Cocke County DISCOVER
MARSHALL TEAGUE
From Newport to Hollywood tough-guy stardom
• Newport Renaissance Faire
• Our Place
• After the flood downtown business
• N ewport Speedway
• The W oodshed
Volume 6 - 2025
Cocke County DISCOVER
Duane Uhls Publisher
Dave Ruthenberg Managing Editor
Kathy Barnes Writer/Photographer
Jake Nichols Writer/Photographer
Joel Spears Contributing Writer
Angel Dykes Account Executive
Abby Swearingen Account Executive
Darla Allen Creative Services/ Production
From Newport to Hollywood tough-guy stardom Marshall Teague
BY JAKE NICHOLS
Marshall Teague will always remember the moment he knew he wanted to pursue acting.
In the 1970s, he was working as a deputy sheriff in Memphis.
Unbeknownst to most of the people around him, Teague was studying acting on the side.
That bloomed into a role playing “Puck” in a fall production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” and Teague’s fate was sealed.
“I knew that night that I wanted to go to Hollywood and see if I could do it,” he said. “That’s what made the difference.”
So the Newport native packed up his Chevrolet, popped in a cassette tape of Bob Seger’s “Hollywood Nights” and drove to Los Angeles.
Over four decades later, Teague has appeared in 130 films and TV shows in a star-studded career.
He has crossed paths with actors such as Sylvester Stallone, Chuck Norris, Sam Elliott, Sean Connery, and of course, Patrick Swayze, whom Teague worked alongside in the 1989 classic, “Road House.”
He even worked with Elvis Presley, though that happened before Teague got into acting.
Teague has carved out a career he never could have imagined growing up in Cocke County.
But he has heeded the advice of friends and family along the way.
“They said, ‘If you think you can, of all the people I know, you would be one that I would say can do it,’” Teague said.
During his lone year at Cocke County High School, Teague played football. But that foray onto the gridiron was nothing compared to Teague’s self-described “love affair” with martial arts, which he had been doing since a
young age.
He honed those skills after being shipped to military school, ultimately becoming a black belt in Korean Hapkido and Tae Kwon Do.
He even won the NATO heavyweight kickboxing championship while serving in the U.S. Navy.
After retiring from the military, Teague entered law enforcement, which brought him to Memphis.
Before knowing he
Marshall Teague in the 1996 action classic, “The Rock.”
often worked out at a studio in Memphis where Presley sparred late at night.
Teague got to know Presley and his security detail, even accompanying them on trips when he was not.
“He was such a gentleman,” Teague said. “And when he passed away, man, it was a bad night for all of us.”
Within a year of Presley’s death, Teague had moved to California to begin his acting career.
He made ends meet working security detail for other notable individuals, including former United States President Gerald Ford.
But his first real television appearance did not come until he worked on the 1979 show, “Topper.”
Ten years later, he nailed his breakout shot alongside Swayze.
The pièce de resistance? Their infamous fight scene, as Teague’s character had his throat ripped out by Swayze’s Dalton.
That scene was one of the first ones filmed for the movie, so the two men tried as best they could to avoid contact with the face.
Otherwise, it was real.
“Yeah, we beat the hell out of each other,” Teague said with a chuckle. “We didn’t want to cheat people. We gave it our all. He did split my eye open, so I broke two of his ribs. We had a good time.”
At one point during
Newport native Marshall Teague in “Walker, Texas Ranger.”
Marshall Teague dressed up as Ta’Lon, a character on the Babylon 5 series.
FROM TEAGUE ON PAGE 4
the fight, they landed in the dirt.
“The crew members thought we were trying to kill each other, telling us to cool down,” Teague said. “We said, ‘Hey, you hired us to give us our interpretation of what these guys think of each other.’”
Overall, the scene took four nights to film.
“Toward the end of it, we leaned into each other,” Teague said. “When it was over, (Swayze) said he would trust nobody like me in a fight. You’ve got to trust somebody to go at it the way we did.”
Swayze ultimately became one of Teague’s closest friends. They would call each other at 2 or 3 a.m., with Swayze dialing from across the ocean when he was shooting overseas.
That friendship with the late Swayze, who died in 2009, is one of several moments taken from a career filled with them.
Aside from his breakout role in “Road House,” he also
Cocke County native Marshall Teague poses for a photo in front of a space shuttle while filming Armageddon, directed by Michael Bay. In the film, Teague played Colonel Davis.
Newport native Marshall Teague’s “Jimmy Reno,” left, fights Patrick Swayze’s “Dalton” in the iconic 1989 action flick “Road House.”
They became great friends after the movie, one highlight of Teague’s incredible career.
worked on the 1990s science-fiction series Babylon 5 as Ta’Lon, a Narn soldier, and Dr. Nelson Drake.
Teague’s transformation into each character required extensive makeup, especially for Drake, who developed a bionic arm as the “Ikarran War Machine.”
“In the show, my body transforms genetically and creates this unbelievable warrior,” Teague said. “My arm was a blaster. For that, I went in at 2 a.m. for makeup and got out at 7:30. It was the first time they had done a complete prosthetic person in a suit.”
The suit weighed a whopping 72 pounds, and with an internal temperature of 114 degrees, Teague poured sweat throughout each 12-hour day.
“I lost 12 to 14 pounds per day in that,” said Teague. “A guy followed me around with a mop to clean up the sweat, and then eventually they punched holes in the boots and had me stand over a sandbox to drain it out.
“It was long and arduous, but we would chit chat. And I had a blast playing the character.”
Teague also appeared in The Rock (1996) and Armageddon (1998), which were directed by the legendary Michael Bay.
“He, to me, is a genius,” said Teague of Bay. “He’s a
madman. He’s so far ahead in the shot, and his eyes and mind work at exceedingly high speed.”
Aside from his Sci-Fi-related roles, Teague also worked on Walker, Texas Ranger.
Having known Chuck Norris because of martial arts, Teague developed the same relationship with him that he shared with Swayze.
He and Norris would hold each other accountable on screen, not allowing the other to “cheat” his work.
“He would call me out if I didn’t do a scene to its best, and I’d do the same for him,” Teague said. “There are only a couple actors that I can say that I loved them like brothers, and he was one. To say anything less would be cheating them.”
Teague is the same way with his family members in Newport, as they have encouraged him and checked on him throughout his career.
And even before Teague stepped into fame, Teague could feel that presence in Memphis.
“I was in the naval hospital with a broken back,” he said, “and I got a call from my family in Newport. How they knew about it, I’m not sure. But they wanted to call and check on me. To have that to come back to every time I visit, it’s pretty incredible.”
Marshall Teague as Jimmy Reno in the 1989 classic, “Road House.”
FROM TEAGUE ON PAGE 7
Well-known actor Marshall Teague (fifth from the right) smiles for a photo with his family members at an event in Newport. Teague, originally from Cocke County, has been involved in more than 130 movies and shows throughout a star-studded acting career.
Renaissance FaireNEWPORT
‘Nothing short of magical’
BY DAVE RUTHENBERG
Now about to enter its third year, the annual Newport Renaissance Faire, set for May 24-25, has surpassed the expectations of its originator and driving force, Newport native Jerod Martin.
“The response has been beyond anything I could have dreamed,” Martin said. “What started as a passion has blossomed into a thriving, growing tradition.”
Attendance at the event certainly would back that up as Martin reports attendance at the 2024 Renaissance Faire more than doubled that of the inaugural event in 2023. “It has allowed us to expand much sooner than I ever anticipated. Seeing families, cosplayers, performers and vendors all come together in such a vibrant, immersive way has been nothing short of magical,” he said.
For those not familiar, the Renaissance Faire is a celebration of the European medieval period of history. Thoroughly embraced by cosplaying event participants and attendees alike, it is a step back into a period of time that has inspired magical stories of adventure, conquest, dragons, music and whimsy.
Mostly it is about fun.
A walk around the faire is indeed like stepping back in time as realistically attired
time-period cosplay performers abound, taking one back to those times. The past two festivals have featured popular, spirited combat competitions from menacingly costumed (and appearing) fighters. Vendors, from food to merchandisers to games - also get in the spirit and dress in period attire. The annual costume contest has also proven popular.
You get to mingle with costumed kings, queens and commoners and maybe even a costumed ne’er-do-well or two as you stroll the grounds. The biggest aspect of the faire is the camaraderie and feeling of joy from the participants and the attendees, who span many generations.
“I believe people are rediscovering the joy of real-world experiences of dressing up, playing music, performing and simply being present in a shared space with others,” Martin, 35, said. “We spent years glued to screens and now there’s a collective longing for something more tangible.
“Renaissance faires bring people together in an environment where they can be somebody else for a day, escape the mundane and revel in the magic of history and fantasy. Plus, let’s be honest, where else can you walk around with
Newport Renaissance Faire Director Jerod Martin and a feathered friend at the 2024 festival.
a giant, smoked turkey leg in hand and not get a second glance?”
The faire is something Martin wishes had existed when he was a kid growing up in Newport.
“I would have been absolutely ecstatic, counting down the days each year,” he said. “I wanted to create something that would bring that kind of excitement and anticipation to kids, families and fantasy lovers alike.”
His journey into the medieval world began with heavy armored combat, a full-contact medieval fighting sport that he participated in for around five years. It took him across multiple states and he became fully immersed in Renaissance culture as well as learning the best and worst aspects of different festival perspectives, which he used in creating the Newport Renaissance Faire, his first attempt at such a large-scale event.
DJ’s Antiques and Collectibles has gone from being alocal antiques storetoanEast Tennessee tradition and apopular destination for both locals and tourists alike.
Cory Whipple plays the German bagpipes at the 2024 Newport Renaissance Faire.
PHOTOS BY DAVE RUTHENBERG Warriors from EverBlade Academy engage in combat during the 2024 Newport Renaissance Faire.
You never know who, or what, you will run into at the Newport Renaissance Faire.
PHOTOS BY DAVE RUTHENBERG Axe throwing at the 2024 Newport Renaissance Faire.
The cosplay costume contest is a popular part of the annual Newport Renaissance Faire.
Aye, they may be pirates, but they be friendly pirates at the
“I knew I wanted to craft something truly unique,” he said, adding it has proven to be “the most rewarding adventure” of his life.
After two years, the event is moving from the Cocke County A&I Fairgrounds to Newport City Park. The deciding factor being parking as last year the event had to rely on auxiliary parking as it grew in popularity.
BACKWOODS BARGAINS
“Beyond logistics, I love the idea of bringing more people to Newport’s beautiful park,” Martin said. “Maybe they come for the faire but end up discovering a new place to visit throughout the year. It’s a win-win for everyone.”
Martin is heartened by the reception the event has
Hours : 10 am - 5 :30 pm Monda - Frida , 10 am - 2 pm Saturda
PHOTOS BY DAVE RUTHENBERG
2024 Newport Renaissance Faire.
experienced already in its short history.
“When you have a vision, you hope people will appreciate it, but seeing thousands of faces light up, hearing laughter and watching families create memories - that’s the real reward,” he said.
2025 Newport Renaissance Faire
MAY 24-25
NEWPORT CITY PARK
Single-day entry (ages 13+): $15
Weekend pass (ages 13+): $20
Ages 6-12 (includes weekend pass): $5
Ages 5-and-under: Free
For more information about the 2025 Newport Renaissance Faire, go to facebook.com/ events/2319830348386675.
PHOTOS BY DAVE RUTHENBERG
Queen Anna Elizabeth (aka Pamela Petruschke), Princess Jane (aka Ashley Miller) and Security/Bodyguard Git (aka Erik Miller) prepare to hold Royal Court at the 2024 Newport Renaissance Faire at the Cocke County Fairgrounds.
Warriors from EverBlade Academy engage in combat during the 2024 Newport Renaissance Faire.
BY JOEL SPEARS
From books and geodes to java and genealogy, Our Place Bookstore in Cosby is more than the 100,000 books within its unassuming walls, according to owner Deann
“It’s a family business. That’s why we call it Our Place,” she said, emphasizing that her shop is, first, a bookstore but also “a lot more.”
Located in Cosby at 115 Cricket Hollow Road, Our Place has been a popular stop for campers, rafters, hikers and vacationing families on their way into the Smoky Mountains since 2004.
“People come into our shop thinking they might just have a look around, get a cup of coffee, and browse a book or two, but then
they tend to get carried away,” Hines said. “I’ve had people walk through the door just a few steps and their response is, ‘Wow, what a magical place!’ I’ve had people from all over the country tell me it’s not just the books they enjoy here.”
She believes the shop’s emphasis on local interests, such as history, arts and crafts and its attention to those details are what makes Our Place a place for everyone.
“We’re not a tourist trap. We’re a family trying to make a living and help support other locals, and it’s worked for over 20 years,” she said.
Hines recalled how she and her family fell in love with Cosby and the Smoky Mountains while on vacation from Indiana more than 35 years ago. Following 15 years of regular visits to the usual hotspots around Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, she said they decided to permanently relocate to the quieter side where, today, she calls Cosby “home.”
“The Smokies kept calling us,” she said, smiling with a
laugh. “So, we decided to stay. It’s very quiet out here, which is something we enjoy. Since we started coming to the area as tourists, places like Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge have really grown, and a lot of people want that but I prefer the quiet we have here.”
Having already been an established bookseller in Indiana, Hines pointed out that the creation of Our Place was an obvious next step in her journey.
“We have our regular customers, but also return customers year-after-year,” she said. “I have more than one couple who drives four hours from Nashville to see us. They’ll come here, spend a couple hours, grab a cup of coffee, go find something to eat, then drive back home. That’s how much they love it here. I’ve been told over and over there’s no store like us.”
Keeping that idea in mind, Hines added, Our Place has evolved to specialize in interests of all kinds — from those of the traveling bibliophile to others in search of local history and knowledge.
“There’s a lot of joy in reuniting people with books,” she said, “whether it’s things they’d forgotten, books
PHOTOS BY DAVE RUTHENBERG
Our Place boasts more than 100,000 book titles in stock from kids to grown-ups, including biographies, classics fiction and nonfiction.
You can find more than books hanging out around the bookshelves at Our Place in Cosby.
FROM PLACE ON PAGE 15
they might’ve had as a child, or helping them discover new reads. Books are a good escape for a lot of people. They get lost in their books, and it’s a good feeling to bring people together with good literature.”
Hines said the National Park Service also sends visitors to her store for genealogical reference and research material.
“We carry a lot of books the park service doesn’t have [at their shops], so we’re big on The Smokies in general,” she said. “A lot of people will come here and find books they didn’t even know existed relating to the history of the park because we dig deep for some good stuff. We have everything. Of course, there’s a lot of paperback novels, but also history books, cookbooks and kids books. We even do book giveaways in the area.”
In addition to niche volumes, Our Place also carries vinyl records and cassettes for nostalgia-seekers, fair trade and shade-grown coffees, teas from chai to matcha, salt lamps, candles, Smoky Mountain souvenirs, and even sundries for the needful camper or hiker.
“We’re known for our organic coffees,” Hines added. “We ship those to people from all over the country who come in, buy a bag, then later they’ll call me up and I’m shipping it to them. We also have amazing soaps, rocks, stones and gems — you name it — all kinds of jewelry;
bracelets, necklaces, rings. ... We also carry local honey, jellies, snacks for the hikers, apple cider, and mugs of all sorts because, if we’re also a coffee place, you need a mug, right?”
Our Place additionally supports locally made, locally owned wares.
“We promote local craftspeople as much as we can,” Hines said. “The [surrounding] arts and crafts community has suffered a bit from the regional focus on Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, where tourists tend to follow the main highways and don’t get away from there as much as they once did. So, whenever visitors to our store see what we have available from local artists, I use the opportunity to tell them about those, as well as others in the area.”
Hines said if she could say one thing to tourists it would be, “Take the drive, make the extra effort to get here and enjoy yourself. We’re definitely worth going out of the way to spend a few hours, have a cup of coffee and, chances are, we’ll be your new favorite place to visit
PHOTOS BY DAVE RUTHENBERG
Our Place is located at 115 Cricket Hollow Road in Cosby.
in The Smokies.”
“We’re a family spot,” Hines said. “People have been coming to Our Place for so many years that they’ve watched my kids grow up, I’ve watched their kids grow up, and they now have grandkids. There’s a lot of history here. It’s also just beautiful. I can step out my door and see the mountains. It’s peaceful, quiet and a beautiful place to be. It’s wonderful.”
Hines said if she could say one thing to tourists it would be, “Take the drive, make the extra effort to get here and enjoy yourself. We’re definitely worth going out of the way to spend a few hours, have a cup of coffee and, chances are, we’ll be your new favorite place to visit in The Smokies.”
Our Place Bookstore can be reached by calling (423) 248-6524, on Facebook by searching for ourplacecosbytn, Instagram at booksatourplace, or via email at booksatourplace@comcast.net. Hines also maintains a small bookstore space, a mini Our Place she said, inside Roscoe’s Treasures at 255 E. Main Street in Newport.
PHOTOS BY DAVE RUTHENBERG
Family friendly board games at Our Place.
There are plenty of premium coffee options at Our Place, even including decaf.
Candles, Funko Pops and more.
Pastries and sweets.
Downtown flourishing again AFTER the flood
BY KATHY BARNES
The catastrophic flooding that hit Newport in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in late September left downtown businesses in a shambles but, just five months later, are showing a rebirth.
B.A.K. Management, LLC, which is owned and operated by Bettye Anne Bewley and her daughter Kandice Bewley Baker, manages properties on East Broadway and on McMahan Avenue.
“All these rental properties experienced devastating flooding,” Bewley said. “They lost furniture, equipment, office and business records, their operating supplies and other necessities.”
However, after extensive renovations, three of the East Broadway locations are ready and occupied, with more gearing up.
ELITE BEAUTY
Elite Beauty at 238 East Broadway, has returned to its same location.
With cameras set up in Elite Beauty, owner Elizabeth Williams could watch the flood waters rise inside her business. She also watched the water recede the next
morning. At one point, the water was four feet deep inside her shop. The waterline in her shop reached the level of her bottom windowsill, and the water level went over the air conditioning vents.
“We would watch stuff float around in the shop,” she recalled. She stayed with her mother after downtown was evacuated.
“I was actually doing a client’s eyebrows as downtown started to flood,” Williams recalled. The water started coming underneath the front door of her shop, and her mother said she was trying to sweep it back to keep it out of the store.
The client was getting ready for a wedding, and Williams stayed and finished her eyebrows before leaving. Downtown then got evacuated, and Williams couldn’t go home because she also lives downtown, she explained.
When asked if the wedding that her client was getting ready for went on as planned, Williams said she doesn’t know.
“I had to leave everything behind,” she recalled. “All
I could do was go to Grainger County and then watch the cameras. Everything was covered with water. Then I watched the water as it receded.”
As the water receded it drained down into the basement, which at one time, contained about 9 feet of water, she said. The property owners have cleaned the basement and all of their buildings properly, making sure they have been fully restored.
Looking back at losing all her equipment, machinery, supplies and even records, Williams said the loss was anywhere from $20,000 to $30,000. She said her insurance denied her claim, saying she didn’t have the proper coverage.
After the water receded, Williams said about three inches of silt or mud was left behind on the floor and it stuck to everything in the building.
She has returned to the same location, and replaced much of her equipment and supplies. The shop once again offers eyelashes, facials, spray tans and waxing. They will also offer hair and nail services soon.
“Nothing at all could be salvaged,” she said. “I am trying to get everything replaced, but I have reopened for business.”
Two more team members will be joining the shop soon. The shop is open from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. from Monday through Friday. To schedule an appointment, call or text (865) 369-7578 anytime.
AMAZING GRACE CONSIGNMENT
At the corner of East Broadway and McMahan Avenue is a well-known building. For many years, 240 East Broadway housed the Men’s Den, a men’s clothing store. Since then, it has housed a coffee shop and prior to the flood, Flatwoods Vintage.
Andrea Johnson, a Cocke County native, saw the building was being remodeled after the flood and thought it could be a great opportunity. She has opened Amazing Grace Consignment.
“I haven’t had a shop before, but my mom has taught me the art of thrift and consignment shopping,” she said.
The boutique style consignment shop will have ladies and children’s clothing, costume jewelry, fine jewelry
PHOTO BY KATHY BARNES
Amazing Grace Consignments owner Andrea Johnson prepares a window display.
FROM FLOOD ON PAGE 19
and name brand and designer clothing and accessories.
Regular store hours will be 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. The store officially opened on Feb. 1.
“I have heard positive things from a lot of people,” Johnson said. “I had a lady tell me that this shop was a Godsend.”
Johnson was born and raised in Cosby where she still makes her home. She is a graduate of Cosby High School.
Pleased with the response from the opening of her shop, Johnson said she is looking forward to seeing what lies ahead
As of now, in addition to Johnson, who said she will be at the shop most of the time, there are two-part time helpers. Those wishing to consign to the shop, will complete a contract that explains the process, the percentages and sales. The percentage the consignor receives is dependent on whether they are taking cash payment or store credit.
“I want to make lifelong friends and permanent customers,” she said. “I want customers to be happy, and I also want this to be a way I can spread the word of God.
I want everyone who shops here to leave feeling good. I want to show them how God takes care of all our needs,” she said.
PROFESSIONAL HEARING AID
Professional Hearing Aid, operated by Christine FishGilliam, a licensed hearing specialist, was located at 111 McMahan Avenue. The business is now at 234 East Broadway.
“We also lost everything in the flood, but we now have everything replaced and set up. We are ready for business,” she said.
Elite Beauty has reopened at its location on East Broadway in Newport after the devastating flooding. Pictured is owner Elizabeth Williams.
PHOTOS BY KATHY BARNES Amazing Grace Consignments owner Andrea Johnson.
hearing aids and hearing exams.”
Like many other businesses, she said business started off slow after the flooding, but with warmer weather, she is starting to see an uptick in business.
“We provide hearing testing and diagnosis as well as hearing aid sales, service and repairs,” she said. “We also accept all major insurance, and most of them will pay for
Professional Hearing Aid is open Monday, Tuesday and Friday by appointment only. Call (423) 623-3910 to schedule an appointment.
Many other businesses throughout downtown, from eateries to service-oriented businesses and more have also begun the recovery process and invite customers to rediscover them and celebrate their rebirth.
Andrea Johnson of Amazing Grace Consignments with some of the clothing available at her store.
PHOTOS BY KATHY BARNES
Elite Beauty owner Elizabeth Williams is back in business and welcoming customers.
FROM FLOOD ON PAGE 21
‘A diamond in the rough’
Newport Speedway zooms back to life
BY JAKE NICHOLS
If you drive by Newport Speedway today, you would never be able to tell what it looked like a year ago.
Rusty, abandoned cars were piled up outside and in the infield. Painted walls cracked and peeled after years under the blazing sun.
At the time, the track was “a diamond in the rough” according to new owner Chuck Ward, as it had not hosted a race since 2017.
But now? “A complete transformation,” said Ward. “It’s truly mind-blowing.”
‘A UNIQUE PROJECT’
Newport Speedway first opened as a dirt track in 1977.
Eleven years later, the track was paved and molded into a 4/10-mile high-banked oval — 26 degrees, to be exact — with a 4,000-seat grandstand as well as tiered parking outside the track.
The track became affectionately known as “Little Bristol,” welcoming drivers that cut their teeth on ovals like this before making their way up the ranks toward NASCAR.
That was originally how Ward discovered the track, serving as the owner for a late-model team that raced on this same asphalt 15 years ago.
“It was well-designed when it was built, and it’s been a fabulous track ever since,” Ward said. “Drivers can know that their cars will handle and do what they’re supposed to on this track.”
That appreciation inspired Ward, a Knoxville-based home flipper and businessman, to buy the track in April.
“And seeing it in the state it was in, I thought it would be a really unique project,” he said.
Almost immediately, thoughts of the track’s revitalization brought an outpouring of support from local fans and several members of the racing community, including Dale Earnhardt Jr.
“They’ve embraced us like you would never believe. Heck, one day a guy stopped me in a store and said he appreciates what I’ve done for the race track. I didn’t know the guy from Adam, but it’s pretty cool for people to stop and say that.”
“It’s been very rewarding, because you think about spending the money and it’s good to know people are appreciative of it,” he added. “I never realized Newport is such a close-knit community.”
Little did Ward know about how much work would be involved to truly restore this beloved bull ring.
His team got started the day his purchase was official, working through long days in the sun.
They cleared debris, painted bleachers and track walls, refurbished the press box, put in lights, expanded parking, and essentially did everything they could to
Tim Sollis climbs out and waves the checked flag after driving his number (50) Super Truck to victory lane in the Southeast Super Truck race at the Newport Raceway in Newport, Tennessee Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024.
bring back an iconic venue.
Throughout the process, Ward has been surprised several times.
“I’ve owned several businesses, but with never owning a race track, we’ve done stuff I’ve never thought about experiencing,” he said. “The biggest thing has been the cost of items. Buying pavement for more parking, extra paint, light poles — things I had just not done before and didn’t have an idea of how it worked.
When you remodel a house, you know you have to have a certain amount of things. But this has had so many unknowns.”
By September, though, the track finally seemed all but ready for visitors.
On Sept. 12, the American Rally Association came to Newport to showcase its high-flying cars with famous drivers such as Travis Pastrana.
That event offered a taste of what a long-awaited night of racing could look like at the refurbished speedway in Cocke County. But 15 days later, floodwaters from Hurricane Helene ravaged the area.
So Ward pushed back the date of the first event from October to November, sensing the community needed time to recover.
He was right.
When the checkered flag finally dropped for real in November, and the Southeast Super Trucks series zoomed through the mountain air, all the chaos became
worth it for Ward in the track’s first event in seven years.
“It’s been a Category 5 hurricane,” he said. “It’s been almost nonstop construction, painting, just trying to put out fires or things that have come up that we haven’t
A look at the refurbished press box at Newport Speedway, which hosted its first race since 2017 in November of 2024. There are plenty more on tap for 2025, bringing plenty more racing excitement to Cocke County.
Lost by Choice Motorsports Rally car driven by Daniel Hayes jumps the dirt mound on the back stretch at the Newport Speedway in Newport, Tennessee Saturday Sept. 14, 2024.
FROM DIAMOND ON PAGE 23
expected. Then the weather, the rain, just a lot to it. It’s been fun, but it hasn’t been easy. My guys have just worked their tails off.”
SPEEDING INTO 2025
Now, as the calendar has flipped to 2025, Ward and his team have a litany of events already on the books for this year.
The Ted Caldwell Memorial Race set for April 19 will likely serve as the track’s official grand opening. Ward said they are hoping to welcome former greats such as L.D. Ottinger, a local NASCAR legend and Newport native, and Herman Goddard, a Knoxville-based driver who is in the Greater Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame.
“I think it would be cool to do that and give them a jacket or hat or something,” Ward said. “Those guys helped mold that track and shape it into what it is now.”
The Grand National Super Series comes to Newport May 3, and on April 24, the American Speedway Association pays a visit.
“We’re very excited about the ASA race,” said Ward. “That will be nationally televised. Two or three former NASCAR drivers will be there, and then the first race, the Ted Caldwell Memorial, has some good meaning too.”
Finally, in July, the Drury Ramsey Memorial race will be held in memory of the track’s previous owner before Ward.
Between and after those dates, there are plenty of open days available.
Ward said those are meant for local drivers, as they
want to welcome any and everyone to the speedway this year.
The speedway is also planning to host its first concert on June 6.. However, Ward is not ready to divulge the name yet, but said it is a country artist that will be plenty of fun.
“We want to give every local racer a chance to showcase their talents,” he said. “And then the concerts, we feel like that will give people a great avenue to get out and have fun and have a beer and enjoy some great music and bring some entertainment value.”
‘APPROVAL FROM THE HEAVENS’
While adding things to the track’s schedule for this year, Ward and his team have also been busy installing plenty of other fixtures around the property.
Those updates have included the installation of a playground, as well as adding more parking spaces and spots where people with campers will be able to watch races.
“Probably 50 spaces with electric, sewer and water for coaches,” Ward said, “behind the parking at the top concession stand and press box.”
There will also be a dessert shop located in a refurbished cabin near the playground, and Ward said he plans to have a beer barn built out of a shipping container as well.
Then, there is one of the biggest achievements: a building in the infield that is part restroom, part
An American flag whips in the breeze with a mountainous view beyond Turn 2 at the revitalized Newport Speedway in Cocke County.
FROM DIAMOND ON PAGE 25
concession stand, part tech area.
“There are two bathrooms in front and a drive through tech area, and people can have their tires changed there as well,” said Ward. “So they’re not having to stand out in the elements. And then the concession stand part will be called the Pit Stop Cafe.”
The outpost will also serve as a green room for concerts, as different musical guests roll into Cocke County.
Gone will be the faded signs and chipped paint that were visible before Ward’s purchase.
Instead, visitors will see a freshly painted raceway, an American flag whipping in the wind beyond the second turn, and in the distance, a mountainous view that beckons drivers from all over the country.
That same view enticed Ward to purchase it last April.
Because where others saw rubble and decay, he dug deeper and found the diamond he described 10 months ago.
“The first time I was up there, I walked up there and it was very peaceful,” he said. “I thought, ‘What a perfect view for a race track, to bring this back to life.’ It was like we had approval from the heavens to do it. And I’m excited to make this place bigger and better than it’s ever been.”
A view from the top of Newport Speedway, which has been revitalized by new owner Chuck Ward and his team after his purchase in April of 2024.
THE WOODSHED
is a dream come true for owners
BY KATHY BARNES
Michelle and Tommy Lane had a lifelong dream to own a restaurant. The married couple were childhood sweethearts and have been together since they
and 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
sometimes still wonder if we got it right.”
The popularity of their restaurant, The Woodshed, is a testament to getting right.
The Woodshed has become a favorite spot for steaks, barbecue, chicken and more. Located at 2593 Cosby Highway it is open from 4 to 9 p.m. on Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Fridays and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturdays and it is not unusual to see customers lined up outside
There are 33 people who work at The Woodshed. Michelle pointed out the posted hours are the hours that customers are seated. If someone arrives at 8:50 p.m., they will be seated because seating hours are until 9 p.m.
Opened in 2016, and Michelle said she could not even imagine getting the kind of welcome they received when the restaurant opened its doors
“We ran out of food and had to get our food provider to open on New Year’s Day, which was on a Sunday, in 2017. It was an amazing welcome,” she said. “Never in a million years could I have dreamed we would do the business that we do here.”
She said her favorite food menu choice is the ribeye, but the top seller is the hamburger steak, which was added to the menu by their chef, Michael Blackwell.
“We have an absolutely wonderful chef,” she said. “I can’t say enough about him. He is “old school” and he is very particular about the way things are done in the kitchen.”
The busiest month is July because a lot of tourists visit the area, and the slowest time by far is the time from Thanksgiving until Christmas.
“I attribute the slower time around the holidays to the lack of retail shopping options in our county,” she said. “A lot of people go out of town to shop.”
The Woodshed also does catering and welcomes groups. Michelle said they will open on their off days for groups of 50 or more.
She is also a teacher, having taught in the Cocke County School System for 14 years. One year she taught at Parrottsville Elementary School while all the other
PHOTO BY KATHY BARNES
The Woodshed is located at 2593 Cosby Highway. The restaurant is open from 4 p.m. until 9 p.m. on Thursday
years have been spent at Cosby High School teaching hospitality and tourism.
“We employ a lot of young people here,” Michelle said. “Many of these employees were my students.”
Some of her students came to work for her and have stayed. She said she has team members who have gone on to become teachers and nurses, but they still come back to work at The Woodshed.
“Some of these servers and staff members have been here six or seven years,” she said. “They have been with us every step of the way. They started while they were in high school or college. They have gone on and now have other professions, but they still come back and work with us, too.”
The Lanes have three grown children. Their daughter, Bailey works at The Woodshed and their son, Matt, can occasionally be found working at the family’s business. Their other son, Luke, is a computer engineer who lives in Seattle, Washington.
Michelle saw the devastating impact of the floods as she volunteered to help those who were severely impacted by the catastrophic flooding. She was so moved by what she saw, she took a year off from her job to help flood victims build back.
As far as The Woodshed goes, Michelle said they have been blessed, and her goal is to ensure every customer gets a top notch experience when they visit.
“We have our local regulars as well as those folks just passing through,” she said. “We have a good mix, and we want to make sure they keep coming back.”
PHOTOS BY KATHY BARNES
Many locals enjoy eating at The Woodshed. Local residents Ray Fancher and Rhonda Williams are shown enjoying a Thursday evening dinner.
FROM WOODSHED ON PAGE 27
Nachos featuring hand-pulled pork is one of many options on the menu at The Woodshed. The restaurant also serves steaks, burgers, chickens, barbecue and more.
WONDERFULLY MADE
Coffee & More
BY KATHY BARNES
Michelle and Tommy Lane had been running The Woodshed for a few years before they acquired the building down in front of it on Cosby Highway. They opened Wonderfully Made Coffee and More in 2023. The shop is located at 2591 Cosby Highway.
“The opportunity arose for us to purchase that building,” Michelle Lane said. “Even before we bought the building I had thought about opening a coffee shop and I already had a name picked out.”
The shop offers all kinds of coffee, paninis, pastries, hand-dipped ice cream, milkshakes and smoothie bowls. The shop is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. There are seven employees at that store, she said.
“Wonderfully Made gets more tourist traffic than The Woodshed,” she said. “It is right down on the highway,
Wonderfully Made offers fresh pastries, including cinnamon buns.
so people are passing by and see the shop and stop.”
After the flooding caused by Hurricane Helene which led to the shutdown of Interstate 40, many businesses have struggled. Lane said that Wonderfully Made has seen a decrease in traffic with the interstate closure.
“It really has been hard,” she said. “We can definitely tell the difference there.”
The locally owned coffee shop offers a variety of New York style bagels and various fresh baked goods. The family’s restaurant, The Woodshed, is located up on the hill behind Wonderfully Made.
The two establishments share a sign at the driveway, which fronts Cosby Highway.
Abby Ellison dips ice cream for a customer at Wonderfully Made Coffee. The successful restaurateurs of The Woodshed opened Wonderfully Made Coffee and More in 2023. The shop is located at 2591 Cosby Highway, next to The Woodshed.
FROM COFFEE ON PAGE 29
Sabrina Freshour and Abby Ellison hold lattes in front of the Wonderfully Made Coffee and More sign.
PHOTO BY KATHY BARNES
The kitchen crew at The Woodshed stays busy. The chef is Michael Blackwell.
FROM WOODSHED ON PAGE 28
Cocke County
Union, settlers had entered the area over twenty years earlier, clearing land, plowing fields, and building homes.
Portions of Greene and Jefferson Counties were cut away to create the new county, named for Sen. William Cocke, a Revolutionary War veteran who
Native Americans, of course, were the first human residents of the county, and many proofs of their residency continue to be unearthed each year during spring plowing in the form of arrowheads and bits of pottery. Circumstantial evidence also points to Spanish explorer Hernando Desoto’s party have
passed through the area.
White trappers and hunters began making their way into the area by the mid-eighteenth century. By the 1770s and 1780s more folks came and settled permanently. Many of these were Revolutionary War veterans who received bounty land here in payment for the military service.
The earliest settlements, quite naturally, were along the three county’s three rivers: French Broad, Pigeon, and Nolichucky. Several forts, including Bell’s Station, Whitson, Huff, Wood, McKay, and Swagerty, were erected as safe havens from Indian attacks. Today, Swagerty Blockhouse, standing alongside Old. Hwy. 321 north of Parrottsville, is the only remnant of these structures remaining.
Legend accords John Gilliland the honor of planting the first corn crop in the county “at the mouth of the Big Pigeon River.” This spot is now known as the Fork Farm. Gilliland also gave fifty acres of land to establish a county seat alongside the French Broad River at what we call “Old Town.”
Here stood the courthouse, jail, Peter Fine’s ferry, a hotel or two, and a few other businesses, such as Rankin and Pulliam’s store.
The only remaining structure from this era is the Gilliland-Cameron-O’Dell house in Old Town. Across the river is the Roadman Cemetery, final resting place of many of the town’s earliest residents. Early leaders such as Peter Fine, Edom Kendrick, and William Roadman are interred there.
The pioneers brought a deep religious faith with them. In 1787, a full ten years before the county’s creation, Big Pigeon Primitive Baptist Church was established in the home of John English. Church minutes mention a cessation of meetings due to “Indians being troublesome.” The church still holds services once a month.
Within twenty-five years, Baptist, Methodist, and Presbyterian churches were established, followed by Salem Lutheran Church’s establishment in 1845.
The only Revolutionary War skirmish known to have occurred in Cocke County was at the War Ford.
Because of the area’s topography, large plantations and the majority of slave labor were minimal. A few such holdings lined the rivers. Many families owned no slaves, with the average family holding a small mountain farm and ekeing out a living with the help of their large families.
By 1830, the county’s population remained small. Efforts to bring the railroad here periodically flourished and them ebbed until after the Civil War when the first train arrived in 1867.
When hostilities erupted, Cocke County citizens voted overwhelmingly to remain in the Union. However, young men allied themselves with both the Union and the Confederate armies, sometimes pitting brother against brother.
No major battles occurred here, but there were some skirmishes: the Battle of Shultz Mill on Cosby and another fracas near Parrottsville. Women, children, and the elderly suffered greatly at the hands of both armies plus marauding bands of bushwhackers.
After peace returned in 1865, Cocke County experienced unprecedented growth, and in the 1880s, after much controversy and a lenghty lawsuit, the county seat was moved from alongside the French Broad River to its present site adjacent to the Pigeon River and near the new railroad.
Formal education arrived in Cocke County in the form of Anderson Academy, a brick structure built in the 1830s near today’s Northwest Elementary School. Dozens of one- and two-room schools sprang up across the county; at one time over 80 such educational homes operated.
The end of the nineteenth century brought large logging companies here for the massive virgin timber which abounded. A tannery opened in the 1890s, and in the early 1900s Stokely Brothers, a canning factory, relocated here from nearby Jefferson County.
Over the past 200-plus years, Cocke Countians have done their part as “the Volunteer State,” with hundreds of men and not a few women answering their country’s call during the Civil War, the SpanishAmerican War, two world wars, the Korean and
Vietnam Wars, Desert Storm, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Charles McGaha of Cosby was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Harry Truman for his World War II heroic service.
Now in the twenty-first century, Cocke County
continues to grow and evolve. Some industries have closed; others have opened. Great strides in the local school systems have taken place. A more concerted effort to promote Cocke County’s tourist options continue to grow, and many retirees opt to settle here. Who knows what the next century will bring?
Five C on enien Locations
Co b Center - Che tnut Hill C nter - Grassy ForkCenter- Ne p r t Center -Parrott ille C nter