Harris, Henry S. 1847-1912, County Treasurer & Sheriff

Henry Scott Harris was a native of Robertson, Cheatham County, Tennessee, where he was born August 3, 1847, the son of James Thomas Harris (1819-1900) and Charlotte “Lottie” Lewis (1820-1867). He moved to Williamson County in 1854 with his parents and settled in Lake Creek Township not far from Herrin, where he lived nearly 33 years. His education was of the sort obtainable at the public schools, and he pursued his studies mostly at old Spillertown. Continue reading

Edwards, Charles “Yobbie” 1915-1968

Charles “Yobbie” Edwards was a WWII veteran, deputy sheriff under two Sheriff terms and served as Marion Chief of Police from 1954 to 1967. He was born in Galatia on October 1, 1915, a son of Delmon Lee Edwards (1887-1923) and Myrtle Miller. Four years after Charles was born, his father, Delmon, filled out his WW I registration card and noted that he was 27, he was married, had four children and lived on E. DeYoung in Marion working as a self-employed teamster which probably meant he had his own truck. Continue reading

1924, Raids Net Illegal Alcohol and Stills

Moonshine Bust 1924In early 1924, prohibition had been in effect for years and as a result, many locals had turned to cranking out their own illegal “hootch” in copper stills, a problem that wouldn’t entirely go away until the late 1950’s, even after prohibition was long since revoked.

The attached photo illustrates the level which illegal alcohol production had reached, when a Courtney’s moving truck, was required to haul all the illegal booze back to the Williamson County Jail on S. Van Buren St. for disposal after the latest raid in February, 1924. Continue reading

Notes on the Old Williamson County Jail

Williamson County Jail Post Card 1920'sThe following post was printed in Footprints, the quarterly publication of the Williamson County Historical Society. It notates historical background on the old Williamson County Jail that was in use from 1913 to 1972 and now houses the Historical Society. The article was titled “This Old House” and follows: 

This building that houses the Williamson County Historical Society has an interesting past. It was one of only five such buildings in the United States that combined the jail and sheriff’s quarters. As I look around at the beamed ceilings, pocket doors, leaded glass and other objects of beauty, I realize that this would have been elegant living in 1913. Continue reading