ABANDONED
IN PLACE
This wagon belonged to a friend of mine,
music producer Don Light. The wagon
originally came from Pigeon Forge and was
given to him by Stella Parton.
Don's farm was part of my great-great
grandfathers farm, George Sugg Allen,
located on the Cumberland River in
Cheatham county. I have the
original deed to the property signed by
Sam Houston, then governor of
Tennessee. The deed was for
eighteen acres and was sold for eighteen
cents in 1826. The house that
George Sugg Allen built in 1826, still
stands today and is part of the Lost
Hollow subdivision. He over the
years acquired about four thousand acres
and the land stretched along the
Cumberland River all the way to Ashland
City. George Allen later owned a river
boat and was very prominent in the
development of that area. He is
buried on a hillside within sight of
where the wagon was painted. George Sugg
Allen 1776-1857. After seeing
Don's wagon, I tried to imagine how many
times wagons like that must have traveled
up and down the river to Ashland City and
Nashville. It was very fitting, it
sitting there on great-grandfathers
farm. It's also the largest
painting that I have ever done. |
