Category Archives: Places of Historic Interest

The Site That Became Spencer, TN Baptismal pool at the town spring in Spencer, TN in about 1915-17. The woman is Inez Woodlee Isom. -Photo provided by Marr Temples Original Name of the Site that Became Spencer, Tennessee On Monday, April 6, 1840, Van Buren County Court met for the first time.  At that time, noContinue reading “Spencer Town Spring”

David Haston – First Owner of Spencer, TN Town Lot #44 And Six More David Haston was the first owner of Spencer, TN town lots #44 & 45. He sold Lot #44 to the Church of Christ in 1853. Van Buren County, Tennessee was formed early in 1840. During the September 1841 term of theContinue reading “David Haston’s Spencer Town Lots”

Three Counties in Middle Tennessee – The Haston Homeland People often ask me a question like this, “My Haston great-grandfather came from White (or Warren, or Van Buren) County, TN, are we related?” My immediate response, without asking any questions: “Yes, definitely.” In fact, the odds are very good if you have “Haston” in your ancestry,Continue reading “The Haston Homeland”

Daniel Haston’s GG Grand Niece and Nephew Make Amazing Discovery Indiana’s Most Visited Natural Attraction! Marengo Cave text from www.marengocave.com/ Marengo, Indiana The two kids were Hiestands, from the very same family as Daniel Hiestand/Haston–his great-great-grandniece and nephew! For more of the story about Blanche and Orris’s story of the discovery of the cave, seeContinue reading “Hiestand Kids Discover Marengo Cave”

A Haston Heritage Tour Based On Your Family Line Back to Daniel Haston Now that we are living back in the Haston Homeland… Wayne and Sharon Haston – Now in White County, Tennessee (near where our Haston roots were firmly established in about 1804) We would love to guide you on a tour of sitesContinue reading “Schedule Your Personal Haston Heritage Tour”

February 2023 Ground Penetrating Radar Project Incorporation of the Cemetery Big Fork Baptist Church One of the first major efforts in a renewed and enhanced plan to restore and preserve the historic Big Fork Cemetery was a Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) mapping project (February 2023) to determine how many burials occurred in the cemetery andContinue reading “Ground Penetrating Radar Project – Big Fork Historic Cemetery, Inc.”

Incorporation of the Big Fork Historic Cemetery Ground Penetrating Radar Mapping Big Fork Baptist Church Along a dead-end road in northern Van Buren County, an area of White County until the 1840 formation of Van Buren County, lies Big Fork Cemetery, a historic burying ground that is out of sight and mostly out of mind,Continue reading “Big Fork Historic Cemetery – Incorporation”

How BIG is the Haston Big Spring Branch When the Hastons moved (late 1803 or early 1804) to what became White County, TN in 1806, Daniel Haston located his cabin on a hill above the emergence (springhead) of what was then called “the Big Spring Branch.”  It soon became known as the “Haston Big Spring.” Continue reading “Haston Big Spring – alias Swamp Spring”

1890 – Key Features of Interest to Hastons & Many Other Families This map was created about 86 years after Daniel Haston settled on the Big Spring Branch in what became the Cummingsville community.  Daniel’s son, David Haston, died only 30 years prior to the map’s creation.  The natural geographical features are the same asContinue reading “1890 Northern Van Buren County, TN”

Photos & Background Info on 12 Historic Haston Sites in TN Even if you aren’t able to participate in the Saturday, July 23, 2022 tour, you will enjoy reading about (and seeing photos of) these 12 historic sites that are so important to the Daniel Haston Family. Download the 11 Page Document – Photos &Continue reading “Photos and Background Info on 12 Haston Historic Sites in Tennessee”

Haston Block House – Built 1908 in Spencer, TN By Landon Medley and Wayne HastonLandon and I were working together on this article when he passed away in 2021. -Wayne Haston The “Cyclone” In Spencer, TN that (Literally) Cleared the Way for the Haston Block Following a (3:00 a.m.) November 18, 1906 cyclone [tornado?] thatContinue reading “Haston Block Building – Spencer, TN”

Montgomery Greenville Haston Farm The Core of M.G. Haston’s 1858 Farm – Today a Tennessee Century Farm On November 3, 1858, Montgomery G. Haston (grandson of David Haston, Great Grandson of Daniel) bought four tracts of land (1,163 acres more or less) from Nathan Durham for $900.[i]  The land was located around the current crossroadsContinue reading “Montgomery Greenville Haston Farm”

Isaac T. & Elizabeth Sparkman Haston Family Cemetery Cummingsville of Van Buren County, Tennessee History of the Haston Cemetery Isaac T. Haston was the next-to-the-youngest son of David and Peggy Roddy Haston.  Although he was a grandson of Daniel Haston, Isaac T. was born (March 28, 1827) about a year after his grandfather died soContinue reading “(I.T.) Haston Cemetery – Cummingsville, TN”

Big Fork Baptist Church The Earliest Baptist Church in White County, TN The Big Fork Baptist Church was hidden from local historians for many years.  Most people who visit the Big Fork Cemetery in what is now Cummingsville, TN have no idea that there was a church there in the early 1800s.  Only a fewContinue reading “Big Fork Baptist Church – Early White County, TN”