Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1873-03-29
For the Chronicle.
LETTER FROM ASHLAND CITY.

MsSSRS. EDITORS: Allow me space
in your valuable paper to give your
readers something of the history of
our little county of Cheatham.
The county was organized by an act
of the Legislature, passed February
%, 1856, and, as originally surveyed,
was composed of portions of David
son, Robertson, Montgomery and Dick
son counties; but upon a survey of
Dickson county, it was found that she
had no territory to spare, and conse-
quently her territory was excluded
from the new county.
Our county embraces an area of
about three hundred and fifty square
miles; its greatest length from North
to South, is about thirty weight miles,
and greatest width about twelve miles.
White population. five thousand three
hundred and nineteen colored, one
thousand four hundred and eighty
total, 5,799; voting population, ,367
The Cumberland river runs through
the county at north $50 west. The
following streams emptying into the
Cumberland, fertilizinga considerable
portion of our territory-frst, On the
north side, comes Half Pone, which,
for portion of its length, forms the
boundary line between Cheatham and
Montgomery. Upon this stream is to
be found some of the best land in the
county, while the land on it and its
tributaries is considerably broken, yet,
in the main, it is very productive 1t
is said to have taken its name from
the circumstance of a company of en-
igrants encamping on its bank, and
when they came to examine their stock
of provisions, they found remaining
from their last repast, only half pone
of corn bred. The next in order is
Sycamore creek, deriving its name
from the immense number and size of
the trees of that name growing on its
banks. The bottom land contiguous
to the stream is quite productive, but
the hill land is rather poor. 1t abounds
with fish, such as trout, perch and
suckers.
Marrow-bone, Big, Little and Dry
Fork, all uniting few miles from the
river and empting into the Cumber-
land just below rising sun bluff, is re-
markable for the transparency of its
waters. so clear is it that dime can
be distinctly seen in water eight or ten
feet deep. Another striking peculi-
arity of this stream is, that in places
you can find pool or lake, with from
five to ten feet depth of water, and
within the distance of few hundred
yards you will find no more vestige Of
water in the bed of the stream, than
can be found in the desert of Sahara
and this is so for miles-it is also ia
nous for fish.
On the south side of the river, the
streams are Barton's creek, Big and
South Harpeth rivers, Big and Little
Bluff pond, and Sans creek. The
bottom lands contiguous to these
streams, furnish considerable area Of
rich alluvial soil, especially is this
true of Harpeth river.
The general face of the county i,
billy in places, almost mountainous
this is especially true of the Marrow,
bone section. The hills are SO high
and so close together as to have acquir.
ed the sobriquet of Adams Potatoe
Patch; and it is said by some thai
they are so high that those who live
at their base, can look out. the chin
neys and see the COWS coming home
In ante bellum days, we had severa
watering places of more or less note
first, Sans creek springs, White Sui
phur, warm and cold. and Kingston
Springs, twenty-four miles from Nash.
vile, on the Nashville and North.
western railroad, Red Sulphur, both
on the southside, and Harris Red Sui.
phur Springs, two miles from Ashland
City, and about twenty from Nashville
These springs are all said to possess
decided medicinal qualities.
The county, sn the opposite side OF
the river from Ashland City, for eight
or ten miles, is almost an unbroker
forest; the same is true of the land on
the north side of the river and back
of Ashland City for nearly the same
distance. Within the limits of this
unbroken wilderness deer and turkeys
roam and range at will, and occasion.
ally an antlered monarch of the forest
is brought in as an evidence of the
skill of those who still pursue the
chase.
Ashland City, the county site, is
pleasantly situated on the north side
of the river, just above the head OF
Harpeth Shoals, about half a mile
from the river, containing about two
hundred and fifty inhabitants. II
boasts of five dry goods and grocery
stores, two blacksmith shops, one sad
dler, one cooper and one gunsmith
shop, two wagon makers and two OF
those places where man does not
get his moneys a0Orth back. We have
some three or four houses of enter
tainment where one can have the in
ner man rejuvenated, for the small
outlay of twenty-five cents. We have
entirely departed from the training
given us by our progenetors. Mont
gomery and Robertson counties, and
have the neatest, best arranged and
most comfortable Court House in the
District, but in the matter of Jail,
we follow the example set by Mont
gomery, and have concern we call a
Jail, which is disgrace to our people.
Our county debt is a mere entity, and
whatever else may be said of our
County Court, the Justices show more