Progress-the good, the bad and the ugly

I'm not really sure where I stand on "progress". Some days I despise it-most days it seems. And then some days, like today, I thank the heavens for it.

Today we went to a new subdivision. There is only one home built so far, and only a few roads laid out and paved. When I spotted the new roads a few days ago I prayed that it was indeed the property I had poured over for so many days on Google Maps. Driving out there today, parking at the farthest road in, and walking across a field of about 200 yards, proved me right. We located a small cemetery(pictured here), the Blackman Cemetery, that had been hidden back here for so many years. It sat about 1/2 mile from all surrounding roads. I was never sure exactly which property it sat on or who owned it. But thanks to progress, it has been found again.

The amount of farmland in my county that is being turned into subdivisions and strip malls is astounding.

And that brings me to the bad. The loss of two of the most historic homes in our county in the past few years, the Jenkin House and the McCulloch-Overall House.


Both of these homes played large roles in the Battle of Stones River. The top photo, the Jenkins Home, was the site of a field hospital for the Union forces. It sat near the intersection of Manson Pike and the interstate. It had sat abandoned for many years, and after exchanging hands a few times(and seemingly not allowing those who wanted to save to well, save it), it was torn down not long after this photo was taken in October of 2005. With the new interchange for Manson Pike, most assuredly someone wants to put a gas station or strip mall here. What a shame.

The other photo is of the McCulloch-Overall House. It was used as a headquarters for Confederate General William J Hardee before the battle. The home had been built in 1838 by Benjamin McCulloch. It was used as photographers studio for many years before being sold. From what I've heard, it was torn down in late 2006 for apartments or a strip mall, but I have not been back over there to see for myself-just the thought of losing this home makes my blood boil.

And then there is the ugly. I don't visit cemeteries in neighboring counties too often, unless they have a real historical significance. There had been one in Antioch, near Bell Road and Murfreesboro Rd, that we had stopped at once to photograph. It wasn't a large cemetery, just a few graves, but it was there and we stopped to photograph it. That was before I had a digital camera, probably back around 2002. I was recently informed that it had been destroyed by developers so we drove over to have a look. Now, I couldn't remember exactly where it was, but knew the general area, up on a small hill between some homes. When we drove by that area, the cemetery, the homes, and indeed the whole small hill had been flattened and there were bulldozers everywhere. Now, I don't know that these graves weren't moved first, but if they were not, that is a sad and miserable ending for this poor family and this little cemetery. I honestly can't imagine something like this happening, but it honestly does not surprise me.

Near the intersection where we exit the interstate to come to our house, there used to be a small graveyard. From what I had learned, when we first moved here, was that the markers had been plowed over when the subdivision was built in the 70s. However there still sat that little piece of land, with the tall weeds at the back, where I assumed the graveyard was-even if the stones were gone. Last year they built a Chem-Dry building on top of it. I hope they are haunted.

To sum this all up, progress can be good when it chooses to be. I can't count the number of small graveyards I have located thanks to progress over the past 5 1/2 years since I moved here and started this project-in fact I might make a list later in the week. But what we are losing at the same time makes me extremely sad and angry. Some subdivisions are built around existing historic homes(the Johns-King Home in Smyrna comes to mind), and some old homes are moved(the Morton house when Stewarts Creek schools were built), but when they are destroyed for no good reason, I cannot see the logic in this.

Please, whatever you do, save our history!