Carthage, Tennessee, the home of Poindexter Realty & Auction, county seat of Smith County, rests on the north bank of the Cumberland River one mile below the junction of the Caney Fork, the largest tributary of the Cumberland River.

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Tennessee's area codes

Smith County
Conveniently located between
Nashville - Knoxville - Chattanooga
William Walton was the first settler to the area, choosing the spot in redemption of his land grant issued by North Carolina for his services in the Revolutionary War. When Walton's Ferry was chosen as the county seat, Walton deeded 50 acres in exchange for $1 to the commissioners who in turn sold lots with the proceeds being used for the erection of public buildings. By decree of the State Legislature, the new town was called Carthage. By 1806 the largest and most elegant brick courthouse...within the state  was built and the post office established. The growth of the area pays much tribute to the

Smith County Courthouse*
Cumberland River. The river was used by the early settlers to ship products to market on flatboats and keelboats. When the steamboat came about in the 1820's, Carthage, Rome and Dixon Springs became thriving towns. Three ferries in Carthage provided transportation across the river and elegant hotels provided food and shelter for the traders. A toll bridge built in 1906 replaced the need for ferries and was then replaced by the new Cordell Hull Bridge which opened to traffic on May 3, 1936. The old Cordell Hull Bridge is still in use and a new bridge was built near the point where Walton once plied his ferry.


Army of the Tennessee Memorial, Metairie Cemetery, New Orleans, La

Revolutionary War was over when Carthage was established in 1799, many of its veterans settled, lived and died in the county. Their names are etched in stone on the memorial monument on the courthouse lawn. Patriotic zeal of these men contributed to the development as well as the history of the area:
War of 1812 - Home Guard established to keep younger men from going to battle.

Battle of New Orleans - 2 companies of Smith County soldiers fought under the command of Andrew Jackson.

Mexican War - 4 companies of soldiers from Smith County.

War Between the States - 12 companies (approx.1200 soldiers) from Smith County served in the Confederate Army.

World War I & II - hundreds from Smith County proudly served.

Smith County has produced many notable historical and political figures:

William Bowen Campbell - served the state as governor , elected 1851 as a Whig Party candidate, Carthage attorney, Tennessee state legislator, U.S. Congressman 1837-1843, Major General in the Mexican War.

Benton McMillin - served the state as governor, elected in 1898, served in the state legislature, served in the U.S. House of Representatives, appointed by President Wilson as U.S. Minister to Peru in 1913.

Lucille Foster McMillin - received the highest appointment ever for a woman of that time by President Roosevelt who appointed her as Civil Service Commissioner in 1933 wife of Benton McMillin.

Cordell Hull - served the United States in Congress, Secretary of State for twelve years under Franklin D. Roosevelt, Nobel Peace Prize winner in 1945.

Al Gore, Jr. - inaugurated as the 45th United States Vice President, January 20, 1993, served the people in Smith County and Tennessee in U.S. House of Representatives, served in the U.S. Senate.

Al Gore, Sr. - United States Senator, father of Al Gore, Jr.


The state of Tennessee possesses many landmarks in honor of the accomplishments of Smith County's people:

The Walton Road - formed by William Walton to aid in the settlement of Middle Tennessee.

Fisk University - formed by Moses Fisk who established the first female academy in the southwest at Hilham.

Clinton College - formed in 1834 by Dr. Francis Gordon of Gordonsville near New Middleton.

Walton's Ferry - ferry boat near Rome at point of William Walton's settlement (sunk in 1996).


Photograph of Hood before Nashville. Continuing his policy of the offensive at any cost, Gen. John B. Hood brought his reduced army before the defenses of Nashville, where it was overthrown by Gen. George H. Thomas on December 15-16 1864, in the most complete victory of the war. If the date borne on this photograph is correct, it was taken in the course of the battle.

 

1800's - Scenic view from a   Tennessee Ridge
 

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*Photo by Tim Manning -TSM Studio

©1997-2007  POINDEXTER REALTY & AUCTION
505 N. Main Street
Carthage, TN
  615 - 735 -2244



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