The Tennessean from Nashville, Tennessee • Page 15

Z77Le NASHVILLE EDITORIALS CARTOONS COLUMNS POLITICS REPORTING IN DEPTH SUNDAY MORNING JULY 3, 1966 TENNESSEAN Section Work Ellington Profits on Superhighway Land Deals Ellington and Brothers, refused to discuss the sale with a newsman except to say: "I sold it a long time before the interstate was put through. I think you folks (at THE NASHVILLE TENNESSEAN) are looking for something you aren't going to find. a "I'm for Buford Ellington and I despise everything you're writing." So far, the road that runs by Buford Elling- He Is Reaping Big Money From 'Glover leaf Real Estate ''The most important road in the world is the one that reaches your home. Buford Ellington, June 23, 1966. 1 By FRANK RITTER TENNESSEAN Staff Writer THIS IS a story about a road Interstate 65 which runs by Buford Ellington's property in Williamson County.

In 1939, while governor of Tennessee, Ellington and Nashville ice cream maker Russell Brothers bought a 278-acre farm beside the proposed interstate route. It cost them $72,000 roughly $258 an acre. In 1960, Ellington's highway commissioner altered the interstate plans to move a cloverleaf to within a quarter of a mile of the farm. A year later, in November of 1961, Ellington and Brothers bought 79 acres of the cloverleaf property for about $316 an acre for a total of $25,000. I xv I rVi iflw i the farm for $10 and "other valuable considerations" and then sold the land in March of 1965, after the interstate had been built, for $486 an acre, or $135,000.

The term "other valuable considerations" is often used on deeds of trust or property deed transfers. The actual payment, however, could be substantially more. The deal where Ellington bought Brothers' interest in the farm is recorded on page 418 of Book 110 in the register's office. Sale of the farm to Tower Real Estate Development Corp. is recorded in Book 135, page 379.

The other land deal on the cloverleaf which brought profits to Ellington and Brothers and which will bring them even further profits was started in November of 1961. Choice Corners of Cloverleaf At that time, Ellington and Brothers purchased 79 acres of land from H. P. Minton. This tract included the choice northeast and northwest corners of the 1-65 Goose Creek cloverleaf which was not built at that time.

The purchase is recorded in Book 120, page 553. The cost of this tract was $25,000 or $316 an acre. Since then, Ellington and Brothers have more than quadrupled their investment. The two sold 13 acres of the land for $3,846 an acre $50,000 in December of 1964 to Pure Oil Company. In October of last year, the two sold less than an acre of the tract to Reproco, a corporation, for $65,000.

A Phillips 66 service station will be built on that land. The sale to Pure Oil Co. is recorded in Book 131, page 158 in the register's office. The sale to Reproco is recorded in Book 139, page 99 at the office. This should leave Ellington and Brothers with about 65 acres of land.

before Ellington's administration became so interested in it? Road Served Three Farms "It used to be a narrow, gravel lane, one and a half miles long that connected Lewisburg Pike (U.S. 431) and Peytonsville Road," said William R. Ormes, manager of Radio Station WAGG. "It gave primary service to a grand total of two farm houses and a tenant farm. The only time a traffic problem occurred was when two cars happened to be on it at the same time, going in opposite directions." The road leading to the east of 1-65 is known as the Teytonsville Road.

It is a winding, two-lane county road which ultimately dead-ends, about eight miles from the interstate, into a north-south road called the Peytonsville-Trinity Road. The Peytonsville community the closest community to the interstate on the east consists of two grocery stores, about 200 yards apart, and a church. Williamson County land which was used for decades only for farming increased in value by thousands of dollars almost overnight when the interstate was built. The reason, obviously, is that cow pastures and corn fields can now be used as commercial or residential property. This is why the federal interstate system not only here but across the nation is often the prey of land speculators out to make a quick, easy buck.

And that is why, perhaps, that W. M. Leech, former state highway commissioner, said in 1957 that he was taking "every precaution" to prevent lush profits and scandals in Tennessee's superhighway program. Leech Left State Job When Ellington was elected governor in 1958, however. Leech lefthis job with the state and D.

W. Moulton, then 61, was named to be the road commissioner. Moulton had been in office less than two years when his department asked the U.S. Bureau of Public Roads to allow an alteration in the inter-state's cloverleaf plan. In a four-page letter, accompanied by six maps, the state asked federal officials in October, 1960, to move the cloverleaf location from its.

original location 1-65 and U.S. 431 to Goose Creek Road. The letter was signed by L. T. Cantrell, who was chief rural engineer at the time, and who is now programming engineer.

It cited several reasons why the state felt the cloverleaf should be at Goose Creek Road. "The advantages and desirability of this request is apparent as it provides a rather direct connection with (U.S. 31, the road to Columbia), retaining an indirect connection with (U.S. 431), and eliminating the necessity of a (U.S. 31) bypass around Franklin," the letter stated.

Although a new road of about three miles would have to be built if the Goose Creek cloverleaf was allowed, the letter added, it would be worth it. In addition, the cloverleaf location would "relieve the traffic on Franklin's city streets, the letter said. Nowhere in the letter, however, was there mention of the fact that Gov. Ellington then owned property within almost a short distance of the proposed cloverleaf location. Knew of No Pressure-Cantrell Asked this week if Ellington applied any pres-(Turn to Page 2-B) 11 Hi 1 ii it i Profit To Date Is $153,000 Since then, Ellington and his friend have sold 14 acres of the cloverleaf property for $115,000 making a profit of $6,428 an acre, or a total of about $90,000.

They still own about 65 acres of the land. Neither Ellington nor Brothers ever received any money from the state in connection with their land deals. The rights of way for the interstate were sold to the state earlier by the original owners. In addition, Ellington bought out Brothers' interest in the 278-acre farm and then resold it for $135,000. The profit from this sale was $63,000.

The total profit from the two land deals is $153,000. Contacted last week by a reporter, Ellington denied there was anything improper about his real estate deals either while he was governor or during the recent past and added: "You just go ahead and pop your whip and then I'll pop mine." Ellington added that he had "records" and "photostats" to back up his statements but made no reply, when asked if they were available for inspection, except to say: "Just go ahead and pop." Former Governor Buford Ellington "Pop your whip and then I'll pop mine" ton's "home" in Williamson County has brought him and Brothers more than $150,000. It will bring them much more profit in the future if land values continue to boom. But apart from the profits made from land around-the cloverleaf near Ellington's property, the interstate system in Williamson County has caused other critical comment. For example, many people in Williamson County feel that the Ellington cloverleaf should have been built as originally planned at the junction of 1-65 and U.S.

431. Instead, the cloverleaf was moved during Ellington's administration to the Goose Creek Road area, about five miles southeast of Franklin, near Ellington's 278-acre farm. At its April meeting, the Williamson County Quarterly Court passed a resolution asking the state to build a cloverleaf at 1-65 and U.S. 431. U.S.

431 is the Franklin-Lewisburg Highway. Also, the Goose Creek or Ellington cloverleaf has caused a dangerous road hazard. There have been numerous accidents at the intersection of the interstate feeder road and U.S. 431. At the April meeting, the Williamson County magistrates also voted to ask the state highway department to take immediate steps to alleviate the traffic hazard.

In the past year, there have been nearly a dozen wrecks at the intersection, injuring 11 persons, killing one and causing more than $13,000 in property damage. Stop signs were placed on the Lewisburg-Franklin Highway (U.S. 431) after Goose Creek Road was reconstructed and extended across U.S. 431 to connect about four miles further west with U.S. 31.

The section of road connecting U.S. 31 with U.S. 431 was all new road. And according to state highway department records, it cost to build. What was Goose Creek Road the thoroughfare they built an interstate cloverleaf on like Sold It for Personal Reasons When a reporter asked II.

P. Minton why he had sold his 79-acre tract of cloverleaf land to Ellington and Brothers for only $25,000 a tract which later boomed to a worth of several hundred thousand dollars Minton replied "I sold it for personal reasons. I needed the money. At first, I didn't know who I had sold it to, not until the deal was ready to go through. "I sold the land through the Truett Realty Co.

of Franklin. "I knew the land was going to increase in value, but I didn't know it would increase so fast or by so much. But, anyway, I was satisfied with the deal at the time. I'm still satisfied today." J. L.

Read, who sold the 278-acre farm to Public Records Tell Story Public records, however, in the Williamson County register's office, the U.S. Bureau of public roads and the Tennessee Highway Department tell the story. The 278-acre farm located between U.S. 431 and the interstate cost Ellington and Brothers $258 per acre, or $72,000, in January of 1959. This is recorded in Book 110, page 415, at the register's office.

The land was purchased originally from J. L. Read. Ellington later bought Brothers' interest in Frank I I A rStSSS iSt Li iwl Jz lfsww III nil 4 wrjr FRANKLIN 9 rapiAV Goose Creek il Brothers 1 1 1 1 1 2 iz Of Property fCloverleof a0 1 1 (sm 1 Wi. i 0 'sllife 1 ana Ellington-Brothers property, 79 acres bought for $25,000 Original Location Nv4 Ml Reproco .9 aero, sold for 65,000 (D Pure Oil 13 acres, sold for SSO.QOQ 27 B-acre farm -formerly Ellington's bought for 72,000 -sold $155,000 -CDDIMl UIM I I xX ill III II I Liin 11 M.iiii.i.ii-MMiiir itl SM 'w iiififf.

St U. IMJUBmHMS UL I I 21 Staff Photo bv Jack Corn is shown by broken lines, with approximate location of parcels already sold labeled A and B. Photo was made looking north toward Nashville. This air view shows approximate area of property formerly owned by Ellington and Brothers at upper left The general area of 79 acres of 1-65 cloverleaf property now owned by them Map shows location of Ellington-Brothers property on 1-65 cloverleaf near Franklin, also 431 intersection where original cloverleaf was planned. i.