqua Kizer

Mrs. Nell Martin Morris Bradford Heirs

            The Broadview Farm, located in the 1^st District of Obion County, is one of several Tennessee Century Farms where one or more of the owners served as a local banker. Established by George W. and Mary Smith Morris in 1837, the farm family initially consisted of 451 acres, devoted to the cultivation of cotton, tobacco, corn and wheat. The founders were the parents of twelve children, one of whom, George W. Morris, Jr., became the farm’s second owner. His landholdings totaled 668 acres which yielded crops of tobacco, corn, wheat and cotton. George married Willie Anna Lightner and they had four children.

            In 1879, Walter Wirt Morris received title to 835 acres. Throughout the late nineteenth century, Walter was a leading Obion County farmer and businessman. While his farm produced bumper crops of tobacco, corn, wheat and cotton, Walter served as the “president of the City National Bank of Fulton, Kentucky for 30 years.” Walter’s wife was Florence Martin, who was the mother of five children.

            Dudley Morris and other family heirs inherited their first portion of the farm in 1943 and received their mother’s share of the land five years later. As of 1976, Hubert Bolton worked the farm as a sharecropper, producing wheat, corn, hay and soybeans and raising swine. At that time, the farm contained a nineteenth century log tobacco barn, which Bolton still used in his operations.

Burnett Farm

Jane Virginia Burnett

Jane Murphey

Jan Rankin

The Burnett family has lived in Obion County since about 1868 which is when it is believed that David Dillie Burnett came to the area from Lynchburg,Virginia.  A veteran of the Civil War, the family recounts that he built a log home “with a ‘dog trot’ and only ladders leading to the upstairs.” Here he and his wife, Maggie Evelyn Carter, and their seven children lived and they raised cotton, corn, beans, cattle, and hogs.  Burnett donated land for what is now the Mt. Ararat Cumberland Presbyterian Church and for the Wells School. 

David Henry and J. J. Burnett, sons of David and Maggie, acquired a farm of about 350 acres in 1897 and it is from this date that the current family farm is documented.   David H. Burnett and his brother owned their farm together until J. J. Burnett was shot and killed.  Married twice, first to Archie Jane [Robinson] and then to Emma Mae [Dare], David Henry fathered seven children.  He expanded the farm to nearly 1200 acres of land which he rented out to sharecroppers who raised wheat, corn, beans, and cotton.  Burnett served two terms in the General Assembly, was the mayor of Troy, a member of the Board of Education, and taught school for 23 years. 

            Since 1941, Virginia Abbot Burnett, the widow of the founder’s grandson, David Crockett Burnett, has owned the farm.  Of 350 acres, about a hundred is the original land of David Dillie Burnett.  This property is in a joint estate with Mrs. Burnett and her twin daughters, Jane B. Murphey and Jan B. Rankin. Soon Interstate 69 will be constructed close to the farm which Mrs. Burnett says, ‘will bring many changes.’

Photo:  The barn on the Burnett Farm

Caldwell Farm (1858)

Cecil Caldwell

            The 10^th District of Obion County is home to the Caldwell Farm, where local agricultural history is closely related to the early political history of Obion County. W. H. and Jane Parks Caldwell established the farm in 1858. A leading mid-nineteenth century politician, W. H. Caldwell was Obion’s first county judge and chairman of the county court. He initially owned 200 acres which produced corn and livestock.

            Of the founder’s six children, Charles Pierce Caldwell acquired 116 acres in 1916. Charles also served on the county court. With his wife Georgie Sanders and their six children, Charles worked fields of corn and wheat. In 1930, Cecil Caldwell inherited his share of the family property. Forty-six years later, he possessed 113.5 acres and specialized in corn and livestock production. He served as the farm’s overseer and his brother Houston worked the land.

Caldwell Farm (1886)

Julie Critchlow Gresham

Amy Critchlow Cady

David Gunn Critchlow, Jr.

Edmund Scott Critchlow

            Located near Union City, the Caldwell Farm was established by Jake David Caldwell in 1886. On 104 acres, the farm produced corn, wheat, cattle and pigs. Married to Marion Lillian Scott Caldwell, the couple had eight children. Their son, John Robert Caldwell became the next owner of the farm.

             During John’s ownership, John raised the same livestock and crops as the founder. Along with his wife, Mary Lee Stone Caldwell, they had six children.  In 1943, a new highway was constructed and it cut through the property, leaving about 3 acres on the North side of the farm. After John died, the farm passed to his wife Mary Lee and she owned the property from 1950 to 1980. In 1980, Mary passed away and the farm was purchased by the four children of her daughter, Mary Caldwell Critchlow.

            Today, the four children, Julie Critchlow Greshem, Amy Critchlow Cady, David Gunn Critchlow, Jr, and Edmund Scott Critchlow continue to own the farm. However, the land is worked by Claude Vernon Miller, who has no relation to the family. Currently, the farm yields corn, beans and wheat.

Catron Farm

Thomas Homer Catron

Charles C. Taylor

            The Catron Farm is associated with the settlement and early development of Union City. In 1850, Hugh A. and Jane Bell Catron began farming with 468 acres devoted to the production of corn, wheat, swine and sheep. A veteran of the Seminole War and the Mexican War, Catron located his farm in the midst of a dense forest; as a matter of fact, the site of Union City was nothing but trees and brush at that time. As a local newspaper correspondent once commented, early settlers such as Catron and his neighbors “were bound by the ties that always strongly hold each other’s friendships in endeavoring to make homes in the wilderness, where each is somewhat dependent on another for assistance.”

            In 1876, Hugh Francis Catron received 58 acres of the family farm. Hugh was the husband of Udora Alleen Wade and the father of four children. Hugh planted and harvested fields of corn and wheat. In 1921, the farm passed into the hands of Thomas Catron and Mary Catron Taylor, the grandchildren of the founders. Residing in the family dwelling constructed in 1869, Thomas supervises the work of Larry Gene Berner, the founders’ great great grandson, who raises corn, wheat and soybeans on approximately 61 acres of land.

Foster Farm

Billy Joe Foster

Elizabeth S. Foster

            In 1858, David Jones established the Foster Farm six miles south east of Obion. Married to Amanda Heskett, the couple had four children. Their names were Rebecca J., Charles R., John W., and Elizabeth Ann. As time moved on, the four children inherited the land.

            Rebecca married Joe D. Wall and their son, Phillip A. Wall became the third owner of the property. During his ownership, the farm produced corn, cotton and soybeans. The fourth owners of the farm were Jodie Wall Bell and Zelpha Wall Edmiston. Jodie married Sidney W. Bell and they had one child, Lema Bell Foster. Zelpha wed Slade Edmiston, however, they did not have any children.

            Today, the great, great grandson of the founder, Billy J. Foster owns the farm. Currently, the land yields corn, wheat and soybeans and is worked by Melvin Ferguson, who has no relation to the family. Along with his wife, Elizabeth Sharp Foster, they had three children, Shelia Diane, Gary Neal and Jeffrey Lee.

Foulks (Hutchinson) Farm

Mary L. Hutchinson Thorpe

            New railroad construction played an influential role in the settlement of the Foulks Farm, which stands one mile south of Harris Station. In 1866, John J. and Elizabeth Bouland Foulks established the farm when they bought 350 acres for $1,650. They chose property along the recently completed New Orleans and Ohio Railroad (now known as the Illinois Central Gulf Railroad). Timber for the railroad and other construction projects was the farm’s initial agricultural commodity.

            James Monroe Foulks was the second generation owner. Married twice and the father of eight children, Foulks operated a greatly expanded property of 1,690 acres which yielded corn, wheat, tobacco, timber, swine and mules. In 1907, the farm passed to Martha Foulks Allen, the granddaughter of the founders.

            In 1960, Martha Allen Hutchinson received her first tract of family land from her grandmother and five years later, she acquired a second tract from her father. Martha and her husband Charles Hutchinson, eventually owned all of the original Foulks acreage and raised soybeans, corn and wheat.  When Mrs. Hutchinson died in 2012, the farm came to her daughter, Mary, who will keep this farm as well as Allen Farm at Totten’s Well in family ownership and in agricultural production.  

Francis H. Wade Farm

Frances Hollomon Wade

            Cotton gins that could process raw cotton efficiently and fairly cheaply were major reasons why King Cotton dominated nineteenth century southern agriculture. Many West Tennessee farm families, such as the Wades of Obion County, owned and operated their own cotton gins. The Wade Farm, established by Nathaniel and Susan Boyette Holloman in 1853, is two miles northwest of Mason Hall. An owner of 103 acres, Nathaniel operated the area’s first cotton gin. He also was a “charter member of the Mason Hall Masonic Lodge, a member of the Mason Hall Methodist Church” and one of the community’s leading farmers. He and Susan were the parents of thirteen children.

            In 1906, Nannie Holloman Skinner acquired 47 acres of the family farm. Her husband J. B. Skinner worked the land, raising cotton, corn, wheat and livestock until 1962. At that time, the farm passed into the hands of Frances H. Wade, the great granddaughter of the founders. She now manages 102 acres and her son George H. Wade harvests corn, soybeans and cotton.

Griffin Farm

Laverne Griffin Forrester

The Griffin Farm was founded in 1887 by William H. Griffin and his wife Malinda Pleasant Griffin.  In 50 ¼ acres they grew swine, cows, corn, cotton and tobacco. Their only child, Orestus R. Griffin, became the owner of the farm in 1932. With his wife Madge Hazel Hudson Griffith and their daughter, Laverne, the family raised sweet potatoes, cotton, corn, soybeans tobacco pigs and dairy cows.  Laverne Griffith Forrester, is the current owner of the farm.  The land is worked by the owner’s son, and the founders’ great grandson, Keith Forrester The farm produces wheat, corn, soybeans, sweet corn and timber.

Hailey Hill Farm

Mrs. David Byrn

            The Hailey Hill Farm is the best documented Century Farm in Obion County and the property contains an especially rich history, touching upon such common West Tennessee themes as the Civil War, the cultivation of sweet potatoes, the significance of religion, the progressive farming movement and public service in local government and agricultural groups. Located one mile west of Elbridge, the Hailey Hill Farm dates to 1870, when John A. Hailey acquired a farm of 75 acres. At one time, Hailey expanded his farm boundaries by 400 acres, but he later sold 355 acres of this property. A veteran of the Civil War who was wounded at the Battle of Perryville, Hailey “became a shoemaker by trade (after the war and) also raised several acres of sweet potatoes because of his handicap.” Consequently, the neighbors called him “Tator Hailey.” Married twice and the father of seventeen children, Hailey managed an extremely diversified farm, with his commodities ranging from cattle and mules to wheat and honey. In 1880, his son-in-law Frank Hendrix built Hailey a new farmhouse from yellow poplar logs.

            Shortly before John Hailey died, “his son Glenn Hailey took over the management” of the property and worked “the farm until his mother’s death in 1929.” The family heirs then sold the land to Littly Hailey Lippard and her husband Ivie Lippard. The Lippards were progressive farmers who planted new fruit trees, dug drainage ditches, and practiced soil conservation. Their farm crops and products included cattle, wheat, cotton and strawberries. Ivie Lippard was a county magistrate and deputy sheriff in Obion County and served on the county school board for many years.

            In 1940, Ruth Lippard Sanford and her husband M. S. Sanford acquired 55 acres of the original family land. A retired Methodist minister, M. S. worked the land and operated a small diary business. Ruth, the granddaughter of the founders, was a schoolteacher and the mother of two children.

            A second granddaughter of John Hailey, Mrs. Laurie Lippard Simrell, became the farm’s owner in 1966. As of 1976, she and her husband Clyde Simrell farmed 95 acres, raising cattle and swine and growing wheat, corn, soybeans and hay. At that time, they stored their hay crop in an original log barn.

Hampton Farms

 Mike and Judy Hampton

            Hampton Farms is located ten miles northwest of Union City. Samuel Hampton and his wife, Ona McDaniel, founded the farm in 1894. On 154 acres they grew corn and wheat and raised livestock. Their son, William Preston Hampton, was the second generation owner of the family. He and his wife, Lacie Council, had four children, Kathleen, William Thomas, Jane and Glenda.

            William Thomas Hampton is currently the owner and is involved in the daily operation of the farm. He and his wife, Anna, have increased the acreage to 181 acres on which they raise corn, wheat, and soybeans. Their son, Michael Preston Hampton, is the fourth generation of the family to be involved in the farm’s operations.

Hills of the Home Farm

Paschal Gibbs

Martha K. Gibbs

            The Hills of the Home Farm is located three miles northwest of Troy, Tennessee and was founded by Owen Thoma (O. T.) Brown in 1850. Married to Margaret P. Dickey, the couple had four children. In 1859, O. T. died and Margaret had to raise her four children while managing the farm. According to the family, during the Civil War Union soldiers came through the farm and took the farm’s chickens and hogs for their food.

            In 1881, Margaret’s youngest child, Samuel Gibson Brown acquired the farm. Along with his wife, Mary Elizabeth Hart, they had three children. Their names were Richard Burgess Brown, Thomas Leroy Brown and Lena Brown Kendell. After Thomas died, Richard and Lena deeded their interests to Lena’s daughter, Martha Kendall Gibbs.

            Today, Martha and her husband Paschal S. Gibbs continue to own and work the land. Currently, the land yields beans, alfalfa and corn. In addition, the couple raises cattle on the farm. A log cabin room that was built by the founder still stands and is being used as storage in the owner’s yard.

Hutchison Farm

Frank Hutchison, Jr.

On March 17 of 1908,  Walter and Henry Hutchison acquired 200 acres of land northeast of Samburg.   The brothers raised cattle, horses, mules and hogs as well as corn, hay and timber.  When Henry, who was a bachelor, died in 1911, Walter became the owner of his portion of the property.  Walter married Blanch Jurden and they were the parents of three children, Frank, Raymon, who died in infancy, and Mary. The second generation to own the farm was Frank Hutchison, Sr. who obtained part of the land in 1956 when his father Walter died. In 1981, Frank’s mother passed away and he bought his sister’s partial acreage. Frank and his wife Lillian Edgin had three children, Frank, Jr., Margaret, and Sue. 

            Frank Hutchison, Jr. acquired the farm in 2000 and he and Timmy Gantt manage the farm that produces corn, soybeans and wheat primarily.   Three generations currently live on the family farm.

Hutchison’s Dixie Chicks Farm

 Donald “Donnie” F. Hutchison

Debbie Hutchison

          With $1,200, William Mack Tidwell and his wife, Elizabeth Susan (McClure) Tidwell purchased a 120 acre farm in the Twelfth District of Obion County in 1906.  The Tidwells, who were the parents of four children, primarily raised corn, cattle and hogs as well as other row crops and livestock traditional to the area.

            In 1910, William Tidwell sold 65 acres of his farm to his daughter, Sarah Francis and her husband, Jacob “Jake” Franklin Hutchison.  Jake and Sarah had seven children.  For a half-century, they continued to raise corn, cattle, and hogs on their acreage. Charlie B. Franklin Hutchinson, son of Sarah and Jake,  acquired the family farm in 1959. He and his wife, Helen Hunt Hickman, had  five children. In 1995, the twin sons of Helen and Charlie, Donald Franklin and Ronald Masa Hutchison, acquired the farm.  

          Donald “Donnie” Hutchison and his wife, Debbie Pickett Hutchinson, own slightly more than 27 acres and raise cattle and poultry.  In 2001, Tyson Foods awarded the “Grower of the Year” title to the owners of Dixie Chicks Farm.   Donnie and Debbie manage and work their farming enterprise and are the parents of Brittany and Joshua, who also live on the farm.

Jones Farm

George B. Jones

            Located adjacent to the Kentucky state line and the town of Woodland Mills, the Jones Farm dates to 1865 when Swannie Burrus acquired 384 acres of land. Ten years later, Sally Burrus Jones, the founder’s daughter, and her husband James D. Jones received the deed to the Burrus landholdings. A native of Carroll County, James Jones raised corn, wheat and livestock. He and Sallie were the parents of nine children.

            Between 1899 and 1917, Jim D. Jones acquired 252.5 acres of his grandparents’ property. “Active in the agricultural affairs in Woodland Mills,” Jim owned and operated a cotton gin and grain company. His farm produced corn, cotton, soybeans and livestock.

            Jim Jones wed Annie Bramham and they had seven children. In 1937, one of their sons, George Burrus Jones, inherited the entire farm. At the time of the original Century Farm survey, George owned 302.5 acres and supervised the work of his brother-in-law W. T. Garrigan, Jr., who raised the farm’s corn, soybeans and livestock. Since 1976, Mr. Jones has passed away and today his widow and daughter jointly own and manage the property.

Joyner Farm

Robert Clifford Joyner, III

Mrs. Clifford Joyner, Jr.

Calvina J. Burnett

1852 was the founding date for the Joyner Century Farm, located adjacent to the town of Union City. Its founders, John and Margaret Joyner, were among the community’s first residents and the history of their land brings forth valuable information about the early settlement of the Union City area. The Joyners owned 800 acres and raised corn, wheat, swine and cattle. In 1859, George S. Joyner acquired 100 acres of the farm. The father of five children, George raised corn, wheat and cattle.

            In 1918, Glenn T. Joyner received title to 99 acres of his grandparents’ land. Later that year, Glenn’s brother Clifford Joyner inherited 25 acres of the farm. To this tract he added 144 acres and developed a profitable early twentieth century farm. Wheat, corn, soybeans, chickens and swine were his chief agricultural commodities.

            Robert Clifford Joyner, Jr., the great grandson of the founders, was the fourth generation owner of the family property. A county magistrate, Clifford married Ruth Whitworth and they had one child, Robert Clifford Joyner, III. Clifford and his son specialized in the cultivation of wheat, soybeans and corn and in 1969 Clifford, III, became the owner and manager of the farm.

Key Farm (1855)

Richard Key Drewery

Mary Elizabeth Rippy Drewery

            Located seven miles northeast of Union City, the Key Farm was established by Franklin A. and Frances Ann Jones Key in 1855. They purchased 81 acres for $890 and raised tobacco, wheat, corn and livestock. During the Civil War, federal troops raided the farm. In April 1864, Franklin died in the fighting, but Frances Ann and her five children kept the farm in operation until 1883 when Sylvester Augustus Key assumed full ownership of the property. Producing corn, wheat, hay, tobacco and livestock, Sylvester “just made a living for his family on the farm.” He married Susan A. Bondurant and they were the parents of eight children.

            In 1955, Lula Key Drewry and her husband Ned Drewry acquired all of the Key landholdings. Lula, the granddaughter of the founders, and Ned managed 126 acres. Dowdy and Sons worked the farm and grew soybeans and corn. In 1991, Ned passed away and seven years later, Lula Mae passed away. In 1998, the farm ownership went to their son Richard Key Drewery and his wife, Mary Elizabeth Rippy Drewery.  For many years the Drewerys have contracted with Guy Walker Gray to continue farm production of wheat, corn and soybeans.

Key Farm (1856)

John F. Key

Shelvie Key

            Five miles northeast of Union City stand the Key Farms, which date to 1856. The founders were Martin and L. A. Chambers, the parents of eight children. Martin and his sons specialized in the production of tobacco, which they “hauled in wagons to Hickman, Kentucky, and shipped to New Orleans.” Their 249 acre farm also produced corn, wheat, swine and cattle. In 1883, Martin gave “each of his children 48 or 50 acres and (they) all lived in the same neighborhood, lined up and down the road.” Louisa Chambers married Allen H. Oliver and they became the farm’s second owners. Allen later expanded their initial 48.4 acre tract to 100 acres. A veteran of the Civil War, Oliver cleared this new land of its trees and planted wheat, corn and tobacco. This family of eight also raised swine.

            In 1931 Kate Reeves, the granddaughter of the founders, acquired family landholdings that totaled 48.4 acres. She and her husband James Farrow Reeves were the parents of seven children. One of the children, Alma Reeves Key and her husband J. F. Key purchased the farm in 1937. They added 55 mor acres to the property and planted the farm’s first soybeans, in addition to raising corn, wheat and livestock. In 1968, John F. Key bought the farm from his mother. John, the founders’ great great grandson, owns 155 acres of the original Chambers farm. As of 1976, the farmhouse and smokehouse from the nineteenth century still stood. Commodities produced at that time included corn, soybeans, wheat, cattle and swine.

Lloyd’s Shore Farm

James J. Lloyd

Bobbye R. Lloyd

The family history of Lloyds’ Shore Farm in the United States begins around 1750 when the “Schorr” family emigrated to the colony of Pennsylvania from Muttenz,  Switzerland in 1750 and then on to the Moravian Colony in what is now Winston-Salem, North Carolina.  The Shore’s Tennessee farm was founded in 1869 by Peter Jacob Shore.  Shore’s  two brothers died during the Civil War and Peter Jacob ran away from home and joined the Confederacy at age 17.  He was wounded at Bryce’s Crossroad, Mississippi, while serving with Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest.  Shore married Louisa Fellina Perry Whiteside in 1867 and purchased 74 acres two years later for $20 per acre.  The couple produced, corn, cotton, hay, timber and raised swine and cattle. Luther Martin Shore, their only child,  inherited the property in 1909 on the death of his father.   Married to Melinda Ann Burnett, the Shores raised corn, cattle, hay, tobacco, and timber and supported swine, sheep, beef cattle, and dairy cattle.  The Shores were determined that their children should have an education.  Mr. Shore bought a house in Troy, Tennessee and moved the family there so each child could attend high school.  He rode a horse or drove a buggy back to the farm each day to work and deal with the farm business.  When the last child graduated from high school, Shore sold the house in Troy and the family returned to the farm. The current owners are the founder’s great grandson, James J. Lloyd, and his wife Bobbye R. Lloyd.  The 329 acre farm now produces corn, soybeans, hay, and timber.  

Photo: Aerial View of the Lloyd’s Shore Farm.

McGaugh Farm

Donald W. McGaugh

Just north of Union City is the McGaugh Farm, which was founded in 1887 by Robert McGaugh. Married to Mary Hale, the couple had five children, though two of their daughters died at the age of 17 from typhoid fever. In 1906, the McGaughs built a farmhouse on the 92.5 acres.

            In 1918, the founder’s son, Joseph A. McGaugh, acquired the land. Along with wife Ellen Alexander, the couple had one son, Joseph W. McGaugh, who became the third generation to own the farm. Joseph W. wed Ocella McGehee and they had four children—Ruth, Joseph B., Shirlee and Donald W.

            In 1995, the great-grandson of the founder, Donald W. McGaugh, obtained the land. Currently, Donald and his wife Caroline (Robinson) continue to work the land that produces wheat, soybeans and corn. 

The farmhouse that is one hundred years old this year remains the family home. Over the years, the house has been remodeled and the attic rooms were converted into bedrooms for their two daughters, Kellye and Amanda.  Today, the McGaughs report that their granddaughters, Parker and Kyndall Albright, daughters of Kellye and James Paul Albright, are the sixth generation to enjoy the homeplace. 

Photo: The farm house on the McGaugh Farm was built in 1906.

Millrock Hill Farm

Alvin L. (Bill) Gray

            Grist mills are often not associated with the West Tennessee farming landscape, but the Millrock Hill Farm is a physical testament of the mills’ influence on everyday farming activity in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Lewis Gray of Kentucky established the farm in 1846. Lewis and his wife Frances owned 500 acres of land located about three and a half miles east of Union City. The parents of ten children, they left the farm to their daughter Rebecca Gray Davidson, the wife of James A. Davidson, in 1852. Little else is known about this period in the farm’s history except that the family operated a grist mill.

            In 1914, Lee D. Verhine, the grandson of the founders, obtained the family landholdings. He was the father of three children. In 1935, Alvin “Bill” Gray received title to 50 acres. Bill, the great grandson of Lewis Gray, has lived on the farm ever since. As of 1976, he and his son Bill grew corn, cotton and soybeans and raised livestock. The family still used a smokehouse that dated to the mid-nineteenth century. 

Overall Farm

Mrs. Jesse L. (Cora Palmer) Overall

            Another Century Farm established and maintained by a woman is the Overall Farm, established by Phoebe Watkins Palmer in 1873. The property stands adjacent to the town of Union City. Natives of Alabama, Phoebe and her husband Dr. Chillian Palmer took their six children and moved to Obion County in 1866, at the end of the Civil War. Dr. Palmer, however, died in 1867, leaving Phoebe in charge of the family’s affairs. She managed 323.5 acres which yielded corn, wheat and swine.

            Thomas P. and Lonnie G. Palmer received title to 96 acres of the farm in 1879. They were the parents of five children and the family raised corn, wheat and swine. In 1900, another son of Phoebe Palmer, John Dabney Palmer, acquired the family land. He worked a total of 160 acres and began to raise beef cattle. John’s wife was Mary Herring, the mother of six children.

            Mrs. Cora Palmer Overall, the granddaughter of the founder, acquired the family land in 1946. Thirty years later, she managed over 460 acres. As of 1976, Danny Isbell planted fields of corn, soybeans, wheat and barley and raised cattle and swine.

 

James Oliver Roach established a farm of 152 acres in 1859 near a trace that was once used by Native Americans and later came to be known as The Turnpike Trail from Jackson to Trenton, Troy and Mills Point on the Mississippi River. Near what is known as the Turnpike Levee, Roach raised corn, hay, cattle and hogs. 

According to the family’s reports, farm-founder James is buried in Roach Cemetery, which is located on the farm. Once a public burial ground associated with Salem (Methodist) Church, only a few grave markers remain, including that of Roach who died in 1884. 

            In 1903, James Rutherford Roach acquired his father’s land. His first wife was Ladoskie Wheeler and his second wife was Josie Rust. During his ownership, the farm was expanded to include 162 acres, where the Roach family, which included son Charles, raised livestock and row crops.

            In 1911, Charles Henry Barton Roach became the owner of the acreage. With wife Emily Jane Hargett and their four children, LaDoskie, Jona, Alpha Emma and Henry Neal, Charles Roach raised wheat, cotton, corn, cattle and hogs. 

            Siblings Neal and Alpha Emma took ownership of the 162 acres in 1950.  Henry Neal never married and Alpha married William Park Hudson. The couple had one daughter, Alpha Ruth, who lived on the Roach Farm with her parents from 1934 to 1952.  She remembers moving by wagon 20 miles from the “Crystal community (Obion County) by way of Troy and the Turnpike Levee to the Roach Farm near mason Hall.” 

Per the family’s reports, Alpha was an active 4-H member and her first project was raising 100 White Rock chickens when she was 9 years old. The profit from her 4-H poultry projects was use to start a bank account for “my college education,” she recalled. The family raised cotton, barley, soybeans, hay, corn, beef cattle and hogs.

            Henry Neal and his niece, Alpha Ruth Hudson Worrell, became joint owners of the family farm in 1982. Following her uncle’s death in 1989, Alpha, married to Ray N. Worrell, became the sole owner of the property. The Worrells are the parents of sons Neal, Matt and Jon. 

Today, Alpha is active in the management of her farm, where cotton, corn, soybeans and wheat are the primary commodities. Family photographs and the history of the farm, now more than 150 years old, are important to Alpha Ruth Hudson Worrell, who is the great-great-granddaughter of the farm’s originator, James Oliver Roach.

Photo: Alpha Ruth Hudson with 4-H project in 1943.

Robert Holman Farm

Robert White Holman

            The Holman Century Farm is one of few properties in the state directly connected to the emergence of the Tennessee Department of Agriculture George R. Holman, an early settler of Obion County, founded the Robert Holman Farm in 1871. He owned 340 acres located seven miles east of Union City. A reporter for the State Agricultural Bureau for six years, he operated a mercantile business at the community of Jacksonville. Wed to Mary Nailling, Holman was the father of eleven children.

            Upon his father’s death in 1899, Robert Halbert Holman acquired a farm of 360 acres. Robert and his spouse Lula White raised four children. During their operation of the farm, they grew soybeans, cotton, corn, tobacco and wheat and raised cattle and swine.

            In 1962, Robert White Holman inherited a portion of the family farm. Fourteen years later, he possessed approximately 440 acres and raised soybeans, corn, wheat, swine and cattle. At that time, he and his family lived in the farm’s original dwelling, built prior to 1875.

Roberts Farm

Herman Dee (Buddy) Roberts

            Edward Jones, a native of England, established the Roberts Century Farm in 1838. His initial 200 acres, located six miles north of Union City, contained fields of tobacco, cotton and corn. Jones served as a major in the War of 1812. In 1843, he deeded his property to his brother John W. Jones. John and his spouse Charlotte Blane eventually increased the farm’s size to 285 acres, producing cotton, corn, tobacco and livestock. They raised a family of sixteen children and their son James Jefferson Jones fought in the Civil War.

            In 1869, James inherited the farm’s original 200 acres. Wed to Eugenia Rickman, he was the father of five children. Agricultural commodities included cotton, tobacco, corn, cattle, swine and horses.

            Mrs. Cammie Jones Roberts, the great grand niece of the founders, inherited 115 acres in 1933. She and her husband Herman D. Roberts were the parents of two sons, Charles and Herman, Jr. Like many mid-twentieth century farmers in Tennessee, the Roberts planted soybeans. Their farm labor also produced corn, tobacco, hay and livestock.

            Herman “Buddy” Roberts, Jr., acquired the farm’s 115 acres in 1973. Today, he manages a dairy herd and grows hay and small grains.

Rodney Holman Farm

Rodney W. Holman

Virginia M. Holland

Ora Lee Holman

            The personal tragedy of the Civil War, horse racing and agrarian entrpreneurship are the themes that tie together the history of the Rodney Holman Farm. In 1846, John T. and Martha Chambers Holman moved from Virginia to establish the Rodney Holman Farm seven miles east of Union City. Their new home consisted of 640 acres on which the family’s slaves raised the farm’s tobacco, corn, cotton and horses. John, who was the father of twelve children, also operated a grocery store in nearby Jacksonville. During the Civil War, the family wholeheartedly joined the Confederate cause, but the fighting left two sons dead and John suffering from wounds received at Shiloh.

            Samuel Valentine Holman inherited the entire farm in 1883. Captivated by the sport of horse racing, Samuel spent much of his time breeding race horses, leaving his four children and black tenants to work the fields. Samuel and his wife Fannie Bennett also owned and operated a grist mill, wheat thresher and sawmill.

            Three hundred acres of the family landholdings passed to Samuel W. Holman, the grandson of the founders, in 1938. Samuel and his spouse Ora Lee Alexander managed herds of cattle and swine and cultivated fields of wheat and corn. In 1970, Samuel died and left the farm to his widow Ora Lee and his three children. Six years later, his son Rodney worked the farm’s 586 acres, producing wheat, soybeans, corn, milo and swine. “I have worked on the farm all of my life,” Rodney wrote, “with the exception of the 4 ½ years I was in service during World War II.” As of 1976, the farm contained remnants of a yellow poplar barn built prior to 1875.

Stone Farm

Sterling Monroe Stone, Jr.

Paul Stone

Sara L. Stone Morgan

            The presence of a large modern subdivision development has not led to the cessation of agricultural activity at the Stone Century Farm, which lies within the city limits of Union City. In 1876, Sterling M. and Sallie Moore Stone founded the property, locating their original 100 acres two miles southeast of the county courthouse. The founders and their five children cleared the timber from their land and planted corn, tobacco and wheat. The family also managed herds of swine and cattle. Besides carrying out her household duties, Sallie Stone “took a leading part in the founding of the Pleasant Valley Methodist Church.”

            In 1910, Sterling Monroe Stone inherited a portion and purchased the remainder of the family’s homestead. On his 100 acres, he raised corn, hay, wheat and livestock. During his ownership, Sterling built a new one and a half story frame house for his wife Lilis Chalk and children. He also modernized the farm’s operations by constructing a concrete silo and a stock barn.

            In 1923, the property passed into the hands of Lilis Chalk Stone and her son Sterling Monroe Stone, Jr. In 1974, Sterling obtained all of the farm’s 139 acres. Tract houses and well manicured lawns lie in front of the farm, but the presence of suburbia has not stopped the farm work. Sterling currently produces corn, soybeans and cattle.

W. F. Pierce Farm

William Pierce Emge

            In 1851, Thomas Pierce purchased a 100 acre tract of land located near Trimble, Tennessee. Married to Caroline Moore they had seven children. When Thomas died in 1854, his family remained on the land.

Thomas’ oldest son, William Franklin (W. F.) kept the family fed by maintaining a garden, orchard and livestock. In 1861, W. F. joined the Confederate Army and spent four years with Company H, 47th Tennessee Infantry Regiment. After he returned from fighting in the Civil War, he bought out his siblings’ interests and then built a cabin on the property. W. F. married Jane Nooe and they had three children. Their names were Thomas Alexander, Lou Addie and Willie Catherine. In the 1890s, W. F. also owned a general store in Trimble.

As time moved on, Willie became the next owner of the land. Along with her husband, F. J. Sullivan, the couple had two children. Their daughter, Thelma Sullivan Emge was the next owner and she and her husband Urban G. Emge had two children.

In 1994, the great, great grandson of the founder, William Pierce Emge acquired the farm, which is now 170 acres. Although William continues to own and live on the farm, the land is worked by the Page Brothers. Currently, they produce cotton, beans, wheat and corn on the land. Many buildings that were constructed in the nineteenth century such as a cellar, a hot house, a well-house and a smoke house still stand on the property today. 

Photo: The farm house, landscape and sign on the W. F. Pierce Farm.

Wehman Farm

Roy Cary Wehman

           Capt. James Turner lived in Kentucky and raised and transported tobacco by flatboat and later by riverboat to New Orleans, via the Cumberland and Tennessee rivers to the Mississippi River. In fall 1853, he and his son-in-law, George Cary, purchased 2,603 acres just south of Union City. They moved their extended families to their property and built their homes where wheat, corn, swine and cattle were raised. James continued to spend much of his time in New Orleans. George first married Sally Turner Cary, a daughter of James and his first wife, Nancy Turner. Sally Turner Cary died of yellow fever while visiting her father in New Orleans, and George then married Mary Turner Cary, also a daughter of James Turner. George and Mary were the parents of three children.

            In 1875, George Cary sold his portion of the farm to Jeremiah Phebus. In 1897, Jeremiah Phebus sold 215 acres of the farm to his daughter, Willie, and her husband, Edward McAlister. Edward McAlister also was a grandson of George and Sally Turner Cary. Willie and Edward McAlister were the parents of three children.

            Martha Ann McAlister, a daughter of Willie and Edward McAlister, was the next owner of the family farm. She married Roy Cecil Wehman, and they were the parents of two children, Roy Cary Wehman and Charles Phillip Wehman.

Whitesell Farm

Hunter Byrd Whitesell

            In 1859, Jesse and Sarah Wright Whitesell founded the Whitesell Century Farm which is located immediately west of South Florida along the Tennessee-Kentucky state line. Jesse owned 100 acres and raised tobacco, corn and swine. In addition, he operated a cotton gin and a brick yard in the vicinity. During the Civil War, the “farm was the object of several visits by Union troops seeking food and livestock.” Jesse “was seriously wounded once by Yankee bushwhackers, and a farm laborer was killed by the same bushwhackers.”

            Of the founders’ two children, Robert P. Whitesell inherited the farm, “subject to the life estate of his mother who died in 1917.” Robert, who attended the University of Virginia and Vanderbilt University, was an attorney and banker in Union City and active in the state Democratic party. His wife was Clara Hunter and they were the parents of four children. During these years, tobacco, corn and swine were the annual farm commodities.

            In 1926, Hunter Whitesell took over the operation of the farm and managed the property continuously for the next 42 years. A veteran of World War I, Hunter attended William Jewell College, the University of Missouri and Vanderbilt University. He married Bell Dougherty and they raised three children, Robert D., Hunter B. and Betsy, who became the farm’s joint owners in 1970.

            The Whitesell brothers and Betsy Whitesell Meade owned 63 acres of the original farm as well as 450 additional acres. In 1976, Robert worked the farm and produced cattle, swine and hay. A few years later, the children created the Whitesell Farms, Inc., a family farm corporation that now operates the land.