[374] Lawrence County Farm Joins Ranks of State's Century Farms Program

For Release March, 2013

Contact:  Caneta Hankins, Center for Historic Preservation, 615-898-2947

  

Gang Farm Recognized for Agricultural Contributions

MURFREESBORO — The Gang Farm of Lawrence 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.

 

The Gang Farm is another property that originated with the German Catholic Homestead Association of Cincinnati, which purchased acreage and brought several families to Lawrence County after the Civil War.

John Gang, along with his first wife Margaret, founded the Gang Farm in 1878 when he purchased 232 acres north of Lawrenceburg in the Ethridge community. In 1895, he purchased an additional 40.5 acres. John Gang had five children with Margaret and another three with his second wife. The Gangs grew corn, oats, wheat and tobacco and raised horses and cows.

Anton Gang purchased both tracts of land in 1899 when his parents moved. Anton and his wife, Margaret Ehemann, had three children – William, Henry and Mary. Anton built a house around  1900, and the family worked a diverse operation. After Anton and Margaret passed away, their children inherited the farm, but in 1935, Henry Gang purchased 110 acres from his brother and sister.

Today, the founder’s great-great-grandson, Donald “Donnie” Glenn White, his wife, Christie Dorning White, and William “Ed” White are the owners of the farm. Donnie and Christie and their son, Luke, raise cattle and grow hay.

The Beuerlein Farm, Frank Neidergeses Farm and Rocky Top Holstein Farm are other certified Lawrence County Century Farms that originated with the German migration in the 1870s.  

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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