Nashville's Paradise Ridge Tragedy: The Forgotten Murder Mystery Behind Joelton’s Quiet Hills

Joelton, Tennessee, a rural suburb nestled on the edge of Davidson County, wasn't always known by that name. In the 1800s, it went by a different, more idyllic one: Paradise Ridge. But one March night in 1897, Paradise Ridge became the site of one of the most horrifying and unsolved crimes in Tennessee’s history.

A Family of Settlers

Jacob and Pauline Ade were German immigrants raising their six children on a sprawling 410-acre farm. Known in the community for their generosity, Jacob often lent money and helped neighbors however he could. The Ade family were well-liked, hard-working, and respected—pillars of this quiet Middle Tennessee community.

March 24, 1897: Fire on Paradise Ridge

It was a Wednesday night, and the Ade home was calm. Inside were Jacob, Pauline, their children Henry and Lizzie, and a young guest—10-year-old Rosa, the daughter of a neighboring family. Everything appeared normal.

At around 9:30 p.m., a neighbor named Squire Simpson noticed flames coming from the Ade property. He rushed over to help, expecting to find the family putting out the fire. But strangely, no one was outside. Assuming they were away—odd, given the time—Squire did what he thought best: he tried to save the meat in their smokehouse, a vital food supply.

But then the walls of the farmhouse began to collapse.

Inside, Squire saw what looked like bundles of clothing on the floor. Grabbing a potato fork (a tool for digging crops), he began prodding through the debris. To his horror, he pulled out a human body—then three more. The Ade family had not died in a fire. They had been murdered, and their home burned to cover it up.

Each body had been brutally decapitated. And Rosa, the little guest, was still missing.

What Really Happened?

Eventually, Rosa’s body was found in the same room, unlike the others—her head was still intact.

Investigators determined the family had been attacked by one or two individuals wielding an axe. Jacob was likely murdered first, followed by Pauline and their children. All were dragged into the living room, decapitated, and left together. Rosa may have tried to flee, but she was eventually caught, killed, and tossed into the room with the others. The home was then soaked in coal oil and set ablaze.

The killer—or killers—were never caught. Rosa’s father was questioned, but no charges were ever filed. No one was ever formally accused.

The bodies were cremated, and shockingly, life in the community moved on.

What Became of the Land?

After the murders, the Ade family farm was divided among the surviving children. A man named Mr. Whiteman came in under the guise of helping the young heirs manage the property—but ended up swindling them out of the land. Over the years, it changed hands multiple times. Today, it’s part of a quiet residential development.

A small road called “Jacobs Valley” cuts through what was once the Ade homestead, named in honor of Jacob Ade. A modest memorial marker exists on private land, but there’s no indication where, if anywhere, the family’s remains now lie.

A Mystery That Still Haunts Paradise Ridge

It’s been 128 years, and we still have no answers. The murderer was never found. The Ade family’s heads were never recovered. The tragedy has been buried under subdivisions and time, but some in Joelton still remember.

If you're ever driving along Jacobs Valley, you might pause and wonder what secrets lie beneath the soil.

Want to hear more chilling and forgotten tales from Tennessee's past?Join us on the Historically Tipsy Pub Crawl, where we sip craft cocktails and dig deep into Nashville’s strange, spirited history—one drink at a time.

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