The Tate House

The Tate House was a boarding house run by my great-great grandparents James Douglas (aka Dug) Tate and Mary Jane (McGregor) Tate in the late 1890s.

Tate House & Boarders

Photo Taken Between 1902 & 1915

The Tate House was located on the corner of East Main and Sparta Streets in McMinnville, Warren County, Tennessee.



James Douglas & Mary Jane (McGregor) Tate

Photo Taken before 1902

After James' death in 1902, Mary Jane continued to run the boarding house along with the help of her daughter and son-in-law: Martha Ann (Tate) and Charles (aka Charley) Mitchell.

Martha (Tate) Mitchell, Mary Jane (McGregor) Tate, Charley Mitchell & Dog

Photo Taken Between 1902 & 1915

Tate House Boarders

Charley Mitchell (my great-grandfather) is seated, 2nd person from end on right.

Charley Mitchell (standing) in front of Tate House

About 1915, the Tate House was sold to the Brown family, as Mary Jane, Martha and Charley relocated to Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee. Sometime in the mid 1920s the house burnt down, and by 1926, the Brown Motel was built on the same spot.

The Tate House was originally the Tate residence, most likely the house built by John Tate and his wife Leodicia Hogg when they first settled in the Warren County area in the very early 1800s. At some point, I'll dig through microfilm to find the deeds. At some point . . .





Small World

When dancing with the ancestors, even after years of doing it, I'm still amazed that it's a small, small world after all. As anyone who reads this blog with any amount of frequency knows, on my mother's side, the smallness of the world is, well, small. On my father's side . . . well, not so much.

Okay, I thought not so much, but just found out . . . well, a wee bit smaller than I first imagined.

My paternal great-grandfather is Charles A. Mitchell. He married Martha Ann Tate, daughter of James Douglas Tate and Mary Jane McGregor. Mary Jane McGregor was the daughter of Mary "Polly" McGee and Ezekial McGregor. Mary was the daughter of Esther Clendennon and John McGee. Her brother was Clendennon McGee. Remember that name, it plays into it's a small, small world after all.

Charles Mitchell, from what I have determined, is the son of William Mitchell and Martha Forrest. No, I don't have 100% proof. What I do have is verification that the only Forrest family in Warren County, TN was that of Richard Albert Forrest and his wife Sarah Matlock and their children. Their daughter Martha married William Mitchell. Enough proof for me, at least at this point. Anyhow, Sarah Matlock died in 1827 and her husband Richard Albert Forrest married Lucy Wilcher-England, who had children from her previous marriage, one of which was her daughter Martha who married . . . Clendennon McGee.

I told you to remember that name. Oh, and Martha also divorced Clendennon! Go figure, and back in the mid-1800s! Now that was a rarity! 

So, Clendennon McGee was my 3rd great grand uncle and brother to my 3 x great grandmother on my paternal side, through my great grandmother Martha Ann Tate-Mitchell. Clendennon's wife was the daughter of Lucy Wilcher-England who married Richard Albert Forrest, my 3 x great grandfather on my paternal side, through my great grandfather's mother! Oy!

So, you see, it is a small, small world when dancing with the ancestors. You never know when your 3 times great grandfather's step-daughter will actually be your 3rd great grand aunt by marriage!

S