The History of Belle Meade - (Mansion, Plantation and Stud) by Ridley Wills (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Winner of the Tennessee History Book Award.

During the latter half of the nineteenth century, Belle Meade became probably the most important nursery for Thoroughbred race horses in America. Since that time, virtually every Kentucky Derby winner can trace its lineage back to Belle Meade. Belle Meade also holds a place in American history as a stage for the comings and goings of great people and events. Weaving together family and regional history, Wills provides his reader with a fascinating account of the land, people, buildings, and horses that for a century made Belle Meade a significant focal point for Tennessee and the South.

From the Back Cover

In the most substantial account ever written of the 'queen of Tennessee plantations, ' Ridley Wills traces the history of Belle Meade from a log cabin alongside a buffalo trail to one of the South's grand plantations to its demise and eventual development into Nashville's premier residential community.

Review Quotes

[The author] preserves for all time a picture of plantation life . . . that will make history come alive for generations to come.
--John M. Jones, Publisher, The Greenville (TN) Sun

About the Author

Ridley Wills II has authored 22 historical and biographical books. He received the Tennessee History Book Award in 1991 for his first book, The History of Belle Meade: Mansion, Plantation and Stud.