From Ira Bell: I notice you have listed both Largent Spring and Stewart , they are less than a mile apart, with Largent Spring being on the McKinnon or west side of Stewart. Stewart and Largent’s Spring were both used by the Indians as a Hunting Ground, there were not any Indian Tribes located there, but rumors, without verification was that a number of Old Indians came there to die, and be buried there, since it was such a great Hunting area.  This area know as the Valley of Cane Creeks (North fork through Stewart and South Fork about 1 mile South, they came together about 2 miles west of Stewart ands flowed to the Tennessee River. They chose well to Hunt in this Beautiful Valley as it was well stocked with ever-flowing Springs (56 degrees year around), rolling Hills, with miles and miles of thick woods, and cane-breaks near the water. They were roamed by game of every size and description, such as, Wild Cats, Wolves, Bears, Catamounts, deer, Panthers and many others including an abundance of Rabbits and Squirrels, and of Course the ever present “SKUNK” It fact it is often said in addition to the above reasons for being there was that, Every Duck had a Bill, Every Frog had a GREENBACK, and every skunk had a SCENT.

The First permanent Settlers arrived there about 1798, they were the Wells, Horbergers, Edwards, and Guices.  Many of these were of Scotch Irish ancestry. Since this was the Hunting Grounds of the Indians, attacks by them was not uncommon at First, but they prevailed and set up the town of Stewart.  So it must have an origin date of about 1798. The Memphis, Clarksville and Louisville Railroad built through here in 1860, and was the oldest structure here, until about 1872 when a Limekiln was built as this area has some of the best limestone in the country all around here, It was shipped to many states by rail from there, other industry in the early days was Barrel making, stave and hoop mills along with sawmills, Merchandise Stores, many churches and 2  Private schools.  One thing I remember about the General Merchandise Stores was one in the Old School House about 1935, there was not any Telephones in the area, and only those living in towns had electricity.  People out from the town would write a post card to the Merchant sending their grocery lists of the “STAPLES” needed (Staples were Flour, Sugar, baking Powder, Soda, Salt and such items) most things like pork, corn (for meal) canned Garden vegetables, and dried fruits were prepared by the people themselves.  The Merchant would take the load of staples to the country, each box labeled with the name and amount from each.  Most did not have the money to pay but they would bring down eggs, chicken, vegetables in season, dried fruit and use barter to pay for the staples, the Merchant paying them market price, the eggs and chickens were shipped to the city folks. Sometime he would get a ham, smoked sausage and things of this nature, if he did not know the market value, he would come back to the store and find out the value and credit the account of the people. Life was quite simple back in those days, Stewart would have a doctor most of the time, there was a resident nurse there also and one thing they could not do without was a Midwife, I recall a lady there who had delivered over 500 babies, without a Doctor present.

Today a lot of the people there are retired, and those that still work, do so at Sawmills, or plants at Erin, Dickson and some even drive all way to Nashville a distance of 75 miles one way.  It is still quite slow and easy going, a lot of clean air and the clear sparkling water still flows from under the hills, at 56 degrees, with plenty of Water Cress growing in each of them, and I say it is still better for salads than Lettuce.