[219] Putnam County Farm Joins Ranks of State's Century Farms Program

For Release: Jan. 9, 2012
Contact: Caneta Hankins, Center for Historic Preservation, 615-898-2947

PUTNAM COUNTY FARM JOINS RANKS OF STATE’S CENTURY FARMS PROGRAM

Young Farm Recognized for Agricultural Contributions

(MURFREESBORO)— The Young Farm, located in Putnam County, has been designated as a Tennessee Century Farm, reports Caneta S. Hankins, director of the Century Farms Program at the Center for Historic Preservation at MTSU.
The Century Farms Program recognizes the contributions of Tennessee residents who have owned and kept family land in continuous agricultural production for at least 100 years.
In 1902, Edith “Eado” Young purchased her 62-acre farm in Putman County for $27.80. A widow for 14 years, Eado is among the very few women who established a Tennessee Century Farm. On her acreage, she and her three children—Melonee, Fred and John—raised corn, hay, hogs, chickens, turkeys and cattle. When Eado received news that her husband, Dr. John H. Young, had fallen ill while treating patients in Wilson County in 1888, she immediately rode nonstop to be with her spouse. The family recalls that “Dr. Young was dead upon her arrival, and the horse died shortly after.”
Eado gave the farm to her daughter-in-law and grandson, Dora and Phillip Young, in June of 1913 for “the love and affection” she held for them. Dora and her husband, Eado’s son John H. Young, continued to produce many of the same crops, livestock and poultry.
In 1922, the land transferred to Hance Reeder, Melonnee Young Reeder’s husband. In addition to raising corn, hay, hogs, chickens, turkey and cattle, the owners began to cultivate tobacco.
Phillip Toral Young and his wife, Estelle C. Young, acquired all 62 acres of the original farm in 1950 and grew tobacco, corn and cattle. They sold the land to their son, Paul A. Young in December 1976. Paul is the great-grandson of the founder. Though much of the property is in dense timber, Paul currently grows tobacco, corn and hay on 25 of the original 62 acres. A springhouse, smokehouse, tobacco barn and the farmhouse, built in the early 20th century, are part of the farm’s history.
Since 1984, the Center for Historic Preservation at MTSU has been a leader in the important work of documenting Tennessee’s agricultural heritage and history through the Tennessee Century Farms Program.
For more information about the Century Farms Program, please visit www.tncenturyfarms.org. The Center for Historic Preservation also may be contacted at Box 80, MTSU, Murfreesboro, Tenn., 37132 or 615-898-2947.

• ATTENTION, MEDIA: To interview the farm’s owner or request jpegs of the farm for editorial use, please contact the CHP at 615-898-2947.



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