The Wessyngton Plantation was established in 1796 by Joseph Washington 1770-1848, a cousin of President Washington. By 1860 Wessyngton encompassed more than 15,000 acres and held 274 slaves there. Names associated with the plantation include: Washington, Cheatham, Blow, Green, White, Williams, Terry, Lewis, Scott, and Gardner. John F. Baker extensively traces all of the families from this plantation (descendants of the plantation owners and the enslaved population). He finds the familial connection he felt initially to a photograph in a history book, is tied to his true ancestral heritage.