History of

wRutherford County, Tennessee

New 98-Page Booklet

Early days in Rutherford County, in the heart of Middle Tennessee, are recalled in this spiral bound booklet compiled from excerpts from: History of Tennessee, originally published in 1886 by Goodspeed Publishing Co., Counties of Tennessee by Austin P. Foster (1923), and Tennessee, a Guide to the State, a product of the Federal Writer's Project of the WPA in 1939. The 98-page booklet is printed on 60# paper with the print enlarged for easier reading. A vinyl sheet has been added to protect the front cover.

Among the subjects included are: Geography, including the soil, native vegetation, the Stone River and other waterways, agriculture, etc.; Samuel Wilson, Col. Robert Weakley, Robert Bedford, Capt. Richard Ransom, William Nash and other early settlers; early life in the county; Militia companies before the Civil War; formation of the county and of the first county seat, Jefferson; Murfreesboro, and how it became the county seat; county buildings and officials; the whipping post; the Wilkerson Cross Roads Pike and other roads; the Rutherford County Medical Society; county fair; Railroads; various courts, grand juries, trials and punishments; Felix Grundy, a noted criminal lawyer;Civil War period, including the 18th Regiment raised largely by Gen. J.B. Palmer of Murfreesboro and the 20th Tennessee Regiment, known as Battle's regiment; the Battle of Murfreesboro; city officials; the Washington Cotton Factory and other businesses; banks; newspapers; various lodges; the villages of Milton, Eagleville, Readyville, La Vegne, Salem, and Stewartsboro; Female County Academy and Union University; schools and churches; clergymen, including Alexander Campbell; the hangman's rope, a fine of one cent and other items of interest.

Besides the names mentioned in the first part of the booklet, there are a number of biographies. Most are fairly lengthy, and often include ancestors, previous residences, children, in-laws, affiliations, war records, and business activities. In the course of this they often shed light on the early businesses, professions and institutions in the county. The biographies include: Col. John H. Adkerson, Andrew M. Alexancer, Mrs. Annie E. Alexander, B.F. Alexander (pix), James H. Allen, Major Charles W. Anderson, James L. Anderson, Horace N. Arnold, James Monroe Avent, Frank Avent, Baird Martin, Sterling B. Baring, Benjamin Batey, Frank Battle, Granville C. Baty, Capt. Richard Beard, William Beesley, John Beesley, Christopher Beesley, William R. Bell, Dr. Samuel P. Black, Adam Bock, Columbus T. Brittain, Robert S. Brown, Butler & Drumright, John A. Campbell, Joseph L. Cannon, Thomas F. Carlton, Alfred M. Cawthorn, Dr. Henry H. Clayton, James Clayton, Robert A. Coleman, Carrol Collins, Thomas W. Cox, James H. Crichlow, Dr. George D. Crosthwait, Dr. James W. Davis, William L. Davis, Jasper F. Dickens, Dr. James M. Dill, William B. Drumright, Dr. John N. Dykes, W.B. Earthman & Co., David F. Elam, Dr. Thomas J. Elam, Edwin H. Ewing, Josiah W. Ewing, John W. Faris, R.W. Faris, Minos L. Fletcher, Thomas B. Fowler, William R. Fox, Capt. Thomas Frame, W.C. Frost, John A. Gilley, John Buchanan, Joseph P. Hale, John W. Hall, Mrs. Julia A. Hall, John C. Harris, Dr. Robert B. Harris, Haynes Hollowell & Co., James F. Henderson, James W. Hill, Samuel H. Hodge, Thomas R. Hollowell, M. Hirsch & Co., Camillus B. Huggins, Thomas G. Ivie, Nathan R. Jackson, Robert D. Jamison, James F. Jenkins, Col. Robert B. Jetton, Elihu C. Job, Columbus N. Johnson, William S. Jones & Bros., Mrs. Lizzie H. Jones, Edward K. Jordan, Minor C. Jordan, Dr. Robert F. Keyes, Capt. William D. Killough, Mrs. Amanda (Frazier) Kimbro, Col. James Moore King, Robert N. Knox, John J. Lee, Dr. Nathaniel M. Lewis, L. K. Lowe, James M. Loyd, Moses S. Lynch, Dr. William H. Lytle, Mrs. Julia Lytle, Dr. A.W. Manire, Welcom Mankin, Benton P. Mankin, Rev. John J. Martin, William Mason, Pleasant P. Mason, John B. McClanahan, Levi McClure, Dr. William H. McCord, James McFadden & Son, James L. McKnight, George W. McLaughlin, Thomas B. Miles, I.D. Miller, William Mitchell, Dr. James B. Murfree, John M. Naylor, Moses A. Nelson, Joseph G. Nelson, James O. Oslin, Rev. William B. Owen, Nathaniel Owen, Gen. Joseph B. Palmer, Horace E. Palmer, Col. William K. Patterson, Burr F. Paty & Co., Daniel P. Perkins, Henry Clay Pierce, William P. Prater, Beverly Randolph, Ransom & Perkins, Dr. John W. Richardson, James D. Richardson, John E. Richardson, G.S. Ridley, Thomas Ridout, Lindsford M. Roberts, Col. William D. Robison (pix), L.A. Rogers, Morris G. Rosenfeld, Capt. Charles A. Sheafe, John B. Shelton, Capt. William H. Sikes, James M. Smith, Joseph P. Smith, Edgar P. Smith, Dewitt H. Smith, Fount Smithson, Joseph P. Smotherman, Jesse W. Sparks (pix), John C. Spence, Squire James E. Stockird, Street, Byrn & Co., Robert T. Tompkins, Albert G. Thompkins, Thomas Tobias, Aaron Todd, Todd & Morgan, Leonidas S. Tucker, Capt. Charles F. Vanderford, George Walter, Charles A. Ward, Dr. H. Joseph Warmuth, Francis Whiting Washington, Samuel B. Watkins, Adaline W. Watkins, Dr. James E. Wendel, Dr. Robert S. Wendel, Dr. Bartley N. White, Frank White, Levi B. White, William B. White, John V. White, Dr. William Whitson, chesley Williams, James C. Williams, John A. Williamson, Joseph T.B. Wilson, Thomas H. Wood, Major John Woods, and Robert H. Young.

Wouldn't this make a unique gift?