Gentlemen:
The Sumner County Historical Society is adamantly opposed to the proposed rock quarry, cement, and asphalt plants intended for Bledsoe’s Lick and Castalian Springs. We implore you to deny any zoning changes that will allow such an encroachment to take place.
The first paragraph in the book “Historic Sumner County Tennessee” copyrighted by Jay Guy Cisco in 1909, contains the following words, “Place one foot of a compass on a line between Gallatin and Bledsoe’s Lick, and about six miles east of the first named place, then draw a circle the diameter of which shall be twenty miles, and you will have within that radius a territory which it would be difficult to find a more beautiful, more fertile, or more one richer in historical associations.”
The area described by Mr. Cisco in 1909 continues to exist today. In the circle described lived dozens of historical figures from the Indian, Revolutionary, and 1812 Wars, and it was the location of the first cabin built by settlers in Middle Tennessee. At the core of this circle lies the community of Castalian Springs that contains Bledsoe’s Lick, Bledsoe’s Fort, and many houses built in the early settlement periods such as Cragfont, Hawthorne Hills, Locust Grove, and Wynnewood
Castalian Springs is an oasis of preserved history that has been altered very little by the changes of modern living. True, it now has paved roads, and a few small commercial establishments, but the very core of what Mr. Cisco described remains to this day. We are the benefactors of a unique gift that can be further enhanced for future generations to enjoy. Allowing a rock quarry in the middle of this area would be tantamount to erecting a Wal-Mart Super Center on Main Street in Williamsburg, Virginia or placing a shopping center next to the Taylor Hollow Designated State Natural Area in the Northern part of our county.
Rather than moving toward an irreversible path of damage to our county treasure, we should be actively seeking ways to protect its’ integrity. We are confident your decision will be guided by the rule of law, prudence and respect, but most importantly we want your decision to be made with a strong desire for preserving the long-term esthetic and historical value of Sumner County’s Bledsoe’s Lick and Castalian Springs.
Respectfully,
Houston Haynes Mason
Board Member-Sumner County Historical Society
2 comments:
As a professional archaeologist, I agree completely and wholeheartedly with the evaluation made by the Sumner County Historical Society. Castalian Springs is unique in its unusually dense concentration of prehistoric and historic sites relevant to Tennessee. At its own scale, taking out Castalian Springs would be like taking out Cahokia Mounds, Jamestown Fort, Mount Vernon, and The White House in a single blow.
Thanks Tracy, I agree whole heartly! I hope this beautiful area will be spared!
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