lulu
When my daughter moved to Franklin, Tennessee, several years ago, the hubby thought that good enough reason to drive the long road from Houston to Maine and back again. It’s a long way for a quick twice a year stop, but I always enjoy the time we have there not only because of the visit with the daughter’s family but because Franklin is part of my earliest memories.
Would you believe I was born there right in this building that at one time was a hospital? My first view of this unimposing structure stopped me in my tracks as it triggered a distant memory of a photograph of my mother standing on those steps holding an infant that was me, otherwise I would have walked by it with no thought.
Now the spot is identified with a historical marker that names Dr. Tandy Rice as one of the hospital’s founders. It was he who brought me into this world and got me started on life’s journey.
Most of my Franklin memories revolve around my great grandmother’s house. What a wonderful place it was to play hide and seek, and she had an old out of tune pump organ that kept me entertained for hours. The house is still there, and not too long ago I knocked on the door, explained to the current owners my history there and they were kind enough to let me in. The old place has been updated, but the wonderful crown molding and stair railings are still there.
My memories are of a very sleepy small town, but that is not the case today. Franklin is a very hip place with trendy shops and eateries.
One that many of you may know is the City Farmhouse that in addition to the shop hosts popup shows that draw visitors from all over the southeast.
Downtown doesn’t claim all the changes. The area around Franklin, including some of my family’s former property, has become home to large estates and horse farms. Many belong to country music stars and a few Hollywood types.
One thing that hasn’t changed in Franklin is its southern pride. Right in the middle of town is this towering sculpture honoring the fighting men of the Confederacy.
Look real close and you’ll notice part of the soldier’s hat brim is missing. It is said to have broken during the shipping/installation process, and it was deemed appropriate to leave it.
If memory serves me, Franklin was the unintended site of one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War. That battle transformed Carnton Plantation into a hospital and a burial ground for the men who died there.
Yes, Franklin causes me to wax nostalgic, and I am glad that it is part of my history.
i so appreciate your visit and the comments you leave behind
The reason the hubby and I make the long drive from Maine to Houston is to to stop in Franklin, Tennessee, where one of our daughters moved to a small farm 3 years ago.
Every visit we see changes. The Katadin lambs that once grazed in the pasture are gone because they liked to jump up on people and as they grew larger that was not such a good thing. Not only that they were nasty creatures whose fondness for the barn left it stinky and messy, and no one was crazy about cleaning up after them.
There were lots of ducks, but who knew they would be so prolific. Every hatching introduced 10-15 new ducklings. Unfortunately, the ducks never left because they liked their lifestyle at the farm. As a consequence, some ducks ended up on the dining table.
Turkeys became a bit of a problem as well. The intent was to have them be a good food source, but there’s a small window of time when they are good to eat otherwise they get tough, really tough. So into the wild went the turkeys.
Still, there are chickens that roam freely
Buddy and Bella, the big Anatolian shepherds, earn their keep by keeping predators off the property. They’ve been the winner in a number of encounters!
