Map courtesy of Carole Swann, Tennessee Department of Agriculture
Robertson's 1849 Rippling Water Farm
Archie Hatcher
William and Polly Crowson
Hatcher were important early settlers in
Reuben Hatcher, Jr., was the next owner of the family
land and during the ownership of both Reuben and his son James W. Hatcher, the
daily patterns of farm operations were similar. By the time Andrew W. Hatcher
had acquired the property in the early twentieth century, however, the Hatcher
place exhibited new patterns of agriculture and yielded new crops. Andrew
tilled 81 acres of the original farm and cultivated tobacco. By purchasing a
tractor-powered threshing machine, Andrew was able to harvest grain throughout
the community and to improve his farming income. He paid a personal price for
this new technology, however, when he lost his arm in an accident involving the
machine.
The sixth generation owner of the Hatcher land was Lendell A. Hatcher, who acquired 40 acres of the original homestead. His son Archie, the great-great-great-great grandson of the founders, purchased the farm in 1985. Archie and his wife Karen, along with their daughter Sloan, raise cattle, tobacco and hay. “Buying the land was an important event,” Archie writes, “because of my deep family heritage here which I am very proud of. I hope to keep it prosperous in this time of economic depression in farming, and for many generations to come.”
Photo: Archie and his wife Karen Hatcher with their Century Farm sign.
Ben D. Brabson, II
John Brabson II came from
After the transaction, Brabson returned to
During his ownership, the farm produced corn, wheat and beef
cattle. Brabson purchased grain from the surrounding area and transported it by
log rafts down the river. Brabson operated mercantile stores on the property
along with blacksmith shops, tanneries and carpenter shops that produced a
variety of supplies and goods for consumers. To supply his mercantile stores,
Brabson often bought goods from eastern cities such as
John and his wife, Elizabeth Davis, were the parents of 10
children, and in
During the Civil War, conditions reportedly became intolerable for
many members of the Brabson family and they left for safer places. While some
relatives went to
Over the years, the farm passed
through several generations, and today, Ben D. Brabson II, the
great-great-grandson of the founder, owns the farm. He and wife Elaine D.
Brabson work the land that currently produces, beef cattle, corn, oats, wheat,
hay and soybeans. The property was
listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 and many historic
structures that were built in the 19th century such as a log house, a barn and
a tenant house remain.
Photo: This farm house was built by Benjamin Davis Brabson, II in 1856.
William and Doris T.
Phelps
Upon acquiring 165 acres of land at the close of the
Civil War in 1865, Eliot and Hettie King Floyd established the Floyd family
farm five miles west of Sevierville. The Floyds and their five children ran a
diversified agricultural operation, raising all types of livestock, cultivating
tobacco and selling fruit in
In 1905, the founders’ son Richard Birdgetts Floyd obtained 100 acres of family land. “A good example of a Chirstian person,” Richard wed Adeline Keeble and they raised two daughters, Ella and Anna. In 1923, Ella received 50 acres of the farm and over 50 years later, when Ella Floyd Tarwater initially applied for the Century Farm program, she proudly stated, “I manage the farm myself at the age of 81.” At that time, H. C. Ryder worked the land, producing livestock, tobacco, hay and garden vegetables. Mrs. Tarwater has since died and currently her daughter Doris Tarwater Phelps and her husband William share the responsibility of operating the property.
Archie R. McMahan
Jack D. McMahan
Tommy W. McMahan
Born in
David married Mary Large and they had eleven
children. On the substantial
acreage, the family raised corn, wheat,
beef cattle, hogs, chickens, milk cows and sheep. Following Mary’s death, David married Sarah
Mitchell and they had one daughter, Nancy. The second generation to own the
property was T. Wilson “Wilse” McMahan, the seventh son of David and Mary. Wilse married twice but had no children. During his ownership the farm produced corn,
wheat, sugar cane, beef cattle, hogs, chickens, milk cows, sheep, horses and
mules.
Thomas Dearnold Wilson (T.D.W.)
McMahan, the grandson of the founder acquired the farm in June of 1883. He and
his wife, Melinda Trotter had nine children. They were Bertha Eileen, Willie
M., William McNulty, Olen Ernest, Nora Trotter, Walter Horace, Roy Maskell,
Stella Wilson and John Alvin. According to the family, T.D.W. constructed many
of the buildings that currently stand on the farm. In addition to his farming
duties, T.D.W. was instrumental in starting the first fair in
The fourth owner of the land was
Roy, son of T.D.W. and Melinda McMahan.
Ora Mae Fox was
In 1976, Fred Oliver McMahan
acquired the property. He and his wife, Archie Ray Dennis, had two children,
Jack Donald and Thomas “Tommy” Wilson McMahan.
While managing the farm, Fred and Archie were active in the community.
Fred served on the Agricultural Stabilization Conservation Service County
Committee for thirty years. He was on
the Soil Conservation Service Committee and was Trustee and Treasurer of
Richardson’s
In 1998, after Fred passed away,
Archie Ray and her sons became the owners of the farm. They continue to manage
and work the farm which produces hay, garden vegetables and beef cattle. Archie
Ray lives in the home built in 1915 by T. D. W. and his son Roy and which she
and Fred first moved into in 1968. The
white farm house is a landmark in
James Lee Fox
Twentieth century experiments with breeded swine and sheep took place on
the Glenview Farm, which is five miles southeast of Sevierville. Tilmon Fox
acquired 165 acres and established the Glenview Farm in 1860, on the eve of the
Civil War. Twelve years later, he purchased 146 additional acres and almost
doubled the size of the farm. Fox, married twice and the father of eight children,
produced the crops and livestock typical of his region. From 1886 to 1889, he
supplemented the farm’s income by serving as the postmaster of the Middle Creek
post office.
James Lee Fox inherited 123.5 acres from his father in
1910. A progressive farmer, James “introduced registered Berkshire hogs and
James and his wife Charlotte currently farm 126 acres and manage a dairy operation. They also raise feeder pigs and beef cattle. In 1983, their son James Lee Fox, III, became a partner in the farm’s affairs and today father and son work the land together.
Photo: The farm house on the Glenview Farm.
Sherill and Peggy
Headrick
Located eleven miles west of Pigeon Forge is the
Headrick’s Hereford Farm that was established in 1893 by Daniel E. Headrick.
Under his ownership, the farm produced cattle, hay and tobacco. Married to
Josephine Caylor Headrick, the couple had seven children.
As time moved on, three of their children
inherited the land. There names were Emeline Headrick, Nancy Headrick and
Clarence Headrick. Clarence married Nell Davenport Headrick and they had two
children, Sherill M. Headrick and Naomi Headrick Haynes. During the siblings
ownership, the
Today, the farm is owned by the grandchildren of the
founder, Sherill M. Headrick and Naomi Headrick Haynes. Currently, Sherill, his
wife Peggy and their three children live on the farm. Sherill continues to work
the land that mainly produces cattle and hay. According to the family, the most
interesting event that has happened on the farm was when the movie “Blaze” with
Paul Newman was filmed nearby and the farm’s barn was featured in the beginning
footage.
Beulah D. Linn
Pigeon Forge is now known throughout the world as a major
Henry Gobble, the second generation owner, continued to
farm and operate the blacksmith shop. Henry was a skilled carpenter and
increasingly spent his time constructing or repairing buildings throughout the
community. He built the pulpit, alter furniture and the windows of the
Henry and his wife Elizabeth J. raised six children.
Their daughter Carrie and her husband Andrew Householder inherited 161 acres of
the farm. Andrew, once a partner in the Pigeon Forge Mills, was a farmer and
rural mail carrier. In 1949, the family sold a portion of the farm for the
construction of the Pigeon Forge Golf Course. Five years later Beulah Duggan
Linn, the founders’ great great granddaughter, acquired eleven acres of the
family’s land. Linn, a retired school teacher, rents most of her land to Muncie
Ogle. She maintains her own vegetable garden, however, and lists tobacco, corn,
vegetables, apples and cherries as the farm’s agricultural products. While a
portion of an 1825 log barn remains in use, she notes that the tourist industry
has made its mark on the landscape. “When I moved to the farm in 1954,” Beulah
writes, “Pigeon Forge was a small, rural community. After Highway 441 was
constructed through the center of Pigeon Forge, the town rapidly turned into a
tourist center due to its proximity to
James F. Hatcher
The James F. Hatcher Farm is the second Century Farm to originate with the land settled by William and Polly Crowson Hatcher in 1793. Its history is the same as that of the Archie Hatcher Farm until the twentieth century. James F. Hatcher, a sixth generation farmer, acquired a portion of the original farm in 1940. He and his wife Nelle and their children raised corn, tobacco, potatoes, garden vegetables, and cattle for their own use. Nelle Hatcher continues to make her home on the Wear’s Valley farm.
Glenna McMahan Semmer
The McMahan Farm,
with buildings dating as early as the late 1700s, comprises one of the most
significant rural landscapes in
In 1886, his daughter Malinda C. Trotter and her husband T. D. W. McMahan
acquired 175 acres of the family land. T. D. W. McMahan was a prominent civic
and political leader in late-nineteenth century
From 1921 to 1924, title to the farm changed hands several times between the
sons and daughters of T. D. W. and Malinda Trotter, with O. E. McMahan and his
spouse Elizabeth Fox acquiring title to approximately 200 acres in November of
1924. A quarter of a century later, they sold 195 acres of their land to their son
Glenn and his wife Florita Butler. The McMahans were progressive farmers
during their ownership. A 1931 graduate
of the
Photo: Horse
and barn on the McMahan Farm.
Robert A. Murphy
The Murphy Farm is located 1 ½ miles east of Sevierville
and was founded by J. C. Murphy, Sr. in 1874. Along with his wife Polly Murphy,
the couple had seven children. On the farm, J. C. cultivated corn, wheat and
oats and raised cattle, horses, mules, poultry and hogs. In addition to
managing the farm, J. C. owned a general store in Sevierville and according to
the family he was the first to bring canning jars to
The next owners of the farm were the founders grandsons
Robert Alexander and Campbell Murphy. Robert wed Alice M. Murphy and they had
ten children. However,
Robert’s son, William Miles Murphy was the next owner of
the land. Under his ownership, William operated a very productive dairy operation
with a herd of 35-40 cows. In later years, he changed his herd to be all beef
cattle. During the late 1950s and early 1960s rock was again quarried from the
farm to make rock walls in the
In 1990, the great great grandson of the founder, Robert Alexander Murphy acquired the land. Today, Robert, his wife Karrie and their daughter Darla Ann Murphy live on the farm. Robert continues to work the land and raises hay and Angus cattle.
Robertson’s 1849 Rippling Water Farm
Ralph Robertson
Located near Sevierville is the Robertson’s 1849 Rippling Water
Farm that was founded by Dio Cleason Robertson.
Robertson was bonded to Robert Coleman of
The next owner of the land was Dio’s
son, Darius Luther Robertson, Sr., who acquired the property in 1874. He and his wife, Mary Jane Underwood, had
twelve children. After purchasing the land, Darius and Mary built a new home.
According the family, it was the first house built by Lewis Buckner, an African
American cabinet maker who built several more houses in the area. During their
ownership, the farm produced tobacco, corn, wheat, hogs, cattle, hay, and a
variety of food for the large family.
In 1924, the grandson of the
founder, Darius Luther Robertson, Jr. obtained the land. Married to Ethel Murphy Robertson and they
had eight children. By this time the
family had increased their land holdings to about 600 acres and the farm was
one of the largest in
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Today, Ralph Robertson is the owner
of the property. He and his wife Joyce taught school while also operating the
farm. Joyce taught in
Wayne Travis Hall
Located ten miles east of Gatlinburg is the Tanisi Mist
Farm that was established by John Stinnett in 1804. On 25 acres, John raised
cattle, corn, wheat and chestnut orchards. Married to Elizabeth Stinnett, the
couple had six children. Their son, Alexander Stinnett became the next
generation to own the land. According to the family, Alexander married a full
blooded Cherokee named Elmina Ball, who was a runaway from the Trail of Tears.
Alexander and Elmina had eleven children and they raised the same livestock and
crops as the founder. According to the family, the farm was named Tanisi
because it is the Cherokee term for
The third generation to own the farm was Alexander’s and
Elmina’s son, Jackson Stinnett and then was passed on to his son Andrew
Stinnett. As time moved on, the land was acquired by John R. Stinnett, the
great great grandson of the founder.
In
1974, the great great great granddaughter of the founder, Shirley Ann Hall and
her husband Wayne Travis Hall acquired the farm. Under their ownership, they
established an apple orchard. In addition, they built and restored many of the
older buildings on the farm. Today, Shirley and Wayne still own the property
and they raise apples and tobacco on the land.
Photo: Fall
landscape on the Tanisi Mist Farm.
Millard Tarwater
Ella Floyd Tarwater
The importance of religion in the everyday lives of
The Civil War, however, shattered the Tarwater’s
hard-working, pious world. According to family history, Confederate troops
robbed the family of food, livestock and money. The “family also suffered much
personal abuse” for their Union sympathies.
In 1907, Adam Harmon and Nancy Rule Tarwater acquired 110
acres of the farm. They and their six children continued operating the farm as
they had in the past. The Tarwaters were also members of the Methodist church.
Millard Tarwater, the founders’ grandson, inherited 100
acres in 1943 and farmed the land for the next three decades. As of 1976,
Tarwater still operated the farm, with the assistance of his wife Ella and the
family of his daughter Doris Tarwater Phelps. The crops they produced included
corn, hay, tobacco, potatoes and beef cattle. Mr. and Mrs. Tarwater have since
died and William and Doris Phelps now manage the land.
Emma Ruth Catlett
W. Stephen Catlett
Larry Curtis Catlett
Treaty Hill Farm is closely
associated with pre-statehood government.
Major Hugh Henry, who purchased acreage in what is now
The land was
passed down through the family and eventually was willed to William H. Catlett,
a fifth generation grandson in 1934. He married Emma R. Catlett and they had
two sons. In 1954, the family participated in the celebration of the signing of
the Dumplin Creek Treaty. At this time,
the Catlett’s deeded a small area of land for the state to place a historical
marker. In addition, the Catlett’s worked with the local church groups and
celebrated by serving chicken and dumplins. For the bicentennial of the Treaty
in 1984, Mrs. Catlett commissioned the production of a play which was enacted
by local residents for several performances. William Catlett’s grandfather,
Harvey Underwood, was the first postmaster of Kodak and is credited with naming
the community. The Catlett’s also
assisted with the centennial of Kodak in 1992 and the family continue to keep
and tell the history of the
When
William died in 1993, the land was willed to his widow, Emma R. Catlett. Today,
the farm operates as the Catlett Family Limited Partnership which includes sons
Stephen and Larry. They lease the
majority of the farm for hay, cattle, and horses.
Photo: This
barn on the Treat Hill Farm was built in the nineteenth century.