You Don't Own Nothing
The Devil and the TVA: How One County Fought Back Against a Federal Land Grab
In the rolling hills of rural Tennessee, where family farms have stood for generations like silent sentinels of the American dream, a modern-day David-and-Goliath battle unfolded. This isn't a tale from the history books—it's happening right now, in Cheatham County, Tennessee. At the center of it? The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), a federal powerhouse created during the Great Depression to bring electricity and progress to the South. But in 2025, for the people of Cheatham County, TVA became synonymous with intimidation, lawsuits, and a chilling reminder: You think you own something? You don't own nothing.
This story starts with an 88-year-old woman named Mrs. Nicholson, whose century-old family farm—certified as a "century farm" for its 100+ years of stewardship—suddenly became ground zero for TVA's ambitions. It escalates through armed surveys, desperate lawsuits, and a country music star's populist uprising. It ends, for now, in victory: TVA abandoned its plans in July 2025 after years of resistance. But the scars remain, and the fight exposes deeper cracks in how federal agencies wield eminent domain like a blunt instrument.
This isn't isolated. TVA's history is littered with displaced families, from the Tellico Dam's forced relocations in the 1970s to ongoing battles in Monroe County. As John Rich, the Nashville native and Big & Rich frontman who thrust this into the national spotlight, put it on the Shawn Ryan Show: "In America, this can happen." Let's dig in.
The Spark: TVA's Secret Plans and Mrs. Nicholson's Stand
It began quietly in 2020 when TVA purchased 286 acres along Lockertsville Road in northern Ashland City for $1.4 million, claiming no specific plans. By May 2023, the veil lifted: TVA proposed a 900-megawatt methane gas plant, complete with 10 acres of lithium battery storage, a 12-mile pipeline from Kinder Morgan, and sprawling transmission lines. The site? Prime farmland, within five miles of five schools, and perched atop the main water supply for Ashland City and Pleasant View—home to about 500 families.
Environmental groups like the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) decried the risks: air and water pollution, noise, and safety hazards from a fossil fuel behemoth in a residential zone. Preserve Cheatham County, a grassroots nonprofit of locals, formed to fight back, arguing the plant would shatter property values, rural peace, and agricultural heritage. TVA dismissed alternatives like solar, citing space constraints, and pressed forward.
Then came the raids. In June 2025, TVA agents—flanked by contractors in bulletproof vests and what looked like loaded weapons—rolled up to properties in a convoy of at least 10 vehicles. It resembled an ATF sting, not a utility survey. One target: Mrs. Nicholson's dementia-afflicted home. A neighbor, armed with a GoPro, captured the moment. As agents marched across her field and into her yard, the frail woman fixed her gaze on the camera and delivered a line that would ignite a movement:
"You think you own something? You don't own nothing."
John Rich, a Cheatham County resident, saw the footage and felt his "blood run cold." It reminded him of his own Granny Rich—a "country, worn, hardworking old lady." He connected with locals like George Wade, an 80-year-old neighbor who looks "like Wilford Brimley with red hair," and his wife. Wade's property sat directly in the pipeline's path. Rich grabbed his iPhone and selfie stick, interviewing them on their porch. Posted to X, the video exploded: 4 million views in three days.
Rich tagged TVA relentlessly. More interviews followed—with neighbors, Cheatham County Mayor Kerry McCarver, and Pleasant View's mayor. Local news piled on: WKRN, FOX 17, NewsChannel 5. The chorus grew: Why tear up 6,000 acres of pristine farmland when TVA already owns disturbed sites? Why ignore community input?
The Intimidation: Eminent Domain's Iron Fist
TVA's response? Eminent domain. Under the TVA Act of 1933 (16 U.S.C. § 831c), the agency holds sweeping powers to condemn land for "public use"—dams, lines, plants—without local oversight. Judges can grant "quick-take" possession for pennies (one easement fetched just $10), leaving owners to fight for compensation later. In Cheatham, lawsuits flew: 70-80 against elders and farmers, many too poor for lawyers, facing TVA's $500K-a-year attorneys.
Attorneys told Rich: "TVA's never lost a battle against citizens in court." Supreme Court precedents like United States ex rel. TVA v. Welch (1946) affirm this, deferring to Congress's broad "public use" definition. Past horrors echo: The Tellico Dam displaced thousands, sparking the Endangered Species Act showdown over the snail darter. In Monroe County (2021), families clung to land along existing lines, only for TVA to invoke takings anyway.
In Cheatham, secrecy fueled the fire. A 2022 contract with Tennessee Gas Pipeline barred public discussion, hiding plans from stakeholders. By July 2025, the Biden-Harris DOJ sued homeowners for access, escalating to federal court.
The Uprising: From X Posts to the White House
Rich's platform turned whispers into roars. His X thread on Mrs. Nicholson went viral (21K likes, 11K reposts). Followers flooded in: @StopTVA_NOW rallied with "DOGE the TVA" cries, calling it "pure Communism." @solari_the hailed the song as a "battle cry" (2.5K views). Sharyl Attkisson's Full Measure spotlighted it nationally on September 21, 2025.
The tipping point: An unknown call from USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins. "How much farmland?" she asked. "6,000 acres," Rich replied. "That's not okay." She commented ALL CAPS on his X post, igniting media frenzy. Then, a visit from TVA's Senior VP of Government Relations, Justin Meyerhofer—a "good old country boy" drawling, "We're all good around here."
Rich wasn't buying it. "Explain why you bring guns to an old lady's property without a warrant." He gave TVA two weeks: Withdraw, or face "public shame and humiliation." He flashed President Trump's number: "What would he say? Let's call him right now." Meyerhofer left. Two weeks passed. TVA dug in.
Rich delivered: "The Devil and the TVA," a blistering anthem opening with Mrs. Nicholson's words. Chorus: "You think you own something, but you don’t own nothin’ / When the government man comes around, puts his dirty old boots on your ground / And laughs at your protest with a gun and a bulletproof vest..." Shot on the threatened farms, it hit #1 on country downloads. Fans raved: @ASL_Liberty called it a "historic account" (226 views). @Nik4Freedom: "Great song!"
Texts poured in: From Trump—"We're killing the project." From Rollins—confirmation. July 15, 2025: TVA blinked. Cheatham was "no longer the preferred alternative." They cited "listening to customers," but locals knew: Trump and Rollins "kicked their ass."
Echoes in Humphreys: The Road Not Taken
As Cheatham cheered, calls flooded Rich from West Tennessee. In Humphreys County, 90 minutes away, a ghost loomed: The Johnsonville Fossil Plant, decommissioned in 2017 after 70 years. Over a square mile of TVA-owned land, crisscrossed by existing pipelines and lines—shuttered by Obama-era policies, gutting jobs, stores, and schools.
Locals begged: "Come back. We'd welcome you with open arms." The mayor echoed: Redevelop here, revive our economy. Rich relayed to Rollins, who looped in the Energy Department for talks with rural mayors. Trump wants power; why bulldoze new ground when brownfields beckon? TVA's silence begs the question: Why?
Not the End: Broader Shadows and a Call to Arms
Victory in Cheatham is bittersweet. TVA eyes Middle Tennessee alternatives, including a nearby industrial park—still too close for some. Pending lawsuits linger against 18 landowners. And TVA's undefeated streak? Intact in court, but cracked by scrutiny.
This mirrors a national plague: Federal overreach via eminent domain, from New Jersey's Henry Farm saved by Rollins to urban coal sites reborn as solar farms. As @StopTVA_NOW warns: "Your land is not yours."
Rich's lesson: Platforms amplify the voiceless. "If I ain't gonna stand up, it ain't gonna happen." Trump and Rollins proved top-down muscle works, but bottom-up rage wins wars.
Resources and Social Proof
- X Threads: John Rich's Mrs. Nicholson video — https://x.com/johnrich/status/1931092373372571867 (2.1M views). Shawn Ryan clip — https://x.com/ShawnRyan762/status/1963014080668569668 (178K views).
- The Song: Stream "The Devil and the TVA" on Apple Music — https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-devil-the-tva-single/1832432949.
- News: SELC on cancellation — https://www.selc.org/press-release/tennessee-valley-authority-scraps-plan-for-rural-cheatham-county-gas-plant/. FOX 17 investigation — https://fox17.com/fox-17-investigates/tva-drops-plans-for-methane-plant-in-cheatham-county-after-public-outcry-questions-remain.
- Advocacy: Join Preserve Cheatham County — https://www.preservecheathamcounty.org/.
This fight saved 6,000 acres. But for the next Mrs. Nicholson? Share this. Amplify. Because as Rich sings, "The devil ain't got nothin' on the TVA"—unless we let him.
Next Deep Dive: TVA's Humphreys Holdouts—Why Ignore Ready-Made Sites? Stay tuned. If you've faced similar grabs, DM @grok.
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