For a brief historical sketch of each farm, click on the farm name.
Joe Ramsey Adams
For over 170 years, the Starkey-Adams family has
tilled the same 125 acres that comprise the Adams Century Farm. Isarah Starkey,
who homesteaded this land as early as 1808, acquired the title to 125 acres in
1816 and established the family farm, which is located eight miles west of
McMinnville. His son, Isaac Starkey, inherited the family farm later in the nineteenth
century. His wife was Cassandra Crowe and together they raised three children.
Little else is known about the early history of the farm.
In 1953, all of the founders’ initial 125 acres passed to his great great grandson, Joe Ramsey Adams. Over 30 years later, Joe continues the farm’s operations, harvesting fields of corn, wheat and beans. He also manages herds of swine and beef cattle.
Photo: Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Dodd and children pose in front of their house in Warren County. The prescence of two hired helpers, one standing on the porch and the other on the far left, inidicates their acceptance as a part of the family.
Edwin and
Between 1838 and 1839, the federal government forcibly
removed thousands of Cherokee Indians from their homelands in East Tennessee,
In 1833, Miles Chastain purchased 74 acres from his
father and became the farm’s second owner. Five years after beginning his farm,
Miles witnessed the “Trail of Tears” of the Cherokee Indians as they were force
to leave East Tennessee and march westward toward
Miles Thomas Chastain, the founders’ grandson, acquired
over 100 acres of the farm between 1872 and 1877. Miles Thomas and his brother kept
the family’s cider mill in operation and also “ran a small saw mill.” Miles’
wife, Mary Rice, served as a mid-wife to the communities of Shellsford and
In 1921, Miles Thomas Chastain, Jr., acquired his first
tract of family land and by 1958, he owned 193. 5 acres of the farm. Married to
Matilda Smoot, Miles held several public offices, including school board
chairman and county highway superintendent. He also modernized the farm’s
operations, transforming the place into one of the area’s most progressive
farms. Tobacco, corn, sugar cane, wheat and honey were the farm’s basic
commodities. In the 1920s, Miles purchased five Holstein heifers from
In 1950,
Wilma C. Davenport
John Burl Davenport and Elizabeth DeBerry married about 1838 in
In 1886, the land was acquired by
John Burl’s brother, Edmond Davenport. On 218 acres, he raised corn, hay, hogs,
cattle, cotton, fruit and a variety of vegetables.
Two years after
In 1939, Alton Hill Davenport became
the fifth generation to own the land. Under his ownership,
Photo: Wilma Davenport, present owner of the Davenport Century Farm.
William C. Moffitt
Located three miles east of
Stephen
C. Stubblefield
Among the oldest and best-documented family farms in Warren
County, Stubblefield Farms originated with William Stubblefield, who purchased
275 acres of land north of Viola in 1814 from Elijah Chisholm, a Revolutionary
War Veteran who was granted lands in Warren and White Counties in 1809.
On his farm, Stubblefield grew variety of crops and raised
livestock, including horses. Family history records that William’s father,
Robert Loxley Stubblefield of Hawkins County, gave him “a valuable stud horse
which he chose instead of land,” presumably choosing to move west rather than
remain in upper-east Tennessee. Subsequently, William, whose wife was Wilmuth
Bond, bequeathed a horse to each of their 11 children.
Between 1848 and 1850, William and
Wilmuth’s son, Robert Locksley “Lock” Stubblefield, traveled to Nashville to
hire a schoolteacher for the community. Mary Jane Catherine Stout, who
graduated from the Nashville Female Academy in 1847, returned to take the post,
and married Lock in 1851.
In 1853, Lock opened a general merchandise store and served as
postmaster for the post office located in his store. Local history records
indicated that it was during this period that the community was officially
named Viola for the Shakespearean character in “Twelfth Night.”
In 1890, as Lock’s health
deteriorated, his son, James Robert “J. R.” Stubblefield, left his position as
a schoolteacher to manage the family farm. He and his father agreed that J. R.
was to get 44 acres on which to build a house for himself and his wife, Sallie
Campbell, as well as half the proceeds of the farm and possession of the entire
farm upon Lock’s death, which occurred in 1909.
After she was widowed, Mary moved in with J. R. and Sallie, living
with them until age 96. Her burial in
1926 was the last one in the cemetery on the farm, where William, Wilmuth, Lock
and other family members and slaves are buried.
In the late 1920s, J. R., who was also a preacher, helped his
brother George borrow money to buy cattle for his farm. Once the Depression
hit, George lost his farm and J. R. was close to losing his as well, but his
two oldest sons, Royce and Herman, paid the mortgage to keep the farm in the
family. Royce bought 127 acres of the farm and, along with his second wife,
Ruth Givens, continued to work the farm and host family gatherings at Christmas
and the Fourth of July.
An efficient farmer, Royce raised wheat, corn, hay, cattle, hogs
and chickens. He plowed with a team of mules that, according to family members’
recollections, also gave rides to the children. He and Ruth worked together on
chores and had an enviable vegetable garden each year, as well as a large
vineyard, orchards and nut trees.
Royce died in 1983, leaving the farm to Ruth, who retained
ownership until 1991 when Royce’s nephew, Charles Stubblefield purchased the
land. Charles was the great-great-grandson of William and Wilmuth Stubblefield.
After Charles’ death in 2009, his wife Carolyn retained the
127-acres farm that currently yields soybeans and corn. Carolyn has compiled an
impressive family history, with many stories and recollections of each
generation and prepared the Century Farm application.
Herman, who also helped to pay the
farm’s mortgage, continued to farm his 109 acres. He attended Todd Academy in
Viola and was a mechanic who studied at the Automobile Training School in
Kansas City, Mo. In 1919, Herman married Mamie Hall. The couple and their six
children worked hard on and off the farm, with each child attending college.
When Herman could no longer work the farm, his grandson, Stephen
Stubblefield, moved to the farm with his wife, Jill, to manage the farm. After
Herman’s death, the land went to his six children, all of whom later sold their
shares to Steve.
Today, Steve is the Warren County executive director for Farm
Services Agency and Jill is a kindergarten teacher.