(CCHGA)
While growth and change are inevitable, knowledge of local history helps connect those who call Cheatham County home. While much can be
illustrate Cheatham’s rich settlement history, the progress in its population, and the development of the area. From Christmas Home Tours, cemetery dedications, assisting with historical markers, and live reenactments, the CCHGA truly brings local history to life. One of the most memorable events the association hosted was the Forest Hill Cemetery Tour. Timed perfectly with the Town of Ashland City’s 160th anniversary, the tour took place in 2019. Elaborate period-appropriate costumes, skilled actors, and captivating tales of the area’s past residents made the event a huge hit within the community. Another notable accomplishment for the association was assisting in the establishment of the Old Neptune School Historical Marker dedication in 2016. A wealth of information, the CCHGA also assists many individuals with family genealogy, helps organizations with research, and works with students looking for community service hours. It also proudly houses the Cheatham County Sports Hall of Fame. “I believe our local history is important,” current county historian and CCHGA president Lisa Walker stresses. “You can’t find our Cheatham County genealogy, stories, and historical artifacts all in one place like you can at the CCHGA office and Cheatham County Museum. “ Currently, local members RD Huffines, Dreama and David Davidson, Bobby Lee, Lisa Walker, George Anne Raines, Billy Hudgens, Clay Walden, and Rosemary Klein work or volunteer for the CCHGA. Other individuals who played a major role in the association’s success over the years were, of course, Thelma Heflin, Roger and Jennifer Smith, Tom Salter, Charmaine Jamieson, Josephine McMahan, Judy Mayo, Jim Allen, and Earl and June Nixon. “The foundation of the association was created by those who are no longer with us,” says Walker. “We are carrying out their goal of preserving the history of Cheatham Count y.” Year over year, the association gains more interest and support from the community. But like many organizations, the CCHGA struggles with funding, manpower, and space. While anyone can visit the museum at no cost, annual membership fees of just $20 help the CCHGA tremendously. Members receive a quarterly news letter and are able to attend monthly meetings. The Cheatham County Historical & Genealogical Association holds the key to the past. And because of the association’s hard work and effort over the past three decades, both personal and area history are at right at the fingertips of residents.
learned from the captivating tales of forefathers, the Cheatham County Historical & Genealogical Association (CCHGA) is certainly one of the counties most treasured and valuable resources into the area’s riveting past. In the early nineties, resident Thelma Heflin attended an economic community development meeting where it was determined that a historical society would be an asset to the county. In addition to important preservation, it would also help the county’s attempt to gain three-star status from the state of Tennessee, allowing it to receive favorable assistance in its development. Alongside Jim Allen, Betty Cannon, Mary Gray Jenkins, Josephine McMahan, and Sherri Hill, Heflin worked tirelessly to get the Cheatham County Historical & Genealogical Association up and running. Bylaws were eventually created, and the primary mission of the association at that time was to establish a local museum. At a Town of Ashland City meeting held on May 5, 1994, founding members asked for items to be donated to the museum, and the dream began to take shape. In October of 1994, the association opened a display case in the Cheatham County Courthouse. It was a small step, but it was beginning of a much grander mission. The following year, the CCHGA offered to assist the county in establishing a local archive. Two years later, members of the Utah Genealogy Society visited Cheatham County to commence the restoration of local records. Through Heflin’s foresight and dedication, the association was able to implement a system of study and an effective preservation process for the historical and genealogical facts of the county and its inhabitants. It also led to the establishment of the museum which opened below the Cheatham County Public Library in 2002 for the community to enjoy and benefit from. A true trip down memory lane, today’s visitors can find photographs, rosters, letters, diaries, articles, biographies, paintings, and other material objects illustrative of life conditions, events, and activities of the area’s past and present. The museum even boasts several artifacts which predate the creation of Cheatham County in 1856. Heflin’s grand vision led the way to many opportunities and avenues for the association. Tasked with the discovery and collection various genealogies, newspapers, relics, and everything in-between, the organization aims to
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