History of Davidson County, Tennessee
with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Its Prominent Men and Pioneers
by Prof. W. W. Clayton
J. W. Lewis & Co., Philadelphia
1880
 |
| 1880 Map, Clayton's History of Davidson County. |
CIVIL DISTRICTS OF DAVIDSON COUNTY.
On the 3d of October, 1859, upon motion of W. P. Massey, Esq., the judge
of the County Court appointed C. W. Nance, William H. Hagans, and John
M. Joslin commissioners to redistrict the county into twenty-five
districts, the city of Nashville being the First District. The
committee reported at the January term of court, 1860, and their report,
which was ordered published in pamphlet form for distribution
throughout the county, set forth the boundaries of the districts under
the following preamble:
We have availed ourselves of every opportunity to acquaint ourselves
with the size, shape, and boundaries of the old districts, as well as
the population in each; and we have also endeavored to ascertain the
views and wishes of many of the citizens in various portions of the
county in relation to the duties assigned us, in order to shape the new
districts to the greatest advantage of the voting population of the
whole county, and we submit to you the result of our deliberations and
investigations.
DISTRICT NUMBER ONE.
District Number One was made to include the entire corporate limits of
the city of Nashville. Voting precincts were established in eight
wards, and have since been erected as the wards have been increased in
number.
DISTRICT NUMBER TWO.
District Number Two was formed from old District Number Two, beginning
at the intersection of the Mill Creek turnpike with Mill Creek, and
running with the Murfreesboro' turnpike-road to the Franklin College and
Stone's River turnpike-road then with said Franklin College and Stone's
River road to Hamilton's Creek ; thence down Hamilton's Creek to
Stone's River; thence down Stone's River to Cumberland River; thence
down Cumberland River to the mouth of Mill Creek; and thence up Mill
Creek to the beginning. The place of voting was fixed at Spring Place.
At McWhortersville, which is the chief settlement and place of business,
there are three stores, kept by A. S. Edwards, E. B. Graves, and J. L.
Dortch; a grist-mill and cotton-gin combined, both erected in 1878, and
owned by M. M. Leek, three blacksmith-shops, one woodworking. shop, and
at the toll-gate the Donelson post-office, of which D. Stevenson is
postmaster. There are two resident physicians, Drs. Boyd and
Whitwortb, a Methodist Episcopal Church, a Christian Church, and thirty
dwellings. McCrory's Creek Baptist Church is three and a half miles
south of McWhortersville, and in the south part of the district is the
old Franklin College.
The oldest resident of the district is Osworth Newby. M. M. Ridley is
one of the oldest residents, and Jeremiah Bowen, Esq., is a
representative of one of the earliest families.
Franklin College was built mainly through the efforts of Elder Talbot
Fanning. The building were commenced in 1843 and completed in 1844. In
October of that year he was elected president. On his resignation, in
1861, Professor William D. Carnes became president. The college was
suspended soon after, and remained idle until after the declaration of
peace. It was again opened, but soon after the building were burned and
its existence ceased.
Hope Institute was then opened by Elder Fanning as a female college, and continued by him until his death, in 1874.
On the adoption of the new constitution the first justices were
appointed in May, 1836. John H. Clopton and William G. M. Campbell were
then appointed for this town, to serve for the term of six years.
Robert Weakley, afterwards prominent in Nashville, is credited to this
district on the county records for 1791. The following named persons
were assessed for lands owned in this district in 1816: John Blair,
James, John, and Thomas Buchanan, William, Chris., James, and John
Carter, D. Cross, William Donelson, "where he lives," Richard Drury,
William Dickson, William Ewing, Thomas H. Everett, William Gowen, Nancy
Green, William Harwood, George and Nicholas P. Hartman, John Johnson,
Jr., Thos. Jones, Peter Lastly, Guy McFadden, William Matlock, John
Moore, William Nance and Harris 0glevie, Daniel Vaulx, William Wharton,
Daniel Woodard, Philip Wolf, William Waldron, Henry White, Jr., Peter
Wright, Martha Turner.
The Naturalist, an educational and agricultural journal of merit, was
published and printed at Franklin College, in this district, during the
year 1848. It was a forty-eight page monthly magazine, at two dollars a
year, and was edited by Rev. T. Fanning, Isaac Newton Loomis, John
Eichbaum, and J. Smith Fowler.
The district contains two post-offices, Donelson and Glen Cliff. The
old "Mud Tavern," in the western part, six miles from the city of
Nashville, is a point of interest as a resort of early days. The Second
District is the Second School District of the county. It contains a
school population of six hundred and fifty-seven children, and has bad
six schools during the last year, of which four were white and two
colored. There were two hundred and twelve white and one hundred and
fifty-four colored pupils enrolled. There are six schoolhouses in the
district. The school directors are Dr. James Evans, Sidney Zucarillo,
and Mr. Page.
DISTRICT NUMBER THREE.
District Number Three was the original district of that number. Its
boundary-line begins at the mouth of Hamilton's Creek and follows up
Stone's River to the Rutherford county-line; thence with the county-line
to where the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad crosses Hurricane Creek
; thence down said railroad to the crossing of the Franklin and Lebanon
road at the Mount View Station thence along the said road to the
Murfreesboro' turnpike; thence along the Murfreesboro' turnpike to
Hamilton's Creek; and thence down Hamilton's Creek to the begining. The
polling-place was changed from Hutchinson's Springs to Smith's Springs
in July, 1859.
Chrlton's church is in the north part, near Stone's River, and Burnett's
chapel, more recently known as Charlton's chapel, in the east part,
near Hurricane Creek, is the oldest church in the district. These
points were centres around which clustered the dwellings of some of the
earlier pioneers. Mount View Church is a union house, occupied by
Baptists and Cumberland Presbyterians, on the Murfreesboro' turnpike.
Smith's Springs, near the centre, became the central point for
gatherings after the war, and a Baptist church was erected there.
Among the early families in the district were those of Ed. Beard and Dennis McClendon, father of the present T. J. McClendon.
The post-office is at Couchville, where there are two stores ;
William Wright is merchant and postmaster. Ephraim McLane was a justice
of the peace in the Third District in 1791. He was one of the leading
citizens of the county for many years. Edward H. East and John
Vandevill were afterwards prominent citizens. The fol1owing named were
assessed for taxes in this district in 1816: Cary Felts, D. J. Fish,
Jesse Fly, James Hailey, Dennis McClendon, Stephen Roach, Willid L.
Shumate, Henry Seat, Joseph Smith, James Vaulx, Isaac and James Wright,
Rachel Williams, Edmond Collinsworth.
This is the Third School District, It contains a school population of
six hundred and fifty-seven. In the year 1878-79 there were held three
white schools, in which were enrolled one hundred and eighty-six pupils,
and one colored school of forty-two pupils. L. A. B. Williams, S. Y.
Norvell, and S. B. McClendon are the school directors for 1880. There
are four school-houses within the district.
DISTRICT NUMBER FOUR.
District number Four, with District Number Sixteen, comprises the
territory of the old Fourth District. Its boundary-line begins at
Stewart's Ferry on Stone's River, and runs easterly with the old Lebanon
road to Thomas B. Page's line; thence north, east, and south, so as to
leave, out the house of Thomas B. Page and to intersect the Old Lebanon
road above said house; thence with said road, and passing at New Hope to
J. H. Hagan's burnt mill; thence east to the Wilson county-line; thence
northerly with the county-line to Cumberland River; thence down the
river to the mouth of Stone's River; thence up Stone's River to the
place of beginning, April 2, 1860, on motion of H. Hagan, the line was so changed as to run
from Stuart's Ferry with the Old Lebanon road, passing New Hope to
Hagan's burnt mill.
Jan. 8, 1861, it was ordered by the court that the dividing-line between
this and District Number Sixteen be so changed as to run from "the
point where it digresses" at Thomas B. Page's, north of the residence of
Elizabeth Hunt, and to extend thence to New Hope church. The place of
holding elections was fixed at Mrs. Creel's in January, 1860.
There are two churches in this district,-viz., the Hermitage church, on
the Lebanon turnpike, near its centre, and New Hope church, two miles
east of the Hermitage station.
The "Hermitage," the most historic place in the district, is represented
by an engraving and description in another part of this work. It
contains the only post-office of the district, and is the point of chief
interest within the county outside of Nashville.
James Ford was captain of the militia of this district in 1784. Col.
Samuel Barton was life justice of the peace for this district in 1791,
and was then "classed" for the third term of court. John A. Shute and
John McNeill were early and prominent citizens of the district.
The following-named persons paid taxes on lands lying within the limits
of the present
district in 1816: David Abernethy, John Anderson, Anthony Clopton,
Joseph Cook, N. Drew, David and Thomas Edmiston, Edward East, Jeremiah
Ezell, John B. and Charles M. Hall, John
Hoggatt, William Huggins, Stockley D. and Jane Hays, John and P. H.
Jones, James Lee, James McFerrin, Zachariah Noel, Francis Sanders, John
Tait, Sr., Spencer Payne.
This is the Fourth School District of the county. it contains seven
schoolhouses and maintains seven schools, four white and three colored.
There were two hundred white and one hundred colored pupils enrolled
for the year 1878-79. The scholastic population in 1880 is six hundred
and sixty-five. T. 0. Trainer, A. S. Hays, and M. T. Brooks are school
directors.
New Hope Church, in this district, was organized as a missionary
Baptist Church at the Cedar Glade school-house, in 1846, by Elders Peter
and Thomas Fuqua. It then consisted of thirty members. Elder Peter
Fuqua was pastor from the time of organization until his death, in 1863,
and was succeeded by Elder G. W. Hagar, whose pastorate continued till
1879, when the present pastor, Elder John T. Oakley, assumed charge.
John Cook and Thomas Wright were the first deacons, and their successors
have been W. H. Wright, L. Ellis, Robert Gleaves, J. J. Ellis, William
G. Sweeney, G. W. Sweeney, and B. McFale.
Soon after the organization the church built a respectable log
meeting-house a little east of the schoolhouse above mentioned, in which
they worshipped till the building was burned, in 1871. The neat brick
church now occupied on the Central turnpike, two miles east of the
Hermitage Station, was built after the fire. The church has had in all
since its organization four hundred and sixty members. The present
number is two hundred and two.
DISTRICT NUMBER FIVE.
District Number Five, which comprises the original district, was bounded
by a line beginning at the crossing of Murfreesboro' pike and Mill
Creek, and running thence up Mill Creek to Antioch church ; thence with
the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad to the Franklin and Lebanon road
at Mount View Station; thence with said road to the Murfreesboro'
turnpike; thence down the turnpike to Hamilton's Creek; thence down
Hamilton's Creek to the crossing
of the same by the Franklin College and Stone's River turnpike; thence
down that road to the Murfreesboro' turnpike, and down the Murfreesboro'
turnpike to the place of' beginning. Harris' Place was made the voting
precinct Antioch Baptist church, in the southern part, on the
line of the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad, near Olneyville
post-office, was one of the first churches in that part of the county.
It is still existing under its original faith. Hamilton church, in the
east part, on the Murfreesboro' turnpike, and Locust Grove, a e also
both in this-district.
Rosedale post-office is within this district, at the grocery of
David Harrison, who is postmaster. Olneyville post-office was first
established, and is the earliest point of settlement. Elijah Robertson
represented this district as justice in 1791. Thomas S. King and
Herbert Towns, a life-member of the old court, were prominent citizens
in early days. Mr. Towns, who was appointed a justice in 1824, is still
living, and is at the present time one of the most active and
intelligent magistrates of the county. He has been constantly under
commission as a justice since his first appointment. In 1810 the
following-named persons were assessed for taxes on lands now in this
district: Samuel and John Bell, William "Bebby," Henry and Joseph
Burnett, Edward Bryant, Thomas Edmonson, Henry Guthrey, Jeremiah
Grezzard, James Glasgow, John Gowen, James Linch, Enoch Oliver, Edmund
Owen, Francis Sanders, Richard Smith, Samuel Scott, Cornelius and
Christopher Waggoner, "Mrs. Widow" Wilcox, Henry White.
The Tennessee Asylum for the Insane is in the east part of the
district, on the Murfreesboro' pike. Its grounds, nearly a mile square,
are finely located, and their appearance adds much to the reputation of
the district.
This is the Fifth School District of the county. There are here
five school-houses, in which were kept four white schools with an
enrollment of two hundred and fifty-four pupils for the year 1878-79,
and one colored school in which sixty pupils were enrolled for the same
year. There are now five hundred and thirty-six persons of school age
living in the district. E. G. Rowe, A. J. Roper, and Benjamin
Turberville are school directors for 1880. The district has five
schoolhouses.
DISTRICT NUMBER SIX.
District Number Six, the original district of that number, is bounded by
a line beginning at
the southeastern corner of Davidson County near Gooche's, and running
northward with the Rutherford county-line to the Nashville and
Chattanooga Railroad; thence northward down said railroad to Mill Creek
at Antioch Church; thence up Mill Creek to the Williamson county-line;
and thence eastward with the county-line to the beginning. The polling
place was fixed at Cane Ridge, which is near the centre of the district,
and the location of a church of that name.
Robert Clark, who was for thirteen months held as a prisoner by the
Indians, was an inhabitant of this district. Mr. Clark, who was
afterwards long and well known, was ransomed by an exchange of Indian
prisoners and ponies.
Benajah Gray was an early citizen, and a life-member of the Notables' Court.
James Mears was magistrate in 1791; William H. Hagans and James
Chilcutt were early citizens. The following persons were tax-payers in
what is now included in this district in 1816: Isaac Battle, John Barr,
James Campbell, Thomas Chilcutt, William Gibson, Benajah Gray, Isaac
Johnson, Ralph McFadden, John McFarlin, Robert Orr, Godfrey Shelton,
Hartwell Seat, John Smith, Robert Thompson, Nelson White, James
Whitsett, James Weatherall, Daniel Young,
In the school organization this became the Sixth School District of
the county. It contains four schoolhouses, in which were taught, in the
year 1878-79, three white schools of one hundred and fifty-one pupils
in all, and one colored school with sixty-seven pupils. The scholastic
population for 1880 is four hundred and nine. B. Gray, T. K. Griggs,
and S. H. Culbertson are the present school directors.
DISTRICT NUMBER SEVEN.
District Number Seven was the same previous to 1859. Its
boundary-line begins at the crossing of the Nolensville turnpike-road
and Mill Creek, near Holt's or Hampton's Mill, and runs down Mill Creek
to the mouth of its west fork at Thompson's saw-mill thence up the west
fork to the Nolensville turnpike-road thence southeast along said
turnpike-road to the place of beginning. Dunn's schoolhouse was made
the voting precinct. Gethsemane church is at Baker's or Smithville,
near Mill Creek. This is one of the earliest churches, and belonged to
the old Mero Association.
Paragon Mills, the post-office, was recently established in place of
two others, Carter's and Lime-works, closed in 1879. James Mulherrin,
Enoch Ensley, and John B. Hodges were among the early residents, and
were all magistrates of the old Notables' Court.
The following persons were assessed for taxes in this district in
1816: Charles Crutchfield, Aquila Carmack, Robert C. Foster, Jacob
Marvis, Jesse W. Thomas, Susannah Windle.
This was made School District Number Seven at its organization for
school purposes. Two white schools and one colored one are maintained
here, each of which has schoolhouses. The enrollment in the year
1878-79 was, white, one hundred and forty-one; colored, sixty. The
school population for 1880 was four hundred and twenty. William T.
Robinson, William McPherson, and Anderson Peebles are school directors.
DISTRICT NUMBER EIGHT.
District Number Eight, one of the original districts, is bounded by a
line which begins where
the Franklin turnpike crosses the Williamson county-line, and runs
eastward with the county line to Mill Creek; thence down Mill Creek to
the Nolensville turnpike; thence northward along said road to the
crossing of Lee Shute's spring-branch; thence up said spring-branch to
the old mill; thence westward with the old line between the dwellings of
John Overton and John Cunningham to the Franklin turnpike; and thence
southward with the Franklin turnpike to the place of beginning. Owen's
store was selected as the place for holding elections.
There are churches at Mount Pisgah, in the southeast part; one in
the centre, known as St. James; and in the north part of the district is
Thompson's Church, on the Hollandville road. Edwin Hickman lived here
in 1791. William Owen and John Hogan were early settlers.
In 1816 the assessment roll contained the names of the following
persons, who were assessed for taxes in what is now the Eighth District:
Nathan Gatlin, Henry Hide, Daniel and John Hogan, S. Shute, J.
Cunningham.
This is the Eighth School District, and has a scholastic population
numbering four hundred and forty-six. It contains five schoolhouses, in
which were taught, in the year 1878-79, three white and two colored
schools, with an enrollment of one hundred and forty-four white and one
hundred and sixteen colored pupils. These schools are under the
supervision of P. A. Smith, W. R. Rains, and William Holt, Esq., school
directors for the district.
DISTRICT NUMBER NINE.
District Number Nine was slightly changed from its original bounds by
the redistricting of
1859. The line then established began at the crossing of the
Nolensville turn-pike over Lee Shute's spring-branch, and ran up the
branch to the old mill; thence westward with the old line running
between the dwellings of John Overton and John Cunningham to the
Franklin turnpike; thence northward along that road to the
corporation-line of Nashville; thence followed around with the
corporation-line to the Murfreesboro' turn-pike thence with the
Murfreesboro' turnpike southeast to Mill Creek; thence up Mill Creek to
the mouth of West Fork at Thompson's saw-mill; thence up said West Fork
to the Nolensville turnpike; and thence along that turnpike northwest to
the beginning. Flat Rock schoolhouse was selected as the voting
precinct.
Whitsitt Baptist church is in the northeast part, near the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad.
A store is kept on the old grocery stand of years ago by Charles Warren.
Among the earliest residents of the district was Pierce Waller; John
Cortwell and John Hathaway were old settlers. Both were early justices
of the peace, and highly respected. Joel Rice was another early
settler, and can be traced back to 1790 in this district. He has
numerous descendants of the name in the county. In 1816 there were the
following persons assessed for lands in what is included in the present
district: John Blair, Adam Carper, Thomas Collins, L. Corbit, Thomas
Crutcher, George M. Deaderick, Nathan Ewing.
This is the Ninth School District. It contained in 1880 seven
hundred and twenty-four residents of legal school age. Two white
schools were kept in 187S-79, with an enrolled attendance of
seventy-seven pupils, and two colored schools in which one hundred and
forty-nine pupils were enrolled. There are four schoolhouses. James T.
Patterson, L. D Gower, Jr., and A. H. Johnson were school directors for
1880.
DISTRICT NUMBER TEN.
District Number Ten was slightly diminished in size in 1859, and a part
was annexed to Nashville. The boundary-line begins at the crossing of
Cedar Street with the west boundary of the corporation of Nashville, and
runs westward with Cedar Street and the Charlotte turnpike-road to
Richland Creek; thence up Richland Creek with the old district-line to
the old line of District Number Eleven, near Frank McGavock's; thence
eastward with the old line to the Franklin turnpike-road between Joseph
Vaulx and John Thompson thence with the Franklin turnpike northward with
the corporation of Nashville; and thence around with the several
meanders of the corporation-line to the place of beginning. Dana's
grocery was made the voting precinct.
"Old Church" is in the south part, south of the Tennessee fairground.
John McRobertson and Joshua McIntosh were among the earliest
prominent men of the district. They were both magistrates as late as
1836, and were prominent in the affairs of' the district and county.
Among its natural resources are valuable quarries of Beasley limestone,
which is being
rapidly developed as an ornamental building-stone, and also used in the
industrial arts for
various purposes to which a fine working stone is adapted. James Ross
was justice of the peace for this district in 1791. The following
persons were assessed within the limits of this district in 1816:
Alexander Craig, J. H. Currv, F. McGavock.
The Tennessee fair-grounds are in the north part, between the
Richland pike and the railroad.
District Number Ten was organized entire under the free school law as
the school-district of
that number, and so continued until April, 1880, when a part of the
civil district was annexed to the city of Nashville. It contained. in
1878-79, two graded schools, three ordinary white schools, numbering two
hundred and nineteen enrolled pupils, and two colored schools, with an
enrollment of one hundred and eighty-three. The school population of
the entire district, previous to the annexation in 1880, was fourteen
hundred and twenty-seven. The district then contained seven
schoolhouses. The school directors are D. A. McGredy, living in the
remaining Tenth District, and T. D. Flippin and T. J. Keeton, in the
portion recently annexed.
DISTRICT NUMBER ELEVEN.
District Number Eleven is an original district. Its boundaries were
fixed in 1859 by a line
which begins where the Franklin road crosses the Williamson county-line
at Brentwood, and runs westward with said line to the old road called
the Lower Franklin road, or Natchez Tract; thence with said old road
northwest to the gap on Scuggs' or John's land, where the Nashville and
Northwestern Railroad passes from the waters of Richland Creek to
Harpeth Waters; thence northwest with the dividing ridge to the top of
the hill above the second gate on the Hardin or Richland turnpike-road
above Maj. Graliam's; thence northeast along the Richland turnpike to
the old line of District Number Ten, near Frank McGavock's; thence
eastward with said old line to the Franklin turnpike, between John
Thompson's and Joseph Vaulx's; and thence with Franklin turnpike
southward to the place of beginning. The voting-place was located at
Barnes'.
This district is so surrounded by churches as to have need none of
its own. Among its early men were Robert Bradford, Esq., who was
prominent about 1825, and Mr. Philip Shute, one of the early justices
of the peace for the district.
Quarries of Beasley limestone, which abound in this district, have
been slightly worked, and many of the finest buildings in Nashville are
ornamented by fronts of this material. Prominent among these is the
Methodist Publishing House, built in 1873.
The following-named persons were assessed for taxes in this district in
1816: Henry Barnes, William Banks, Joseph Coldwell, William Goodloe,
William Goode, Thomas Harding F. B. Sappington.
This was made the Eleventh School District. It has three schoolhouses,
and sustains four schools, two white, with seventy-three enrolled, and
two colored, with ninety-three enrolled. The school population of the
district is five hundred and forty-six. The directors for 1879-80 are
George Mayfield, C. B. Chickering, and M. C. Carpenter.
In this district lived man years ago "Granny White," a respected and
famous old lady, who kept the only house of entertainment between
Nashville and Franklin, a noted place in the early settlement of the
country; the friend of Thomas H. Benton, to whom he several times
alluded in his speeches in the Senate.
This place, as well as the adjoining place, on which Thomas H. Benton lived, is now owned by Hon. John M. Lea.
DISTRICT NUMBER TWELVE.
A small piece was taken from District Number Twelve, on the
redistricting of the county in I859, and joined to District Number
Twenty-five. The boundaries were then made as follows: Beginning on the
south bank of Cumberland River, where the east boundary of the land
purchased by Mark R. Cockerill, of Dr. Hudson, strikes said river, and
running thence south with the line of that land to the Charlotte
turnpike-road, along said road westward to Richland Creek, up Richland
Creek to the Hardin, or Richland turnpike road; thence with that road to
the top of the ridge, above the second toll-gate on that road; thence
with the dividing, and old district-line northwestward to the Charlotte
turnpike-road, between F. P. Sullivan's and Davidson's toll-gate; thence
with the Charlotte road westward to the Cheatham county-line, near
Stranger's; thence north with the county-line to the fork of the creek
Samuel Garland lives on, near Joseph Russell's; thence up the creek to
the old bridge on Pond Creek road; thence with that road to the dividing
ridge between Jordan Abernathy and the old McBride place; thence east
with the meanders of said ridge to the old Smith and Nicholson line;
thence east with said line to the Cumberland River thence up said river
to the place of beginning. Hillsboro' was made the voting precinct of
the district.
Near the centre, south of Bell's Bend, is Gower's chapel.
William E. Watkins was an early settler and justice of the peace.
Samuel B. Davidson was one of the most prominent early citizens of the
district, and is still remembered as a man of leading qualities. Thomas
Molloy was an early settler, coming as early as 1792.
The following-named persons were assessed for taxes in what is now
District Number Twelve in 1816: Daniel A. Dunham, James Donnelly, Thomas
Dillahunty, Thomas Finney and heirs, William Gower, Martin Greer,
Robert Hewitt, John and Giles Harding, Ezekiel Inman, John Larkin, Sr.,
John McGough, James McNeely, William Northern, Philip Pipkin, John Pugh,
Robert Thomas, Johnston Vaughan, Joseph Erwin.
This, one of the original school districts, has four schoolhouses, and
sustains four white schools and one colored one. The enrolled
attendance is, white, one hundred and sixty-eight; colored, fifty-six.
The school population for the year 1879-80 was four hundred and nine.
L. D. Gower, H. C. Davidson, and Z. T. Jordan are district school
directors.
DISTRICT NUMBER THIRTEEN.
The line of this district, established by the commissioners in 1859,
begins at the crossings of Cedar Street, with the west boundary of the
corporation of Nashville, and runs out with Cedar Street and Charlotte
turnpike-road to Mark Cockrill's (southeast corner of his Hudson tract
of land), and thence north with his east boundary of that land to
Cumberland River; thence up Cumberland River to the corporation-line of
Nashville, and thence around with the corporation-line to the place of
beginning. The voting precinct was, established at Biddle's shop.
Among the prominent and early residents of the district might be
mentioned William Shelton, Elijah Nicholson, and John Donelson, who
lived here in 1792. John Walker, an early settler, was assessed for
taxes here in 1816.
The popular race-grounds of the Nashville Blood Horse Association are in
this district, adjoining Burns' Island, on the Cumberland River.
School District Number Thirteen includes the whole district, and
contained, in 1880, two thousand three hundred and forty-six resident
school-children. There are three graded schools in the district, one of
which is for colored pupils. Seven white and six colored teachers are
employed in these. There are besides two white common schools. The
number of pupils enrolled is, white, four hundred and fifty-seven;
colored, five hundred and one. There are five
school-houses in the district. The school directors for the year
ending in 1880 were John Leonard, J H. Burns, and M. McDonald.
DISTRICT NUMBER FOURTEEN.
District Number Fourteen was formed in 1859, to include all that
remained in Davidson County of the original Fourteenth and Fifteenth
Districts, and was bounded as follows: Beginning on the Williamson
county-line, where the Lower Franklin or Natchez Trace-road crosses that
line, and Tuns westward with the county-line to the Cheatham
county-line, on the waters of South Harpeth thence northward with that
line to the Charlotte road, near the Strange place; thence eastward with
the Charlotte road and the line of the Twelfth District to a point
between Davidson's toll-gate and F. P. Sullivan's; thence with the
dividing ridge southward to the Richland turnpike above the second
toll-gate, and continuing with the dividing ridge to where the Nashville
and Northwestern Railroad passes through a gap of that ridge; thence
with the Lower Franklin or Old Natchez Trace-road to the place of
beginning. Greer's shop was fixed upon as the polling-place for the
district.
There is a Christian church in the south corner on Harpeth River,
Pleasant Grove church on Richland pike, Providence Church at Reynolds'
mill, and Liberty Grove church near Newsom's Station, on Buffalo Creek,
where there is also a post-office. News Station and Belle View
post-offices are both in this district.
Among the early men of prominence were John Davis and Martin Forehand.
In 1791, Robert Edmondson was a prominent man, and magistrate for the
district. There were taxed in 1816, within the limits of this district
and west of the Harpeth River, the following-named persons : Thomas and
Zachariah Allen, James and Hugh Allison, Andrew Boyd, Newsom Barham,
Samuel Bryan, L, Barter, James Bird, Moses and Lewis Balding (win ?),
Jeremiah Baxter, Leonard Burnett, Samuel Carroll, Benjamin Cox, Andrew
Caldwell, W. Champ, Henry and Huston Cooper, John E. Clark, John Connor,
William, James, and Silas Dillahunty, John, Thomas, Henry, and Lewis
Demoss, Samuel Dennis, Ezekiel Douglass, Lewis Dunn, William and
Jeremiah Ellis, Newton and Levin Edney, Robert and William B. Evans,
John and Arthur Exum, T. Fulgin, Aaron Franklin, William Fassell,
William Fowler, John Goodwin, Isaac, Greenbury, and George Greer, James
and Anthony Gillum, John D. Garrett, Elisha Garland, William Henry, John
Herbison, Francis and John Hartgraves, John Harwood, George and Jep.
Hooper, James, Francis, and George Hodge John Hannah, William Harris,
John Johns, Dempsey, John, Jarvis, and Isaac Jones, John and Daniel
Joslin, Thomas M. Jefferson, Jonathan Johnson, Robert Kennedy, Sr.,
Moses Knight, David Keen, Obedience Lewis, George Lile, Thomas Levi,
Henry McIlwain, Edward Mobley, Rencher McDaniel, William, Francis,
Balam, Eldridge, and Nicholas Newsom, William Nelson, Butler and Corbin
Noles, R. C. Napier, Benjamin Pritchard, R. Phipps, George Pierce,
Benjamin Pack, James Richison, William Reach, William George, and James
Reeves, David and William Renn, Jesse Reynolds, George Roper, Gus and
Henry Rape, Robert Shannon, Robert Shaw, William Scott, Aquillo Suggs,
John W. and Thomas J. Thornton, Samuel and Allen Thompson, William
Winstead, William Williamson, Thomas Westbrooks.
This district was organized as the Fourteenth School District. In the
year 1878-79 there were five white schools taught, with an enrolled
attendance of two hundred and forty-seven pupils, and two colored
schools, numbering seventy-two pupils. The school population of the
district in 1880 was five hundred and forty-seven. The school directors
are M. N. Brown, N. M. Morton, and J. B. Linton.
DISTRICT NUMBER FIFTEEN.
The line fixed by the commissioners in 1859 begins at the crossing of
the Murfreesboro' turnpike-road over Mill Creek, and runs down Mill
Creek to its mouth; then down Cumberland River to the corporation line
of Nashville; thence with the corporation line south to the
Murfreesboro' turnpike; and thence with the Murfreesboro' turnpike to
the place of beginning. J. J. Corley's was selected as the
polling-place for the district.
The absence of churches is only an indication that the inhabitants of
this district transferred the their liberal support to those of
surrounding districts, at which many of them hold memberships. Thomas
Allison was for many years in the early days of the county a prominent
resident in this district. William Herrin, Esq., was a neighbor of his
in the days when magistrates were appointed for life, and was a
prominent man. David Rays lived here as early as 1791.
The following persons were assessed for taxes on lands included in this
district in 1816 : Bennett and John Blackman, Robert Champ, John
Johnston, Henry Queenseberry, George Ridley, John Rains, Sr., Thomas
Thompson, John Overton, Esq.
District Number Fifteen was made a school district under the new law,
and two white schools and one colored school opened. The population is
small, but the schools are fairly sustained. The enrolled scholarship
for the year 1878-79 was ninety white and eighty-eight colored pupils.
The district has three schoolhouses. In 1880 there were two hundred and
ninety-five schoolchildren in the district. C. H. Goodlett, B. F.
Lester, and John 11. Anderson are school directors.
The beautiful cemetery of Mount Olivet, and, joining it towards
Nashville, the Calvary Cemetery, are both located in this district, on
the south side of the Lebanon pike, where they occupy one of the most
beautiful locations in the county.
DISTRICT NUMBER SIXTEEN.
District Number Sixteen was formed from a part of old District Number
Four in 1859. The boundary-line then drawn begins at Stuart's Ferry
over Stone's River, and runs eastward With the old Lebanon road to
Page's line, then northeast and south to intersect that road and include
Thomas B. Page's residence; thence with the said road passing New Hope,
to J. H. Hagan's burnt mill; thence east to the Wilson county-line;
thence southward with the county-line to the southwest corner of Wilson
County; thence southeast with that county-line and the Rutherford
county-line to Stone's River, and down Stone's River to the place of
beginning.
On petition of John Hart, the dividing line between Districts Four and
Sixteen was so changed, Jan. 8, 1861, as to "run and extending from the
point where it digresses" at Thomas B. Page's, north of the residence of
Elizabeth Hunt, and extending, thence to New Hope church. Gilpin
Hallum's was chosen as the polling-place.
Phillips church is in the south part, east of Stone's River and near the
east line of the county. New Hope church is in the north end of the
district.
Stewart's Ferry, at which is the post-office of that name, was an early
point of settlement by Mr. Stewart, from whom it takes its name.
William Greer and Lewis Dunn were early magistrates of the district.
James Robertson represented the district's justice of the peace in 1791.
The following persons were assessed for taxes in this district in 1816:
William Hall, James and Eleazer Hamilton, John Thompson.
This is the Sixteenth School District. It maintains three white schools
with an aggregate attendance of eighty-one scholars, and a colored
school of which the attendance in 1878-79 was thirty. The total number
of residents of school age in 1880 was one hundred and thirty-five.
There are three schoolhouses. AV. J. Chandler, John Seaborn, and J. H.
Eskridge were school directors for the year 1879-80.
DISTRICT NUMBER EIGHTEEN
District Number Eighteen was formed in 1859 from one-half of the old
Eighteenth District.
Its boundary-line begins on the Cumberland River where the line between
N. Hobson and the late John P. Shelby's lands strikes that river, and
runs north with their line to the line of W. Finn and W. Al. Cook;
thence west to the White's Creek turnpike; thence out with said road to
the Brick Church turnpike; with the Brick Church turnpike to Page's
Branch up Page's Branch to the Louisville Branch turnpike; with the
Louisville Branch road to Taylor's Gap; thence eastward with Capt. John
Wilson's north boundary-line, and with the north
boundary-line of the Clemons or Ryan tract thence with the north
boundary of the Iredale tract to Craighead's spring-branch; then down
that branch, passing Love's old mill, to the Cumberland River; and
thence down the river to the place of beginning. District store was
made the voting-place of the district.
The churches are Lindsley's chapel, Hobson's chapel, in the south part,
near the Edgefield line, and Trinity, on the Louisville turnpike.
Among the more prominent and earlier settlers were the families of John
McGavock and John Hobson, both of whom were leading men and members of
the old "Court of Quarter Sessions of the Peace." Adam Lynn was an early
settler, and was a magistrate in 1791.
The following persons were taxed in this district in 1816 John, George,
and William L. Boyd, Andrew Hynes, Greenwood, Zachariah, and Morgan
Payne, Jones Reed, James Love.
A portion of this district was taken to form School Districts Numbers
Nineteen and Twenty-eight, with parts of the Twentieth, Twenty-second,
Eighteenth, and Twenty-first Districts. The Twenty-eight was formed in
October, 1879.
The main part of this civil district became a school district of the
same number on the formation of districts under the free-school law.
Two schools were organized, one for each race. The white school
numbered fifty-five in 1878-79, the colored school fifty. They each
have a school-house. The entire enrollment of the district for the year
1880 was five hundred and twenty children. J. B. Love, A. W. Webber,
and H. F. Banks were school directors for 1879-80.
DISTRICT NUMBER NINETEEN.
District Number Nineteen, one of the original districts, begins at the
mouth of Craighead or Love's spring branch, on Cumberland River, and
runs up that branch to the north boundary of the Iredale tract; thence
westward with the north boundary of the Iredale, Clemons, and Wilson
tracts to Taylor's Gap; thence with the Louisville branch turnpike to
Dry Creek, near Enoch Cunningham's; thence down Dry Creek to Cumberland
River, and thence down the river to the place of beginning. It was
ordered that the polling-place be established at "Scraggs."
New Bethel church is in the north corner of the district, near Dry
Creek. The post-office is Madison, on the Louisville, Nashville and
Great Southern Railroad. Reuben Payne, Edmund Goodrich, John
Kirkpatrick's, and the Iredale, Clemmons, and Wilson families were
among, the early settlers.
Among those taxed in 1816 in what is now District Number Nineteen were
William E. Beck, William Carroll, Thomas Folkes, John Frazier, William
Hill, I. Metcalfe, Samuel Neely, Alexander Walker, William Ray, Nicholas
Raymond.
This became the Nineteenth School District on the organization of the
county for schools. A portion was afterwards set aside to form, in
connection with continuous parts of the Twentieth and Twenty-Second
Civil Districts, a new school district numbered twenty-six. In the
Nineteenth School District there were two white and two colored schools,
having enrolled in 1878-79, respectively, seventy and eighty-four
pupils and attending at four schoolhouses.
The entire school population of the Nineteenth School District in 1880
was three hundred and fifty-eight. J. Sloan, Dr. W. Goodrich, and A. B.
Ford were school directors in 1880. The Twenty-sixth School District
contains one hundred and forty-six children, of whom, in 1878-79,
forty-three were enrolled in the white school, and fifty-seven in the
colored school. The trustees of this district for 1880 were W. J.
Campbell, J. C. Willis, and T. J. Kemper.
The United States National Cemetery occupies a broken piece of ground
among the hills in the south part, on both sides of the railroad.
This ground is well kept and forms a most beautiful park. The soldiers
buried here were gathered, from the surrounding battle-fields, where
they fell in the late civil war.
On the 25th of September, 1870, a Presbyterian Sabbath-school was
organized in a large and spacious room over C. E. Woodruff's store at
Madison Station. On Jan. 8, 1871, Rev. James H. McNeilly, chairman of
the missionary committee of the Nashville Presbytery, with C. N. Ordway
and D. P. Rankin, elders, met and organized in the same room a
Presbyterian Church, composed of twenty four members, with officers as
follows : S. S. Hall and Alexander Baker, Elders; C. E. Woodruff,
Deacon. The name chosen was Madison Presbyterian Church. Soon after
the organization of the church the ministerial services of Rev.
Alexander Cowan were secured as stated supply two Sabbaths in the month,
and continued as such up to the spring of 1874. In the month of April,
1875, Rev. C. L. Ewing was installed pastor of the church for two
Sabbaths in the month, and continued as such until April 25, 1879, when
Rev. B. F. Thompson commenced preaching, as stated supply, and
continued for several months, but resigned to accept an appointment as
missionary to Brazil. Rev. W. E. Carr preached several times for the
church during the spring of 1880., and a call was placed in his hands to
become its pastor for two Sabbaths in the month, but be declined to
accept on account of ill health. The Number of members at this time is
fifty-one, and the officers are Alexander Baker, S. S. Hall, and William
Williams, Elders; J. A. Hall, E. E. Hall, and William Taylor, Deacons.
A neat and commodious church edifice was erected on a beautiful
eminence near the station, and dedicated in the year 1872, costing-
three thousand two hundred dollars, since which time the services of the
church and Sunday-school have been held there.
DISTRICT NUMBER TWENTY.
District Number Twenty was one of the original districts. Its
boundary-lines, as established by the commissioners in 1859, begin at
the mouth of Mansker's Creek, and run up that stream and with the Sumner
county-line to the Robertson county-line; thence around to the
southwest with the county-line and a high ridge to the old dry fork of
Sycamore Creek; down that creek to a point near J. C. Prickett's; thence
southward, passing with a ridge east of Prickett's and east of Thomas
Haley's, Sumner T. Fryer's, and W. H. Jenkins', and crossing the hollow a
little east of Jonas Shivers' house, crossing a ridge and passing east
of George W. Campbell's house thence a little south of east to the fork
of Dry Creek above E. Cunningham's; thence down Dry Creek to the
Cumberland River; and thence up that river to the place of beginning.
The polling-place for the district was fixed at Goodlettsville, where
the first post-office was opened. There was another opened at Edgefield
Junction on the opening of the railroad, and a third at Baker's
Station.
Enoch P. Connell and John C. Bowers were early magistrates.
Among those assessed for taxes in 1816, in what is now District Number
Twenty, were Pembroke, Thomas, Jacob, and Robert Cartwright, Enoch
Cunningham, Adam Clement, George and William Campbell, William, John,
and Thomas Cole, Nicholas Cross, John Camp, John Congo, Abraham Echols,
Daniel Frazer, William Grizard, James Guiliford, Jesse Glasgow, William
Hackney, Ann Hope, Oliver Johnston, E. Logue, John Pirtle, Reuben Payne,
Josiah and George Purvy, Dempsey Powell, Ann Randle, Thomas Ragan,
Lemuel Tinnon, George and Samuel L. Wharton, Elmore Walker, David Dunn,
Paul Desmukes, and Thomas Davis.
On the formation of school districts, a small portion of this district
was joined with parts of Civil Districts Nineteen and Twenty-two to form
the Twenty-sixth School District. The remainder was organized into
School District Number Nineteen. It contains five school-houses, and
has three white and two colored schools. The attendance at these in the
year ending 1879 was two hundred and nineteen white and seventy-one
colored pupils. The school population of the Twentieth School District
was five hundred and seventeen in 1880, besides which a portion or the
one hundred and forty-six in the joint district were of this civil
district. The directors for 1880 were William Linton, Wesley Drake, and
A. K. Goodlett.
DISTRICT NUMBER TWENTY-ONE.
District Number Twenty-one, one of the original districts, was confirmed
by the county commissioners in 1859, with the following boundaries: "Begins at the mouth or Page's Branch and runs up the same to the
Louisville Branch turnpike-road; with said road to the lane between W.
D. Phillips' and Mrs. C. Bell's; thence west, passing through said lane
to a point on the road above Jefferson Waggoner's mill ; thence
westward to the dividing line between Coffman's Hollow and Hunter's on
Sugar Fork of White's Creek, east of Thomas Byrn's; thence down White's
Creek to the bridge over the same for Buena Vista turnpike-road near
Young's shop; thence with said turnpike to Cumberland River, and thence
up the river to the beginning." Ewing's school-house was made the place
for holding elections. They were changed to the brick church some years
later. There is a church on Ewing's Creek, and Love's chapel above, on
the same stream.
Charles W. Moorman and Claiborne Y. Hooper were justices and leading men
in 1828. They were both descendants of early settlers.
Thomas Talbot, one of the pioneers, who received a life appointment as
magistrate under the old law, settled in this district as early as 1791,
on the place now partially occupied by the fine residence of Mr. ____
Bang, former editor of the Banner. He came from Bedford Co., Va., in
1785, and was a justice in 1791. He died in 1831, leaving fifty-one
descendants.
The following persons were assessed for taxes in 1816 David Hunter, John Bacchus, Joel Beaver, Barnabas Bails.
This district comprises School District Number Twenty-one and a part of
School District Number Twenty-eight. This latter district is formed of
contiguous portions of Civil Districts Eighteen, Nineteen, and
Twenty-one, and was formed in October, 1879, with one school of forty
scholars. It contained one hundred and thirty-four school-children in
1880, who were then under the administration of Peter Tamble, A. J.
Crump, and John Taylor, directors. There are four schools in the
Twenty-first District, of which, in 1878-79, the three white had an
attendance of one hundred and nine, and the colored school twenty-seven.
The school population of the school district in 1880 was two hundred
and forty-one. T. A. Harris, John D. Vaughan, and J. H. Jackson were
then school directors. The district has four school-houses.
DISTRICT NUMBER TWENTY-TWO.
District Number Twenty-two is one of the original districts. The
boundary-line established in 1859 begins at a point on Sycamore Creek a
little above John C. Puckett's, and runs down that creek and with the
Robertson county-line to a point between Asa Adcock and Wilkerson's old
burnt steam-mill; thence southward with a ridge and passing between
Loggin's Spring and the house of M. A. Newland; thence southward with
the dividing ridge between Clay Lick and Earthman's Fork of White's
Creek; thence passing west of Mrs. Adkinson's house to White's Creek,
below Marshall's mill; thence eastward with a ridge between Hunter's, on
Sugar Fork, and Coffman's Hollow, passing north of Jefferson Waggoner's
mill and through the lane between W. D. Phillips and Mrs. C. Bell to
the Louisville Branch turnpike-road; thence with that road northeast to
Dry Creek, near E. Cunningham's house thence up Dry Creek to the old
line between the Twentieth and Twenty-second Districts; and thence
northward, passing east of' G. W. Campbell's, Thomas Haley's, Jonas
Shivers', and John C. Puckett's, to the place of beginning. July 2,
1860, a portion of Robertson County was annexed to this district. This
includes all the land east of a line beginning at a point on Sycamore
Creek, near Wilkinson's burnt steam-mill, and following the road by
Warren's Pond north to Samuel Smiley's and to the east of his land until
it intersects with the Williamson county-line. In 1860 the elections
were ordered to be held at Cool Spring.
There is a church at that place and another at Beach Grove, both
Methodist Episcopal; a third, at Mount Hermon, is Cumberland
Presbyterian. The lower room of the Cool Spring church is occupied as a
school-room.
Napoleon B. Willis has for many years been a prominent citizen and a
magistrate of the district. Gilbert Marshall, father of Dr. Marshall,
now above eighty years of age, is the oldest resident of the district
and an early settler. David Ralston and John Cloyd were prominent men
and descendants of pioneer families.
The post-offices are White's Creek and Ridge Post.
The following persons were assessed for land-taxes in 1816 : George Fly, Henry Bonner, Elihu S. Hall, Jacob Dickinson, Sr.
The greater part of this civil district is included in the Twenty-second
School District. This contains four schoolhouses, and maintains three
white schools and one colored one. The attendance for the year 1878-79
was one hundred and eighteen white and forty-seven colored pupils. The
enrollment of the district for 1880 included two hundred and
seventy-seven school children. The directors for 1880 were J. C.
Helums, N. J. Cummins, and A. T. Shaw. A portion of this district is
included with parts of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Civil Districts to
form the Twenty-sixth School District, which contained a white school of
forty-three and a colored school of fifty-seven members in 1878-79, and
had one hundred and forty-six resident children in 1880.
DISTRICT NUMBER TWENTY-THREE.
District Number Twenty-three was slightly changed in its boundaries
established in 1859. These lines begin on the north bank of the
Cumberland River at Buena Vista Ferry, and run out with the Buena Vista
turnpike-road to White's Creek; up White's Creek to the mouth of Dry
Fork; up Dry Fork, and crossing the ridge with the road to Mayo's mill;
thence to the three forks of Little Marrow-bone Creek; thence southward
so as to strike the dividing ridge between the waters of Eaton's and
Sulphur Creeks; thence with said ridge, passing between Edmund Hyde's
old place and Burcher's store to Cumberland River near Hyde's wood-yard;
and thence up the river to the place of beginning.
Jan. 6, 1862, on petition of Catherine Stump, James Gingry, E. P.
Graves, Z. M. H. Carney, C. H. Manlove, Th. Bysor, and I. M. Mayo, it
was ordered by the court that the line between District Twenty four and
this district be so altered as to include the petitioners in the Twenty
third District, by changing the line to extend up White's Creek to the
mouth of Earthman's Creek; up Earthman's Creek to Thomas Bysor's line ;
thence following that line west to the dividing ridge between Earthman's
and Dry Fork, by said ridge to the head of Little Marrowbone; thence
with the dividing ridge between that stream and Earthman's Creek to the
Big and Little Marrow-bone divide, following the ridge to the Cheatham
county-line; thence by the county-line to Little Marrow-bone Creek,
which it follows up to the Three Forks. William 1.Drake's was made the
polling-place for the district in 1860.
The first settler in this district was Thomas Eaton, who settled on the
present Dr. Jordon place, about two hundred yards below the famous lick
where occurred many exciting adventures of the early settlers. Thomas
Hickman, of district Number Twenty-five, was for some time his only
neighbor. Among the first settlers were the families of Jesse Smith,
Lewis Williams, and William R. Drake. Henry Holt, Esq., is the oldest
man now living in the district.
Simpkins chapel (Methodist Episcopal and Cumberland Presbyterian),
Holt's chapel (Methodist Episcopal and old Zion Free-Will Baptist), and
present voting precinct, are the old churches of the district. Eaton's
Creek post-office is at H. C. Hyde's store, where is the chief
settlement, two churches, and half a mile below T. H. Young's store.
William S. Drake and David Abernathy were the first justices of this
district under the new law appointing for six years.
The following-named persons were assessed for land-taxes in this
district in 1816: Beal Bosley, Roland Cato, James Dean, John and
Jonathan Drake, John B. Dillard, Absalom Hooper, Nathan G. Hail, Thomas
and Robert Eaton, Balser Hoffman, Jordan Hyde, Joseph Love, John Lucas,
James Marshall, Isaac Newland, Robert Patterson, Thomas Parker, David
Ralston, William Shaw, Samuel Shannon, Frederick and Christopher Stump,
Frances, George, Samuel, Robert, and Thomas Taylor, Rachel and Simon
Williams, John Wilson.
This district was organized as School District Number Twenty-three when
the free-school law went into effect. It contains four school-houses,
and has three white schools and one colored one. The attendance for the
year 1878-79 was one hundred and sixty-two white and seventy-three
colored pupils. There were three hundred and seventy school-children
living in the district in 1880. The school directors for that year were
Wilson Stevens, G. B. Stewart, and W. D. Simpkins.
DISTRICT NUMBER TWENTY-FOUR.
District Number Twenty-Four was divided in 1859, and part of the old
district of that number taken to form the present Twenty-Fifth District.
Its boundary as established at that date began at the mouth of Dry
Fork of White's Creek, which it followed up, and crossing the ridge
with the road to Mayo's Mill ran to the three forks of Little
Marrow-bone Creek; thence down stream to the Cheatham county-line;
thence northward with the county line to the Robertson county-line on
Sycamore Creek; thence up that creek to a point between Wilkerson's old
burnt steam-mill and Asa Adcock's; thence southward with a ridge passing
between Loggin's Spring and the place where M. A. Newland lives, so as
to strike the dividing ridge between Clay Lick and Earthman's Fork of
White's Creek, and passing west of Mrs. Adkerson's house to White's
Creek below Marshall's mill; thence down White's Creek to the place of
beginning.
July 2, 1860, it was ordered by the court that all that land recently
taken from Robertson County and lying west of a line 'beginning at a
point on Sycamore Creek near Wilkinson's burnt steam-mill, and running,
north with the road by Warren's Pond to Samuel Smiley's, including said
Smiley," be annexed to this district.
Jan. 6, 1862, a part was taken off and annexed to District Number
Three, and changing the line to run as follows: To extend up White's
Creek to the mouth of Earthman's Creek and up that stream to Thomas
Bysor's north line; thence on that line west to the dividing ridge
between Earthman's and Dry Fork, and by that ridge to the head of Little
Marrow-bone; thence with the dividing ridge between that stream and
Earthman's Creek to the Big and Little Marrow-bone divide, and following
that ridge to the Cheatham county-line; thence by the county-line to
Little Marrow-bone Creek, which it follows up to the Three Forks. It
was ordered in 1860 that Dismuke's tanyard be the polling place of the
district.
The churches are Forest Grove and Garrett's chapel, Methodist Episcopal,
Oakland, Free-Will Baptist, and the old Ebenezer Methodist Episcopal
church, now abandoned and falling into decay. A German church has been
recently built for the accommodation of the more recent settlers of that
nationality. A Mr. Waggoner was one of the first settlers in the
district. Among the most prominent citizens of the early part of the
present century were Jonathan Garrett and Daniel Brice, Esqs.
The following persons paid taxes on lands in this district in 1816;
Moses Calvert, Jacob and John Cagle, Samuel Crockett, Richard Champ,
John Devus, John Franks, Michael Gleaves, Thomas Hail, Jacob Hunter,
Benjamin Hyde, Micajah Morris, George Raimer, Robert Vick.
The Twenty-fourth School District, which is comprised in this civil
district, was not reported for the last year, and cannot, therefore, be
mentioned in detail. It contains three schoolhouses, in each of which
schools are kept. In 1880 there were three hundred and eighty-three
school-children reported as residing within the district by the school
directors, W. L. Earthman, Kinderd Reasoner, and James E. Carney.
DISTRICT NUMBER TWENTY-FIVE.
District Number Twenty-five was formed in 1859 from a part of the old
District Number Twenty-four, and a small piece of the old Twelfth
District. Its original boundary line begins at a point on Little
Marrow-bone Creek, where the Cheatham county-line crosses that stream,
and runs in a southwest course, crossing, the Cumberland River and
following the county-line to the fork of the creek near, Joe Russell's;
thence with the line of the Twelfth District to the Cumberland River;
thence up the river to a point near Hyde's wood-yard, at the neck of
White's Bend; thence passing northward between Burche's store and E.
Hyde's old place, and with the dividing ridge between the waters of
Sulphur and Eaton's Creek to the three forks of Marrow-bone Creek ;
thence down said creek to the beginning
Hickman's Ferry, three-fourths of a mile from the old Hickman's place,
was fixed upon as the place for holding the district elections.
The oldest resident is Mr. Willoughby Dozier. White's Bend post-office
is at Hickman's Ferry, where there are two stores, kept by H. L.
Abernathy and William Hyde, R. C. Meadows and S. C. Williams'
blacksmith- and wagon-shops, several dwelling, and the African church.
At the old Hickman place, three-fourths of a mile distant, is the
Cumberland Grange church, a house fifty by one hundred and twenty feet
in size, which was built by the Patrons of Husbandry in 1875. The
organization is now extinct in the district. The building is occupied
for religious worship by the Methodist Episcopal, Free-Will Baptist,
Presbyterian, and Christian denominations on alternate Sundays. The
land occupied was deeded by William Hyde, Esq., to the four
denominations jointly. There are also Lipscomb's Christian chapel and a
Baptist church in Bell's Bend. Among the first settlers in this part
of the county was Thomas Hickman, of this district. Thomas W. Sherron
and Wilson Crockett were early justices of the peace.
The following-named persons paid taxes on lands in this district in
1816: James Duren, Jesse Garland, Sr., Elisha and William E. Gower,
Mishack Hail, William Levy, John Lovell, Benjamin Pack, Sr., Thomas
Pierce, James Russell, Sr., William and Thomas Russell, Ezekiel Smith,
Bennett Searcy.
This district was organized as School District Number Twenty-five. It
contains four white schools, at which the attendance in the year 1878-79
was fifty-four pupils, and two colored schools with thirty-three pupils
the same year. In 1880 the school population was three hundred and
fifty one. W. F. Bang, W. S. Higgins, and S. B. Howlett were school
directors for 1879-80.
