Barn Proud in Marshall County

by Nancye Hobbs, Director, Marshall County Museum

In 1836, Marshall County, Tennessee was formed in a rural area that thrived from its vast agricultural diversity. The land in and around the county was used for farming of many different types and prospered in that respect for many years to come. Marshall County is a community with a rich and diverse cultural heritage and a great interest in its history. The people of the area cling to the ways of the past and, although most Marshall Countians work at jobs off the farm, you will still find many that hold onto scraps of land to farm in their spare time. The farms of Marshall County are not as large as they once were, but the ones that remain still keep some cows, grow some corn, tomatoes or other vegetables and dabble around on the farm. Even dabbling around is hard work; some people come home after a 40-hour work week at another job and still maintain precious family farms.

Most everyone who owns land in Marshall County has a barn, old or new and sometimes both. The diversified types of farming and the barns that go along with them are still apparent in the rural areas formed so many years ago. There are large prosperous Tennessee Walking Horse farms with air-conditioned barns and dairy farms with small to mid-sized barns. There are chicken farms, sheep farms, and beef farms. Tobacco farming with its unique style of barns is still important to the area. There are farms with long rows of corn and those with varying stages of cutting and putting up hay that can be seen in the early summer months in Marshall County.

Life moves along at a slower pace here, but with a deep sense of pride in a heritage rich with agricultural roots. Many local organizations support the farm life and worked with the local historical society to help host the Barn Again! exhibit that featured barns from all over the country. The Marshall County companion exhibit focused on the many different types of barns that can be found in Marshall County and the immense pride the community takes in those barns. It seems everyone has a barn and wants to show it off! Also featured were several century-old farms that have remained in the same family for over 100 years. Other local organizations joined in with art exhibits, contests, a school project that will put computer technology to work and showcase the exhibit on a CD-ROM produced to commemorate the event. It is remarkable to think, as we move toward the year 2000, that there is still so much rural pride in a small community. The local exhibit and Barn Again!, were at the Marshall County Historical Society. It was called Barn Proud and accurately describes the opinions of Marshall County citizens toward their barns.

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