Joshua B. Lillie established the Franklin Flouring Mill on this site in 1869. C.H. Corn and W.F. Eakin purchased the mill in 1909. In 1924, grain valued at $400,000 was used to produce over 70,000 barrels of “Franklin Lady Flour” and other products, which were distributed primarily in southern markets. By 1926, several improvements were made including the construction of large concrete grain elevators at a cost of $60,000 with a storage capacity of over 250,000 bushels of grain making it the second largest such facility in the state. Dudley Casey purchased the mill in 1945 from Ernest and Wilbur Corn. The five-story mill built ca. 1887 and valued at $700,000 burned on January 8, 1958. The grain elevators survived the fire and continued to operate for three decades.

The large hill immediately to the south, which rises more than 900 feet above sea level, played an important role in the Civil War. Used as a signal station by Union troops, Roper’s Knob was a key communications link between Nashville and points south and between Franklin and Murfreesboro. After Middle Tennessee was occupied by Federal troops in early 1862, the hill was crowned with entrenchments and an octagonal log blockhouse. A sophisticated pulley system helped life artillery to the summit. The knob, along with nearby Fort Granger, helped guard the Tennessee & Alabama Railroad. Roper’s Knob was not occupied at the time of the Battle of Franklin, November 30, 1864.