JACKSON, Tenn. – In addition to celebrating the 200th birthdays of the City of Jackson and Madison County, organizers in individual communities are planning “Heritage Days” to commemorate their history.
Previous Heritage Days were held earlier this month and the next Heritage Day will take place in Browns Church and Cotton Grove Communities on Saturday, May 14.
Browns Church and Cotton Grove communities will celebrate their Madison County Bicentennial from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Browns Ruritan Community Center, formerly Browns School. Guests will enjoy hamburgers and hot dogs, or a cup of Brown’s famous stew at the fire station. Memorabilia will be on display in the school and visitors are welcome to share copies of vintage photos and documents from these communities. Join a fun game of cornhole and enjoy music provided by Jackson Area Plectral Society. Pamphlets will be available with the rich history of Browns Church and Cotton Grove and a list of historic sites.
The first settlement in Madison County was at Cotton Grove in 1819 with pioneers John Hargrove, Roderick McIver, Duncan McIver, Elijah Jones, John Brown, Thomas Brown and William Woolfork. Doctors Robert Fenner and McKnight soon joined the community. In 1821, a Mr. Maddin grew the first cotton in the county. Residents of Browns Church and Cotton Grove look forward to sharing their Bicentennial Heritage Day with family and friends.
The Browns Ruritan Community Center is located at 180 McLeary Road and the Madison County Fire Station 12 is located at 190 McLeary Road, Jackson, TN.