Plowshares and Swords: Tennessee Farm Families Tell Civil War Stories
During the Civil War, the “Hard Hand of War” fell on farm families across Tennessee. Plowshares and Swords: Tennessee Farm Families Tell Civil War Stories (2013) tells the compelling stories of farmers, Union and Confederate, who coped with the challenges and changes of wartime and afterwards. For 150 years, generations have preserved oral traditions, documents, photographs, buildings, and the places that tell about their ancestors–those who experienced the reality of the home front during the war and afterwards as rebuilding began, and those who were enslaved and then made the transition to freedom. Century Farms and other historic farms, listed in the National Register of Historic Places, were selected because of their accounts of survival during this period.
As of 2022, we have sold out of this limited-edition book, but copies are available from online used booksellers and at local libraries.
More than 100 farms from 56 counties are represented.
COUNTY
Anderson
Bedford
Bedford
Bedford
Benton
Benton
Bradley
Carroll
Cheatham
Coffee
Crockett
Crockett
Cumberland
Cumberland
Davidson
Decatur
Decatur
DeKalb
Dickson
Dickson
Dyer
Dyer
Dyer
Fayette
Fayette
Fayette
Fayette
Fentress
Gibson
Gibson
Giles
Giles
Giles
Grainger
Greene
Greene
Greene
Greene
Greene
Hamblen
Hamblen
Hardeman
Hawkins
Haywood
Haywood
Haywood
Henderson
Henry
Jefferson
Jefferson
Johnson
Knox
Lake
Lauderdale
Lauderdale
Lawrence
Lawrence
Lawrence
Lawrence
Lawrence
Loudon
Loudon
Loudon
Loudon
Macon
Madison
Marion
Marion
Maury
Monroe
Monroe
Montgomery
Montgomery
Obion
Obion
Obion
Obion
Overton
Overton
Perry
Perry
Putnam
Putnam
Putnam
Robertson
Robertson
Rutherford
Rutherford
Rutherford
Rutherford
Sevier
Sevier
Shelby
Smith
Smith
Stewart
Sumner
Tipton
Unicoi
Unicoi
Van Buren
Washington
Washington
Washington
Weakley
White
White
Williamson
Williamson
Williamson
Wilson
Wilson
FARM NAME
Lamar Farm
Meadow Dale Farm
Wooten-Kimbro Farm
Knight Farm (mentioned)
Cypress Creek Farm
E. A. Cuff Farm
Levi Trewhitt Farm
W.F. Collins Farm
Oakdale Farm (caption and photo)
Jacobs Farm
Mount Farm (caption and document)
Ball’s Farm
Hendrix Farm
John C. Kemmer Farm
Glen Leven Farm
Keeton Farm
Rhodes Farm
J. M. Bailiff Farm
Daniel’s Dairy Farm
Sanders Spring Forest Farm
Gauldin Farm
Light House Farm
Smith Farm
Hester Farm
Estanaula Oaks Farm
Hill Top Farm
Harvey Hill Farm
Cooper Farm (caption and photo)
Country Wood Farm
Holt Farm
Lairdland Farm
Matt Gardner Homestead
Crack Hill Farm (mentioned)
Massengill Farm
Still Hollow Farm
Fermanagh-Ross Farm
Easterly Farm
Elmwood Farm (caption and photo)
Jenny-Ben Farm
Shady Oaks Farm
Whitetown Acres Farm
Robertson Farm
Moore Farm
Nelson Bond’s Oakview Farm
Johnson Farm
Lagoon Plantation
Davis Farm
Edgman Farm
Fairview Farm
Newman Farm
Wagner-Worley Farm
Spring Meadow Farm
Joe Carter Farm (mentioned)
Austin Farm
Keller Homeplace Farm
Beuerlein Farm
Frank Niedergeses Farm
Gang Farm
Rocky Top Holstein Farm
Alexander Springs Farm
H.E.F. Blair and Sam Blair Farm
McQueen Farm
Alexander Farm
James Farm (caption and photo)
Burrow-Gregory Farm
Walnut Flat Farm
Teague Farm
Samuel Raulston Farm
Cleburne Jersey Farm
Fowler-Lenoir Farm
J & J Farm
Anderson Farm (caption and photo)
Allendale Farm
George Holman Farm (mentioned)
Joe Carter Farm (mentioned)
Foulks Farm (Hutchinson)
W.F. Pierce Farm
Officer Farm
Looper-Thompson Farm (caption and photo)
McDonald Craig Farm
Horner Farm
Hunter-Cove Farm
Isaac Huddleston Farm
Mansell Farm (caption and photo)
Sugartree Farm
Woodard Hall Farm
Elmwood Plantation
Butler Farm
Tony Angus Farm
Gordon Farm
Tarwater Farm
Brabson Ferry Farm
Barret Farm
Lancaster Farm
Cartwright-Russell Farm
Vaughan Farm
Drake Farm
Corona Farm
Bell Farm
Tilson Farm
Ward Farm (mentioned)
Lone Pine Farm
Michael Krouse Farm
Allison Farm
Dillard Brooks Farm
McPeak Farm
Dixie Farm (caption and photo)
Luster Farm
Skelley Farm
Maplewood Farm
Rising Sun Farm
Rice Farm (mentioned)
Barns of Tennessee
Whether built of stone, log, brick, or metal, barns have long been the heart and soul of Tennessee farms. Barns of Tennessee is a collection of photographs, along with many heartfelt stories from Tennesseans about their ancestors, families, and barns.
In the Summer 2007 issue of the Tennessee Century Farms Newsletter, Century Farmers were invited to submit photos for a forthcoming book on Tennessee’s barns. From across the state, readers of Tennessee Magazine, the popular monthly publication of the Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association (TECA) were also invited to send photos of barns. Over the next few months, more than 3500 photographs were submitted, many from Century Farm families. Barns of Tennessee, co-authored by Caneta Skelley Hankins and Michael Thomas Gavin, designed by the staff of Tennessee Magazine (including editor and photographer Robin Conover), and published by Donning Company Publishers, was released in 2009. Representing every county through more than 350 photographs, the book describes types and uses of barns and includes stories provided by the owners.
This delightful collection is now available. Click here to print an order form.
Tennessee Agriculture: A Century Farms Perspective
This work by Dr. Carroll Van West was published by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture and the Center for Historic Preservation in 1986. The book-length study includes descriptions of each farm and both color and black-and-white photographs.
Dr. West’s personal account of how the book came to fruition may be read at Southern Rambles, the blog of the Center for Historic Preservation.
Tennessee Agriculture: A Century Farms Perspective is available for purchase at Amazon.