Kittrell Landmarks

The outstanding landmark in the Kittrell-Readyville communities is Pilot Knob.

It is said by Dr. Edward Baldwin, geographer for many years at Middle Tennessee State University, to be the highest point in Tennessee east of the Mississippi River until the foothills of the Cumberland Mountains in Cannon and Warren counties. No one knows who named the hill "Pilot Knob." It was called that when the first settlers came to the area. They said that the Indians had used it as a guiding point, a lookout place, and a smoke signal station. It can be seen for an area of twenty or more miles in every direction.

During the Civil War the North and South considered it of sufficient importance that they had several skirmishes in the area to get possession of the hill. One of the armies built a "lookout" up in a large tree which stayed there until after 1920. It was used as a signal station, and with a telescope one could see a distance beyond Murfreesboro. It was a very important point when the battle of Stones River was fought.

For many years it provided a recreation area for hunters and youth in the community. The south side of the Knob has always been covered with grass and used as pasture. People frequently entertained visitors by taking them up to view the landscape which was especially magnificent in the fall and spring.

One day some bright youngsters took some wide planks and nailed a foot rest on one end. They took them up to the crest of the hill and rode down on the planks. From that day for a long time to come it became one of the chief recreations for the young people to go to the Knob on weekends and ride down the "shoot-to-shoot" on the south side.

The east, west, and north sides had some tillable land and a lot of woods which provided hunting grounds for all kinds of animals. Boys made their money during the winter months hunting and trapping coons, opossums, polecats, and foxes whose homes were in the woods.

At one time Mr. Bob Lytle had a famous peach orchard on one side of the Knob, and people came for miles for the choice fruit. One of the best Girl Scout camps in Tennessee, Piedmont Camp, is at the foot of Pilot Knob and serves girls from Rutherford and surrounding counties.

Folk Lore
Thomas Blair came from Virginia and settled on Cripple Creek. His daughter, Elizabeth, married Jonathan Hall's oldest son, David Barton Hall. She died in 1815 when their son, Franklin Donald was born.

Thomas Blair sold his land to Henry Bowling and moved to Arkansas. David Hall and his young son, Franklin, went with them. He soon decided to come back to Tennessee.

On the way he stopped at a trading post and left the little boy with the horse. It took him some time to purchase the food and supplies he needed. When he came back to his horse, Franklin was nowhere to be seen.

After searching all over the area, a traveler came along and said that he had seen a little white boy in an Indian camp some miles away. They had kidnapped the child and had taken him to their camp. David rode in agony as fast as he could, but it took some time for him to find the camp.

All his fears were allayed when he got there and saw a very happy little boy having a grand time standing on a stump dressed as a little Indian chief with the braves dancing around him singing a song.

After assuring the Indians that he was the child's father and that he had not been abandoned, then laden with gifts, Franklin and his father bade the Indians good bye and were soon again on their way home.

The experience remained a pleasant memory of his childhood which Franklin loved to tell about as long as he lived.

Kittrell | Rutherford County | Tennessee

Source: Rutherford County Historical Society, Publication No. 2, winter, 1973.