Gentlemen Authors of Williamson County

Williamson County is no stranger to a wealth of amazing writers and book authors who hone their craft and stories from the sights and sounds of their immediate environment – their backyard of Williamson County and Tennessee. Our history and local lore make for tremendous fodder for storytelling, both fact and fiction, and a little in between. While you can find a number of titles to enjoy on a myriad of subjects from our local male authors, we offer you a glimpse into three of our local storytellers, in written word and photography. A gift to you from these incredibly gifted and creative individuals who share with their readers so many amazing facets and aspects of our incredible community. Enjoy!

Journey Through Time

Franklin’s Remarkable Legacy
Along the Harpeth

When the first explorers pushed west from Nashville through the Holly Tree Gap in the late 18th century, they found a fertile valley rich with natural resources — fraught with peril but brimming with opportunity. America had just won her independence from Britain, and this was the young nation’s western frontier. In the bend of the Harpeth River, Franklin was established in 1799; over the course of 225 years, a fascinating story of innovation, progress and preservation has shaped this unique town into a community cherished locally and by visitors worldwide.

Historic Franklin: Along the Harpeth, the latest release from Franklin-based Grandin Hood Publishers, showcases Franklin’s rich legacy in the words of author Jay Sheridan and images of Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Robin Hood, both longtime downtown Franklin residents. Featuring more than 200 archival photographs, illustrations and stunning contemporary photos, the large format, art edition book will become an iconic gift of history and meaning for anyone who loves Franklin.

A launch event was held on June 8th in the Harpeth Hotel, with a portion of ticket proceeds benefiting the establishment of Friends of Franklin Parks’ new Fund for the Preservation of Open Spaces. Jay Sheridan, who also serves as board president for Friends of Franklin Parks, says the mission is critical, as it has been in Franklin for two and a quarter centuries.

“Throughout our history, the struggle of balancing growth and development against the preservation of our incredible natural resources has been a perennial theme, and it’s important to note that we’ve always found a way to make it work for the good of the community,” Jay said. “In today’s Franklin, we face the same pressures but are armed with a talented City Parks team and leadership that understands why preservation matters. The nonprofit community, with the support of the private sector, can bring resources that make things possible here in ways other communities can’t conceive.”

With a Foreword by Franklin Mayor Ken Moore, M.D., the book reaches back centuries to explore America’s westward expansion, the Cumberland Settlements, the establishment of Franklin and Williamson County, and the decades that followed: from the antebellum years through the Civil War and Reconstruction, and the challenges, achievements and new traditions that followed. Rarely seen artifacts and stories add color and context to an incredible tale of innovation and progress that led to nurturing a tiny agrarian town into a city that balances its past, present and future, best represented by what has become known as America’s Favorite Main Street. And through it all, the people have made Franklin special. A gallery of Hood’s contemporary photos of life through the seasons in Franklin, Tennessee, captures the spirit of the place in stunning images.

Jay and Grandin have collaborated on numerous works over the past twenty years, from the story of legendary music producer Mike Curb and Curb Records to colleges and universities from Rhode Island to Georgia and historic properties such as the venerable Don CeSar Hotel in
St. Pete Beach, Florida and the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia. The pair also worked together with a number of collaborators on their first Historic Franklin coffee table book in 2010, which quickly sold several thousand copies and has been out of print for years.

Historic Franklin: Along the Harpeth was made possible by the generosity of longtime advocates for preservation, Rod and Kay Heller, and Harpeth Associates, who led the development of Harpeth Square.

“What began as a small project to commemorate the opening of the Harpeth Hotel quickly developed into a larger effort to produce a book that captured the milestones of Franklin’s full history,” said Rod Heller. “We are proud not only to contribute the book to the community but to use the proceeds toward the larger purpose of the preservation of open spaces. Our level of success in that realm will define Franklin’s future for generations to come.”

Historic Franklin: Along the Harpeth is available at the Franklin Visitor Center on Fourth Avenue North, Tin Cottage and Landmark Booksellers on Main Street, the Harpeth Hotel, and online at alongtheharpeth.com.

Rails & Resilience

Walter Green’s The Nashville and Decatur in the Civil War – History of an Embattled Railroad

Walter Green is a busy, retired Professional Civil Engineer. He has worked overseas, for a consulting firm and the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers in Structural Engineering, Environmental Engineering and Planning. Initially living in Nashville, he retired to Franklin. But it was familiar territory. His family history in Franklin goes back to the Revolutionary War. Green has written study reports for use by the City of Franklin and documents for publication in the Journal of the Williamson County Historical Society.

His love of local and regional history and engineering lead to his writing a book titled: The Nashville and Decatur in the Civil War – History of an Embattled Railroad. This railroad is located in almost exactly the same place it was 160 years ago. It, like the battlefields, is a highly visible reminder of the war. According to Green, its story needed to be told and woven into the larger story of the Civil War that is being presented locally and regionally.

Green also sensed that a replica needed to be built of Franklin’s last railroad passenger depot, the 1901 Louisville and Nashville (L&N) station. He hoped the book would encourage discussion about rebuilding the depot, which could be a beneficial feature for community and a monument to the rich history of the railroad.

The Civil War provided the nation’s first opportunity for railroads to be both a tool and a target in a large conflict. The N&D would be open along its entire length in November 1860. However, it operated a brief seventeen months before the federals took control of Nashville and, soon thereafter, the 122-mile-long railroad between Nashville and Decatur, Alabama.

The N&D was important to the federals because they used it to supply men, animals and supplies to allow their armies to gain a stronger foothold in the South, including supplying General Sherman for his invasion of Georgia. It became a weapon that the federals used against the Confederacy and was highly contested because the Confederate Army and its sympathizers tried incessantly to disrupt the railroad’s operation while the federals worked hard to keep it open. It was truly an embattled railroad.

The book describes the work of four key federal men who were primarily responsible for design and construction of the bridges, trestles and railroad fortifications during the key period when Sherman was sending supplies from Nashville to Chattanooga. It discusses the most significant military activity near the railroad and has a chapter about freed Blacks, U.S. Colored Troops and contraband camps. It also presents recent research about perhaps the most fascinating section of track on the N&D during the war – just north and south of the railroad’s one tunnel in southern Giles County.

The Nashville and Decatur in the Civil War – History of an Embattled Railroad is available on amazon.com.

Birds In Focus

Nathan Collie’s Moments with Birds
A Bird Photographer’s Journey Through the Seasons

Nathan Collie’s Moments with Birds is a collection of over 100 photographs capturing the beauty of both the migratory and resident birds of Tennessee, including information about the species, as well as Nathan’s own personal stories from behind the scenes. This book will take you on a journey through all four seasons, drawing you into the wonderful world of birds.

Since childhood, Nathan Collie has been profoundly influenced by the beauty of nature and the behavior of the natural world. As it became a personal sanctuary for him, he began to turn his attention to the camera to document those observations with a deeper appreciation. With both parents in the creative world of music and art, he has now become the fourth-generation photographer in his family. His subject matter reflects the landscape and wildlife, with birds in particular of middle Tennessee, the American West, and the Gulf of Mexico.

Through his films and photography, Nathan shares the universal relationship that threads our human spirit to that of all creatures great and small. His nature films include all four seasons put with music, as well as films produced for Radnor Lake State Park, and Edwin Warner Parks. He contributes his talents and efforts to many nonprofits with the mission for land and wildlife conservation.

Collie’s interest in birds spawned at an early age during visits to his grandmother’s in Memphis. She had bird feeders all around her yard and stacks of bird books in the house. “My grandmother knew so much about birds,” Collie said. “She triggered my curiosity.” Collie developed his deep love for the outdoors and the lessons nature teaches while spending time with his mom, Anne Goetze. While she photographed and painted landscapes he hunted, fished or wandered.

With his camera he was able to look closer at his chosen subjects and learn so much about them, their activities and habits. His book includes tips for amateur bird watchers and suggestions for preserving bird populations or creating a bird-friendly environment. Nathan Collie’s Moments with Birds: A Bird Photographer’s Journey Through the Seasons is available on amazon.com and in local booksellers.