Person:William Harding (20)

the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia

William Giles Harding (1808 – December 15, 1886) was a Southern planter, attorney, and horse breeder who was made a Brigadier General in the Tennessee militia before the American Civil War. He took over operations of Belle Meade Plantation near Nashville from his father in 1839. During the course of his management, he acquired more property, expanding it from 1300 acres to in 1860. He specialized in breeding and raising Thoroughbred horse, as well as other purebred livestock. In 1862 after Union forces took over Nashville, Harding was arrested as a leader and imprisoned at Fort Mackinac in northern Michigan on Mackinac Island for six months. He was released on a $20,000 bond.

Following his daughter Selene's marriage to William Hicks Jackson, Harding collaborated with his son-in-law to co-manage the Belle Meade plantation through much of the late 19th century. It flourished as a center for high-quality racehorses and other livestock. After Jackson's death in 1903, the executor of the estate sold most of the plantation to a land development company in 1906 because of debt. Development from 1938 created a residential suburb known as the independent city of Belle Meade, Tennessee, near Nashville.

Used as a private residence until 1953, the mansion, with 30 acres and associated outbuildings, was bought by the state for preservation. This property is now operated as a museum known as Belle Meade Plantation, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 Gravestone, in Find A Grave
   Gen William Giles Harding.
2. ↑ Davidson, Tennessee, United States. 1850 U.S. Census Population Schedule.

   William G. Harding 41 TN, real estate $170,000; Elizabeth 31 TN; John 19 TN; Celena 5 TN; Mary 4/12 TN; Henry W. Poyner 33 TN (Bank agent) (p. 278B, 9/6/1850) Slave schedule shows 93 slaves, aged 1/12 to 70.

3. ↑ Davidson, Tennessee, United States. 1860 U.S. Census Population Schedule.

   William Harding 51 TN, farmer, real estate valued $275,000; personal estate $130,500; Elizabeth 41 TN; Selene 14; Mary 10; Mary Southall 42; Randall Southall 22 (11 Dist, Nashville, p. 203, 6/4/1860)

4. ↑ Davidson, Tennessee, United States. 1870 U.S. Census Population Schedule.

   William Harding 61 Tn, real estate $230,000; personal estate $28,000; Mary 20; William H. Jackson 34; Selena 22 TN; Lizzie Hoover 36; 5 black families of servants, including Robert Green and Julius Lee as hostlers (11th Dist, Nashville p. 382A, 8/11/1870)

5. ↑ Davidson, Tennessee, United States. 1880 U.S. Census Population Schedule.

   Gen. Wm G. Harding 71 TN, par VA/PA; Jackson, Gen. Wm H. Jackson (sonL) 44 TN, par VA; Selene H. 34 TN; Eunice 9, Wm Harding 5, Selena H. 3, Lizzie Hoover (cousin) 66 TN, par TN (11th Civ Dist, Nashville, p. 169B, 6/15/1880)