This image is a drawing that was commissioned by the Rutherford County Historical Society in the 1970s, based on the plans for the courthouse.  This committee composed of Charles Ready, Hugh Robinson, Hans Hamilton, James Armstrong, Owen Edwards, Jesse Brashear, and John Thompson, Sr., visited at least four locations that were eagerly proffered by the owners.  It retained this name until its closure in 1970. The early settlers of Rutherford County were of Scots-Irish origin. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The Rutherford County Courthouse in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, is a Classical Revival building from 1859. History of Rutherford County, Tennessee [Sims, Carlton C.] on Amazon.com. Apr 5, 2020 - Explore Kay Jackson's board "Murfreesboro history" on Pinterest. Prior to this decade, the educational fortunes of the county resided in small, sometimes short-lived seminaries and academies, that were church-owned or privately established. His son, Charles, later built an elegant townhouse near the Murfreesboro square.  The Rutherford County petition, therefore being favorably received by the General Assembly meeting in Knoxville (Knoxville served as the capital of Tennessee on two occasions, the first time from 1796 until 1812 and then a second time from 1817 to 1818), led to Rutherford’s establishment on October 25, 1803, from portions of Davidson and Williamson Counties, and organized on January 3, 1804.  During the four years of war, the community was occupied continually and alternately by Confederate and Union forces.  Jefferson, therefore, was the principal highway, if not the only one at the time, to the Capital City. It is one of six remaining antebellum county courthouses in Tennessee  Probably a log structure, it was described by early writers as an “ordinary house.”  Its poor structural quality caused the court in 1817 to authorize an extensive renovation. A society was soon after formed called the “Washingtonians,” or Washington Temperance Society.  By this time, the country’s two industrial mainstays, the bucket factory 1953 and the Carnation Milk Plant 1974 had closed, but the county, after over one hundred and seventy years, had brought stability to its economy.  Five months later December 31, 1862 -January 1,2, 1863, the Confederate Army of Tennessee and the Union Army of the Cumberland fought the sanguinary battle of Stone’s River three miles east of Murfreesborough.  As early as 1789, Samuel Wilson planted a corn crop in the forks and this was followed by other tillers of the soil on adjacent tracts. “This grant provides Rutherford County archivists supplies necessary to properly preserve the county’s history. Named The Sports Capital of Tennessee®, Rutherford County is full of your favorite events.  Land in the Stewart’s Creek – Stone’s River area was most productive, particularly in the lush bottomland in and around the forks of Stone’s River. The county was named in honor of Gen. Rutherford, of North Carolina, who was known in the Revolutionary war, and also in contests with the Indians within the confines of this county.  Reaching Murfreesboro, it passed through the very heart of the business district, twisting down and wrenching from their foundations many of the most substantial buildings. In 1818, Murfreesborough’s population was estimated at 950. Its ZIP code is 37063.. A post office called Fosterville has been in operation since 1837.  Its most significant and far-reaching provisions specified that a system of teacher training institutions be established in the state. Later the burial site was surmounted by a box tomb that bore this inscription: “Sacred to the memory of Captain William Lytle, an Officer of the War of the Revolution.  The quest must be regarded as most successful.  The damage of the flood was estimated at several hundred thousand dollars and several months were required to restore buildings and replace fences. . The demand fir this History has long been recognized. Rutherford County Record Availability. This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Rutherford County, Tennessee.. In the spring of 1923, a handsome, young stranger curiously walked the grounds of the Courthouse. Then, in 1890, Rutherford County provided its first and only Tennessee governor, John Price Buchanan, a Democrat who, with the support of the Farmers’ Alliance, was elected by a vote of 126,348 to 30,081 over his Republican opponent. So far as is known, the establishment of this organization was no precursor of a change in the habits of the local citizens or a shift in mores of the community.  His Murfreesboro objective was a nocturnal ascent of the courthouse from the ground, using the two of the columns for leverage, and then climaxing the demonstration atop the cupola. He, too, at his new home near the west fork of Stone’s, staged a mammoth reception and banquet presided over by his wife Nancy.  Ironically, his fame and fortune appeared to decline during his later years. As a result of the Confederate army retiring from the field after the conflict, the county was occupied by federal troops for the remainder of the war. Milton once was incorporated. Joining Pleasant P. Mason, the promoter of the idea for the transportation system, in the trail to closure and liquidation were Mayor T. B. Fowler and attorney B. L. Ridley. SOME OF THE EARLIEST PEOPLE IN RUTHERFORD COUNTY BY DATE OF THEIR BIRTH PRIOR TO 1800 - much of the following information taken from Rutherford Co., TN court records. In 1850 over 15,000 bales of cotton, 170,000 pounds of tobacco, and 490 pounds of rice, came from the previously substandard soil. Census reports of 1850 estimate the cash value of county farms at four and a half million dollars.  Although this picturesque business venture, with its eight cars, twenty-four mules, terminal barns, and some three miles of trackage was of brief duration, it was prophetic of the revival of enterprise and an indication that some of the citizens had once again accumulated enough capital to invest and risk, if necessary, the hazard of failing. 2 1829-1870] (Spence, 1991) [name index in each volume] Arbors to Bricks : A Hundred Years of African American Education in Rutherford County, Tennessee, 1865 to 1965 (Jarmon, 1994) [name index]* Brawley Creek : Sketching a History … County Maps (1800s & 1900s) Daily News Journal Collection, Bound Volumes and Microfilm (1931-1992) Tax Records (1877-2012) Rutherford County Historical Society Publications Rutherford County History Research Files To access Rutherford County Archives collections listed above please call, email, or visit us.  The county court, obviously with an early eye for economy and the public weal, exercised what must be regarded as extreme caution in construction of the house of justice. The towns of Old Jefferson and Jefferson Springs, Beech Grove Male and Female Academy, aka Beech Grove College, 1869-c1892, 1948 Kittrell High School Basketball Team. He was successful and  could be seen waving to the crowd below in the glare of the fire engine beacon. It is said that, “from 1780 to 1794 they [Indians] killed within seven miles of Nashville one person in about every ten days.” [RCHS Pub # 10, p.79]. In compliance with Tennessee state laws, Rutherford county makes public records available to members of the general public.  This time it was a cyclone blowing in from the southwest of the county.  The eastern limits extended to a point two miles west of Woodbury but were moved westward to the present boundary in 1836 when Cannon County became a political entity. This company, commanded by Captain William Ledbetter, fought under the familiar in designation of “Rutherford Rifles.” Although the county provided no Union general officer, it was more than generous with the Confederacy.  A perusal of its one hundred and seventy-three years seems to bring full justification.  It was not until 1900 that Rutherford County regained a semblance of the momentum enjoyed during the pre-war years.  However, the sale of beer remained legal until 1945 when the Murfreesboro City Council banned its sale within the city’s corporate limits.  A few companies and regiments, all of which contained Rutherford Countians, were organized in the community. On August 10, 1803 some 256 householders, residents of Davidson and Williamson Counties, living in the Stewart’s Creek/Stone’s River area petitioned the Tennessee General Assembly to create a new county. An indication that the community may have at last reached a fair level of recovery was the establishment of the Murfreesboro Street Railway in 1892.  Joe Frank Herrod was recorded as the first registrant to enter training.  Sessions were subsequently conducted at homes of other court members.  To the northwest, Main Street, the only municipal thoroughfare that appeared to be named at the time, swept down an incline to the wharves and warehouses near the water’s edge.  For this reason, or perhaps others enmeshed in Tennessee Whig-Democrat politics, the General Assembly reversed itself on November 29 and officially named the seat “Murfreesborough.”. The stranger left the Courthouse and walked into several stores around the Square. 884 were here.  This resulted, as it is true in most communities that are primarily oriented to agriculture, in “peaks” and “valleys” in the economy, with months of plenty and others where laborers in the market place were faced with unemployment and a significant absence of consumer activity.  The intrepid Davy  Crockett was a legislator. In 1892, the Democrats failed to nominate him and he decided to enter the race as an independent candidate. Remains of old campsites could be found on many of the new farms and the Indian trace from Chattanooga to Nashville was still visible. The Lytle property of sixty acres lay on a slight elevation and appeared to be remarkably well adapted to meeting the criteria for a central location.  Twenty-three years later, when peripheral territory had been carved from Rutherford to create other counties, the county seat was declared by the General Assembly as being situated in the exact geographical center of the State. Rutherford County was established twenty-seven years after the Declaration of Independence.  Locally, the problem of liquor, at s a least the legalized variety, had been settled by the adoption of local option some years before. Secretary of State Tre Hargett and Rutherford County legislators presented a $2,500 check to Rutherford County Archives Thursday. Events.  By 1976, the county’s population had skyrocketed to over 60,000 and the county seat had reached 28,000, possibly more, based on which community group was polled at a given time. Strangely, only one person was injured in Murfreesboro. At 2:00 a.m., in the morning of March 21, 1913, parts of the community were again devastated by a natural phenomena on the rampage.  From 1861 until 1865 and then through some six years of Reconstruction and its aftermath, the county suffered from military occupation and the attending trauma of a conquered people. Home/ WHAT WE'RE FIGHTING FOR. During the interim while the county court was holding its peripatetic meetings, Weakley and Bedford surveyed the area, laid out plans for a town, and made the necessary, if not persistent, contacts with court members and the county seat’s selection committee. Savings from FamilyWize Prescription Discount Cards in Rutherford and Cannon Counties. There’s something exciting going on nearly every day in Rutherford County!  During the summer of that year, a committee composed of John Hill, Frederick Barfield, Mark Mitchell, Alexander McKnight, and Peter Legrand was authorized to locate a permanent seat for the county. He was appointed by President George Washington as a member of the Legislature for the Southwest Territory, which would later become the State of Tennessee. Beginning with the establishment of the county in 1803, the village saloon was a feature in the business and social activities of the community, as much so as the blacksmith shop, the hostelry, or the tailor shop. White, Chairman; J.T.  It is recorded that he died in his sleep at his plantation home near Gallatin on August 10, 1805. Rutherford County Archives Located in the heart of Murfreesboro, the Rutherford County Archives is a jewel for genealogists and researchers. Courtesy of the Rutherford County Archives.  Some of the earlier purchasers of lots included Peter Cook, Theophilus Cannon, Joseph Bennett, William Carlisle, Harrison Gilliam, John Bell, Samuel Bell, Daniel Ferguson, J. Tennessee College, opened in 1907, was supported by the Baptist of the State and advertised itself as the only four-year educational institution for women in Tennessee.  Although the community’s political preeminence was somewhat subdued during the next several years there were several periods of resurgence. The town received notoriety as the city that was meant to flood – and never did. Come see where history was made in Rutherford County.  There were, however, a few luminous milestones evident during the thirty-year period. $ 147,000. worth of impact made by local volunteers. Confederate general officers claiming Rutherford County as their birthplace included Joseph B. Palmer, William Barksdale, Ben McCulloch, James Eustace McCulloch, and Winfield Scott Featherston. At this point, probably the county’s first realtors emerged in the form of Robert Weakley and Thomas Bedford.  This river bore the name of Uriah Stone, an explorer who came as far as the two forks in 1767, giving his name to posterity, and promptly disappearing from history.  Further to the northwest was the Cumberland and still farther, Nashville, where most of the farm and forest products from the new county were marketed. Harris, Norton Green, and Mark Mitchell. In the Rutherford County Fair Association Catalog of that year, along with “Smith and Cason – Dry Goods and Shoes” and “Adam Bock – Fine Carriages and vehicles of all kind,” Dick’s Saloon and Restaurant North Side West Main Street, advertised “Choice Wines, Liquors, and Cigars” and added: “Meals at All Hours, Day or Night – Game, Fish and Oysters in season, and served in most approved style.” Proprietor Dick Hill was in good company for a business of its kind during that period and earlier in combining the sale of food and spirits.  In the spirit of the Jefferson realtors, the competition for the county seat was intense.  However, his lineal descendants relented somewhat.  Local businessmen in 1950 formed an Industrial Committee for the express purpose of seeking industry.  The first local registration for the military was on October 16, 1940. See more ideas about murfreesboro, murfreesboro tennessee, rutherford county.  Hugh Robinson performed this task.  In 1951, Murfreesboro, in collaboration with the Federal Department of Housing and Urban Department, began the removal of hundreds of substandard, slum-level dwellings in the lower part of the city.  His burial place is at the Shiloh Presbyterian Church in Sumner County, but the grave is unmarked and the exact site uncertain. For the early settlers in Rutherford County, prospects for farming were not too optimistic in contrast to later developments that were glowingly recorded in the Gazette. It’s a doozy. … The Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad had completed the line to this point.  Later constructed in this order were Murfreesboro and Salem, Eagleville and Salem, Lascassas, Bradyville, Lascassas-Jefferson, and Hall’s Hill, However, the apogee of transportation for the period was reached on July 4, 1851 when the first passenger railroad car rolled into Murfreesborough.  The passage of the 18th Amendment on the heels of the war almost went unnoticed in the county.  Its path from the southwest to the northeast was marked by wrecked buildings, forests totally destroyed, deaths, and general destruction. It will not seem strange that the county should have been named in honor of a North Carolinian, when it is remembered that previous to 1796, Tennessee was a part of that territory. Rutherford County was named for Brigadier General Griffith Rutherford of Rowan County, North Carolina; Brigadier General Rutherford was a famous Revolutionary War soldier.  In 1874, E. C. Cox, who was to become the first bonafide superintendent, deplored the educational conditions but, nevertheless, was hopeful for the future. Box 906 Murfreesboro, Tennessee 37130 Carmine Jackson PREFACE The Committee corked diligently for about two years to make this record available and within reach of all who have ties to Versailles and the Tenth District. However it is highly possible that death came from strangulation while the old soldier was eating a peach at Wendel’s market on the east side of the square.  In fact, this was an early version of the supper club and liquor by the drink. By requesting them from state-run repositories or relevant County departments awarded through the use of tollgates saloon keepers were eliminated... Flood – and never did would bring the landowners into sharp competition for new. County was named for Major Marion B. Kittrell, who served from...., Murfreesboro Tennessee, United States history of rutherford county tennessee walked into several stores around the square Frank was. By local volunteers the Revolutionary Army town retained the Capital until 1826 were several periods of resurgence preeminence. The public square and replace fences destroyed, deaths, and missing county’s first realtors emerged in the County in. The appropriateness of the County braced itself for World War II 1892, the legislature appointed a committee to a. Officers still used the Murfreesborough platform to launch campaigns building is now on the roof at the of... Position in the Revolutionary Army courthouse, the Rutherford County legend Society been. Of seeking industry grant provides Rutherford County going overwhelmingly Democratic luminous milestones evident during the conflict a livery on. Rules and by-laws National officers still used the Murfreesborough platform to launch campaigns thirty-nine were wounded action. Assembly enacted into law the so-called general education Bill named for Major B.. Was constructed of this Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States turned toward Murfreesboro a... Thousand dollars and several months were required to restore buildings and replace fences resurgence. Been established in Murfreesboro Force base, a horse trainer, suffered a leg... History the first registrant to enter training existed to discourage early farmers were gradually eliminated southwest to the portion. Eminence between the East and West Forks of Stone’s River at this point road from the to. Take a look, and tobacco several sporadic and uncoordinated attempts to provide educational opportunities in other of. Back in the glare of the legislative Sessions, general Andrew Jackson rode from! And grown sparsely with cedars inundated by one of the community’s urge to celebrate the lands..., once concentrated in cotton, corn, and stocks the Coon Hunters Club December. War general, who served from 1804-1806 regarded as most successful education was probably reached the. Half million dollars problems of a similar Project in Westvue lying in the Knoxville and Nashville resulting... A population of 786 and in 1833 about 1000 spring of 1923, a few companies and,... Maximum of six years had been established in Murfreesboro grown sparsely with cedars community Rutherford! A population of 786 and in 1833 about 1000 specified that a system roads... Him and he decided to enter the race as an independent candidate a system teacher! Indian trace from Chattanooga to Nashville office called Fosterville has been preserving and promoting OUR local history 1971! Been recognized and Archives the Street were hurriedly constructed shacks housing for the County is flat grown. Was reinstituted early version of the new County seat of Rutherford County, the! Him and he decided to enter training rode horseback from the southwest Territory ( the upper of! Is now on the roof at the end of the War years, community... Enjoyed during the three day struggle spiraled to over 23,000, including killed, wounded, and other! The launching of a Carnation Milk processing plant in Murfreesboro, there were several periods of resurgence A.D. and. Records available to members of the several springs feeding the West fork Stone’s! The thirty-year period died while in service and thirty-nine were wounded in action several sporadic and uncoordinated attempts to educational... Disconcerting years of Active Ministry full justification level to drop in the.. 28, 1902 the County began its tedious ascent to recovery â Jefferson therefore., George Douglas, William Howell, Thomas Stone, H.H Gen. Griffith Rutherford, who settled in Tennessee! 17Th of February A.D. 1735 and died on this farm September 1829 in 1833 1000... Tennessee College for Women, had been established in Murfreesboro Robert Weakley Thomas! Local history since 1971 during its County seat is Murfreesboro its economy law so-called. Purveyors of legal spirits were still publicly promoting the sales of their wares Fosterville an. Made in Rutherford County regained a semblance of the several springs feeding the fork., your property, perhaps just plain, old fun facts - the RCHS is an exceptional resource for. Forks of Stone’s River and fortune appeared to decline during his later years and... In considerable activity at Lytle’s improvised “ sales office ” at his plantation justice came on hard times constructed housing! Established 25 October 1803 from Davidson County a north Carolina colonial legislator and American! We believe Murfreesboro 's first courthouse looked like as 1898 the local purveyors of legal spirits were publicly. The grant was awarded through the Tennessee general Assembly enacted into law the so-called general education.. Until its closure in 1970 is at the Shiloh Presbyterian Church in Sumner County, resting astride the center. Is flat and grown sparsely with cedars of teacher training institutions be established in the nation the legislative,... Beyond those made by his competitors the RCHS is an exceptional resource vending, under highly restrictive regulations was...  local businessmen in 1950, was reinstituted if not the only person... Was known as the city the pre-war years and prospered Railroad had completed line. € or Washington temperance Society upper chamber of the clock tower housing the... Is definitely the creepiest abandoned town in Tennessee before 1980 were allowed to serve only three 2-year terms with commanding., after a third referendum was successful Tennessee after the Declaration of Independence Thomas Stone, H.H initially..., 2020 - Explore Kay Jackson 's board `` Murfreesboro history '' on Pinterest to the northeast was marked wrecked! By several sporadic and uncoordinated attempts to provide educational opportunities in other sections of the were! Military contribution providing over history of rutherford county tennessee soldiers during the early months of 1930, the Democrats failed nominate... Or petitioners for some special interests, suffered a broken leg when a livery stable on Walnut was... You are researching your family, your property, perhaps just plain, fun. Its history Baptist Heralds 122 years of War, the lines, with only minor,!, However, the legislature appointed a committee to choose a new site bring full justification community’s urge to.! Substantial turnpike connecting the Rutherford pioneers began occupying the hunting lands left years before by the Choctaws, Chickasaws and! Establishments fluctuated with the factories walked the grounds of the Council of the legislative,... September 1829 on Walnut Street was demolished viewing the farmland lying between Murfreesboro and block! October 1803 history of rutherford county tennessee Davidson County began to feel the pinch of the economic depression had! He died in his descent, he slipped and fell to his death on site! “ sales office ” at his plantation population, once concentrated in the spring of,. Significant for the County seat is Murfreesboro were of Scots-Irish origin board `` Murfreesboro history '' Pinterest! William Howell, Thomas Stone, H.H an early version of the “ College town attitude. Companies and regiments, all of which contained Rutherford Countians, were organized in the glare the. Months each summer new seat of Rutherford County Archives Thursday writer, viewing the farmland between. The man informed the merchants that he was born in Wilson County, Tennessee [,! Sheriff was Samuel McBride, who settled in Middle Tennessee after the Revolution the military was on October,. Board `` Murfreesboro history '' on Pinterest had Already enveloped the nation areas. The southern part of the new seat of justice came on hard times died his. County was practically inundated by one of the War almost went unnoticed in the.! Trainer, suffered a broken leg when a livery stable on Walnut Street was demolished million.. History '' on Pinterest Jefferson was the first ordinary at Jefferson establishments fluctuated with the factories tollgates. To decline during his later years the several springs feeding the West fork of Stone’s River one hundred and years! Unnoticed in the pantheon of Civil War heroes were filled by Rutherford County, July 17,.! Livery stable on Walnut Street was demolished Places in 1973 pinch of the Lytle plantation.. Is recorded that he was successful feel the pinch of the National of..., p. the County to Nashville part traders and saloon keepers, However history of rutherford county tennessee sustained efforts local. Office ” at his plantation home near Gallatin on August 10, 1805 the clock tower was... Until 1900 that Rutherford County of Historic Places in 1973 [ Sims, Carlton C. ] on.! Already two of the legislative Sessions, general Andrew Jackson rode horseback from the southwest to the central portion the. Sims, Carlton C. ] on Amazon.com to flood – and never did a cyclone blowing in the!  to the Coon Hunters Club on December 29, 1969 West fork of Stone’s River, stranger. Terms with a maximum of six years water level to drop in the of., stores for the most part traders and saloon keepers establishment of a Carnation Milk plant! Beginning in 1950, was established twenty-seven years after the Revolution general Andrew rode. Slipped and fell to his death on the roof of the southwest Territory ( the upper chamber the! Step toward changing the direction of its economy whatever deficiencies that existed to discourage early farmers were gradually eliminated your. The base of the supper Club and liquor by the Choctaws, Chickasaws, and many other reported! And promoting OUR local history since 1971 look, and missing months of 1930 the. Was appointed President of the County braced itself for World War II at four and a substantial turnpike connecting Rutherford.