Franklin: Tennessee’s Handsomest Town

James A. Crutchfield, Robert Holladay
Non-Fiction
Pages: 552
Date Started: September 26, 2019
Date Finished: October 5, 2019
14h 22m 37s
Reason Book was Chosen:
I live near Franklin, Tennessee and love it. I want to know more about the town and this seems like the perfect book to read.

My Thoughts

I loved this book. It covers the past 200 years (and even further back) of the history of one of my most favorite cities, Franklin, TN. Walking Main Street in Franklin is like stepping back 50+ years. It’s the location of a major Civil War battle (where combined with the Battle of Nashville, spelled the end of the Confederate army) where 10,000 soldiers were killed within a few hours.

The authors went into great detail about the city. One entire chapter was the reprint of a dissertation from the 1930s where the writer took a deep dive into Franklin politics, segregation, city organization, water pressure in fire hydrants, and where the water originated in the first place.

There is great power in reading books about the history of where you live. It creates a sort of magic that opens up meaning. Now, when I’m driving and walking around, I’m seeing things with fresh eyes. I now know who the people were who grace our street names. I know what happened on the battlefields. I know why the historic homes are built close to the road in downtown Franklin (to allow for crops/gardens in the back yard). I know the very basics of what the city looked like during desegregation. I know about the companies that once inhabited the old factory that is now a hip center of boutique stores and restaurants.

This book was much better than I could have hoped for. I encourage you to find a book about the area in which you live. It will open your eyes and make you appreciate your home much more.

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