The History of Belle Meade: Mansion, Plantation, and Stud"Ridley Wills traces the history of Belle Meade from a log cabin alongside a buffalo trail to one of the South's grand plantations and horse nurseries to its demise and eventual development into Nashville's premier residential community. In the process, he provides a fully documented account of the origins and evolution of the plantation, its grand mansion, and its Thoroughbred breeding farm. Along the way, he tells the story of the Harding and Jackson families, who carved Belle Meade from a wilderness and brought it to international fame both for its excellence in horse breeding and for its hospitality in the Southern tradition." "On the small scale of human events, Wills focuses on the details of farming practices, the expansions and renovations of the mansion, the education and personalities of children, and the problems of daily living in the midst of war. On the large scale of nineteenth-century American history, Belle Meade becomes a viewing point for the comings and goings of people and events so easily described as historical - Andrew Jackson and Sam Houston, Generals Johnston and Grant, the Civil War and Reconstruction, the visits and deaths of presidents. Weaving together family and regional history, Wills provides his reader with the most substantial account ever written of the land, people, buildings, and Thoroughbreds that for a century made Belle Meade the "Queen of Tennessee plantations.""--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved |
From inside the book
Page 18
... Vermont 9 Harding made an entry in his ledger that William Giles. WILLIAM GILES HARDING during his student years . Painting by an unknown artist , collection of Tennessee State Library and Archives , cited hereafter as TSLA AMERICAN ...
... Vermont 9 Harding made an entry in his ledger that William Giles. WILLIAM GILES HARDING during his student years . Painting by an unknown artist , collection of Tennessee State Library and Archives , cited hereafter as TSLA AMERICAN ...
Page 66
... Vermont , and New York City . In late June , General and Mrs. Harding , his son John , and " the Misses Bass " left for the Eastern seaboard.4 The party stopped briefly at Richmond , where Harding enjoyed seeing his first cousin ...
... Vermont , and New York City . In late June , General and Mrs. Harding , his son John , and " the Misses Bass " left for the Eastern seaboard.4 The party stopped briefly at Richmond , where Harding enjoyed seeing his first cousin ...
Page 67
... Vermont . After visiting sites in that state , the party returned to Nashville by way of New York City . 12 A year or so after the marred vacation , a fire damaged Belle Meade . Family lore holds that about 1851 General and Mrs ...
... Vermont . After visiting sites in that state , the party returned to Nashville by way of New York City . 12 A year or so after the marred vacation , a fire damaged Belle Meade . Family lore holds that about 1851 General and Mrs ...
Contents
From Middletown to McSpaddens Bend | 13 |
Stones River Years | 26 |
Land and Spirit | 36 |
Copyright | |
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Andrew Johnson APTA Belle Meade Plantation Belle Meade Stud Belle Meade's Billy Bob Green Bonnie Scotland booklet bought collection of Eunice colts Confederate Daily American daughter Davidson County deer park Easton Elizabeth Harding Elliston Eunice F farm fillies folder friends Harding Jackson History of Davidson Howell E Howell Jackson Ibid Iroquois Jackson to Eunice Jacob McGavock Dickinson JAHL James John Harding June Kentucky Luke Blackburn Malone mares McNairy Nashville American Nashville Banner Nashville Chapter Nashville Daily Nashville Tennessean president Prominent Tennesseans racing Randal Records Republican Banner Selene Selene Jackson Selene's sires Sketches of Prominent small collection sold spring stallion Thoroughbred TSLA Uncle Bob Union and American visited W. G. Harding W. H. Jackson West Meade WHJP William Giles William Giles Harding William Harding William Harding Jackson William Hicks Jackson wrote yearling sale yearlings York