To Hide from a Northern Wind: Spencer Creek

In 1875, Clem Jenkins purchased a farm along the banks of Spencer Creek, just outside the town of Lebanon, Tennessee. The property bordered the farm of Thomas Masters, and, at least initially, the relationship between the two families, remained cordial. But once they disagreed concerning withdrawal of water from the creek, it seemed every conversation between the two men created an additional basis for an argument.

Two men-each successful in getting exactly what they wanted, but doing so using two completely different methods. Clem achieved his desired result with force, using either his .45, or some other strong-arm method. George was successful while using his intellect, and his ability to persuade. Both approaches were successful in prior dealings with others. But neither method worked when it came to the issues involving each other. Whatever the issue might be-whether it involved water rights, their crops, their children, or their women-they simply could not agree on anything.

So began a never-ending deadly game of conflict, litigation, and murder, involving the families, their spouses, their children and their grandchildren. Even as both families grew through the years and eventually moved to Nashville, the conflict continued, spilling out into the streets through four generations, until finally coming to a completely unpredictable ending in 2016.