Oversized Strawberry Crate - Portland, TN

The claim to fame of the small town of Portland, TN is their annual Strawberry Festival. In 2022, it is this weekend.

With that in mind, Citizens' Park along Main St. was redesigned in early 2019 with this oversized crate to hold strawberries. Likewise, oversized strawberries were placed around the crate as well as all around the block. Inside the crate are a couple of park benches.

See a video of the area here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCoi6HD-Rxo

Sterchi's Barn - Old US 31E, Sumner County

"It costs less at STERCHI'S to furnish your home"

Sterchi Barns are an elusive thing. As someone who looks far and wide for advertising barns, there aren't many of these to be found, but they're not really near each other. There's this one near blountville, this one between Pulaski and fayetteville, and my favorite one north of Fayetteville. The one here is painted similarly to the previous two. During their heyday, the were the largest furniture store in America. Long out of business, their old warehouse in Knoxville has been turned into loft apartments.

The road to find this barn is a bit of an elusive thing, too. There are two old routes between Nashville and Louisville, which have been signed US31E and US31W. From there, almost all of US31E between Gallatin, TN and Scottsville, KY has been replaced by a modern smoother and straighter highway. If you'd like a slow leisurely drive that doesn't take you anywhere fast, I'd suggest you get your GPS and drive the old winding road between the two cities. This barn is a couple of miles north of Westmoreland. Before the days of US highways having numbers, back when they were called Auto Trails, this was known as the Andrew Jackson Highway, which follows a small stream through the area. This route dates back to 1911 and connected Chicago and New Orleans via Nashville.

There's one more thing that's been elusive. Sadly, that's been me taking a photo of the barn I could be happy with. The day I stumbled across this place, I noticed there was nowhere to pull over and there was just enough traffic that I couldn't just stop in the street. The same ad is painted on both sides, and I drove back and forth past it a couple of times. Then, I found on what otherwise would have been my best shot, the sun was hitting the roof is such a way to wash out any evidence of writing. I made a return visit a few months later and again I didn't get a good shot, plus the barn's owner didn't take too kindly to me taking a picture of his barn. (at least that was my impression, I didn't stay any longer to find out.) It pains me that I'll settle with the photos uploaded today, where I've picked one from each side, one from each visit.

Bowen-Campbell House - Goodlettsville, TN

According to Wikipedia:

The Bowen-Campbell House, also known as the Bowen Plantation House, is a two-story, Federal style, brick house located in Goodlettsville, Sumner County, Tennessee.

The house was built from 1787 to 1788 by Captain William Bowen, a veteran of Lord Dunmore's War of 1774, the French and Indian War of 1754 to 1763, and the American Revolutionary War who brought his family to the area in 1785. His son, William Russell Bowen, later lived in the house. His grandson, Brigadier General William Bowen Campbell who served as Governor of Tennessee from 1851 to 1853 and U.S. Congressman from Tennessee from 1837 to 1843, was born in the house in 1807.

It is the oldest brick house in Middle Tennessee. The bricks were imported from Lexington, Kentucky. The original plantation area around the house is now the home of Moss-Wright Park. The Bowen-Campbell House Association as well as the Tennessee Historical Commission, restored the house in 1976. In 1977, the structure was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Archaeologists found the family cemetery on the property in 1995 and restored it in 1996. It is open for tours as part of Historic Mansker's Station.

Nathaniel Parker Cabin - Bledsoe's Fort Historical Park

The 1790's Parker family cabin is located now at Bledsoe's Fort Historical Park near Castalian Springs. Originally it was located in Rogana, about 4 miles to the north but was dismantled and relocated in the park. Parker married Mary Ramsey Bledsoe— the widow of Anthony Bledsoe— in the 1790s and commanded the fort at Greenfield.

Video: Days Gone By Museum - Portland, TN

There is a not well known museum in the small town of Portland, TN which is worth the drive from Nashville. It started as a private collection of tractors, but has expanded to much more, including multiple forms of transportation: Cars (hot rods, race cars, Volkswagens, 1920s, etc.), trucks, motorcycles, fire engines, a couple of planes and a caboose. Other highlights include vintage toys, cameras, and Maytag.

If you'd like to see a gallery of the items in this video, check here:
http://seemidtn.com/gallery/index.php?album=Sumner_County%2FDays+Gone+By+Museum

Marty Robbins Recording Studio - Hendersonville, TN

In the early 1980's it looked like Hendersonville was going to become a prime country music tourist destination. Johnny Cash set up the House of Cash on a highway named after him. Conway Twitty built his mansion and tourist destination Twitty City. Across the street, several smaller venues opened up and collectively they became known as Music Village USA. After Twitty's death, his entire property went for sale and was purchased by the Trinity Broadcasting Network which opened Trinity Music City. The smaller attractions weren't going to thrive on their own and were also purchased by Trinity.

One of these operations was this building which was a recording studio and museum opened by Marty Robbins. Robbins dies in 1982 which is right around the time it would have opened. Once owned by Trinity Music City, they have kept it as a recording studio.

Portland, TN - Trains and Strawberries video

This video was taken the day before the Strawberry Festival which was May 7-8, 2021

Douglass Clark House (and Courthouse)

The original log house which incorporates a single room building, built in 1787, served as the first Sumner County Courthouse. Andrew Jackson appeared at the courthouse in his role as Attorney General for the Metro District. In the 1860s, four sons of Emma Douglass Clark fought for the Confederate Army in the Civil War. Only one of the four Douglas men, Charles, survived the war. He was discharged after serving under the command of General Nathan Bedford Forrest.

This house is located outside of Gallatin where Long Hollow Pike (TN174) passes Station Camp Creek. The home remained a family dwelling until 2007 when it was sold to the county. From there, Sumner County spent several years completely renovating the home. In 2015, the home opened as a visitor's center. The home was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2011.

Inside the Conway Twitty Mansion - his desk

Country Music legend Conway Twitty had his mansion built in Hendersonville, TN in the early 1980s. At the time, he had a museum and gift shop also open on the property, an entertainment complex known as Twitty City. Fans were welcomed to walk around the gardens in front of his house. Twitty City remained open until his death in 1993.

The property was purchased by the religious television station Trinity Broadcasting Network to create Trinity Music City. Trinity still allows visitors to walk around the gardens and offers free tours of the mansion. My guide said they get a good mix of Conway's fans and TBN fans. Most of Twitty's belongings were auctioned off, so only one of his items, a desk, remains inside the mansion. Many of the remaining interior rooms are used for TV show filming. Around Christmas, they string up an impressive display of holiday lights.

Portland, TN Car Cruise-in (2017)

Here are several colorful muscle cars seen in the downtown Portland area.

Twitty Bird made of bricks

The Twitty Bird was the mascot of legendary country musician Conway Twitty. It is a cowboy hat wearing obvious knock-off of the Looney Tunes Tweety Bird.

At Twitty City, viewable from the Gardens in front of the mansion is this Twitty Bird built into the bricks of the gift shop. Twitty City was purchased by Trinity Broadcasting Network and is now Trinity Music City. They have preserved several of these Conway Twitty items around the property.

Ferlin Husky's former museum, now WPGD - Hendersonville, TN

In the early 1980's it looked like Hendersonville was going to become a prime country music tourist destination. Johnny Cash set up the House of Cash on a highway named after him. Conway Twitty built his mansion and tourist destination Twitty City. Across the street, several smaller venues opened up and collectively they became known as Music Village USA. After Twitty's death, his entire property went for sale and was purchased by the Trinity Broadcasting Network which opened Trinity Music City. The smaller attractions weren't going to thrive on their own and were also purchased by Trinity.

This interesting building with Octagonal front room was originally built to be a museum for Ferlin Husky. Today, TBN uses this for their local broadcast television station WPGD, channel 50. Inside, there is a television studio for recording religious programming and occasional local interest shows.

Post Card Tuesday: Johnny Cash's One Piece at a Time Cadillac

One od Johnny Cash's most iconic songs was "One piece at a time." It's the story of an automobile assembly line worker who would take smuggle home one piece of a car every day until he was able to put together an entire car. Until his death, Cash had a museum in Hendersonville along Johnny Cash Highway (US31E). The building which used to be the museum is still there today, although today it is a real estate agency. See it on Google Street View.

Hunley Cabin - Bledsoe Fort Historic Park

Three old houses have been relocated to the Bledsoe Fort Historic Park near Castallian Springs in Sumner County. Of the three, I can't find any details of this cabin. However, there is also a monument to Civil War submarine captain Horace Lawson Hunley here: flic.kr/p/UmK7xb

Temple Theater (2017) - Portland, TN

The Temple Theater in Portland, TN has recently undergone renovation. The theater dates back to 1937, but closed in the early 1950s.

You can see more in this Tennesseean article:
www.tennessean.com/story/gallatin/news/2014/01/23/histori...

You can follow their progress here:
www.facebook.com/temple.theatre.portlandtn/

Conway Twitty Mansion - Hendersonville, TN

Country Music legend Conway Twitty had his mansion built in Hendersonville, TN in the early 1980s. At the time, he had a museum and gift shop also open on the property, an entertainment complex known as Twitty City. Fans were welcomed to walk around the gardens in front of his house. Twitty City remained open until his death in 1993.

The property was purchased by the religious television station Trinity Broadcasting Network to create Trinity Music City. Trinity still allows visitors to walk around the gardens and offers free tours of the mansion. My guide said they get a good mix of Conway's fans and TBN fans. Most of Twitty's belongings were auctioned off, so only one of his items, a desk, remains inside the mansion. Many of the remaining interior rooms are used for TV show filming. Around Christmas, they string up an impressive display of holiday lights (but, I'm not sure if they are doing it in 2020).

Monthaven - Hendersonville, TN

Monthaven, also known as the Leonard B. Fite House, is a historic home in Hendersonville, TN and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The exact date of it's construction is not known and has multiple additions. It was used as a field hospital during the Civil War with bloodstains soaked into the poplar floors. A few skirmishes occurred on the property as well. The historic building is now home to galleries and offices of the Hendersonville Arts Council. For the full story: hendersonvillearts.org/wordpress/?page_id=15

Moye-Green Boarding House - Portland, TN

The Moye-Green Boarding House is one of the earliest residential properties in Portland dating back to 1878. It is located near the the site of the L&N railroad depot, and operated as a boarding house from about 1890 to 1945. The house features decorative Folk Victorian detailing on the front porch.

The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2013. At the same time, the house sat vacant for many years and was subject to deterioration and decay. The house was added to the Tennessee Preservation Trust's 2013 Ten in Tenn list of endangered properties. Since then, it appears to have undergone some renovation.

Anthony & Isaac Bledsoe monument - Bledsoe's Fort Historical Park

Bledsoe's Station (AKA Bledsoe's Fort) was an 18th-century frontier fort located in what is now Castalian Springs, TN. The fort was built by long hunter and Sumner County pioneer Isaac Bledsoe in the early 1780s to protect Upper Cumberland settlers and migrants from hostile Native American attacks. While the fort is no longer standing, its location has been verified by archaeological excavations. The site is now part of Bledsoe's Fort Historical Park, a public park established in 1989 by Sumner County residents and Bledsoe's descendants.

The Belote Cemetery (or "Pioneer Cemetery") is located along a section of the Holston Road a few hundred yards southeast of the fort site and contains the graves of various early settlers in the Bledsoe's Lick area. The cemetery's most prominent feature is a 15-foot obelisk erected by the Bledsoe family in 1908 as a monument to Isaac and Anthony Bledsoe.

Holston Road (aka Avery Trace) - Bledsoe's Fort Historical Park

"You are now on a section of the first wagon road to the Cumberland Settlements from East Tennessee. Blazed in 1787."

Located at Bledsoe's Fort Historical Park near Castalian Springs in Sumner County, TN. I walked down this road, but it wasn't clear when the old road stopped and it became a nature trail that loops around to the other side of the park.

One thing that is not explained is this sign used to call this the "Avery Trace" instead of "Holston Road." Here is what Wikipedia has to say about the Avery Trace at this spot:

The first major road connecting the Upper Cumberland region with settlements to the east, known as Avery's Trace, was completed in 1788. The road, which connected Fort Southwest Point with Nashville, passed a few hundred feet east of Bledsoe's Station. Guests at Bledsoe's Station in the 1790s included French botanist André Michaux and Louis-Philippe, Duke of Orléans and later king of France. General James Winchester, who helped establish Cairo to the southwest and was later instrumental in the founding of Memphis, purchased Bledsoe's Station in 1797. The following year, Winchester completed Cragfont near Bledsoe Creek about a mile to the west. In 1807, a pioneer from North Carolina named Jeremiah Belote (d. 1822) purchased Bledsoe's Lick, and his descendants would retain possession of the property for several decades
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bledsoe%27s_Station#Later_history

This website helps explain the correction from Avery Trace to Holston Road:

The area which we are intensely involved with is the trail/road/trace from Western Jackson County, thru Fort Blount, Bledsoes Lick, Manskers Station and Nashville. We have reviewed 40 microfilm rolls of Record Group 1177 from North Carolina containing over 16,000 grants. These records contain warrants and surveyor documents with plats for land which was set out originally as a means of payment to North Carolina soldiers. The word "Avery" in any form is not mentioned in any of these grants. A few examples of what the surveyors called the road was: Waggon Road leading to Nashville, road leading from Bledsoes Lick to Holston, Holston Road, Holstein road, Road to Holson, road leading from Bledsoes Lick to Holston, Waggon Road leading to Nashville, Settlement Trace and road from Bledsoes licke to Holston. Individual sections in our focus area were called such names as Gibson Trace and Lower Goose Creek Trace for example. For the purposes of our study we are calling the road/trace/trail "Holston Road" since most of the descriptions include the word Holston.
www.cumberlandpioneers.com/averytrace.html