Places and People

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     The Maury County Historical Society was organized on September 28, 1905, and was active for a number of years, but dormant for nearly fifty years. In 1964, the original charter was found at the Athenaeum, among the papers of local historian Frank H. Smith, who had served as the first secretary of the society in 1905. Smith was the son of Franklin Gillette and Sarah Davis Smith, founders of the Athenaeum. In 1965, a group of citizens who had long been interested in history met at the home of Jill Garrett and decided to reactivate the society. Those present were Virginia Wood Alexander (Mrs. Charles C.), Alice Wright Algood (Mrs. Reuben C.), Dr. C. Y. Clark, Franklin Fulton, Jill Knight Garrett (Mrs. Ted), Marise Parish Lightfoot (Mrs. Jack), Evelyn Hodge Shackelford (Mrs. William), and Judge W. B. Turner.

     Fred Hawkins, vice president of publications, began to collect data on these various sites, but his untimely death terminated his efforts. The society board asked Alice  Wright Algood, longtime member of the society and board member, to assume the responsibility of editing the book and named Ryan E. Crumley, Ronnie Erwin, James "Rex" Hartsfield, Charles Hinson, and Montee Sneed as members of the book committee.

Board Members: Alice Algood, Gwynne Evans, James "Rex" Hartsfield, Charles Hinson, Montee Sneed, Kendyl Thompson-Stokes, and Ronnie Erwin, Past President.

Board Members: Gwynne Evans, Charles Hinson, Ken Horner, Montee Sneed, Mark Snyder, Kendyl Thompson-Stokes, and Neal Pulley, Past President.

The society publishes Historic Maury for its membership, and is open to everyone interested in the history of Maury County and the surrounding area.

     The remarkable ability of this self-taught artist is displayed in every work that she does, whether pen and ink, watercolors, or oils. Mildred Hartsfield finds and depicts beauty in all venues of her art. Her work graces the corporate offices of General Motors in Michigan, the Maury County Courthouse, the Maury Regional Hospital, and countless homes in this area as well as in other states.
     She was born in Loretto, Tennessee, a small town just south of Lawrenceburg, into a family of ten brothers and sisters. When she was about six years of age, money was scarce to buy entertainment for her large family and Mildred loved paper dolls, so she started drawing. That talent was quickly recognized, not only by her loving and supportive parents but also by her teachers. As she grew up, it was also a talent that the boys in the community admired as well and what could be better inspiration.
     Loretto is known for the manufacture of caskets and, as a young girl, Mildred began painting religious scenes on the caskets' interior panels. Her parents sent her to Sacred Heart Academy in Cullman, Alabama, where she studied music, but since there were no art teachers there, her inborn talent was neither altered nor stylized. Her instructors, however, recognized her talent and gave her much encouragement.
     She married Wayne Hartsfield and moved to Shelbyville, Tennessee, where her two children, Darrel and Carla, were born. She joined the Graphic Arts division of Josten's and began a career in commercial art. This position provided a wide range of training; she designed Santa Clauses on trucks, Cyclonic mixers, parking meters, Christmas cards, and artwork for buildings.
     The technique for making plates at that time involved the use of needles and acid foe etching. The shading in those plates was determined by the amount of acid used. The plates were also done in reverse. The work was very challenging and hard, but Mildred stayed at Josten's for twelve years.
     The family moved to Columbia in 1974 and established the Lemon Tree Gallery. Mildred fell in love with the history of the many beautiful sites she found in Maury County and wished those places to be preserved. As she began to depict familiar scenes throughout the county, her work found an enthusiastic audience. Many home owners engaged her to depict their homes. Her prints were sold all over the country and were proudly displayed in the homes of former Maury Countians who ached for a view of home.
     Some of the famous buildings in the county had been lost over the years, but Mildred recreated their beauty using old photographs. While very young, she drew her first home place, hoping that it would be there forever, but it, like so many others, is now gone.
     The Maury County Historical Society, through the publication of this book, hopes that these treasured sites will live forever in the eyes and hearts of everyone who is privileged to view Maury County, known as "The Dimple of the Universe," through the artistry of Mildred Hartsfield.