Lebanon in Wilson County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)

Beyond the Midway

Photographed by Mark Parker, March 13, 2025

1. Beyond the Midway Marker

Inscription.

Beyond the Midway. . , The story of Connected Sustainability., Like all good stories, the Connected Sustainability project at the Fairgrounds has had its share of heroes and heroines. The story stretches over years of visions of possibility, nurturing of allegiances, small steps and great leaps forward. Key players have come and gone and a few have returned to provide guidance, expertise and sweat equity., And like any good story Connected Sustainability begins with..., Once upon a time.... There was a department in the federal government that began to develop guidelines and regulations that state and local government would follow to manage storm water run offs. The changes that led to the Fairgrounds project had their beginnings in 2003., Recognizing the harmful impacts of rushing unmanaged storm water, the environmental protection agency began requiring state and local governments to educate the public about ways to reduce or eliminate pollution and mitigate flooding to protect the nation's streams, rivers and lakes from rushing watchers of cities, factories, and other paved and covered surfaces that carried pollution and sediment from erosion. There were concerns that the "original sponges" of the Earth, wetlands, were being drained, paved over and disturbed with man-made developments. There was growing concern about less obvious pollution such as oils, garbage, fertilizer, and farm waste swept into the aquifers along with the rain waters., Education became a priority for the new "stormwater" programs. While many cities and counties took actions separately, officials from Wilson County, Lebanon and Mt. Juliet began to work together, pooling their resources to develop cooperative efforts to implement the EPA requirements and to develop a common philosophy and set of guidelines. , The result was the Wilson County Water Group (WCW)., The new clean washer guidelines spawned rapid developments and the private sector of new technologies that could help manage stormwater. It brought back old tried and true techniques that had been forgotten. One of the first initiatives of the newly formed WCW was to host information seminars, trade show demonstration targeting collectors, engineers and did develop to learn alongside city and county officials. , It became clear that classroom learning was one thing, but seeing the technologies demonstrated on the ground was a vital part of the learning process. The WCW focused on experiential learning and needed a learning lab. The lab needed to be accessible year-round to professionals and the public to be able to explore/ experience to demonstration areas on their own. The lab needed to be diverse enough to include an unlimited number of technologies. The lab needed to offer spaces for classroom learning to easily adjourn to go walk the grounds and see the demonstration areas. Wilson County had just the place - The Fairgrounds at James F. Ward Agricultural Center. , First demonstration became a Low Impact Design Development (LID) area. You are looking at those first features from this spot on the trail. , At the time it was called a "Green Infrastructure." It was an area of porous concrete sidewalk that formed a walkway in the Fiddlers Grove. Soon after, a Rain Garden was installed nearby to manage a ponding area within the Fiddlers Grove. And to round out the small area, one Fiddlers Grove historical building was outfitted with Rain Barrels to harvest water for garden areas while also reducing flooding of the building. Another received "armored grass" to fix a muddy driveway., Since 2006, thousands of people have attended regular demonstration seminars. The facility has hosted environmental affairs, construction demonstrations, state-sponsored certifications, and the "Think Green Think Clean" Clean Up and Recycle Fair with over 1,000 students picking up more than 10.5 tons of trash in 2012 alone., New partners have joined with the WCW to add expertise and funds and hard work for expanded demonstrations. These have included area colleges and universities, non-governmental associations, as well as Tennessee state and federal agencies. Private partnerships have developed with gardening clubs, nurseries, soil experts, contractors, paving and concrete companies and a trade associations. Joe Perry . Wilma Perry . Ken House . James Vaden . John Devaal . Gary Gaskin , While the future of Connected Sustainability is vibrant and moving rapidly forward with plans to offer college connections, more demonstrations, more technology and more Community classes, it is appropriate to look backward and recognize those whose vision for this project made it possible. Larry Tomlinson . Randy Davis . Leslie Denson, Sr. . Leslie Denson, Jr. . Jody Beal . John Clemmons . Brian Ferguson . Jerry Gibbs . Sharon Owens . Eliza Lewis, Jr. . John Stafford . Donna Bane . Randall Hutto . Jeff Jones . Billy Rowland . Paul Abercrombie . Terry Duncan . Jerry McFarland . Kenny Reich . Terry Scruggs . Rick Bell . Jason Haley . Hale Moss . Jo Smith . Quintin Smid . James Spears . Gilbert Grave . Terry McPeak . Rusty Thompson . Sue Vanatta . Carol Walenga . Bill Buchler . Amy Murray . Dodd Galbreth . Trisha Johnson . Amy Green . Claudia Johnson . Nathan Lewis . William Young . Kim Cantwell . Fiddlers Grove Foundation . Wilson County Fair Board . UT/TSU Extension . Wilson County Soil Conservation District . Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation . Tennessee Valley Authority . The Nature Conservancy . West Tennessee River Basin Authority . Year Round Garden Club . Joe Wooten Construction . Ground Cover Nurseries . Cherry Creek Nursery and Supply . Southern Nursery and Soils . Tennessee Department of Agriculture Forest Division . Middle Tennessee Electric . Sumner County Stormwater Group . Jennifer Watson . Dwight Barnett . Jamie Houston . Joe Wooten . Alan Carter . Kyle Smallen . Don Green . Justin Stuphanski . Wilson County Water Group . Belgard . R. T. Baldwin Surveying . Xeripaver . Grasscrete . Tennessee concrete Association . Sitefabric . Alan Sparkman . Terry Grimble . Dr. Heather Brown . Mark Walker . Darryl Sapp . Kuert Concrete . Middle Tennessee State University . Adams an Oldcastle Company . Mike Towner . Jeff McConahy . Collin Browning . Rhonda Moore . Tracey Driver . Hodges Group . Wilson County Landfill . Wilson County Road Commission . City of Lebanon . Monte McDonald . US Army Corp of Engineers . Wilson County Stormwater . Kathleen Kuna . Sustainable Paving System . Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency , You can be part of the story...connected-sustainability.org

The story of Connected Sustainability.

Like all good stories, the Connected Sustainability project at the Fairgrounds has had its share of heroes and heroines. The story stretches over years of visions of possibility, nurturing of allegiances, small steps and great leaps forward. Key players have come and gone and a few have returned to provide guidance, expertise and sweat equity.

And like any good story Connected Sustainability begins with...

Once upon a time.... There was a department in the federal government that began to develop guidelines and regulations that state and local government would follow to manage storm water run offs. The changes that led to the Fairgrounds project had their beginnings in 2003.

Recognizing the harmful impacts of rushing unmanaged storm water, the environmental protection agency began requiring state and local governments to educate the public about ways to reduce or eliminate pollution and mitigate flooding to protect the nation's streams, rivers and lakes from rushing watchers of cities, factories, and other paved and covered surfaces that carried pollution and sediment from erosion. There were concerns that the "original sponges" of the Earth, wetlands, were being drained, paved over and disturbed with man-made developments. There was growing concern

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about less obvious pollution such as oils, garbage, fertilizer, and farm waste swept into the aquifers along with the rain waters.

Education became a priority for the new "stormwater" programs. While many cities and counties took actions separately, officials from Wilson County, Lebanon and Mt. Juliet began to work together, pooling their resources to develop cooperative efforts to implement the EPA requirements and to develop a common philosophy and set of guidelines.

The result was the Wilson County Water Group (WCW).

The new clean washer guidelines spawned rapid developments and the private sector of new technologies that could help manage stormwater. It brought back old tried and true techniques that had been forgotten. One of the first initiatives of the newly formed WCW was to host information seminars, trade show demonstration targeting collectors, engineers and did develop to learn alongside city and county officials.

It became clear that classroom learning was one thing, but seeing the technologies demonstrated on the ground was a vital part of the learning process. The WCW focused on experiential learning and needed a learning lab. The lab needed to be accessible year-round to professionals and the public to be able to explore/ experience to demonstration areas on their own. The lab needed to be diverse enough to include an

Wide view of Beyond the Midway Marker. 4-H/ FFA Building in the background image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Parker, March 13, 2025

2. Wide view of Beyond the Midway Marker. 4-H/ FFA Building in the background

unlimited number of technologies. The lab needed to offer spaces for classroom learning to easily adjourn to go walk the grounds and see the demonstration areas. Wilson County had just the place - The Fairgrounds at James F. Ward Agricultural Center.

First demonstration became a Low Impact Design Development (LID) area. You are looking at those first features from this spot on the trail.

At the time it was called a "Green Infrastructure." It was an area of porous concrete sidewalk that formed a walkway in the Fiddlers Grove. Soon after, a Rain Garden was installed nearby to manage a ponding area within the Fiddlers Grove. And to round out the small area, one Fiddlers Grove historical building was outfitted with Rain Barrels to harvest water for garden areas while also reducing flooding of the building. Another received "armored grass" to fix a muddy driveway.

Since 2006, thousands of people have attended regular demonstration seminars. The facility has hosted environmental affairs, construction demonstrations, state-sponsored certifications, and the "Think Green Think Clean" Clean Up and Recycle Fair with over 1,000 students picking up more than 10.5 tons of trash in 2012 alone.

New partners have joined with the WCW to add expertise and funds and hard work for expanded demonstrations. These have included area colleges and universities,

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non-governmental associations, as well as Tennessee state and federal agencies. Private partnerships have developed with gardening clubs, nurseries, soil experts, contractors, paving and concrete companies and a trade associations. Joe Perry • Wilma Perry • Ken House • James Vaden • John Devaal • Gary Gaskin

While the future of Connected Sustainability is vibrant and moving rapidly forward with plans to offer college connections, more demonstrations, more technology and more Community classes, it is appropriate to look backward and recognize those whose vision for this project made it possible. Larry Tomlinson • Randy Davis • Leslie Denson, Sr. • Leslie Denson, Jr. • Jody Beal • John Clemmons • Brian Ferguson • Jerry Gibbs • Sharon Owens • Eliza Lewis, Jr. • John Stafford • Donna Bane • Randall Hutto • Jeff Jones • Billy Rowland • Paul Abercrombie • Terry Duncan • Jerry McFarland • Kenny Reich • Terry Scruggs • Rick Bell • Jason Haley • Hale Moss • Jo Smith • Quintin Smid • James Spears • Gilbert Grave • Terry McPeak • Rusty Thompson • Sue Vanatta • Carol Walenga • Bill Buchler • Amy Murray • Dodd Galbreth • Trisha Johnson • Amy Green • Claudia Johnson • Nathan Lewis • William Young • Kim Cantwell • Fiddlers Grove Foundation • Wilson County Fair Board • UT/TSU Extension • Wilson County Soil Conservation District • Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation • Tennessee Valley Authority • The Nature Conservancy • West Tennessee River Basin Authority • Year Round Garden Club • Joe Wooten Construction • Ground Cover Nurseries • Cherry Creek Nursery and Supply • Southern Nursery and Soils • Tennessee Department of Agriculture Forest Division • Middle Tennessee Electric • Sumner County Stormwater Group • Jennifer Watson • Dwight Barnett • Jamie Houston • Joe Wooten • Alan Carter • Kyle Smallen • Don Green • Justin Stuphanski • Wilson County Water Group • Belgard • R. T. Baldwin Surveying • Xeripaver • Grasscrete • Tennessee concrete Association • Sitefabric • Alan Sparkman • Terry Grimble • Dr. Heather Brown • Mark Walker • Darryl Sapp • Kuert Concrete • Middle Tennessee State University • Adams an Oldcastle Company • Mike Towner • Jeff McConahy • Collin Browning • Rhonda Moore • Tracey Driver • Hodges Group • Wilson County Landfill • Wilson County Road Commission • City of Lebanon • Monte McDonald • US Army Corp of Engineers • Wilson County Stormwater • Kathleen Kuna • Sustainable Paving System • Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency

You can be part of the story...connected-sustainability.org

Erected by Tennessee Valley Authority, Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, The Nature Conservancy, Wilson County Water Group, West Tennessee River Basin Authority.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Environment • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 2003.

Location. 36° 11.867′ N, 86° 16.263′ W. Marker is in Lebanon, Tennessee, in Wilson County. It can be reached from East Baddour Parkway, on the right when traveling north. The marker location is on the grounds of the Wilson County Tennessee State Fairgrounds. It is near the Stringtown General Store. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 945 E Baddour Pkwy, Lebanon TN 37087, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Middle Tennessee

and in Greater Nashville.

It is also in the American South

and specifically in the Upper South.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Stringtown Store (within shouting distance of this marker); The Civil War In Lebanon (within shouting distance of this marker); Forbes Cabin (within shouting distance of this marker); Detached Kitchen (within shouting distance of this marker); Thompson-Partlow Cabin and Smokehouse (within shouting distance of this marker); Cartmell Cabin (within shouting distance of this marker); Peyton Smokehouse (within shouting distance of this marker); Horn Springs Swimming Pool Pumps (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Lebanon.

Credits. This page was last revised on March 17, 2025. It was originally submitted on March 17, 2025, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. This page has been viewed 127 times since then and 21 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 17, 2025, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. • James Hulse was the editor who published this page.