John Brabson II (1773–1848) established Brabson's Ferry Plantation after purchasing the plantation's namesake ferry in 1798, and acquired the surrounding fertile farmland over subsequent decades.[5] Brabson's sons continued operating the plantation after his death, and established a business that catered to the ferry's traffic. As the Brabsons supported the Confederacy during the U.S. Civil War, their plantation was looted by Sevier County Unionists and toward the end of the war most members of the family were forced to flee.[6] Several eventually returned, however, and by the end of the 19th century had rebuilt the plantation and ferry. The Brabson family still owns and manages the farm.[3]
Location
Brabson's Ferry Plantation is located at the confluence of Boyds Creek and the French Broad River in the Boyds Creek community a few miles northwest of Sevierville. State Highway 338 (Boyds Creek Highway, or Old Knoxville Highway) passes along the plantation's southern boundary, and Indian Warpath Road traverses its western section. The Brabson Cemetery is located atop a steep hill with a sweeping view of the French Broad River on the north end of the plantation.
History
Highway 338 follows what was once a stretch of the Great Indian Warpath, a trail used for centuries by Native Americans travelling up and down the Tennessee Valley. The ancient path crossed the French Broad River at a ford near the mouth of Boyds Creek. In 1780, John Sevier crossed at this ford to engage and defeat a Cherokee force at the Battle of Boyds Creek.[7] In the early 1790s, an early pioneer named Andrew Evans established a ferry and a 250-acre (100ha) farm at the Boyds Creek ford. John Brabson, who migrated to the area from Frederick County, Virginia, purchased the Evans farm and ferry in 1798.[5]
Brabson plank house (left) and barn
Brabson continued acquiring land in the early 19th century. By the time of his death in 1848, he owned 5,000 acres (2,000ha), making him one of the largest landholders in East Tennessee. He was also one of the region's largest slaveholders, with 49 slaves, most of whom were split up among his children (Brabson's will emancipated only one elderly slave).[4] One of Brabson's sons, Reese Bowen Brabson (1817–1863), moved to Chattanooga in 1848, and was elected to the U.S. Congress in 1858.[8] John Brabson's daughter, Mary, and son-in-law, Robert H. Hodsden, established the Rose Glen plantation in the 1840s just east of Sevierville.[9] Brabson's two eldest surviving sons, Benjamin (1809–1866) and Thomas (1813–1894), inherited most of Brabson's Ferry Plantation. Benjamin and Thomas built more elaborate houses (in 1856 and 1854, respectively), and in 1852 established a company, Brabson and Brother, that operated a general store, tannery, blacksmith shop, gristmill, and stagecoach stop for local farmers and stagecoach traffic using the family's ferry.[10]
Brabson Cemetery
While most of Sevier County supported the Union during the U.S. Civil War (96% of the county voted against secession in 1861), the Brabsons supported the Confederacy. Benjamin Brabson's son, William, enlisted in the Confederate army, and in 1863 was captured by the Union Army while fighting near Muscle Shoals. Toward the end of the war, as Union forces re-gained control of East Tennessee, vengeful Sevier Countians began harassing and threatening the Brabsons. Most of the family's livestock were stolen, the plantation houses were looted, and family members were forced to flee. In an October 1865 letter, Benjamin Brabson's wife, Elizabeth (1821–1894), wrote, "they rocked my house so, burned my carriage, and fired my outbuildings, they also shot at me several times." Thomas Brabson and his wife moved to Knoxville, where there had been more sympathy for the Confederacy. Benjamin Brabson moved to Winchester, Tennessee, writing in 1865 that his future looked "dark." He died a few months later, and, according to his wishes, was buried in Winchester rather than the family cemetery in Boyds Creek.[6]
After Benjamin Brabson's death, his family returned to Sevier County and began rebuilding the family's plantation, largely through the efforts of his son William (1842–1888). Benjamin's son, John Brabson IV (1858–1943), assumed ownership of the plantation after his mother's death, and made several modifications to the Benjamin Brabson house.[10] By 1900, Brabson's Ferry had again become a major center of local commerce.[11] After the death of John Brabson IV, his son Benjamin Davis Brabson III (1905-1982) and his wife, Estalena Rogers Brabson (1912-1989), took over ownership and operation of the farm until Benjamin's death in 1982. Estalena maintained an enthusiastic interest in genealogy and family history, and published several books, including: John Brabson I, Patriot of the American Revolution And Some of His Descendants (1975) which chronicles the origins of Brabson's Ferry Plantation. Estalena was responsible for placing Brabson's Ferry Plantation on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1975.
The farm was managed by Benjamin Brabson's great-grandson, Ben D. Brabson, Jr., and his wife, Elaine, and in 2008 it was designated a Tennessee Pioneer Century Farm. The Brabson farm produces beef cattle, wheat, oats, corn, hay, and soybeans.[3]
The Brabson Farm is managed by Ben & Elaine Brabson's son and his wife, Benjamin Davis Brabson III and Lucinda Ann Brabson in 2021. The Brabson Farm produces Beef Cattle.
Historical structures
Log cabin near the Brabson Cemetery
Brabson's Ferry Plantation contains several notable antebellum structures, including both the Benjamin Brabson and Thomas Brabson houses, a late 18th-century plank house, a frame tannery building, a 19th-century barn, and a late 18th-century log cabin. The center of the farm, which contains the Benjamin Brabson house, plank house, and barn, is situated along a gravel driveway just off Indian Warpath Road. The Benjamin Brabson house once overlooked Brabson's Ferry along the French Broad River. The Thomas Brabson house overlooks the junction of Indian Warpath Road and Highway 338, where the Brabsons' tannery, blacksmith shop, and storehouse once stood. Slave houses (no longer standing) were once located on the east side of Indian Warpath Road between Highway 338 and the gravel driveway, and at least one once stood between the Benjamin Brabson house and the river.[4]
The Brabson plank house was built by either Andrew Evans or John Brabson sometime between 1790 and 1810. The plank house was constructed using an odd technique known as piece-sur-piece construction, which involves stacking horizontal planks and tying them in with vertical posts. In the 19th century, the plank house was moved from its original location and renovated for use as a carriage house. A large double-door was added to the front, and the chimney was removed.[5] A hewn log cabin, possibly built by John Brabson in the late 18th century, originally stood near the river but was moved to its present site near the cemetery in the 19th century.[12]
The Thomas Brabson house, built in 1854, is a two-story Federal-style house with a Greek Revival portico. A 1.5-story kitchen wing is attached to the rear of the house to create an "L" shape. Square doric columns grace the house's portico. The Benjamin Brabson house, built in 1856, was originally a Federal-style house similar to the Thomas Brabson house, although a Victorian porch and Queen Anne-style gable were added to the front of the house in the 1890s. Both houses contain most of their original design elements, including large post-and-lintel mantels and open "dog-leg" staircases.[10]
Sevier County is a county of the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 98,380. Its county seat and largest city is Sevierville. Sevier County comprises the Sevierville, TN Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Knoxville-Morristown-Sevierville, TN Combined Statistical Area.
Sevierville is a city in and the county seat of Sevier County, Tennessee, United States, located in eastern Tennessee. The population was 17,889 at the 2020 United States Census.
Seymour is a census-designated place (CDP) and unincorporated community in Blount and Sevier counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee. The CDP population was 14,705 at the 2020 U.S. census. It is part of the Knoxville, Tennessee Metropolitan Statistical Area.
John Sevier was an American soldier, frontiersman, and politician, and one of the founding fathers of the State of Tennessee. A member of the Democratic-Republican Party, he played a leading role in Tennessee's pre-statehood period, both militarily and politically, and he was elected the state's first governor in 1796. He served as a colonel of the Washington District Regiment in the Battle of Kings Mountain in 1780, and he commanded the frontier militia in dozens of battles against the Cherokee in the 1780s and 1790s.
Reese Bowen Brabson was an American politician who represented Tennessee's 3rd district in the United States House of Representatives from 1859 to 1861. He also served one term in the Tennessee House of Representatives, from 1851 to 1852. Brabson opposed secession, and took no active part in the Civil War.
State Route 338 is a secondary highway located entirely within Sevier County in East Tennessee. The road runs generally south–north although like most roads in East Tennessee it has numerous winding turns.
The Sugarlands is a valley in Tennessee within the north-central Great Smoky Mountains, located in the southeastern United States. Formerly home to a string of small Appalachian communities, the valley is now the location of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park headquarters and the Sugarlands Visitor Center. Lying just south of Gatlinburg, the Sugarlands is one of the park's most popular access points.
State Route 66 is a state-maintained highway in eastern Tennessee, including a six-lane divided highway known as Winfield Dunn Parkway in Sevier County, a four-lane expressway in Hamblen and Jefferson counties and a two-lane rural collector through mountainous terrain continuing to the northeast terminus in Hancock County.
Roaring Fork is a stream in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, located in the southeastern United States. Once the site of a small Appalachian community, today the stream's area is home to the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail and the Roaring Fork Historic District.
State Route 71 is a north–south state highway in Tennessee. For most of the length it is a "hidden" route, as it coincides with US 441 in all but a short section in Knoxville. The road begins at the North Carolina state line in Sevier County within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park at Newfound Gap and ends at an intersection with US 25W, SR 116, and SR 9 (hidden) in Rocky Top. Along its length SR 71 passes through Sevier County, a small portion of Blount County, Knox County, Anderson County, and in and out of Campbell County. Despite being signed on Hall of Fame Parkway in Knoxville, Tennessee, the Knox County TDOT map ignores SR 71 while SR 33 has a concurrency with US 441.
Greenbrier is a valley in the northern Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, located in the southeastern United States. Now a recreational area located within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Greenbrier was once home to several Appalachian communities.
Walland is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Blount County, Tennessee. Its population was 281 as of the 2020 census. Walland is the site of a post office and is the place name associated with zip code 37886, which covers an area beyond the Walland community.
Kodak is an unincorporated community and a neighborhood of Sevierville in Sevier County, Tennessee, United States. The small city is located along State Route 139 and State Route 66, and just south of I-40 and Knoxville, Tennessee. The elevation of the city of Kodak is about 896 feet above sea level.
U.S. Route 441 (US 441) stretches for 83.28 miles (134.03 km) through the mountains of East Tennessee, connecting Rocky Top with Knoxville, Sevierville, Gatlinburg, and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, crossing into North Carolina at Newfound Gap. Near its northern terminus, US 441 crosses over Norris Dam and passes through Norris Dam State Park.
The Noah "Bud" Ogle Place was a homestead located in the Great Smoky Mountains of Sevier County, in the U.S. state of Tennessee. The homestead presently consists of a cabin, barn, and tub mill built by mountain farmer Noah "Bud" Ogle (1863–1913) in the late 19th century. In 1977, the homestead was added to the National Register of Historic Places and is currently maintained by the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Rose Glen was an antebellum plantation in Sevier County, in the U.S. state of Tennessee. At its height, Rose Glen was one of the largest and most lucrative farms in Sevier County and one of the most productive in East Tennessee. While the farm is no longer operational, the plantation house and several outbuildings— including a physician's office, loom house, and double-cantilever barn— have survived intact, and have been placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Wheatlands is an antebellum plantation in Sevier County, in the U.S. state of Tennessee. The plantation's surviving structures— which include the plantation house, a storage shed, and smokehouse— have been placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The plantation house has been called "the best example of a Federal-style building remaining in Sevier County."
Samuel Wear was an American Revolutionary War soldier who fought at the Battle of Kings Mountain. He was one of the early inhabitants of, and a founder of, the "Lost State of Franklin". He later helped draft the Constitution of the State of Tennessee.
Robert Hatton Hodsden was an American physician, planter, and politician who served three terms in the Tennessee House of Representatives. He worked as a government physician on the Cherokee removal in 1838, and served as president of the East Tennessee Medical Society in the mid-1850s. A Southern Unionist during the Civil War, Hodsden represented Sevier County at the East Tennessee Convention in 1861, and was later arrested by Confederate authorities.
State Route 35 is a north–south state highway in East Tennessee. The 81.35 miles (130.92 km) long state highway traverses Blount, Sevier, a small portion of Jefferson, Cocke, and Greene Counties. Most of the route is a secret, or hidden designation, as it runs concurrently with U.S. Highways in the area.
1 2 3 Susan Andrews and Amy Young, "Plantations On the Periphery of the Old South: Modeling a New Approach." Tennessee Anthropologist, vol. XVII, no. 1 (Spring 1992), pp. 4, 7-9.
↑ Margaret Ann Roth, "Transportation and Communication." The Gentle Winds of Change: A History of Sevier County, Tennessee, 1900–1930 (Sevierville, Tenn.: Smoky Mountain Historical Society, 1986), p. 61.
↑ Michael Carberry, "National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form for Brabson's Ferry Plantation," 1974-07.
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