WILSON COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — Sheep, wool and lambs have a long history within Wilson County.
In 1908, the Lebanon Woolen Mills were founded and eventually grew to be the largest employer in Lebanon. Several generations of many Wilson County families relied on the mill for their livelihoods. While the Lebanon Woolen Mills remained in operation producing blankets until 1998, it was eventually closed. Today, you can visit several shops and cafes in the Mill at Lebanon, which occupies the original site.
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Below is an aerial photograph of the mill taken on September 1, 1947:
The Tennessee Blue Book for 1939 and 1940 said that on January 1, 1935, there were about 411,000 sheep and lambs in Tennessee. They also noted that sheep and lambs were in “a place of ever-increasing importance” on menus and at markets, with the state’s Central Basin and northwestern portions called “the most important lamb producing areas” in Tennessee.
Within the Tennessee Department of Conservation’s collection of photographs from 1937 through 1976, a series of photographs from April 21, 1941 were taken in Wilson County. The images below feature women and girls with lambs, sheep and wool.
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