Yeoman's in the Fork Blog

Thomas Hart Benton was best known as the U.S. Senator from Missouri, a prominent figure in westward expansion and the first Senator to serve five terms. Born in North Carolina to a prominent southern family, Benton studied law at the University of North Carolina. As a young man, Benton migrated west with his family and settled on 40,000 acres of land just outside of Nashville, Tennessee. The Benton's lived in an area that is today called Leiper's Fork. The history of Leiper's Fork begins with the birth of our nation. As payment for his service in the Revolutionary War, Colonel Jesse Steed was granted 2,504 acres of land, part of which is now Leiper's Fork.

In 1801, Jesse Benton purchased the land from Colonel Steed. Jesse's son, Thomas Hart Benton, would go on to become a U.S. Senator from Missouri and a champion of the United States' westward expansion. An historic marker currently marks the site of the Benton home.

Because of the connection to the Bentons, the area was originally called Bentontown. In 1818, a post office was built due to the growth of the area and the location of the village on what is today known as The Natchez Trace. The name of the town was changed to Leiper's Fork around this time, taken from the Leiper family who settled a vast portion of land along the village creek.

It was here in Tennessee that Benton met another famous Tennessean, Andrew Jackson. This friendship resulted in Benton becoming Jackson’s aide-de-camp during the War of 1812. Soon thereafter, however, a dispute found the young Benton and Jackson firing shots at one another in the middle of downtown Nashville. Jackson was seriously injured with a shot to the shoulder. Benton and his family soon left for Missouri and it was years later that Jackson and Benton reconciled. Benton and Jackson found a new partnership as political allies and over the years supported one another greatly, Benton as Senator from Missouri and Jackson as President of the United States. Their political union also blossomed once more in a lifelong friendship. Benton was Jackson’s “right-hand-man” and continued this role for Martin Van Buren as well.

One of Benton’s greatest concerns was territorial expansion, which was personified in the term “Manifest Destiny.” He never lost sight of his vision of an America filled with the opportunities and dreams of what the West could hold for Americans. It is notable and interesting to list a few quotes of Senator Benton:

• · “Nobody opposes Benton, sir, nobody but a few black-jack prairie lawyers. These are the only opponents of Benton. Benton and the people, Benton and Democracy are one and the same sire, synonymous terms, sir, synonymous terms.”
• · “I never quarrel, sir, but I do fight, sir, and when I fight, sir, a funeral follows, sir.”
• · “General Jackson was a very great man. I shot him, sir.”
• · “When Andrew Jackson starts talking about hanging, men begin looking for ropes.”

In October, the village of Leiper's Fork will honor Benton and the history of this wonderful area as we celebrate the year 1812 in the 2nd Annual "Leip Into History Day." Authors and Historians will be on hand to discuss local, state, national issues, along with the great leaders of this time in American History.