Knight Farm
James Walton Knight and Mary Knight
Located about three miles north of Bell Buckle on Happy Valley Road is the Knight Farm. On January 12, 1863, Robert Walton Beachboard and his wife Elizabeth Arnold Beachboard, acquired 147.5 acres of land in Bedford County. The farm raised cattle, hogs, sheep, corn, and hay.
During the Civil War, the skirmish of Liberty Gap was fought partially on the farm. According to tradition, some Confederate soldiers were buried in the family cemetery on the farm’s property.
The next owner of the farm was Robert’s son, Oscar Walton Beachboard. Along with his wife, Dera Lynch, and their four children, they raised the same livestock and crops that the founder did. In 1906, Robert and Dera experienced a tragic loss when their son, Leslie died.
During the 1940s, the farmland, like many other farmlands in Middle Tennessee, was used by the United States Army for training maneuvers. In 1954, at the death of Oscar Walton, the farm was willed to his three daughters, Lucille, Katherine and Josephine.
In 1991, the great grandson of the founder and the son of Josephine, James Walton Knight, acquired the farm. Today, the family raises cattle and hay and is farmed by Lessee Whitlee.