Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1873-02-01
ROBERTSON COUNTY.


ROBERTSON COUNTY.
BY ]. L. w.
We copy from that able journal
the Rural Sun, the following notes oil
our neighboring county of Robert
son:
ORGANIZATION.
In April, 1875, the General Assem-
bly, of the State of Tennessee, in ses
sion at Knoxville, passed an Act es
tablishing the counties of Montgom-
cry and Robertson out of The then
county of Tennessee.
The first court in Robertson was
begun on the 18th day of July, l7a6
The minutes of this court recites, in
the caption, the Act of the Legis-
lature establishing the county, and
the appointment of Justices of the
Peace, which said Justices, as the
minutes further show, appeared and
took oath of Office, and proceeded to
organize the court and county
by the election of the various county
! officers.
A GRETNA GREEN.
Robertson lies alongside of Logan
and Simpson counties, in Kentucky,
and is convenient Gretna Green for
those faithful lovers whose union has
been prevented in Kentucky by the
objection and interference of parents.
In Kentucky the consent of the pa
rents is necessary to the choice of a
husband, which is not the case in
Tennessee, hence the Gretna Green
extending all along the northern
border of our State. It has been the
scene of many an exciting adventure
of thrilling interest to small circles
and which will form the woof of
many an entertaining story in future
that will be related to the offspring
of these runaway matches. Ken
lucky parents often complain very
bitterly of our laws which encourage
the carrying away of their darling
daughters. Some years ago q gentle
man came with his daughter, still
very young, to an attorney of our
county to ascertain if, under our law
of divorce, his daughter could be re-
lieved ofan unfortunate alliance with
a worthless young man who had
stolen her affections, and then had
stolen her away from her parents,
brought her into this State, married
her, and in a short time deserted her.
When told that it required a resi-
dence of two years in the State to
entitle his daughter to a divorce un-
der our laws, he was greatly surpris-
ed, thinking that as our law permitted
a marriage that in Kentucky was pro-
hibited, it ought, in justice, to grant
a divorce in the same case should
proper cause be presented.
Robertson county also joins Mont
gomery on the west, Cbeatham and
Davidson on the south, and Sumner
on the east. 1t contains an area of
about $50 square miles.
WATER COURSES AND LANDS.
Sulpher Fork runs centrally from
the eastern extremity. 1t is fine
affording sufficient water for
almost any manufacturing purpose,
and has numerous falls which would |
render the harnessing of it for driv- |
ing machinery comparatively easy. |
North of this stream are the best !
farming lands in the county, being
in the main level, but well watered |
and somewhat broken by the smaller
streams and the, inevitable two hills
between which they ripple. Tobacco,
corn, wheat, oats, rye, clover, Hun
garian and herds grass grow luxuriant-
ly in this part of the county, and are
produced in every part.
Red River, much larger stream
than Sulphur Fork, runs westward
the northern part of the
county. 1t has several merchant and
and one or two wooden mills or fac
tories on it. AS affording water it is
almost unsurpassed.
South of Sulphur Fork the coun-
try is more broken and less produc-
tive.
Limestone is the prevailing strata
all over the county. Timber of the
best quality isabundant. The varie-
lies are poplar, oak (of several varie-
ties) hickory, chestnut, walnut, ash,
elm, maple, sycamore, sweet and
black gum, and ether smaller varie-
lies.
Sulphur Fork may be considered a
dividing line near the center of the
North of this line is the
highest and levelest country and the
richer and more fertile soil. South
ire more hills, more streams and
ess productive soils. There are, how
ever, many farms in this part of the
county. The bottoms along the larg-
er streams are usually rich and last
we'll. The hill sides, when first clear
I'd, are rich but are worn out and
washed so as to be unproductive in a
ew years, as heretofore used.
Carr's Creek empties into Sulphur
Fork three miles west of Springfield,
md the two form V, Springfield
1eing situated in the fork. 1t is
smaller than the latter,
put has more fall, is more rapid and
but would be still more east
y harnessed.
Sycamore Creek forms the south
,rn boundary of the county, rising in
Davidson emptying into Cumber
and River in Cheatham just below
Ashland City. 1t, too, is a large
tream, affording fine water power
md almost innumerable mill sites.
Sycamore Mills, in Cheatham
county, are run by the stream-There
ire numerous smaller streams run
ling in every direction, some of !
which afford good water power.
The county is admirably adapted
o fruit growing, apples never fail
ng and peaches seldom entirely. The !
Wild grape grows spontaneously in
very part of the county, and the
,est grapes could doubtless be culti
-ated here with success.
"oLD ROBERTSON wHIsKEY.
The reputation of Old Robertson
,ounty (whiskey) is now almost !
world wide. Itseems that the Wood !
yards were the original manufacture
rs of whiskey in this county, and it
must have been the superior quality
if such words properly belong to the
rticle) they made, that laid the
Dundation of its present extensive
equation and the immense traffic J
n it. 1t is now the leading business S
+ the county:
The Woodwards were among the i
irst settlers of the county, and be- G
an to make whiskey whereof the
nemoFy of man runneth not to the i
ontrary. 1t was first made by the |
oar mash plan, and the apparatus for
aaking was not expensive, cOnse- C
uently great numbers soon engaged
n its distilIation. Along little streams q
{ the heads of hollows may still