living Remembering Readyville Mill

By laura lIndsay

Relief efforts were swift after an EF2 tornado touched down and moved through the Readyville community around 2 a.m. on April 1, 2023.

Recovery moved so well partly because of an immediate initial response by a police officer who lived in the area, which led to quick work by police and the county rescue squad, followed by teamwork between Cannon County and Rutherford County, with help from other surrounding areas.

“There were no fatalities and only minor injuries,” said Tim Bell, chief operating officer of the Cannon County Rescue Squad. “Two people had to be dug out of the rubble of their home.” Members of the Cannon County Rescue Squad and the Kittrell Volunteer Fire Department conducted that rescue. Readyville sits on the Cannon County/ Rutherford County line. The Readyville Mill, which is over 150 years old, was knocked down by the tornado, and other notable buildings were damaged.

“Initially, one of the officers from Woodbury Police Department, who actually lives in Readyville, stepped into action right as the tornado came through. Radio dispatch reported live from the scene what was going on, and so they dispatched the rescue squad, and we were able to get into the storm-damaged area on our Polaris Ranger [a utility task vehicle],” Bell said. “Our responders had to walk in.”

Bell said there were many utility poles and electrical lines down, so they were not able to get rescue and fire trucks into the storm area.

“The initial response on our side was Cannon County Rescue Squad, the Cannon County Fire Department, and Cannon County EMS; and, on the Rutherford County side was Rutherford County EMS, and Kittrell Fire Department, and of course the sheriff’s department from each county.”

Bell said the roads were cleared and opened back up within a week. He said there is still storm damage off the road and on isolated private property that will take months to clear up.

“But most of the efforts happened with local volunteers and Rutherford County Solid Waste, along with Cannon County, and they were able to clear up most of the debris from houses, buildings and other structures,” he said. “They were able to get that done in about four days, which is an incred- ible feat of teamwork between Rutherford County and Cannon County.”

Rutherford County Mayor Joe Carr said he remembers being out there the morning after the storm and seeing devastation everywhere.

“Both counties’ first responders were already there,” Carr said, and “Middle Tennessee Electric was there and they did a phenomenal job.

“DeKalb Telephone Cooperative was already on the ground, and they provided phone service to the area,” Carr added.

By Monday, Rutherford County Solid Waste and the Rutherford County Highway Department road crew were on-site.

“It was remarkable to see all the different departments show up and all the volunteers show up en masse, who put their shoulder to the wheel to help that community,” Carr said.

Officials from the city of Murfreesboro and DeKalb County sent equipment, volunteers came from Smyrna, and some from the Mennonite community in Warren County also came to lend a hand.

“It was amazing to see all the disparate groups come together to help a community,” Carr said. “The work that might have taken three or four weeks to complete was finished in eight days. I’m really proud of them. It is a testimony to the kind of people that live here.”

Greatly impacted were some notable historic buildings in Readyville that were hit by the tornado.

“One of them was The Corners mansion that dates back to the early 1800s, and then there is the Readyville Mill,” Carr said. “The Readyville Mill was destroyed, and The Corners mansion, which sits southwest of the mill about 300 yards or so, was very seriously damaged. I heard that the Readyville Mill and the mansion may be reconstructed . . . that is the hope.”

The Murfreesboro Pulse was unable to reach the current owners of The Readyville Mill for comment at the time of this publication.

Area History

Colonel Charles Ready, the founder of Readyville, first constructed a mill at the Readyville Mill site, in Cannon County near the Rutherford County line, in 1812. That mill, however, burned down during the American Civil War. Another mill was rebuilt there in 1870, which stood until 2023.

In 1978, the mill was closed, but following a three-year renovation it reopened in 2009. The mill was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 12, 1973. It was featured on NPT’s Tennessee Crossroads in 2015 and in 2021.

The nearby Charles Ready House, post office and homes were also damaged by the tornado.

The c harles ready house , also known as The Corners, was built for the town settler Colonel Charles Ready in 1829. Guests at the house included Presidents Andrew Jackson, Martin Van Buren and James K. Polk. During the American Civil War, the home was visited by members of the Confederate States Army and the Union Army. The home was a bed & breakfast and multipurpose venue in recent years.

The Charles Ready House was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 2, 1973.

To make a financial donation to help the readyville community, visit Capstar Bank, located at 801 W. Main St. in Woodbury, or contact the bank at 615-563-8011.