Local Authors and Books About Sumner County

For a Sumner County reading list, start with Walter Durham’s county histories, then add Around Gallatin and Sumner County for historic photographs, Historic Haunts of Sumner County for local folklore, and genealogy or record-based works from the Sumner County Archives. Readers looking for contemporary local authors can also explore Gene Berryhill’s fiction and Meredith Lyons’ fantasy novel. The Gallatin Library, Sumner County Archives and Tennessee State Library and Archives are useful places to find or research these books.

If you want books about Gallatin and Sumner County, the strongest starting point is local history. Walter Durham’s county histories provide a chronological foundation, while photographic histories, genealogy references and community-specific books add detail. Contemporary local authors broaden the list with folklore and fiction connected to the area.

This guide separates books about Sumner County from books by authors who live or work in the county. That distinction matters: a historical reference book may be useful for researchers and teachers even when its author is no longer living, while a contemporary novel may have a local author but not be set in Sumner County.

Quick comparison: which Sumner County book should you choose?

If you want… — Start with… — Best suited for

A broad county history through 1805 — The Great Leap Westward by Walter Durham — Readers, teachers and beginning researchers

Sumner County’s 19th-century development — Old Sumner by Walter Durham — Readers and local-history researchers

Civil War-era county history — Rebellion Revisited by Walter Durham — Civil War readers and students

Historic buildings and photographs — A Celebration of Houses Built Before 1900 in Sumner County — Architecture and preservation readers

Historic Gallatin photographs — Around Gallatin and Sumner County by Dee Gee Lester and Kenneth Thomson — Visual learners and longtime residents

Genealogy and courthouse research — Shirley Wilson’s indexes or Juanita Patton’s courthouse abstracts — Genealogists and public-record researchers

Local folklore and ghost stories — Historic Haunts of Sumner County by Donna Hartley Lucas — General readers and visitors

Contemporary fiction by a Gallatin author — Ripples From the Holler by Gene Berryhill — Fiction readers interested in Tennessee settings

The table is a reading guide, not a ranking. The best title depends on whether you need narrative history, photographs, primary-record clues or contemporary fiction. The Sumner County Archives’ current book list includes several Durham titles, the county house-history book, courthouse-record references and census publications.

Start with Walter Durham’s Sumner County histories

Walter Durham is the central name in a Sumner County reading list. The Tennessee State Library and Archives identifies The Great Leap Westward, Old Sumner and Rebellion Revisited among the county’s selected published histories. The Sumner County Archives and the Sumner County TNGenWeb bibliography also identify Durham’s books as available local-history resources.

The Great Leap Westward

The Great Leap Westward: A History of Sumner County, Tennessee From Its Beginnings to 1805 is the logical first volume for readers who want the county’s early story. The published bibliography describes it as a history of Sumner County from its beginnings to 1805 and notes that copies are available through the Sumner County Archives.

Choose this book if you are studying early settlement, the county’s formation, frontier communities or the people and places that shaped the area before the 19th century was fully underway.

Old Sumner

Old Sumner: A History of Sumner County, 1805–1861 continues the chronology into the years before the Civil War. It is a useful follow-up to The Great Leap Westward because the two titles divide the county’s history into complementary periods.

For teachers, this pairing can support a local-history unit: students can compare how settlement, government, transportation, businesses and communities changed between the county’s early years and the antebellum period.

Rebellion Revisited

Rebellion Revisited: A History of Sumner County, Tennessee From 1861 to 1870 focuses on the Civil War and immediate postwar years. The Sumner County Archives currently lists the book for sale and notes that it covers the period when the county was occupied by Federal troops beginning in March 1862.

The Nashville Public Library catalog describes the book as a 1982 publication by the Sumner County Museum Association, with a bibliography and index. That makes it particularly useful for readers who want a research-oriented local account rather than a general Civil War overview.

Books that show Gallatin and Sumner County through photographs

Readers who prefer images may want to begin with Around Gallatin and Sumner County, a two-volume photographic history by Dee Gee Lester and Kenneth Thomson. The Sumner County bibliography describes the books as photographic histories of early Gallatin and surrounding communities, including churches, schools, businesses and residents.

The same bibliography lists A Pictorial History of Sumner County, Tennessee, 1796–1986 by Walter Durham and James Thomas, as well as A Celebration of Houses Built Before 1900 in Sumner County, Tennessee, by Walter Durham, James Thomas and John Creasy.

These titles may be especially helpful for:

• Comparing historic buildings with present-day streetscapes.
• Researching former schools, churches and businesses.
• Preparing a presentation about Gallatin or another Sumner County community.
• Identifying family names, neighborhoods or landmarks in historic photographs.
• Understanding preservation questions through documented buildings and places.

The Archives’ current list describes A Celebration of Houses as a photographic book about historic homes and structures built before 1900.

Genealogy, records and community history

Sumner County’s local-book tradition extends well beyond narrative histories. Researchers can find indexes, abstracts, family histories, church histories, school references and community studies in the county’s published-resource lists.

The Sumner County Archives currently lists Land, Slaves and Other Courthouse Transactions, 1808–1863, abstracted by Juanita Patton, along with Shirley Wilson’s Sumner County, Tennessee Index to the Loose Records 1786 to 1930. These are reference works rather than casual reading, but they can help researchers identify names, transactions and records for further investigation.

The county’s published bibliography also includes works about Hendersonville, Oak Grove, Millersville, Upper Sumner County, local churches and family histories. For a family-history project, search by community, surname and record type instead of relying on the phrase “Sumner County history” alone.

The Sumner County School Index shows how these books support public research. Its creators used The Great Leap Westward, Old Sumner, Rebellion Revisited, Historic Sumner County, Generations and other sources while compiling information about historic schools.

That is a useful reminder for teachers and researchers: local books often work best as starting points. Use them to identify names, dates and places, then check the cited records, photographs, maps or archival material where possible.

Folklore and contemporary local authors

Historic Haunts of Sumner County

Donna Hartley Lucas connects local storytelling with published history in Historic Haunts of Sumner County. Her official site says she has told stories of Sumner County history and folklore through the Gallatin Ghost Walk since 2005, and that the book was published by The History Press/Arcadia Publishing.

This is a different type of local reading experience from Durham’s research histories. It may appeal to readers who want stories associated with Gallatin’s public square and other Sumner County locations, especially when paired with a walking tour or visit to historic sites. Treat folklore as storytelling and interpretation, not as a substitute for documentary research.

Gene Berryhill and Ripples From the Holler

Gene Berryhill is a contemporary fiction author who lives in Gallatin, according to her profile with the Authors Guild of Tennessee. The profile describes her background in art history, nonfiction writing and photography, and identifies Ripples From the Holler as her first work of fiction.

Berryhill’s book belongs in a “local authors” section rather than a strict county-history bibliography. It is a good option for readers who want fiction shaped by Tennessee history, rural life and family themes while supporting an author connected to Gallatin.

Meredith Lyons and A Dagger of Lightning

Meredith Lyons is another contemporary author connected to Gallatin. A July 2026 local event listing identified Lyons as the author of A Dagger of Lightning and promoted a signing at Honey Rock Books and Cafe in downtown Gallatin.

The book is fantasy fiction, not a Sumner County history. Include it when your reading list is focused on authors in the local literary community rather than books documenting the county itself. Because author events and bookstore inventory change, verify current availability before planning a purchase or signing visit.

Where to find Sumner County books

Sumner County Archives

The Sumner County Archives is the most direct local source for many county-history and genealogy titles. Its current book page lists titles, prices, ordering information and contact details. The Archives is listed at 365 North Belvedere Drive in Gallatin, with weekday hours of 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except posted holidays.

Call before visiting if you need a particular edition, want to confirm stock or are traveling for a research appointment. Prices and availability can change.

Gallatin and Sumner County libraries

Sumner County libraries connect residents with local collections, Tennessee State Library and Archives resources, the Tennessee Electronic Library and READS, the regional e-book and audiobook service.

The Gallatin Library is listed at 123 East Main Street in downtown Gallatin. The county’s branch information also notes that the Portland Library’s Bailey History and Genealogical Room focuses primarily on local, Sumner County and Tennessee history.

A library may have a title in its catalog, through interlibrary loan or in a local-history collection even when a book is not available for ordinary checkout. Ask staff about the author, title, subject terms and interlibrary loan options.

A practical reading-list checklist

Before you buy or cite a Sumner County book, record:

1. The exact title and edition. Local histories may have reprints or revised printings.
2. The author or editor. Some books are collaborative, compiled or abstracted from records.
3. The time period covered. A book about 1786–1805 will answer different questions from one about 1861–1870.
4. The geographic scope. Some titles cover all of Sumner County; others focus on Gallatin, Hendersonville, a church, a school or a family.
5. The index and bibliography. These features can make a major difference for research.
6. The source trail. Use local books to locate records, maps, photographs and archives that can confirm a detail.
7. Current availability. Check the Archives, library catalog or bookseller before making a special trip.

For a balanced starter list, read one chronological history, one photographic history, one record-based reference and one contemporary local-author book. That combination gives you the county’s documented past, its visual memory, its research pathways and its living literary community.