Historical Journal

Since 1970, the Williamson County Historical Society has published a yearly journal which is provided to society members as a part of their annual dues.  Journals 1-54 are presented here as readable and searchable Adobe Acrobat files.  The files are large and may be slow to open - depending on your internet speed.  Copyrights of articles herein presented are held by the WCHS and may not be reproduced without the written consent of the society. Utilizing journal articles as a resource for educational research is encouraged. Please follow MLA (Modern Language Association) style guide for citations.

To view a master index for all 55 journals, click the button below. Since this is a compilation of the many indices, noting the Table of Contents found above each index is essential in knowing which journal to view for your subject search word. To search the master index, click the button below. After the PDF index opens, click on the three vertical dots at the top right of your screen and choose “Find”. Type your search word in the box. Use the down-arrow to move forward through the journals’ indices or up-arrow to go back. Write down the volume and page number associated with your search word. Find the corresponding journal in the list below and open. Repeat the search or scroll down to the page number you’ve noted.

Williamson County Historical Journal No. 53

In this year’s journal we are fortunate to have 7 articles by local historians. Walter Green has conducted extensive research on the Tennessee and Alabama Railroad during the Civil War years, and how it relates to Williamson County. His article, Embattled Railroad adds new information to our knowledge about this crucial time period. In October 2021, a new statue honoring the U.S. Colored Troops was placed in front of the courthouse. Tina Jones’s exhaustive research on this subject is presented in the article, March to Freedom. Travelers Rest Farm usually refers to the home of John Overton in Nashville. Caneta Hankins introduces us to its Williamson County namesake and the Arabian horse breeding operation of Jacob McGavock Dickinson. Margie Thessin has written a history of St. Philip Catholic Church from its first few Irish Catholic parishioners to a thriving diverse congregation - celebrating its 150th anniversary.

Williamson County Historical Journal No. 52

Presented in this year’s journal are newspaper articles dealing with personal recollections of an old educational institute, murder trials, holiness and a young Williamson County man who rode his horse from Franklin to California. Walter Green provides a history of the John M. Green Insurance agency which celebrated its one-hundredth anniversary in 2020. There are also two original letters never before published, and a recently discovered connection between a local man and the procurement of the Jackson Equestrian Statue located at the Tennessee State Capitol. This journal is dedicated to Bob and Jackie Canaday who have served as officers and contributors to the WCHS for many years. Their pictorial history of Franklin published in two volumes, has greatly advance our visual understanding of the past.

Williamson County Historical Journal No. 51

It is always a pleasant surprise when first source material comes to light, adding additional bits of information to our knowledge of Williamson County, its history and people. Journal No. 51 begins with an 1879 diary kept by two Mormon missionaries seeking converts in western Williamson County. It ends with the “Company Book” of Major Lewis Dillahunty and his journey to and from New Orleans during the War of 1812. In between, we learn about Thompson Station, the architecture of Carter House and Carnton, Franklin’s first horseless carriage, S.E. Farnsworth and a 1952 booklet “Invitation to Enterprise,” sponsored by the Franklin Lions Club, which promoted economic development. This year the Franklin Rotary Club celebrated its 70th Rodeo anniversary. In tribute, we include a 1950 article from the Review-Appeal which reports on the first rodeo.

Williamson County Historical Journal No. 50

Welcome to the fiftieth edition of the Williamson County Historical Society’s annual publication and my thirtieth year as its editor. As I read over the many articles in past journals, I realize what a wealth of historical information has been shared with each issue. Many of those early contributors, I notice, are no longer living, but their articles and legacy live on. We should be mindful and thankful of those who have labored and shared their interest and knowledge in local history. Also, if you have bit of history to share or subject you wish to write on, let your editor know.

There is no general theme for this issue. However, since the centennial Armistice of World War will be celebrated soon, we begin with an article by Thomas Henderson III, grandson of Capt. Thomas P. Henderson, who will share letters between his grandparents during World War I. Also, Thomas provides some of his grandfather’s insight into the failed attempt to capture Kaiser Wilhelm II…

Williamson County Historical Journal No. 49

 The first article of this journal summarizes Reese Amis’s History of the 114th Field Artillery, published in 1920. It has been a hundred years since eighty-five men from Williamson County joined the Tennessee Field Artillery soon to become the U.S. 114th Field Artillery under Col. Luke Lea. Sixty Williamson County men served in Battery F under Capt. Thomas Henderson of Franklin.

The Life and Times of William Martin is also included by Brian Laster. Martin was born in North Carolina and made Williamson County home for 37 years. He was an officer in the War of 1812 and First Seminole War, elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives, promoted to Brigadier General of the Tennessee Militia, served as Williamson County Trustee and near the end of his life, involved in a “rough and tumble” brawl…

Williamson County Historical Journal No. 48

Our feature article, written by Gary Waddey, brings to light the close relationship between the John B. McEwen family of Franklin and Richard and Samuel L. Graham of Pinewood, Hickman County. The enterprising Graham brothers came to Franklin in 1832 from North Carolina penniless. By 1848, through their industry and business acumen as tailors and merchants, they accumulated enough money to erect an industrial village on the Piney River in Hickman County. Earlier, in 1842, their orphan sister, Cynthia Graham married John B. McEwen, a  young Franklin attorney, and from this connection the saga blossoms. 

Mike Hudgins is responsible for persuading Pete Mefford to write a memoir of growing up in the sleepy village of Thompson Station in the 1940s & 50s. Pete’s BGA accounts will awaken memories of J.B. Akin, Ralph Brown, Carl Smithson, John…