By looking at this headstone, you wouldn't think that there is anything particularly interesting about this man. In fact, dozens of people likely walk passed this stone and never thought twice. But, I knew that his name sounded familiar when I took the picture. That is because, Banner C. Brummett was the founder of what we know as Nashville, Indiana.
Banner Clayton Brummett was born on April 5, 1789 in Franklin County, Virginia. He was the son of James Brummett, Jr. and Sarah Reice Brummett. He had at least seven siblings, many of whom lived in the same area and were also part of the establishment of Nashville.
On February 7, 1811, he married Eva Stephens in Knox County, Tennessee and to this union there were eleven children:
- Sabra "Sabary" Brummett Brummett, born January 16, 1812, Tennessee; died on June 4, 1861 in Monroe County, Indiana and is buried in Little Union Cemetery, Monroe County, Indiana
- Banner C. Brummett, Jr, born in 1814 in Kentucky; died on February 17, 1907, though his burial location is unknown as it may not have been a cemetery burial
- George C. Brummett, born on August 2, 1817 in Tennessee; died on November 20, 1867 in Montgomery County, Illinois; buried in Zion Cemetery in same county.
- Joshua G. Brummett, born in 1818 in Tennessee; died on July 28, 1846 on Brazos Island, Texas; burial location is unknown
- Joseph T. Brummett, born in 1822 in Kentucky, death date and burial location are unknown
- Charen Brummett Cox, born on May 2, 1825 in Monroe County, Indiana; died on May 20, 1916 and buried in Little Union Cemetery, Monroe County, Indiana
- Reice/Reese Brummett, born 1826 in Kentucky, died in 1846 in the Gulf of Mexico; burial location unknown
- Orphelia "Orpha" Brummett Rains Kelly Wilson Glenn, born 1829; death date unknown, thought to be buried in Plainville Cemetery, Daviess County, Indiana
- Manerva/Minerva Brummett Howard, born October 15, 1832; died on May 18, 1910; buried in Union Chapel Cemetery, Daviess County, Indiana
- Olla/Ollie Brummett Shelton/Skelton, born 1834 in Brown County, Indiana; death and burial location is unknown
- Evy Brummett, born in 1838; death and burial location is unknown
Joshua and Reice/Reese both were volunteers in the Mexican War of 1846. They were both listed as Killed in Action, though the only official casualty was listed as Captain Taggart. Many soldiers died of diseases caught while stationed in the area and were considered casualties of war.
The town of Nashville was founded in 1836 and platted in August that same year by Banner Clayton Brummett, county agent. It was initially named Jacksonburg (or maybe Jacksonville, I have seen both mentioned), for the township that it was located in, which was named for General Andrew Jackson. But it's founder came to Indiana before that.
His families roots go back to Colonial Virginia with his grandfather James Brummett, who was born in 1746. When the population of Franklin County, Virginia became to great, he set his sights westward and began his journey. It is not said where he made his home along the way, but he arrived in Indiana sometime before 1820. He settled along with his family on what is now Brummett's Creek Road in Monroe County, Indiana.
Banner and his brother Pierson were already living in the area that soon became known as Brown County when it was created by an Act of State Legislature in 1836. They, along with four other men were named county commissioners. They also donated the land, along with others, to create the county seat. Banner took his role as organizer of the new town very seriously. He sold plots of land to newcomers, chose locations for the new jail and courthouse as well as operating one of the first grocers and liquor stores.
His house still stands today on the corners of Johnson and Gould Streets in town and is a private residence. There are four gun windows, installed by Brummett, to protect from Natives. These are still visible in the residence today, though they are now only decorative.
In 1837, the first post office was established and Banner was appointed as postmaster. Mail would have come in to the post office by stagecoach and then distributed by horse or cart to the various outlying offices.
Little seems to have been mentioned about Banner's life after his involvement in the foundation of Nashville. It is nice to think that after he made his contributions to forming the town that he moved back to his family home on Brummett's Creek Road, living a peaceful life, finally succumbing to the frailties of age.
References:
Hamblen Township Post Offices - Genealogy Trails
The Brummetts of Brown County - Our Brown County Magazine
A Dream - Newspapers.com
Looking Back: How Nashville became Nashville way back in 1800s - Brown County Democrat
Little Union Cemetery - A Walk Through the Tombstones
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