Difference between revisions of "Mule Day"

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The breeding and sale of mules began in Maury County in the early nineteenth century. The bartering of mules likely began very early in the county's history.<ref>Orr, Gilbert. "Columbia's Mule Day Started in 1933 with $150." in Orr and Orr. ''Mule Day Remembered.'' pp. 9-10.</ref><ref>Mike Bennett states in his ''Duck River Valley Chronicles'' work that the first mules were brought to Columbia for sale in November 1826, though it is not stated by Bennett what source he relied upon. [https://issuu.com/duckriverchronicle/docs/1807_chronical Bennett, Mike. ''The Duck River Valley Chronicles.'' Self-Published e-Book. 2009. p. 129 (61 in section). Web (issuu.com). 9 March 2021.]</ref>
 
The breeding and sale of mules began in Maury County in the early nineteenth century. The bartering of mules likely began very early in the county's history.<ref>Orr, Gilbert. "Columbia's Mule Day Started in 1933 with $150." in Orr and Orr. ''Mule Day Remembered.'' pp. 9-10.</ref><ref>Mike Bennett states in his ''Duck River Valley Chronicles'' work that the first mules were brought to Columbia for sale in November 1826, though it is not stated by Bennett what source he relied upon. [https://issuu.com/duckriverchronicle/docs/1807_chronical Bennett, Mike. ''The Duck River Valley Chronicles.'' Self-Published e-Book. 2009. p. 129 (61 in section). Web (issuu.com). 9 March 2021.]</ref>
  
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One of the first breeders of mules in Maury County was Jonathan Webster, who arrived in Maury County in 1807 and operated a 1,000-acre farm there until his death in 1843. Webster - a Revolutionary War veteran, planter, slave-owner, and politician - began breeding mules after he recognized mules were a superior alternative to oxen in the cotton field.<ref>[https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/cdbee801-86a5-457f-b99c-e618c3230572 Eades, Brian. ''National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Webster Farm, Cross Bridges, Tennessee.'' Murfreesboro, MTSU Center for Historic Preservation, 1996.]</ref> A state historical marker near Webster's home (which stands in the [[Cross Bridges, Tennessee | Cross Bridges]] community on the Hampshire Pike west of Columbia) credits Webster as the driving force in the commercialization of mules in Maury County.<ref>[https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=63120 Barber, Judith. "Jonathan Webster." hmdb.org. 8 Feb. 2013. Web (hmdb.org). 8 March 2021.]</ref><ref>Note that others have also been claimed as the originators of Maury County's mule industry; an item in the 1 Sept. 1876 ''Herald and Mail'' stated that Thomas Amis and Amzie Caruthers first began breeding mules around 1830 near Culleoka; this claim was repeated (but not directly cited) in the 2010 Mule Day program. "Hurricane Switch Items." ''The (Columbia, Tenn.) Herald and Mail.'' 1 Sept. 1876. p. 3. Web (newspapers.com). 8 March 2021; [https://issuu.com/lumbermenonline/docs/muleday2010_1-64.indd "A History of Mule Day." in ''Mules Build A Strong America: Mule Day 2010, Columbia, TN April 8th - 11th.'' Columbia, Mule Day Office, 2010, p. 14. Web (issuu.com). 9 March 2021.]</ref> Maury County mules were regarded as being high in quality, due to their feeding on grasses and corn grown in the lime- and phosphate-rich soils of the area..<ref>Orr, Gilbert. "Maury County Mules and the Mule Industry Here." in Orr and Orr. ''Mule Day Remembered.'' pp. 5-6.</ref> The mules were generally categorized as either larger "sugar mules" so named because of their utility on sugar plantations, and smaller "cotton mules."<ref>Orr, Gilbert. "Columbia A Mule Market." in Orr and Orr. ''Mule Day Remembered.'' pp. 7-8.</ref>
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One of the first breeders of mules in Maury County was Jonathan Webster, who arrived in Maury County in 1807 and operated a 1,000-acre farm there until his death in 1845. Webster - a Revolutionary War veteran, planter, slave-owner, and politician - began breeding mules after he recognized mules were a superior alternative to oxen in the cotton field.<ref>[https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/cdbee801-86a5-457f-b99c-e618c3230572 Eades, Brian. ''National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Webster Farm, Cross Bridges, Tennessee.'' Murfreesboro, MTSU Center for Historic Preservation, 1996.]</ref><ref>Smith, Reid. ''Majestic Middle Tennessee.'' Prattville, Ala., Paddle Wheel Publications, 1975, p. 29. Web (hathitrust.org). 9 March 2021.</ref><ref>[https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/9119507/jonathan-webster Penney, Patsy White (maintainer). "Jonathan Webster." FindAGrave.com. 18 July 2004. Web (findagrave.com). 9 March 2021.]</ref> A state historical marker near Webster's home (which stands in the [[Cross Bridges, Tennessee | Cross Bridges]] community on the Hampshire Pike west of Columbia) credits Webster as the driving force in the commercialization of mules in Maury County.<ref>[https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=63120 Barber, Judith. "Jonathan Webster." hmdb.org. 8 Feb. 2013. Web (hmdb.org). 8 March 2021.]</ref><ref>Note that others have also been claimed as the originators of Maury County's mule industry; an item in the 1 Sept. 1876 ''Herald and Mail'' stated that Thomas Amis and Amzie Caruthers first began breeding mules around 1830 near Culleoka; this claim was repeated (but not directly cited) in the 2010 Mule Day program. "Hurricane Switch Items." ''The (Columbia, Tenn.) Herald and Mail.'' 1 Sept. 1876. p. 3. Web (newspapers.com). 8 March 2021; [https://issuu.com/lumbermenonline/docs/muleday2010_1-64.indd "A History of Mule Day." in ''Mules Build A Strong America: Mule Day 2010, Columbia, TN April 8th - 11th.'' Columbia, Mule Day Office, 2010, p. 14. Web (issuu.com). 9 March 2021.]</ref> Maury County mules were regarded as being high in quality, due to their feeding on grasses and corn grown in the lime- and phosphate-rich soils of the area..<ref>Orr, Gilbert. "Maury County Mules and the Mule Industry Here." in Orr and Orr. ''Mule Day Remembered.'' pp. 5-6.</ref> The mules were generally categorized as either larger "sugar mules" so named because of their utility on sugar plantations, and smaller "cotton mules."<ref>Orr, Gilbert. "Columbia A Mule Market." in Orr and Orr. ''Mule Day Remembered.'' pp. 7-8.</ref>
  
 
By 1850, Maury County had more mules and asses than any other county in Tennessee.<ref>[http://lib-usda-05.serverfarm.cornell.edu/usda/AgCensusImages/1850/1850a-22.pdf DeBow, J. D. B. (Superintendent of the Census). ''The Seventh Census of the United States: 1850.'' Washington, Robert Armstrong, 1853, pp. 583-584 (Table XI for Tennessee). Web (cornell.edu). 8 March 2021.]</ref> An 1884 pamphlet described the mule industry as the principal livestock industry of the county and claimed that Maury County led the nation in mules "raised and shipped."<ref>[https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/009609304 ''Maury County, the blue-grass region of Tennessee. Its agricultural and mineralogical resources, including a view of the county seat, the city of Columbia. Her commerce and industries, schools and churches, past development and future possibilities. Facts for practical minds.'' Columbia, Herald Book and Job Rooms, 1884, p. 8. Web (hathitrust.org). 8 March 2021.]</ref>
 
By 1850, Maury County had more mules and asses than any other county in Tennessee.<ref>[http://lib-usda-05.serverfarm.cornell.edu/usda/AgCensusImages/1850/1850a-22.pdf DeBow, J. D. B. (Superintendent of the Census). ''The Seventh Census of the United States: 1850.'' Washington, Robert Armstrong, 1853, pp. 583-584 (Table XI for Tennessee). Web (cornell.edu). 8 March 2021.]</ref> An 1884 pamphlet described the mule industry as the principal livestock industry of the county and claimed that Maury County led the nation in mules "raised and shipped."<ref>[https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/009609304 ''Maury County, the blue-grass region of Tennessee. Its agricultural and mineralogical resources, including a view of the county seat, the city of Columbia. Her commerce and industries, schools and churches, past development and future possibilities. Facts for practical minds.'' Columbia, Herald Book and Job Rooms, 1884, p. 8. Web (hathitrust.org). 8 March 2021.]</ref>

Revision as of 18:43, 9 March 2021

Mule Day Parade, April 7, 2018.

Mule Day is an annual event in Columbia that celebrates the city's heritage, particularly as it relates to the breeding and sale of mules.[1]

The Maury County Bridle and Saddle Club currently organize Mule Day,[2] which they describe as "an annual celebration of all things related to mules."[3]

History

A mule is a hybrid of a male donkey (the jack) and a female horse (the mare or dam).[4] Before the mid-twentieth century, mules powered many farm activities in Tennessee.[5] Since Biblical times, mules have been prized above other pack animals for their strength, versatility, and longevity.[6][7]

Mule Markets and Stock Shows (1830s-1930s)

Mule Breeding in Maury County

The breeding and sale of mules began in Maury County in the early nineteenth century. The bartering of mules likely began very early in the county's history.[8][9]

One of the first breeders of mules in Maury County was Jonathan Webster, who arrived in Maury County in 1807 and operated a 1,000-acre farm there until his death in 1845. Webster - a Revolutionary War veteran, planter, slave-owner, and politician - began breeding mules after he recognized mules were a superior alternative to oxen in the cotton field.[10][11][12] A state historical marker near Webster's home (which stands in the Cross Bridges community on the Hampshire Pike west of Columbia) credits Webster as the driving force in the commercialization of mules in Maury County.[13][14] Maury County mules were regarded as being high in quality, due to their feeding on grasses and corn grown in the lime- and phosphate-rich soils of the area..[15] The mules were generally categorized as either larger "sugar mules" so named because of their utility on sugar plantations, and smaller "cotton mules."[16]

By 1850, Maury County had more mules and asses than any other county in Tennessee.[17] An 1884 pamphlet described the mule industry as the principal livestock industry of the county and claimed that Maury County led the nation in mules "raised and shipped."[18]

The Columbia Mule Market

The Columbia mule market was the dominant market in Middle Tennessee during its heyday, although other mule markets existed in other towns.[19][20] By the early 1900s the Columbia market was one of the most prominent mule markets in the United States, and claimed to be the largest street mule market (though this claim was occasionally disputed by other towns).[21][22][23]

The Columbia mule market took place in the streets of Columbia on the first Monday of the month from September (or October) through April, with the greatest volume of sales taking place from January to March, shortly before the plowing season began in most of the South. The methods of sale included both public auctions and private transactions, with buyers paying both with cash and on credit. The market attracted both buyers and sellers from across the South; buyers attracted by the quality of mules to be had in Columbia, and sellers by the concentrated demand that ensured their animals would command a premium price. In exceptional years (such as 1935), as many as 10,000 mules were sold in the streets of Columbia.[24][25] The mule market provided economic benefits to Columbia (as dealers needed accommodations) and was supported by the local political leaders and the business community.[26] Rail transportation (and later, trucking) made it possible for buyers to come from other states, and to transport large quantities of mules back to their fields.[27]

The Columbia mule market began to decline in the 1920s due to the increased use of motorized farm equipment rendering mules obsolete. The Great Depression of the 1930s, however, briefly saw a resurgence of demand and profitability for mule breeders as many cash-strapped farmers returned to using mules.[28]

Stock Shows and "Breeders' Day"

Chamber of Commerce Era (1934-1950)

The Columbia mule market began to decline in the 1920s due to the increased use of motorized farm equipment rendering mules obsolete.

Bridle and Saddle Club Era (1974-2019)

Events

Parade

Beauty Pageant

Fundraisers

Economic Impact

Controversies and Incidents

Animal-related Injuries

Association With Slavery

COVID-19 Cancellations (2020-2021)

Other Mule Days

References

  1. ↑ "TSLA:Exhibits:Got Mules? A celebration of mules in Tennessee history." Tennessee State Library and Archives. Undated. Web (tnsosfiles.com). 5 March 2021.
  2. ↑ Christen, Mike. "Mule Day organizers, community group tussle over event's moniker." The Daily Herald. 5 March 2021. Web (columbiadailyherald.com). 5 March 2021.
  3. ↑ Mule Day Office. "About Mule Day." MuleDay.com. Undated. Web (muleday.com). 5 March 2021.
  4. ↑ Van West, Carroll. "Mules." Tennessee Encylopedia of History and Culture. 1 March 2018. Web (tennesseeencyclopedia.com). 8 March 2021.
  5. ↑ Van West, cited above.
  6. ↑ Bennett, Mike. "Mules, mankind share a common history in modern world." The Daily Herald. 28 March 2012. Web (columbiadailyherald.com). 8 March 2021.
  7. ↑ Orr, Gilbert MacWilliams. "The Mule." in Orr, Lois Harlan and Orr, Gilbert MacWilliams Jr. Mule Day Remembered. Franklin, Hillsboro Press, 2002. pp. 1-2.
  8. ↑ Orr, Gilbert. "Columbia's Mule Day Started in 1933 with $150." in Orr and Orr. Mule Day Remembered. pp. 9-10.
  9. ↑ Mike Bennett states in his Duck River Valley Chronicles work that the first mules were brought to Columbia for sale in November 1826, though it is not stated by Bennett what source he relied upon. Bennett, Mike. The Duck River Valley Chronicles. Self-Published e-Book. 2009. p. 129 (61 in section). Web (issuu.com). 9 March 2021.
  10. ↑ Eades, Brian. National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Webster Farm, Cross Bridges, Tennessee. Murfreesboro, MTSU Center for Historic Preservation, 1996.
  11. ↑ Smith, Reid. Majestic Middle Tennessee. Prattville, Ala., Paddle Wheel Publications, 1975, p. 29. Web (hathitrust.org). 9 March 2021.
  12. ↑ Penney, Patsy White (maintainer). "Jonathan Webster." FindAGrave.com. 18 July 2004. Web (findagrave.com). 9 March 2021.
  13. ↑ Barber, Judith. "Jonathan Webster." hmdb.org. 8 Feb. 2013. Web (hmdb.org). 8 March 2021.
  14. ↑ Note that others have also been claimed as the originators of Maury County's mule industry; an item in the 1 Sept. 1876 Herald and Mail stated that Thomas Amis and Amzie Caruthers first began breeding mules around 1830 near Culleoka; this claim was repeated (but not directly cited) in the 2010 Mule Day program. "Hurricane Switch Items." The (Columbia, Tenn.) Herald and Mail. 1 Sept. 1876. p. 3. Web (newspapers.com). 8 March 2021; "A History of Mule Day." in Mules Build A Strong America: Mule Day 2010, Columbia, TN April 8th - 11th. Columbia, Mule Day Office, 2010, p. 14. Web (issuu.com). 9 March 2021.
  15. ↑ Orr, Gilbert. "Maury County Mules and the Mule Industry Here." in Orr and Orr. Mule Day Remembered. pp. 5-6.
  16. ↑ Orr, Gilbert. "Columbia A Mule Market." in Orr and Orr. Mule Day Remembered. pp. 7-8.
  17. ↑ DeBow, J. D. B. (Superintendent of the Census). The Seventh Census of the United States: 1850. Washington, Robert Armstrong, 1853, pp. 583-584 (Table XI for Tennessee). Web (cornell.edu). 8 March 2021.
  18. ↑ Maury County, the blue-grass region of Tennessee. Its agricultural and mineralogical resources, including a view of the county seat, the city of Columbia. Her commerce and industries, schools and churches, past development and future possibilities. Facts for practical minds. Columbia, Herald Book and Job Rooms, 1884, p. 8. Web (hathitrust.org). 8 March 2021.
  19. ↑ "Abundant Housing for Mule Market." The (Columbia) Herald. 17 Oct. 1919. p. 2. Web (newspapers.com). 9 March 2021.
  20. ↑ For examples of other mule markets, see for example the indoor market held in Decherd, which promoted itself as being in friendly competition with the Columbia mule market. Priest, J. Percy. "Places and People: Decherd Refuses To Be Licked In Mule Mart War; Invites Charlie McCarthy to Run May Auction." The Nashville Tennessean. 15 March 1938. p. 10. Web (newspapers.com). 9 March 2021.
  21. ↑ "Maury County Championships." The Columbia Herald. 30 Oct. 1903. Web (newspapers.com). 9 March 2021. (Quoting John Trotwood Moore stating that Columbia's mule market was the "best in the South" and second-only in the nation to the mule market in St. Louis, Missouri).
  22. ↑ Agee, J. H. and Kerr, J.A. Soil Survey, Maury County, Tennessee. United States Department of Agriculture, Series 1923, No. 6. Washington, Government Printing Office, 1923, p. 154. Web (hathitrust.org). 9 March 2021. (Stating that the Columbia mule market was "probably" the largest by volume of sales in the United States).
  23. ↑ For example, in 1938 the town of Mayfield, Kentucky made its own claim to being the largest street mule market. "'Mule Market' Claims of Columbia Disputed." The Chattanooga Times. 2 March 1938. p. 7. Web (newspapers.com). 9 March 2021. The Chattanooga Times staff treated Mayfield's claim with skepticism, suggesting that their leaders may not have been familiar with the pomp and circumstance attending Mule Day in Columbia.
  24. ↑ Julian, Olin. "Columbia Mule Market Is Best In Many Years; Dealers Estimate More Than 10,000 Animals Will Be Shipped From Maury County Before Season Closes; Buyers Throng City Today." The Nashville Banner. 4 Feb. 1935. p. 1. Web (newspapers.com). 9 March 2021.
  25. ↑ Neel, L. R. "A Farmers' Mule Market That Runs Without Commission Or Advertising." The Country Gentleman, vol. LXXX, no. 11, 13 March 1915, pp. 508-509. Web (hathitrust.org). 9 March 2021.
  26. ↑ See "Business Men Endorse Stand Mayor Cherry." The (Columbia) Herald. 9 Jan. 1920. p. 2. Web (newspapers.com). 9 March 2021. In 1920, a controversy arose over a letter asking the city to enforce a "blue law" and ban mule dealers from coming into Columbia on Sundays, which was problematic due to the fact that the market day was held on Mondays. Mayor W. O. Cherry (with the enthusiastic support of the community) offered the second floor of City Hall as temporary accommodations for mule dealers who were unable to find a place to rest their heads on the sabbath.
  27. ↑ Orr, "Columbia A Mule Market" at p. 7 and "Columbia's Mule Day Started in 1933 with $150" at p. 11.
  28. ↑ Orr, "Columbia's Mule Day Started in 1933 with $150" at p. 12.

External Links

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