Historical Timeline

1780

Edward Swanson begins a log cabin on land near present day Thompson’s Station granted to him for his Revolutionary War service. Native Americans became too hostile and Swanson retreated to the fort at Nashboro settlement.

1798

A 2nd group of settlers arrived in the Harpeth River Valley, including Rebecca Green Neely, the first woman to cross the Harpeth River, her husband George and their son James.

1800

The Williamson County tax list logged 24 people as paying taxes on land along the West Harpeth River and Murfree’s Fork near present Thompson’s Station.
Francis Seymour Giddens and his wife, Mary, arrive in the Thompson’s Station area, acquire land along Murfree’s Fork and a build a log home where they live until 1819.

1801

Spencer Buford and his wife, Elizabeth Giddens Buford, build a 2-story Federal style brick house on the knoll at what today is Roderick Place.

1819

Francis and Mary Giddens complete and move into their new 3-story brick home, considered the manor of the community. It remains today as Homestead Manor. In 1819, only one house stood between Homestead Manor and the town of Columbia. It belonged to Colonel Samuel Polk, the father of future President James K. Polk.

1830

Between 1830 and 1840, the Prospect Methodist Church is erected, one of the first churches recorded in the town. Thompson’s Station Church of Christ is founded in 1845.

1833

Jeremiah Cherry is named the first Postmaster of the town, then known as White House.

1836

The town name is changed to Littlebury and Littleberry Starks is named Postmaster.

1843

The Scholastic School census makes its first reference to the existence of a school in the village for its 258 children.

1855

The first trains run to the town along the yet uncompleted Alabama line. The trains used a “turn-around” to return to Nashville until the line was completed in 1859.

1856

Dr. Elijah Thompson donates land for the original village and its train station and the community are named for him.

1863

Thompson’s Station is described in the Tennessee Historical Quarterly as having a station house, school and "other buildings.” Williamson County documents from that same year record the town had a store run and a bucket factory and grist mill.
The Battle of Thompson’s Station is fought on March 5. Confederate troops under General Earl Van Dorn and led by General Nathan Bedford Forrest’s cavalry brigade defeat a superior number of Union forces, capturing their commander, Colonel John Coburn and 1,220 men. The village train station is damaged and Gen. Forrest’s famous steed, Roderick, is killed during the fighting. The horse is buried a short distance from where he fell, reportedly at Roderick Farm, now Roderick Place.

1878

A map of Thompson’s Station reflected several businesses, including several farmers and stock dealers, dry goods stores, a spring operator, and drug store among them.

1886

A new train station is built to replace the one damaged in 1863.

1900

At the turn of the century it still was common to see horse-drawn peddlers’ wagons driving through town offering a variety of notions and food items for sale.

1920

A new school is built in town after the previous one was destroyed by a fire 2 years earlier.

1940

During the 1940s, the Thompson’s Station railroad depot saw the height of its activity as chemical companies came to town with heavy machinery to mine the area’s phosphate rich dirt and ship it to plants elsewhere for processing.

1952

Construction of highways and the growth of the trucking transportation industry led to a downturn in rail traffic and the Thompson’s Station train depot is dismantled.

1963

The Centennial Commemoration of the Battle of Thompson’s Station is presented in March under the auspices of the Williamson County Civil War Centennial Commission. The event featured a reading of “The General’s Mount,” a poem about Roderick written 2 years earlier by Jack Knox of the Nashville Banner.

1990

A referendum vote is held on August 2 to determine if residents wish to incorporate Thompson’s Station. The vote is overwhelmingly favorable, and on August 15, the community officially becomes The Town of Thompson’s Station.

1991

An election is held in November and David Lee Coleman is chosen as the first mayor of Thompson’s Station.

1992

A Thompson’s Station Festival Day is staged on May 14 to help raise funds for construction of a replica of the town’s previous train depot.

1993

The Thompson's Station Train Depot is completed.

1995

Mayor Coleman resigns to accept an appointment as budget director for Williamson County. Cherry Jackson is appointed as Thompson’s Station’s second mayor and then is elected to the post in November.

2006

Leon Heron is elected mayor of Thompson’s Station.

2008

A monument is dedicated on March 5 to famed Civil War horse Roderick at Roderick Place on the 145th anniversary of the Battle of Thompson’s Station.
The inaugural Taste of Thompson’s Station Festival is held.
The Town holds a special census: population 1,723

2009

The inaugural Roderick Award of Courage is presented at the monument site to 10-year old Maddie Adams, who performed the Heimlich Maneuver on her choking grandmother and saved her life.

2010

Corey Napier is elected mayor of Thompson’s Station.
Between May 1st and May 7th, 1000-year floods caused the deaths of 31 people in 3 states, 21 of them in Tennessee. Areas in Kentucky, Northern Mississippi and Tennessee saw $2.3 billion in property damage.
Federal Census is taken: population 2,194.

2011

Community Gardens established.
The 1st Thompson's Station Fall Festival is held.

2012

The Battle of Thompson's Station Recreation is held for the battle's sesquicentennial celebration.
The Town receives a TDOT Enhancment grant for $599,000 for park trails.
The Town acquires 105 acres of land for new park.

2013

The Mars Global Innovation Center is built just south of the 840/Columbia Pike interchange.
The annual Fall Festival is renamed The Dog & Pony Show.
Mars helps build The Nutro Dog Park next to the Community Gardens.
The first Thompson's Station Tree Lighting is held in Thompson's Station Park.
The Town holds a special census at the end of 2013; population 2,681.
The Town acquires another 100 acres of land for new park.

2014

Corey Napier re-elected as mayor of Thompson's Station.
The Battlefield Grant awarded to the Town, one of few municipalities in Tennessee to receive the grant.
1st Town Administrator, Greg Langeliers, retires after 10 years serving the Town.
The soccer fields next to Heritage Schools are opened to the public.
The Board of Mayor and Aldermen appoint Joe Cosentini as the new Town Administrator.

2015

The Town hires Placemakers LLC to restructure our zoning ordinance and subdivision regulations.
Preservation Park is opened just north of Thompson's Station Town Hall.
The Town hires Parks planning consultant, HFR, to design new park land.
The Town annexed 4 parcels northwest of 840 and Columbia Pk. It is the largest annexation in 20 years.

2016

The Town receives the Driehaus Award's Honorable Mention for form-based code.
The Tennessee Municipal League awards Thompson's Station with the Small Town Progress Award.
The North section of the Greenway Trail was completed, which creates a paved, multi-use trail connecting Tollgate Village to the Nutro Dog Park and Community Gardens.

2017

Thompson's Station Park is renamed Sarah Benson Park to honor Sarah Benson's 26 year service as a Town Alderman.
Parks & Recreation Board built two natural surface trails in Preservation Park; Battlefield Trail and Depot Trail.

2018

The new Thompson's Station Elementary and Middle School was built on Clayton Arnold Road.
The Town purchased 170 acres of new drip lands for the Regional Sewer System.
Critz Lane was realigned at Columbia Pike and a stop-light was installed.

2019

The Board of Mayor and Alderman appoint Ken Mclawhon as the new Town Administrator.
Utility Advisory Board is created to help steer sewer system planning and development.
$1.2 million TAP Grant awarded to the Town for a Greenway Trail to connect the neighborhoods, schools and parks.