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McMinnville City Hall could house Civil War artifact
civil war artifact original
Lisa Hobbs photo A sword once owned by John Houston Savage will be on display at McMinnville City Hall as soon as officials determine the best way to protect the item from any individual who might want to help themselves to a piece of Civil War history. Pictured is Mike Corley, who currently owns the artifact that was in the possession of Frank Farrar.
Lisa Hobbs
Published: Jun 30, 2018, 10:20 PM

A Civil War artifact could make its temporary home at McMinnville City Hall. 

The artifact, a Confederate Civil War sword owned by John Houston Savage, has been offered for display.

“Mike Corley contacted the mayor and also me about loaning the city this saber to put on display,” said Alderman Steve Harvey to members of the city Building and Grounds Committee. “This would be loaned to us, I guess indefinitely, to be placed along with all the other artifacts and memorabilia we have on the second floor.”

Savage was born in McMinnville on Oct. 9, 1815.

He was appointed colonel on June 10, 1861, resigned on Feb. 20, 1863, and died in early April 1904. Funeral services were held at Cumberland Presbyterian Church, and he was buried in Riverside Cemetery.

Corley mounted the sword and its sheath in a plaque that can be securely mounted on the wall.

“Accepting it on loan will create some duty on the city to take reasonable steps to protect it,” said city attorney Tim Pirtle. “I think you should consider, if you are going to accept it and display it, that some consideration be given to protecting it from theft. I don’t know if that would happen, but it should be considered.”

Committee members voted unanimously to accept the offer. No determination was made on how best to protect the item when it is displayed. The area under consideration does have security cameras.

Among Savage’s numerous accomplishments:

• In 1836, enlisted in a Company commanded by John B. Rogers of Rock Island, called “The Mountain Blues” to help in the war raging in Texas as it fought for its independence.
• Studying law in 1837, he was admitted to the bar in 1839 and commenced practice in Smithville.
• In 1841, he was made Attorney General of the 4th Tennessee District taking up the post until 1847 when he resigned and enlisted in the Army to join in the war with Mexico.
• Appointed Major in the 14th Infantry he was severely wounded by a shell in the assault on Molino-del-Rey.
• Promoted to Lieutenant Colonel he was assigned to the 11th Infantry. After the death of Col. William M. Graham he commanded this Regiment until the close of the war. On returning home he again took up law.
• Elected as a Democrat to the House of Representatives from 1849-53 and from 1855-59.
• Answering the call to arms at the start of the Civil War, he was appointed Colonel on June 10, 1861 of the 16th Tennessee.
• Wounded twice, and having his horse shot from under him, at the Battle of Perryville (Chaplin Hills), Oct. 8, 1862, he continued in command until the battle was over.
• He was again wounded at the Battle of Murfreesboro (Stones River), Dec. 30, 1862 to Jan. 3, 1863.
• After the war he moved his practice to McMinnville, and in 1872, he moved to Hot Springs, AR, to rest.
• Elected member of the State House of Representatives 1877-79 and 1887-91 and the State Senate 1879-81.
• In 1903 he published his memoirs, “The Life of John H. Savage.”
• On the March 26, 1904 he petitioned that a monument to the 16th Tennessee be raised in McMinnville. It was unveiled May 10, 1904.
Local farm partnership brings fresh beef to Warren County Schools
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Published: Apr 2, 2025, 11:31 PM

Warren County Schools has beefed up lunch menus this school year through a new community partnership. Thanks to a collaboration between the district’s School Nutrition Department and Barton Creek Farms, students at Warren County High School, Warren County Middle School, West Elementary, Eastside Elementary, and Dibrell Elementary are enjoying locally sourced, farm-fresh beef in their lunches as part of a pilot program.

The initiative, spearheaded by Terri Mullican, Director of School Nutrition, has already shown great promise in its first few months. The partnership with Barton Creek Farms, located in Rock Island, Tennessee, ensures that the beef served is not only local to Warren County but of the highest quality. Barton Creek Farms specializes in farm-to-fork beef, with grass-fed and grain-finished cattle. Each calf is born and raised in Rock Island and goes through USDA-inspected processing, ensuring it meets the strictest safety and quality standards.

“When the opportunity arose to provide fresh, local beef, we knew it was a no-brainer,” Mullican said. “The fact that it’s a product from right here in our community makes it even more special. We can’t wait to implement it district-wide.”

Barton Creek Farms delivers fresh ground beef to the district monthly, and the nutrition

department incorporates it into homemade recipes such as lasagna, meatloaf, chili, and tacos.

As of now, the beef is being served at five schools, but the ultimate goal is to expand the program to all ten lunch-serving schools in the district.

The pilot program originated from a conversation between Mary Roller of Barton Creek Farms and Mullican. Roller, recognizing the farm’s potential to support local schools, reached out to gauge the district’s interest in serving local beef to students. Around the same time, a Warren County school board member contacted Mullican to share information about a similar partnership in neighboring Dekalb County, which helped push the initiative forward.

The timing worked in the district’s favor, as the nutrition department was able to fund the purchase of the beef using existing resources, eliminating the need for additional funding. Now that the pilot program is enjoying a successful run, the department has budgeted to extend the partnership district-wide for the 2025-26 school year.

Dr. Grant Swallows, Director of Schools, praised the program’s economic approach to student nutrition.

“This pilot is a perfect example of how we can use local resources to continue providing nutritious, healthy meals for our students,” he said. “We are grateful for partnerships like this one that benefit both our students and our local community. We always strive to support our local businesses when we can because our community is so good to us.”

In addition to working with Warren County Schools, Barton Creek Farms also partners with local restaurants to offer farm-fresh beef on their menus. The farm’s offerings include ground beef, steaks, roasts, and custom cuts by the quarter, half, or whole cow, meeting diverse consumer needs.

As the program continues to grow, the district hopes to expand its focus on farm-to-school meals, benefiting students’ health and connecting them to the agricultural roots of the community