Wilson County
Located just east of Nashville, Wilson County offers the best of both worlds, a peaceful and relaxed rural lifestyle that also affords the excitement of nearby urban Nashville. Named in honor of Major David Wilson, a Revolutionary War soldier, the county is steeped in history. This is the place where U.S. Secretary of State Cordell Hull was educated, where the Second Army headquartered its field training in the mid '40s, where one-fourth of the state cotton mills were once located, where William Haskell Neal's Paymaster Corn was invented, and where President Andrew Jackson once sent horses for training and racing. Although traces of the past exist at every turn, Fiddler's Grove is a reconstructed village of the 1890s; twenty of its buildings were either original structures or replicated using original materials. Today Wilson County features traditional town squares with Victorian roof lines, white frame country churches that are filled each Sunday, and miles of densely populated fields of evergreen cedar trees that distinguish its towns from the rest Middle Tennessee. Through a combination of its scenic, country environment and its friendly residents, Wilson County embodies the Southern reputation for hospitality, charm, and graciousness. Both newcomers and businesses are flocking to this beautiful rural area, which has also attracted several country music superstars.

Economy
In line with Nashville's belief that a diversified industry produces the most successful and stable economy, Wilson County employs workers in a wide variety of industries. Well known manufacturers include Toshiba, television and electronics; Tennessee Woolen Mills, blanket mill; Hartmann Luggage: and Cracker Barrel Old Country Stores, Inc.

Transportation
Even though Lebanon has its own airport, the county relies mainly on the expanded services of its neighboring Nashville International Airport just twenty miles away. The county has excellent availability to a vast network of major highways with Interstates 40 and 840; U.S. 70 and 231, and Routes 10, 24, 26, and 171 all connecting the county to surrounding areas. The Cumberland River forms the county's northern border, making barge traffic in Wilson County another attractive feature for economic developers and industry in general.

Health Care
Quality state-of-the-art care became a reality in Wilson County when the University Medical Center combined with Humana Hospital-McFarland. Instead of having two health care facilitators providing a variety of services that often overlapped, the new hospital provides a broader spectrum of services. McFarland Specialty Hospital is now able to provide advanced technology and treatment afforded by the expanded facilities and state-of-the-art equipment that became possible when the two institutions combined their financial and technological resources. A listing of facilities and services offered at the hospital includes the recently created $ 5 million orthopedic center that employs a hand specialist and five orthopedic surgeons that provide every facet of orthopedic care. The center has surgical technology such as endoscopy, arthroscopy, micro incision and joint replacement. The hospital features advanced diagnostic imaging facilities, a Women's Pavilion with Birthing Center, a pediatric and progressive care unit, and a Heart Center that offers cardiopulmonary and rehabilitation services.

Education
As a county that prides itself on providing a quality education in the public schools, Wilson County is dedicated to involving the entire community in the learning process. Parental groups, community volunteers, and area businesses all lend valuable hours of their time as well as provide more concrete resources to ensure vital, dynamic educational system. Resources are available at each school to meet individualized student needs from classes for the gifted and talented to those for the developmentally delayed. Computer technology is viewed as an important tool that can be used to improve the quality of education. Wilson County is home to famed Cumberland University, which has produced more than one hundred graduates who became members of the U.S. House of Representatives in addition to two U.S. Supreme Court Justices. Located in Lebanon, Cumberland University specializes in liberal arts and education degrees. Although Cumberland is the only university located within the boundaries of Wilson County, the region offers numerous colleges and universities within commuting distance for those interested in pursuing a higher education.

Quality of Life
Weekends in Wilson County could involve participation in a variety of outdoor recreational activities or just a few lazy hours spent sipping lemonade and swinging on the front porch. Residents can cheer on Cumberland University's baseball team during an afternoon game, play 18 holes of golf, or sail Old Hickory Lake. They can enjoy a visit to downtown Nashville's riverfront district, eat dinner at the Hard Rock Caf? then take a river taxi to the Grand Ole Opry. The Tennessee Performing Arts Center is home to Nashville's ballet, opera, symphony orchestra, ant the Tennessee Repertory Theatre for lovers of the performing arts.

Communities
The city of Lebanon is the largest in Wilson County and serves as the county seat. Located on the banks of Cedar Creek, Mt. Juliet is second in population and reports to be the only town in the entire world to bear the name. Bordering Smith and DeKalb counties, Watertown is jam-packed with small-town goodness. Watertown's popular annual events include a Mile Long Yard Sale, a Fall Street Festival, and a "Christmas in the Country" home tour.