CHAPTER VI 

 SUMMER COUNTY, BREEDING CENTRE 



SUMNER COUNTY, established 1786, antedating the State 

 of Tennessee by ten years, lies between the Kentucky 

 line and the Cumberland River. It is at the head of the 

 great Middle basin which extends through the state to 

 the Alabama line. A dozen or more counties comprise 

 the central area of this basin, among them being, besides 

 Sumner, Davidson, Montgomery, Williamson, Ruther- 

 ford, Maury, Giles, Bedford, Marshall and Lincoln. The 

 soil of this basin is ingrained with limestone and as 

 has been learned in recent years with phosphate. It 

 is abundantly watered. Its adaptability to animal life 

 was made known to the Indians by the great number of 

 buffalo and deer always found here; and by agreement of 

 various tribes this basin was held in common for use as 

 a hunting ground. It was, therefore, in the logical course 

 of events that the farmers of this rich basin should avail 

 themselves of the opportunities which nature had placed 

 at their door, and become the supply depot for the horse 

 and mule market of other states. 1 



The leading county in this industry was Sumner; and 

 in Sumner the breeding business centred on east Station 

 Camp Creek, which flows from the highlands in the 

 north to Cumberland River, passing about two miles 

 west of Gallatin. This creek is crossed by three roads 



1 See Addenda G. 



