🚙2015 ~Tuesday, August 11, Milkey Way Manor, Giles County Tennessee

The day started the day with me getting my teeth cleaned at the denist.

We ate breakfast around 10:30 AM at Cracker Barrel.
I ordered whole wheat buttered toast, one egg scrambled, two slices of bacon and to drink I ordered  unsweet tea with lemon.

My husband ordered the Big Breakfast.
Our waitress said, I am running my butt off today because we are swamped.

Our next stop was in St Joseph Tennessee for lottery and scratch tickets.
I spent five dollars on scratch offs and I won seven dollars. 
Most of the time I don't win anything.

We took highway 64 into Pulaski for site seeing.

 Giles County Historic Museum was our first stop, which was located the Library. It was one very large room full of unforgettable, historic, notable, striking, impressive items.

Giles County Historic museum. 

A chair from the courthouse that was used (1857-1900) during the Civil

Giles County Historic museum. 

In the one room museum, we saw a wall hanging quilt, Tennessee fifty-one Confederate Generals, Defending Elm Springs, picture of Rev Samuel Howell, a bookshelf full of old books, chair from the courthouse used (1857-1900) during the Civil, a wedding dress, several old school pictures, Medical books that belonged to Dr Louis A Edmundson,a picture of Walter Herschel Beech 1891-1950 builder of the Beechcraft Airplanes that we saw a few weeks ago in Tullahoma, Tin sign telling about Sam Davis,US Flag, Confederate Flag, & four wall hanging of Churches in Giles County.
Sitting in a corner was a case full of information about The Kentucky Derby which Mr. Mars plain an important a part.

I saw a picture of Gallahadion Winning the Kentucky Derby owned by Mr. Mars from the Milkey Way Farm Estate.

Gallahadion Winning the Kentucky Derby.

We saw the Thomas Martin House now a bank

CSB  Bank is located inside this beautiful old home being repaired

Hubert & Grace Grissom Colonial Hall College

Our next stop was the Sam Davis Memorial Museum the site of Sam Davis hanging located on Sam Davis Avenue Historic District.

Sam Davis Avenue Historic District 
Tracing the original eastern city boundary and the Congressional Reservation Line once diving white and Indian territory, Sam Davis Avenue is named for a Confederate hero hanged by Federals on this hill in 1863. The Historical District, placed on the National Register in 1989, contains outstanding architecture of the 1860~1910 period.

The Sam Davis Memorial Museum where Sam Davis was hanged
Born October 6, 1842 near Smyra Rutherford County TN though a Confederate Soldier in the line of duty he was executed as a spy, by the Federals at Pulaski, November 27, 1863
Had I a thousand lives to live 
Had I a thousand lives to give

I'd give them Nay

I'd gladly die

Before I'd live 

one Life a Lie 

Sam Davis 's home, grave and Museum is located in Smyrna, Tennessee. 
Sam Davis was buried near the family home, supposedly in flowerbed, on Christmas Eve.

Coke Cola Building

611 West College St

Pulaski, TN 38478 

Phone: (931) 363-1525

Our next stop was the Milky Way Farms owned by Charles Jones and his daughter Lynn Golden.

The home and farm are now used to host weddings, events, festivals, tours, guided hunting actives and other seasonal actives.

Milky Way Farms Gates

Milky Way Farms

The farm began in 1931 when  Frank Mars the founder of the Mars Candy purchased land in Tennessee. It was during extreme economic times in Giles County and many people were loosing their homes. Mr Mars bought up the land, let the people stay in their homes and work for him.

His farm employed hundreds of works from the Giles County Area. Mr Mars had prized hHerefords the fastest horses, fine sheep, incredible barns, and awesome view for his house set atop a hill overlooking the valley below

Milky Way Farms

Milky Way Farms Manor House 

The original dining room table measures 12’ x 28’ and can seat up to 40 people.

Fountain

• In 1930-31, Frank Mars acquired tracts of land in Giles County to total 2,805 acres
• In 1931, Frank Mars built the original home club house which burned to the ground within a few months
• In 1931-32, Frank Mars rebuilt the Manor House as it stands today out of stone from his 2,800 acre estate (25,000 square feet, 20 bedrooms, 14 baths, and two ½ baths)
• In 1931-34, a total of 30 barns, 70 cottages, a Mausoleum and the world famous “crooked sheep barn” were built
• In 1931-34, as many as 935 local hired hands were working for $.50 a day at Milky Way Farm
• In 1932, Frank Mars introduced the Three Musketeer candy bar
• In 1932, Frank designed and built the Milky Way race track where many champion thoroughbreds were trained including the 1940 Kentucky Derby Winner, Gallahadion
• In 1931-34, Milky Way Farm was home to five nationally known livestock operations: Hereford cattle, thoroughbred horses, commercial dairy, beef cattle and Hampshire sheep
• The dining room table measures 12’ x 28’ and can seat up to 40 people.

We watch a five minute video about the farm, we asked a few questions, then we were told we could tour the whole house except the kitchen where the curator was cooking.

The curator had a pot of green-beans cooking in the kitchen for a large group that was coming later that day. Boy did they smell good! They have weddings, & entertain large groups.

Stair Case in Manor 

Stair Case in Manor 

One of the twenty Bedrooms in the manor 

Fireplace in the Master Bedroom 

One of the twenty Bedrooms in the manor

Fireplace in the Living Room 

Alot of the  farm has been sold and most of the rest of the farm the roads are not very good so we did not venture any further.

We were going to try out the Bar BQ Restaurant between Athens and Rogersville but it is not open on Mondays and Tuesdays. 

We pickup the van from Champion Chrysler after having the back seat fixed so it will go it will store and come back up into a sitting position.

We drove to Stanfield's in Rogersville, my husband ordered a New York Strip, baked potato and salad bar. I ordered the kids three piece shrimp with cole slaw and two hushpuppies.

Another hot day adventure but most of what we did was inside. 

The clouds were beautiful today

2009 ~ Thursday, July 30, LaGrange College Site, Barton Civil War Skirmish & Coon Dog Cemetery

Hubby had surgery on his stomach (a tare in his stomach from a fall) on July 20. Today was a recheck to make sure the incision was healing. After the doctor visit, we decided to ride to Ford City to eat lunch at Stanfield's it is one of our favorite places to eat.

Hubby usually orderers steak, baked potato and gets the salad bar.

I usually order as small shrimp plate, which includes shrimp, Texas toast, slaw and baked potato.

On our way to Stanfield's, we rode passed the Weeden Heights historic marker that was located next to the Broadway Rec Center.
Crape Myrtles were in full bloom and they were several pinks ones behind the marker.

Weeden Heights early 1900s

This Twentieth-century business and residential area were developed by John D. Weeden Jr during the building of Wilson Dam and the World War I Defense Plants. Weeden Heights was carved from 3,800-acre Sweetwater Plantation, the former home of his grandfather, Governor Robert M. Patton. The slave village, with its 23 small cabins facing a community square, was located north of the Broadway Recreation Center. An unmarked slave cemetery is nearby. In 1871 the Patton's gifted a 25-acre farm in this area to a former slave. 

Edmund Patton

"In consideration of his faithfulness and fidelity"

After we left Stanfield's, we stopped at Southern Railroad in Muscle Shoals, where I took a picture of the red caboose and the Jerry Scott memorial marker.

Red Caboose

In Memory of Jerry H Scott and unforgettable friend whose humor loyalty and safe dedicated service left us all a lasting inspiration.

We rode to the LaGrange Park, none of the buildings were open because no activity was going on. So we strolled in the park, stopping to take pictures of the park, a country store, a church, a cabin, & the historical marker telling about the history of LaGrange 

Entrance to LaGrange College Site 

Hubby relaxing at Log Cabin

LaGrange College Site Park 

County Store/Post Office 

Blacksmith Shop

LaGrange College Park 

This is the site of

LaGrange College

Chartered in 1830 by act of

the Legislature of Alabama

An Institution of High Order for men

attended chiefly by students

from the southern states.

The college was burned April 28, 1863

by Federal Cavalry Commanded by

Colonel Florence M. Cornyn

under General Granville Dodge

Presidents

Bishop Robert Paine 1830-1846

Dr. Edward Wadsworth 1846-1852

James W. Hardy 1852-1853

Rev. Smith Moore 3 months 1853

Dr. R. H. Rivers 1854-1855

Rev. Felix Johnson 1855-1858

Col. J. W. Robertson 1858-1862

 We stopped in Barton to see the Barton Cemetery and the Civil War Skirmish at Barton Cemetery

Barton Cemetery 

Bullet-marked tombstones in this cemetery show evidence of a brisk skirmish here Oct. 26, 1863, when Gen. P. J. Osterhaut's first division of Sherman's Corps came under fire from Gen. S. D. Lee's Confederate troops. CSA artillery on a hill near a frame church (Zion No. 1) opened fire at dawn and Union artillery replied from the cemetery. CSA forces retreated to Little Bear Creek. USA forces briefly occupied Tuscumbia, then retreated to Cherokee and abandoned the attempt to advance along the railroad.  

Civil War Skirmishes at Barton

In 1862~63, Confederate forces fought several sharp skirmishes near Barton as they sought to repeal or delay Union expeditions invading the Tennessee Valley from the Federal stronghold at Corinth, Mississippi.

Dec. 12, 1862, ~~~ Col. T.W. Sweeny, USA vs Col. P.D. Roddey, CSA

Apr. 17, 1863 ~~~Gen. G.M. Dodge, USA vs Col. P.D. Roddey, CS

Oct. 20, 1863~~~ Gen. P.J. Osterhaus, USA vs Col. Jeff Forrest, CSA

Oct. 26, 1863 ~~~Gen. P.J. Osterhaus, USA vs Gen. S.D. Lee, CSA

Barton Church 

Tomb of Robert Craig Garner

Our last stop was the Key Underwood Coon Dog Memorial Graveyard a resting place for hunting hounds. The cemetery is well kept, with an outhouse, and a shelter where coon dog previous owners gather to remember their coon dogs.

Only Cemetery of its kind in the world only coonhounds are allowed to be buried. Troop First Dog laid to rest here Sept 4, 1937

Grave sites of many coon dogs

Grave sites of many coon dogs

Coon Dog Cemetery 

Troop First Dog laid to rest here Sept 4, 1937
The troop is surrounded by a fence with barrier top to protect his grave and tombstone.