03/28/2025
We are proud to be part of the Tennessee Century Farms program!!
Our family has been farming this land on Flat Top Mountain since 1824—and now, 200 years later, we’re honored to be officially recognized by the Tennessee Century Farms Program.
What began with Hezekiah and Elizabeth Hughes has grown into a legacy of hard work, resilience, and deep roots in this mountain. Today, Flat Rock Ranch continues that tradition by offering quality horse boarding on land that’s been in our family for generations.
We're grateful to carry this history forward and share the beauty of our farm with others.
Hezekiah Hughes and his wife, Elizabeth Click Hughes, founded their Bledsoe County farm in 1824. They had an apple orchard and gristmill on the property and grew corn. During the Civil War, a Confederate party hung Hezekiah, hoping to get him to reveal the location of his son’s Union unit. However, his family was able to cut him down after the Confederates left. Hezekiah survived, but the hanging left a scar around his neck. Unfortunately, one of his sons, William Hughes, and a nephew, Ephraim Hughes, died in the prison at Andersonville.
The subsequent owners of the farm were another of Hezekiah and Elizabeth’s sons, Francis Hughes, and his wife, Margaret Duff Hughes, in 1877. They raised cattle, hogs, and sheep and grew various crops. Francis had been in his late thirties when the Civil War started and would help run the family’s sheep under a rock on the farm, known as Sheep House Rock, to hide them from soldiers who often used a trail through the property. Francis lived to be 104 and was featured in the Chattanooga Times.
John Hughes, a nephew of Hezekiah, inherited the property in 1890. John served as a Justice of the Peace for Bledsoe County, and weddings were held at his home, where he lived with his wife, Margaret McWilliams Hughes, and their four children. John was a self-taught veterinarian (the family still has his vet book) and owned a molasses mill. He also raised sheep and invested in timber. Occasionally, John would preach at Flat Top Independent Church when needed.
The farm’s fourth owner was Sherman Hughes in 1941. Sherman raised cattle and grew various crops. Today, the farm is owned by Terry Hughes, a third great-grandson of Hezekiah and Elizabeth, and his wife, Diane Hughes. They grow tomatoes, strawberries, corn, and peaches. They also run a herd of beef cattle, cultivate a pumpkin patch, grow u-pick flowers, and have a corn maze. Three generations live on Flat Top Mountain Farm today and contribute to its success. Welcome to the Tennessee Century Farms Program!
