The above drawing of the Spradling Home was made by Dr. Lewis W. Sradling from memory in October of 1932, some seventeen years after the house burned in 1915. William S. Spradling, son of Richard Spradling Jr., was living in the house with his family when it burned, but all escaped without injury. The house was located on a small bluff approximately three hundred feet west of the intersection of current McMinn County Roads 185 and 187.
It is believed Lewis made the drawing for his Aunt Mary Tennessee Spradling who married William Thomas Land. Mary Tennessee could vividly recall and relate events of the Civil War and how the soldiers came to their home and confiscated much of their food. Mary Tennessee, the daughter of Richard Sprading Jr., went to live with her son, Robert Taylor Land, some time after the death of her husband in 1900.
Hanging on the wall of the Land home in Athens was the drawing of the Spradling Homeplace. Mary Tennessee died in 1943 at the age of ninety and the house where she lived was eventually torn down to make way for the widening of the highway and also a doctor’s office. Fortunately the drawing was saved and taken to the home of Mary Tennessee’s granddaughter Madlyne in Chattanooga.
When Madlyne entered a nursing home her children thought the best place for the drawing was back at the old homeplace where “Aunt Tenn” grew up one hundred and fifty years ago. Consequently they brought it to Richard and Billie Jean Land who currently reside on part of the Spradling homeplace.
It is believed Lewis made the drawing for his Aunt Mary Tennessee Spradling who married William Thomas Land. Mary Tennessee could vividly recall and relate events of the Civil War and how the soldiers came to their home and confiscated much of their food. Mary Tennessee, the daughter of Richard Sprading Jr., went to live with her son, Robert Taylor Land, some time after the death of her husband in 1900.
Hanging on the wall of the Land home in Athens was the drawing of the Spradling Homeplace. Mary Tennessee died in 1943 at the age of ninety and the house where she lived was eventually torn down to make way for the widening of the highway and also a doctor’s office. Fortunately the drawing was saved and taken to the home of Mary Tennessee’s granddaughter Madlyne in Chattanooga.
When Madlyne entered a nursing home her children thought the best place for the drawing was back at the old homeplace where “Aunt Tenn” grew up one hundred and fifty years ago. Consequently they brought it to Richard and Billie Jean Land who currently reside on part of the Spradling homeplace.
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