The new owner of Lewisburg Livestock Market is Thomas “Jackson” Bailey Jr. And it’s a dream come true for someone like him who has spent his entire life growing up on and around farms, stockyards, and auctions.

Owning and operating stockyards is in his blood. Family members before him have bought, sold, and auctioned at the very same stockyard that he is now the owner of.

Growing up, when people asked him, “What are you going to be when you grow up?” The answer was simple: “What I’m already doing.”

“It’s just something he loves. He has the passion for it,” said his mom, Christi Bailey.

When he was 12 years old, Jackson started buying, selling, and trading chickens. When he was 14, he sold goats.

Then, at 16 years old, when he could drive and “wheel and deal” on his own, Jackson told his family he would own a stockyard before he was 40.

But when Jackson graduated from Community High School, and went on to attend the Nashville Auctioneering School in Tullahoma, he moved that goal of owning a stockyard down to 30.

After graduating auctioneering school, Jackson became a 3rd generation auctioneer. Not only following in his father’s footsteps, Jackson is also following in his grandfather’s footsteps — Tommy Bailey, who was an auctioneer for 50 years.

But he wanted to take it a step further.

For this young man, his dream of owning a stockyard came true at just 19-years old.

He officially took control of Lewisburg Livestock Market, located at 1930 Finley Beech Road in Lewisburg, on Feb. 1.

In the short time he’s owned the stockyard, Jackson has made several small improvements — such as expanding the parking lot, redoing the auction ring, as well as fresh paint and fencing.

Plus, “He drives about 6,000 miles a month buying and selling and trading livestock,” said Christi.

But he has big plans for Lewisburg Livestock Market and intends on continuing to give back to the local community by drawing more people to the area who travel in for sale day and promote other local business.             

Of course, it’s all in the family, who help when and where they can. Jackson’s grandparents, parents, aunts, and siblings have all pitched in to help renovate, upgrade, and support Jackson both mentally and physically to make his dream come true, according to Christi.

She said he and the whole family looks forward to meeting each and every buyer and seller that comes through the stockyard, and that they will continue to appreciate all the local support as Jackson takes on this journey at such a young age.

For the market, “every Saturday is sale day.”

When the family had their first sale on their first Saturday sale day, Christi said it was standing-room only. At 11:30 a.m. they sell farm equipment. By 1 p.m. they start selling cows, goats, sheep, horses, mules, donkeys, imus, llamas. After livestock, they sell chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, and even farm fresh eggs.

For more information, visit their Facebook page, Lewisburg Livestock Market, or email lewisburglivestockmarket@yahoo.com. Sellers can send in pictures of what animals they want to bring in. Livestock gets taken in as early as 5 a.m. on Saturday.

Christi said she looks forward to the whole family working together to make the market bigger and better—and, of course, for Jackson to live his dream.

“His pop in heaven would be really proud of him,” said Christi.