Forgotten Friday-McFadden Farm, Murfreesboro

   When I first moved to Rutherford County in 2002, one of the first places we explored was the Stones River Battlefield. One of the tour stops is known as the McFadden's Ford. It was in this area on January 2, 1863, near the McFadden's family farm, that the Confederates attempted to cross the Stones River from the southeast to attack the Union forces entrenched on the hills. Cannons pounded and the Confederates were killed by the hundreds.
   Currently at this tour stop you will see a monument, cannons, a small family cemetery, and you can walk down to the river where fighting occurred. But when I first visited(with my non-digital camera) in 2002, there was an old abandoned farmhouse. I took only this one photo of it, thinking I would take more in the future. And then one day it was just gone. I asked a park ranger who said it was removed because it wasn't original to the site. And that is rather sad, because it was still clearly a quite old home.

Back Roads on a Cloudy Day

   Went out for a solo drive on the back roads of Middle Tennessee last Saturday. I do more scouting for places I want to come back and photograph when I'm out solo for a few hours than I do actual stopping. I am usually too afraid to get out alone or can't find a safe place to pull over. Still got a few interesting pictures.

Town of Smyrna, Tennessee

   A charter was granted on December 11, 1845 to connect this area along the railroad to seaports in the south and east. The first railroad depot was built here in 1851, and replaced with the current one in 1873. The town was originally incorporated in 1869, but that was rescinded by the state and the town had to incorporate again in 1915. They had their 100th anniversary celebration recently on June 12, 2015. In the 1940s, the town was home to Sewart Air Force Base, but that closed in 1971 and it is now Smyrna Airport. Smyrna was the home of Confederate Hero Sam Davis. His home is still an tourist attraction.