Historical Markers in
Rutherford County, Tennessee

1860s View of East Main Street 1900s Telephone Building A Patriotic Pulpit A Vast Depot Abandoned Artillery Absalom Scales House Agriculture and Gardening Anchoring the Union Line Ancient Trails Architecture on the Square Army of the Cumberland Army of the Cumberland Army of the Cumberland Artillery Protects the Supply Line Artillery Saves the Day Ash Hopper Battle at Stones River Battle at Stones River Battle at Stones River Battle at Stones River Battle at Stones River Battle at Stones River Battle at Stones River Battle at Stones River Battle at Stones River Battle of Milton Battle of Murfreesboro Battle of Murfreesboro Battle of Stones River Benevolent Cemetery Bethel Black Fox Camp Spring Boys, you must get out of here! You are surrounded! Bradley Academy Bragg's Headquarters Breckinridge's Attack Bum Proof Stockade Captain Jeff Kuss, USMC Captain William Lytle Chalmers’ Brigade at Murfreesboro Chicago Board of Trade Battery Childress-Ray House / Sarah Childress Polk Chris Young Collier-Lane-Crichlow House Cotton Field – "No Man's Land" Country Store Covered by Cross Fires December 31, 1862 Defense of Fortress Rosecrans Dewitt Smith Jobe Dewitt Smith Jobe Digging In! Doctor's Office Donelson’s Brigade at Murfreesboro Eagleville Baptist Church Enon Meeting House Evergreen Cemetery Exploring the Promise of Freedom Federal Troops on the Square Fields of Fire First Presbyterian Church Forrest's Murfreesboro Raid Forrest's Murfreesboro Raid Forrest's Murfreesboro Raid Casualties Forrest’s Murfreesboro Raid Fortress Rosecrans Fortress Rosecrans Fortress Rosecrans Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest Memorial General Griffith Rutherford General Joseph Dickson Geographic Center of Tennessee George Smith Patton, Jr. God has granted us a Happy New Year! Governor John Price Buchanan Grantland Rice Hardy Murfree Haynes Museum Hazen Brigade Monument Hazen's Artillery Hazen's Brigade Monument Headquarters Headquarters Holloway High School I Never Saw Anything Like Them Before In Battle, Good Men Die In Memory of Benjamin Liddon In Memory of Jesse Messick James Daniel Richardson James M. Buchanan Jerusalem Cumberland Presbyterian Church Joseph B. Palmer L & N Caboose Leeman House Living Under the Guns Loom House (One-Room Log Cabin) Lunette Palmer Lunette Thomas Mary Ellen Vaughn Mary Kate Patterson Mary Kate Patterson Davis Hill Kyle McFadden Cemetery McFadden Farm McFadden's Ford Michigan Middle Tennessee State Teachers College Training School Morgan's Wedding Murfreesboro Murfreesboro Murfreesboro Murfreesboro Murfreesboro Murfreesboro / Rutherford County Murfreesboro Confederate Soldiers Monument Murfreesboro/Rutherford County Murfreesborough My Poor Orphans! N. B. Forrest's Raid on Murfreesboro New Citizen Soldiers Oaklands Oaklands Mansion Oaklands Mansion Old Bradley Academy Old Jefferson One-Room Schoolhouse Original Courthouse Step Outbuildings Parsons' Batteries Heavily Engaged Parson's Battery Passing Through Murfreesboro Pioneer Brigade Earthworks Rawlins Tractor Shed Redoubt Brannan Remembering by Rail Remembering Sacrifices - in Stone Rio Mill Robert Smith Sanders, M. D. Rutherford County Rutherford County / Murfreesboro Rutherford County Boys Rutherford County Courthouse Rutherford County Veterans Memorial Rutherford Hospital / Middle Tennessee Medical Center Salem Church Sam Davis Sam Davis Gravesite Sam Davis Home Sam Davis Home Sheridan Saves the Day Sheridan's Stand Sherrod Bryant Slave Cabins Slave, Soldier, Citizen Smyrna Airport Smyrna Railroad Depot Smyrna Rosenwald School Smyrna, Tennessee Veterans Memorial Smyrna, Tennessee World War II Memorial Soule College Stand Fast! State Capitol Stones River Stones River Artillery Monument Stones River National Battlefield Stones River National Cemetery Stones River Region Car Club, AACA Struggle for Round Forest Templeton Grove Cemetery Tennessee Baptist Convention Tennessee College for Women The Allen Chapel AME Church The Charge Kept Coming, Coming Like the Sea The Civil War The Confederate Circle at Evergreen The Federals' Final Rally Turns the Tide The Fight for the Cedars The Founding of the County The Maney Family The Presbyterian Church of Murfreesboro The Sam Davis Boyhood Home The Square During Occupation The Very Forest Seemed to Fall Their Longest, Coldest New Year’s Eve They Passed This Way They Passed This Way This Far, But No Farther This "Precious Dust" Toil and Mud Tollgate U.S. Regulars Memorial Uncle Dave Macon (1870-1952) Union University University House Waging War by Rail Waiting Anxiously for Tomorrow's Fate Wetland Plants and Animals Wheeler's Raid around Rosecrans Wheeler's Raid around Rosecrans Wheeler's Raid around Rosecrans Why Fight Here? Why Fight Here? William Lytle Williamson Chapel "Charles Egbert Craddock" "Uncle Dave" Macon
The Oak Ridge National Laboratory, located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, played a crucial role in the development of the atomic bomb during World War II. It was also a key site for nuclear research during the Cold War.
Tennessee random facts
Rutherford County, located in the central part of Tennessee, has a rich history that dates back to the early settlers in the late 1700s. The area was originally inhabited by Native American tribes, such as the Cherokee and Chickasaw, before European explorers and settlers arrived. One of the first settlers was William Lytle, who established a fort known as Lytle's Station in 1803 to protect against Native American attacks and provide a place for other settlers to take refuge.

The county was officially established in 1803 and was named after Griffith Rutherford, a Revolutionary War general. During the early years, the economy of Rutherford County primarily relied on agriculture, with tobacco and cotton being the main cash crops. The building of the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad in the mid-19th century boosted the region's economy and opened up opportunities for trade and transportation.

Rutherford County played a significant role in the American Civil War. The Battle of Stones River, one of the bloodiest battles of the war, took place in Rutherford County in December 1862, resulting in a Union victory. The Battle of Stones River National Battlefield now preserves this important historical site, attracting visitors from far and wide.

In the 20th century, Rutherford County experienced rapid growth and urbanization. The establishment of Middle Tennessee State University in 1911 brought educational opportunities and attracted students from all over the state. Over the years, Rutherford County has seen significant development in industries such as healthcare, manufacturing, and technology, making it one of the fastest-growing counties in Tennessee.

Overall, Rutherford County's history is marked by its early settlement, contributions to the Civil War, and subsequent growth and development. Today, it continues to be a thriving community with a mix of historical significance and modern amenities.

This timeline provides a condensed summary of the historical journey of Rutherford County, Tennessee.

  • 1803: Rutherford County was established on October 25.
  • 1811: Murfreesboro, the county seat, was incorporated on November 9.
  • 1823: Middle Tennessee State College, now Middle Tennessee State University, was founded.
  • 1861: During the Civil War, the Battle of Stones River took place in Murfreesboro from December 31, 1862, to January 2, 1863.
  • 1865: Freedmen's Bureau Office was established in Murfreesboro to provide assistance to newly freed slaves after the Civil War.
  • 1881: The Courthouse in downtown Murfreesboro was completed.
  • 1920: Middle Tennessee State Normal School changed its name to Middle Tennessee State Teachers College.
  • 1965: Middle Tennessee State College became Middle Tennessee State University.
  • 1981: The Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce was established to support local businesses.
  • 1995: The Nissan manufacturing plant opened in Smyrna, contributing to the economic growth of Rutherford County.