Old Jefferson, Tennessee and The Gum Family

A home in Old Jefferson back in the 1890s.

Early in my journey to discover the truth about the Gumm family, to my surprise I learned that they had not always lived in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Prior to 1876, the Gums lived in a town known as “Jefferson,” (and later "Old Jefferson). Originally, the town had been named for President Thomas Jefferson.

While this fact surprised me, the real shock was that Jefferson was gone. I would never be able to follow the trail of her history by walking down her streets or looking into her buildings. No, like Camelot, she was only a legend no. Her physical being had was covered by the waters of the Stones River and had been covered sing 1968 when the Tennessee Valley Authority created Percy Priest Lake in hopes of preventing the future flooding of Nashville.

Knowing the Jefferson was only a legend now led me on another journey -- to discover the story of Jefferson. There was little written about the town founded in 1805 by Thomas Bedford with the hope of creating a great inland port. It would be a port that connected with the mighty Mississippi River.

My journey to learn more about Jefferson was interesting, but barely informative until one day while  visiting the home of a woman whose family came from Old Jefferson, While studying the photos on her wall and asking about them, she told me,
“Call Toby Francis, he knows all about it.”

Old Jefferson is a passion for Mr. Frances. His family owned a farm there, and having to leave that land broke their hearts. When I explained to Toby why I wanted to go Jefferson – that the Gum family had lived from 1804 to 1876-- he asked me a question that struck me like lightening.

The path to Old Jefferson

“Would you like to go there?”

“What? I thought it was under water.”

“We all thought that, but mound of the hill where the town was is not under water.  It’s still there. If you go at

a certain time of year, right about now, actually, you can walk across the river to where the town was.”

So we agreed to meet. Toby advised me to wear heavy shoes and casual clothes as it was going to be a hike. We drove up the Murfreesboro Pike, and turn off just past the cemetery. Then we drove along a winding road, back to a public park area. From here, it was a hike. We walked through woods, and past the high piles of dirt the Park Service had built to prevent drivers from going down the old town road.

Because of the lake, the water is now still, but
at this spot a prosperous mill once ran.

Along the way, we passed hunters, the spot where the old mill was, and then walked down to the river where indeed the river had gone down, leaving a muddy path to walk across. Slowly ascending up the muddy narrow road, I thought the place must have looked something like this when the settlers came, or when the Indians roamed these hills. I was out of shape, and the hike took my breath away.

Finally, Toby said, “This is it. This is the crest of hill where the main square of the town sat in 1804.”

I had to stop and sit on the ground for a moment to absorb it. This was where Norton Gum walked… but not just him, there were men like Andrew Jackson and other important persons of the time. This had once been a bustling town. Now, it's goning back to nature.

Toby and I climbed through the woods, and along the way, he pointed out, here and there, a cistern and other things that proved another civilization had once stood here. The Park Service had removed the homes before the waters of Percy Priest Lake were let loose to flood the land. Yet as the Park Service removed buildings they made a few discoveries. While removing the boards off one of the old houses they learned that beneath those boards (the siding) was a much older building, a building thought to be the original courthouse.

Here I stand, on the edge of the Stones River fork,
Holding the stop of a carriage.

While we were there on my first visit, Toby and I went down to the water, to the very point where the East and West branches of the Stones River divide. The river is much calmer now. Walking along the waterfront I discovered a piece of metal which Toby said it was a step for an old carriage. Frequently, Toby told me, there are historic items washed up along the shore here.

This point of the Stones River once had wharves with river boats coming and going, delivering and taking goods off to distant ports. It was once thought that this town, Jefferson, would become a great port in the middle of the United States. Oh, but to walk on this last of history.


The Crosthwaits, Ridleys and The Civil War

For those who have read my book, you'll know that
in the early years of Jefferson's existence, a man named
Shelton Crosthwait moved to Jefferson from Virginia. A very cultured, well-educated young man, some say that Shelton is the son of William Crosthwait, the man who helped Benjamin Franklin set up the first library in Philadelphia. In any case, Shelton Crosthwait was extremely ambitious and soon had built a grand plantation on both sides of the Stones River and a lovely mansion called "Fairmont" on the hill overlooking Jefferson and surrounding area.

You may wonder what this Mr. Crosthwait has to do with the Gum family. As it turns out, besides the fact that they both lived in this historic area, quite a bit. During my research - research that took me over a year - I learned that after the death of Sheldon Crosthwait's brother, he raised his brother's son, William. This same William would one day marry Alexander Gum's mother, Melinda (her second marriage). Alexander Gum was Judy Garland's great grandfather and the grandson of one of Jefferson's earliest residents, Norton Gum.

In my search to find more about Jefferson, I also learned that Shelton Crosthwait's granddaughter, Bettie Ridley Blackmore, who lived at Fairmont during the Civil War, kept a diary which was published in part by the Tennessee Historical Society in the late 1950s. One year after discovering this fact, I finally obtained a copy of this historical work.

Meanwhile, I became fascinated by Fairmont and the Crosthwaits. Despite the fact that the home was burnt by the "Yankees" during the war, I thought something of the place must be left. Some people told me they had ideas about it and one day Ernie Johns and I climbed through brush and rought terrain. It's a wonder we didn't meet a rattle snake!

On the road to Fairmont.

Finally, Toby Frances took me back to Jefferson, and led me up a hill which he believed was the old road to "Fairmont." Once again, Toby and I set off to find it. The photo to the left reveals the road we traveled on, and in my book there is a photo of Toby standing against an ancient tree. 

The day we traveled to Fairmont was sunny and quite warm. I was in better shape than on my first trip to Old Jefferson and walking up the slope toward the crest of the hill I thought saw evidence of ancient paving and side stones along the edge of the road. As we traveled along, I could almost hear the sound of the horse’s hooves pulling a carriage of guests along and the clip of the reins as they sped on to the mansion.. Strange how time can change things…

So that is my story for now.  Maybe one day more will be learned.

For more information on Old Jefferson, the Crosthwaits and Ridleys may be found in my book, From Tennessee to Oz, Part 1.