Cannon
County, established in 1836 by the Tennessee State Legislature, was named in
honor of Gov. Newton Cannon who held this position during the time of the
county’s creation. Cannon County is filled with natural beauty and contains a
varied landscape ranging from fertile bottom land along the rivers and creeks
of Readyville and Bradyville to the rolling hills and hollows on the edge of
the Highland Rim encompassing Woodbury, Auburntown, and Gassaway, to the peak
of Short Mountain on the county’s eastern boundary. The plateau of the Highland
Rim rising outside Woodbury extends to neighboring towns of Smithville,
McMinnville, and Manchester. Modern farming methods and the advent of commercial
fertilizers has transformed what once was referred to as “The Barrens” into one
of the more productive agricultural areas of the county. Cannon County has
grown in population and prospered and is today a historical reflection of those
families who for generations have called it their home.
The
headwater of the East Fork of Stone’s River begins as a trickle running out of
the hillside at the head of the Stones River Road in the Short Mountain community.
This watercourse meanders it way through and out of Cannon County into
Rutherford County before emptying into the Cumberland River near Nashville. It
was named for Uriah Stone, an early explorer to the area.
Along
the banks of Stone’s River, Hill’s Creek, and Doolittle Branch grew the various
communities that would constitute the settlement of the county seat of
Woodbury. Abundant springs in the area provided those earliest settlers with
ample water to establish their homesteads and set about clearing land and
raising crops needed to survive and prosper. Many such springs provided the
water sources for distilling spirits and Cannon County developed a considerable
reputation for the quality of these products. Today this legacy lives on in the
new and modern Short Mountain Distillery. It is locally owned and operated by
the Kaufman brothers, Billy, David, Ben, and Darian.
Grist
mills became necessary to grind the grains into flour and meal and they were
located on the many waterways running through the county. One of Cannon County’s
earliest industries was established on Short Mountain in the production of mill
stones needed by those mills to grind their grain. Mill stones were quarried on
Short Mountain and shipped by wagon to mill locations throughout Middle
Tennessee. Most likely others were shipped by flat boats down the Stone’s River
to Murfreesboro and Nashville. The only surviving mill in Cannon County is
found at Readyville on the banks of the Stone’s River and was established in
1812 by Charles Ready. This mill was most recently restored by former owner and
operator, Tomm Brady, who sold the mill to Bob and Karen Ford on Feb. 11, 2014.
Trapping and fur trading was also an early industry in
Cannon County and necessary to provide additional income for the families who
lived there. A trading post and post office located near Beaverdam served as a
location where pelts were sold.
Many blacksmith shops in those early days dotted the roads
and communities found within the county. More popular than even today’s service
stations, these blacksmith shops provided services necessary for the early
farmers in maintaining their equipment and implements as well as for shoeing
their horses, mules or oxen. A number of well-known auto mechanics in the
county learned their trade as a result of the influence of these early
blacksmiths.
Clearing land became one of the first tasks for those
calling Cannon County their home. Even before Cannon County came into existence
in 1836, there were settlers living in the area. They resided in what was then
Warren, Rutherford, Smith, and Wilson counties. Treaties with Native Americans
paved the way for settlement after 1805 but there were a number of families
already living in the area long before this date. According to Sterling S. Brown, early
historian of Cannon County, the first families settled along Brawley’s Fork
near the Bradyville and Curlee communities and were: Adams, Alexander, Arnold, Barton,
Bowen, Brady, Brandon, Bush, Byford, Bynum, Carson, Cates, Cooper, Curlee, Davis,
Edwards, Fagan, Faulkenberry, Fowler, Gaither, Gooding, Gray, Haley, Holt, Jernigan,
Knox, Lassiter, Lewis, Lowe, McCaslin, McGill,
Patton, Pearson, Petty, Pinkerton, Rawson, Reed, Ring, Roberts, Robertson, Rogers,
Sackett, Sageley, Simmons, Simpson, Sissom, Stroud, Taylor, Tennyson, Thomas, Todd,
Watson, Whiteside, Whitfield, Williams, Willis, Winfrey, Witherspoon, Wood, and
Valentine.
A new government for the county was also established in 1836
with numerous offices filled by appointment. Danville was the current village
name but was changed to Woodbury in honor of Levi Woodbury, then secretary of
the treasury in Pres. Andrew Jackson’s cabinet. Having no formal meeting house
or courthouse yet, the Quarterly Court met in its first sessions in the home of
Henry D. McBroom. Relocated from its original site, this house now stands on McCrary
Street between DeKalb Telephone Cooperative and First Bank. In 1837 the Court moved their sessions to the
home of John Fisher, an innkeeper. 
The original courthouse in Woodbury burned
in 1934 and was replaced by the current courthouse completed in 1936.
The
Courthouse of Cannon County today is listed on the National Register of
Historic Places. This photo was taken prior to the renovation project of the town square. All county offices and the various courts continue to use the present courthouse. The Cannon County Good Old Days Heritage event is staged at the courthouse in early May each year.
There are numerous historic homes and sites around Woodbury
and Cannon County. Relatively few are marked, however, so as to know of their
history or background. The best way of learning about them is to read the
several histories written about the county. They are: History of Woodbury and
Cannon County, by Sterling S. Brown, 1936 and republished recently by the
Cannon County Historical Society; History of Cannon County, 1984 by Robert
Mason and published by the Cannon County Historical Society; and the Pictorial
History of Cannon County, Tennessee, published
in 1998 by the Cannon County Historical Society. All three books can still be
purchased in their current editions from the Cannon County Historical Society.
Contact Joe D. Davenport, president of Cannon County Historical Society,
Woodbury, Tenn., or visit the website of the Adams Memorial Library.
The Cannon Courier is the premier printed news delivery service
for Cannon County and has been in operation more than “129 years.” Owned by Ron
Fryar with Mike West serving as Editor, this weekly newspaper keeps residents
and former citizens of the county informed as to news, sports, social events,
and current affairs. The local radio station, established during the 1960s as
WBFJ but later changed to WBRY, provides daily updates on breaking news stories
and events. It is owned and operated today by Doug Combs.
The community is also served by newspapers from Murfreesboro
(Daily News Journal, Murfreesboro Post), Southern Standard from McMinnville, Smithville
Review, and The Tennessean from Nashville as well as a host of national
coverage news media.
Woodbury has become known in recent years as one of the 100
Best Small Towns in the U.S.A. as a result of its cultural offerings. The
Cannon County Arts Center has become a prime host of cultural events ranging
from well produced plays, art exhibits, educational opportunities in crafts, culinary
delights, and as host of the White Oak Craft Festival held at the site
annually. The Arts Center attracts thousands of visitors each year to Woodbury.
Woodbury is also becoming a “mecca for antiques” as
witnessed by the numerous antique shops emerging around the town square and
elsewhere within the city. Capitalizing upon its rich heritage, Woodbury poses
to enter the future prepared for developing heritage tourism as its newest
industry. With sites like the Readyville Mill, Short Mountain Distillery, and
historic Courthouse on the Town Square, there is much to entertain the visitors
and tourists who visit Cannon County. Overnight stays can now be accommodated in substantial comfort at the
new Cannon Inn or the Adams House Bread and Breakfast.
– Danny Nichols
For websites of the various businesses and organizations
referenced above you will find links posted below:
Stones River Watershed Association: http://stoneswatershed.org/wordpress/
Cannon County, Tennessee: http://www.cannontn.com/
Woodbury, Tennessee Vacation: http://www.tnvacation.com/cities-towns/woodbury/
Gov. Newton Cannon: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newton_Cannon
Readyville Mill: http://www.readyvillemill.com/
Short Mountain Distillery: http://www.shortmountaindistillery.com/
Adams Memorial Library: http://www.cannoncolibrary.org/cannoncounty/genealogy.asp
Cannon Courier: http://www.cannoncourier.com/
WBRY Radio: http://www.wbry.com/
Daily News Journal: http://www.dnj.com/
Murfreesboro Post: http://www.murfreesboropost.com/
Southern Standard: http://www.southernstandard.com/
Smithville Review: http://www.smithvillereview.com/
Cannon County Arts Center: http://www.artscenterofcc.com/index.php
Old Feed Store Antiques: http://www.oldfeedstore.com/
Cannon Inn: http://cannoninnofwoodbury.com/
Adams House Bread & Breakfast: http://adamshouse.southernstarr.us/?page_id=74
