Nestled in the Harpeth River Valley, the rolling
pastures and forested hillsides of Preservation Park
capture the centuries old stories of Thompson's
Station, where Native Americans resisted early settlers, the coming of the railroad created a . . . — — Map (db m205402) HM
In the spring of 1863 the Federal Army operating out of Nashville made several foraging expeditions into this area collecting food and hay. At this site, General Earl Van Dorn’s Confederate Cavalry Corps defeated a Federal task force under Col. John . . . — — Map (db m208489) HM
The Battle of Thompson's Station on March 5, 1863, convincingly showed Union commanders that their armies still lacked control of vital transportation routes in Middle Tennessee. On March 4, U.S. Gen. turnpike and railroad routes between Franklin . . . — — Map (db m205405) HM
In the spring of 1863 the Federal Army operating out of Nashville made several foraging expeditions into this area collecting food and hay. At this site, General Earl Van Dorn's Confederate Cavalry Corps defeated a Federal task force under Col. . . . — — Map (db m208491) HM
Bethesda is a Biblical name meaning "House of Mercy." Early family names in the community included Alexander, Bond, Blythe, Grigsby, Irvin, Sprott, Steeke, and Waddey. Beloved area physicians were Drs. Blythe, Core, Eggleston, and Bennett. Gone but . . . — — Map (db m149771) HM
The Tennessee and Alabama Railroad connected the "town of Thompson" to Nashville in 1855 and south to Columbia in 1859. Antebellum investors envisioned the railroad, which traveled through some of the most productive lands in Davidson, Williamson, . . . — — Map (db m208537) HM
Francis Giddens, more than any other early settler, made the area around Thompson's Station a community and a stopping place for travelers. Giddens, a Virginian and Revolutinoary War veteran and gunsmith, arrived in Williamson County around 1800 . . . — — Map (db m205403) HM
Built between 1809 and 1819 by Francis Giddens, Revolutionary war gunsmith from Virginia, this house served as a refuge for neighbors during the Battle of Thompson's Station in 1863. During the fight, 17 year~old Alice Thompson, dashed out of the . . . — — Map (db m145755) HM
Moving rapidly south through Franklin, Stephen D. Lee's Corps with Chalmers' Cavalry Division attached, took up a delaying position in this area about 1:00 P.M. They beat off attacks by Wood's IV Corps & Wilson's Cavalry. Here, Gen. Lee was wounded; . . . — — Map (db m104201) HM
After the Civil War, the people of Thompson's Station rebuilt their community, reformed agricultural practice, and opened a new era of economic prosperity. Outside of the park is a symbol of the social and community rebuilding, the historic African . . . — — Map (db m205407) HM
The agricultural wealth that developed around Thompson's Station in the first half of the 19th century was directly tied to enslaved labor, which was largely concentrated in the county's fertile river valleys. By 1860 slaves represented a majority . . . — — Map (db m205404) HM
(preface)
In September 1864, after Union Gen. William T. Sherman defeated Confederate Gen. John Bell Hood at Atlanta, Hood led the Army of Tennessee northwest against Sherman’s supply lines. Rather than contest Sherman’s “March to . . . — — Map (db m75122) HM
This replica of the original depot was built in 1993 with monetary donations as well as donations of materials and labor from many different organizations and individuals. Materials were selected to comply as nearly as possible with the original . . . — — Map (db m75125) HM
In 1861, Williamson County, white and black, braced for war. Men near Thompson's Station joined Jacob "Jake" T. Martin's 140-strong Confederate cavalry force. The war challenged women's traditional roles, but many joined the effort by taking charge . . . — — Map (db m205406) HM
