[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 9]
[House]
[Page 11644]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




       COMMEMORATING THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF CHEATHAM COUNTY, TN

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JIM COOPER

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 15, 2006

  Mr. COOPER. Mr. Speaker, today I commemorate the sesquicentennial 
anniversary of Cheatham County, Tennessee.
  May 5, 2006 marked the official 150th anniversary of the county, and 
this week, with Ashland City Summerfest and Redd Stewart Homecoming 
Days, Cheatham County residents will take part in the culmination of a 
year's sesquicentennial celebrations.
  Cheatham County was founded on February 28, 1856 when the Tennessee 
General Assembly designated the 50 acres of land to the west of 
Nashville and north of the Cumberland River as Cheatham County. It was 
named after Speaker of the State Senate, Edward Saunders Cheatham. 
Ashland City was established as the county seat. After the sale of the 
first town lots, the county was able to build its first courthouse and 
jail on the public square, where they stand today.
  Cheatham County is the third fastest growing county in the State; 
today more than 38,000 people call it home. It is also a center of 
commercial and industrial growth with A.O. Smith Water Products, Triton 
Boats and Trinity Marine as the county's top three industrial 
employers. While agricultural production has declined in recent times, 
many Cheatham County farmers remain major contributors in the beef and 
tobacco sectors. Despite all the growth and industry, Cheatham County's 
beautiful rolling green hills are preserved in the Cheatham Wildlife 
Management Area, a 21,000 acre game reserve for hunting and fishing.
  One of Cheatham County's most notable citizens was the late Redd 
Stewart, a singer and songwriter who wrote our state song, the 
``Tennessee Waltz.'' This week, the events of Redd Stewart Homecoming 
Days will pay tribute to the musician with two days of free bluegrass 
concerts. In addition, Cheatham County residents will commemorate the 
sesquicentennial anniversary at Summerfest in Ashland City. We'll get 
together at Riverbluff Park on the Cumberland River to share good times 
as our Cheatham County founders did: eating home-cooked food, playing 
games and dancing to old time bluegrass music.
  I am proud to honor all the generations of Cheatham County families 
who have contributed so much to this special place. I join with 
everyone in Tennessee's Fifth District in commemorating Cheatham 
County's 150th anniversary, and I commend County Mayor Bill Orange and 
today's residents for ensuring that Cheatham County remains a community 
where folks can live, work and raise future generations of great 
Tennesseans.

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