In 1823 Joseph Motheral moved his family from his father's home, Harpethside, across the river to Locust Guard. Early improvements included stone fences, a log grist mill, barns, a machine house for spinning and weaving, an apple house, and the still-standing smokehouse and dry milk house. In 1858 his daughter Emma Tennessee married Hiram Eleazar Ring, a direct Mayflower descendant and a professor. After his death, Emma returned to her father's home with two small sons. Her son Henry Hiram Ring was the next to farm the land and serve as a county magistrate. He married Sarah Frances McClellan and had seven children. Around 1908 the first bridge over the Harpeth at this site was constructed, requiring the rerouting of River Road, today known as Moran Road. Four Ring sons attended UT, and Jasper and Ned played UT football. Frank died in France in World War I. Jasper, an Army colonel and hydraulic engineer, worked on dam projects in the West. James E. and Ned farmed here, and James E. expanded the well-known peach orchards, planted still-bearing pecan trees, and was president of the TN Horticultural Society. Beth and Emma Mai taught school, with Emma teaching 26 of her 39 years at Grassland School. Andrew, a radio engineer, helped the FCC develop the clear channel system and held many radio patents. He designed radio systems for Radio Free Europe and for several foreign countries. His son Robert came to the farm after UT graduation in 1959 and later served as a magistrate or commissioner for 10 years and County Executive for 16 years.