Smoky Mountain Homeplace 2023

2023 Smoky Mountain Homeplace They Made A A Difference

They all have made a difference

BY EDDIE WALKER

The foundation of the history of any community is composed of those people whose presence, initiative and labor have contributed to its formation and growth. In various ways, what each person said or did, voluntarily or perhaps paid, in just one instance or over the years, created an environment that has benefitted others. Sometimes this work was just short-term; in other instances, it may have “set the ball rolling” for a chain of events which were long-lasting.

“Community” can refer to a group of like-minded individuals or it can be a specific geographic location inhabited by groups of individuals. In either case, there have been persons who were responsible for actions and events which brought about change in the community. This has been as true in Cocke County as it has been in Phoenix, Arizona, Jamestown, Virginia or Tuskegee, Alabama.

In all locations there have sometimes been those persons whose names have been remembered because their names, their work and stories have been recorded; they have become part of our history. Safe to say, they didn’t accomplish it all by themselves. They had to have help. All involved deserve to be remembered.

First would be the pioneers, those folks who for whatever reason left the security and certainty of established areas and ventured into the wilderness of what is now Cocke County. The date attached to the first permanent settlers is 1783. A few had means of conveyance but most of them walked the distance, sometimes blazing a trail, fording the streams and perhaps crossing the mountains. They found a place to settle and a community began.

By 1787, there was the need and desire for a church and enough residents to establish one. Big Pigeon Baptist Church was organized on Dec. 6, 1787, on Big Pigeon River at the mouth of English Creek. It eventually has evolved into the Big Pigeon Primitive Baptist Church. Although not on the original site, the congregation continues to gather for worship as it has for 235 years (with the exception of the years “during the rebellion.”)

From this handful of men and women Cocke County’s religious community has developed. There have been numerous churches of at least 15 different denominations, plus the nondenominational or independent congregations, all in their own ways carrying the banner of Christ. One positive factor here is the spirit of cooperation among the churches. Even though they might not agree doctrinally, there has been little friction or animosity between denominations or churches. A congregation might squabble within itself but it seldom involved another congregation. Closely connected with religion was education.

The early ministers themselves had been educated, and either by example or direct encouragement, they were the impetus for the evolution of schools in the communities. The process was slow and selective, as it would take years before educational opportunities were available to all segments of society. Often they were both separate and unequal. Starting with Cocke County’s first organized school, Anderson Academy, in 1806, the educational history eventually reached the time when there were over 100 public schools operating here, moving forward to present time with the 12 multifunctional, technological facilities.

Even after the public schools were established, the church recognized that there was still the need for spiritual and educational instruction in certain remote areas of Cocke County, and the Presbyterians, Baptist, Methodists and Disciples of Christ founded mission schools, and when the mission schools were no more, church organizations saw that mission workers remained in the area. All communities have an economy which functions on the need of goods and services and those who provide them. While farming was the primary occupation of most early residents, soon there were those who recognized the need for items which farming alone could not produce. This was the beginning of the mercantile system. One of the first “stores” was conducted by Major Peter Fine, and his daybook, which began in 1797, shows that he was providing residents which such things as glass, kettles, ovens, cotton or wool cards, stationery, cutlery, buckles and buttons, queensware and a variety of cloth (linsey, linen, calico, corduroy, jeans, etc). Obtaining these goods required travel either from the itinerant peddlers

who brought them in or the merchants themselves who trekked to areas with a larger market, sometimes as far as Charleston or Baltimore.

There were those who realized that personal knowledge and skills could provide a necessary service to the citizens and such professions as blacksmith, carpenter, cobbler and other leather work, attorney, physician, mason, gunsmith, tailor, tanner and cabinetmaker became vital functions in the communities. Each order was unique; there was no mass production.

All communities have had those who stepped forward in the name of freedom. The American Revolution was over by the time settlers moved into this area, but Cocke County citizens, both men and women, have been a part of every war and any other military conflict in which the United States has been involved.

The local folks truly have embodied the concept that gave Tennessee its nickname of “The Volunteer State.”

A veteran is one who was willing to give his life for the cause, and while most did not have to pay that price, many citizens of Cocke County

have made the supreme sacrifice and unfortunately received little recognition for it. Of late, there have been those organizations who have made it a cause to see that our veterans are honored and not forgotten. The slogan “to care for them who have borne the battle” should be that of many groups not just that of the Veterans Administration. Industry is the process of taking raw materials and converting them into finished or semi-finished materials. Industrial development did not begin in Cocke County until its second century and at first was a bit sporadic. In 1884 the Scottish Carolina Land and Timber Company Ltd located here because of the county’s vast tracts of virgin timber. It was only here a couple of years, but the citizens had been given a taste of what industry could provide. SCL&T was followed by the England and Bryan Tannery in 1892, in 1900 by Speigle Lumber Company (which evolved into Rhyne Lumber Company) and then in 1905 by Stokely Brothers. These were all larger and long-lasting operations which did much good in the community. There were also smaller industries – knitting mills, bug-

gy factory, handle factory – which were here only a short time.

In the post-World War ll era, Cocke County experienced a surge in industrial development with over a dozen industries locating here and bringing major changes in the lifestyles of the citizens.

Over the years, citizens have joined together into many charitable and fraternal organizations.

The first was the Masonic order which was chartered here in 1806. Each organization has had its own rules and goals, but all organizations have manifested programs of some concern for the less fortunate in society. Some of these organizations ceased to function after their goal was achieved or interest in it waned, but some, such as the Newport Kiwanis Club, which was organized in 1920, have continued, adopting new goals or adapting their older goals to the changing times. The good work of these organizations is still evident today.

Locally, there have been two excellent examples of how just a few citizens can make a difference.

In 1981, the Dead Pigeon River Society was organized by small group of citizens to protest the pol-

lution of the Pigeon River which began in 1908 by Champion International in Canton, North Carolina. There were hearings here and hearings in North Carolina. Governmental agencies were brought into the fray. Tempers flared and violence was threatened, but in the end, the emissions from the Canton plant were lessened and the Pigeon River is today running clear and is now a popular recreation venue.

In 2002, a white-supremacist group announced a rally to be held in downtown Newport on Jan. 19, 2002, to protest the town’s black mayor. In just one week preceding the event, another group of citizens organized a “Diversity Festival” to be held at the same time at Cocke County High School. Both events took place without any violence. The “Diversity Festival” was an annual event for the next several years and there has not been a supremacist rally here since.

But then, when one considers all those in Cocke County who, in big and small ways, have tried to better the life of one person or the lives of the community, the number could not be counted, for all have made a difference.

Newport Mayor Roland Dykes Jr. (far left) speaks with a group at the Diversity Festival in 2002.

Big Pigeon Primitive Baptist Church was the first church in Cocke County.

Cocke Countians can be counted on to help

BY EDDIE WALKER

It can never be said that the people of Cocke County are blind to the needs of the community

and its citizens. Time after time, when a need arose here, our people have risen to the occasion to help in whatever way they could. The records

of the many civic organizations would show the many programs and fund raisers sponsored by the organization to help.

C.M. Boyer operated a

wood and coal yard here for many years. On Nov. 25, 1914, his proposal for a People’s Charity Fund was published in The Newport Plain Talk.

It was his goal that the Board of Mayor and Aldermen oversee this program in a way to help the needy in the community from Dec. 1 to April 1.

Also, at this same time there was a drive for Newport to have a hospital. A local women’s civic

Members of the 2023 Newport Rescue Squad.

group, the Serio Sabio Club, embraced that cause. They published a cookbook and designated the proceeds towards the hospital fund, as well as those from a musical “Two Old Confederates” which they produced at the Opera House [on the corner of Broadway and McMahan Ave.] on March 6, 1914. Both Union and Confederate veterans were given free admission. (Unfortunately, this hospital drive did not succeed.)

Many churches support national and international mission programs within their respective denominations, but they also have projects that help people close at home. One such program is that of Northport Baptist Church, which has offered a Christmas dinner to the needy in Cocke County since 1986. The church members organize and prepare the meals with the help of other churches and all the volunteers who step forward to deliver them. In the year of the pandemic, a local Italian restaurant, Milano’s, came forward to help.

Another successful church-affiliated charity

has been the Christmas shoeboxes filled with toys, candy, toiletries and clothing which are sent to children across the world.

The First United Methodist Church began this program in Cocke County in 1996 with 21 boxes taken to the collection site at Montreat, North Carolina. Each year the project grew, and with other local churches participating, the number of show boxes has grown into the hundreds. The First Baptist Church became a collection site and they took the responsibility for delivering the boxes to North Carolina.

Charities, such as the March of Dimes, Heart Fund, Lung Association, conducted drives which involved going door-todoor. Those who participated would tell that scarcely anyone refused to donate. It might be a nickel, a dime or a quarter, but they recognized a need and were willing to do their part. The solicitors would also tell that the patrons in the taverns along the Morristown Highway were the most generous.

Local people can be creative in fundraising.

When Newport had a tobacco market, one of the charities set up a booth and the workers asked each seller to donate

one hand. These leaves were then all loaded on a basket and sold with the proceeds going to the charity. (A hand is a certain number of leaves of tobacco that are bundled together.)

Sickness and death seem to bring out the best in our folks. At those times, it never seems too hard or too much to what is needed to help out. Food is cooked and taken and assistance for whatever is needed is offered.

In at least two incidents, probably more, neighbors came together and cut tobacco crops for farmers who were unable to do so. In another incident, the wife and mother of a family was bedridden and they were living in a converted granary. The community went together to erect the family a new house.

Today, nearly every month in one of the local communities a benefit meal/auction is conducted to provide financial support to one of its citizens who has medical issues or has suffered a devastating loss.

The Newport Rescue Squad has been the ideal combination of consideration, volunteerism and service in the community since its inception here in 1958. No matter the need, no matter the time,

no matter whom it might be, the squad members have responded with no expectation of compensation. When it comes to donations, few Cocke Countians hesitate to contribute to the Rescue Squad. Their name defines their mission. In their years of service here they have dealt with such situations as drownings, plane crashes, fires, medical transportation/deliveries traffic accidents, fallen trees, lost hikers/ campers, floods, train wrecks, fallen trees, as well as providing traffic/ crowd control and first aid stations, bulldozing roads and even retrieving animals from dangerous positions. The Crewettes were ladies who provided food and drink for the squad members during these working events.

Even though it had not been questioned, the Newport Rescue Squad proved its mettle in July 1964 when a United Airlines flight crashed near Trentham Hollow Road in Parrottsville, killing 39 passengers. The local squad was the first rescue unit on the scene and they worked for the next several weeks in the aftermath.

In addition to the squad’s work, United Airlines recognized other help. (1) Six area homes gave up their telephones

in order to have emergency communication service installed, which local linemen had completed within five hours of the crash. (2) Mrs. Mae Trentham, on whose property the crash occurred, turned her house over to officials as a headquarters and baked them “a good cake” each day. (3) The offers of chainsaws came forward with the need to clear cut the area.

(4) Lynn Allen opened his office supply store at 3 a.m. so that a small, but necessary item could be purchased at a cost of $4.

(5) Lions Club furnished breakfast to the workers.

(6) The American Legion furnished coffee. (7) A local furniture company sent its crew to help install air conditioners for the Memorial Building where the morgue was located. (8) A motel owner provided rooms for United officials.

When it was over, Dale Medlin with United Airlines said, “We’ve always had cooperation but nothing like this. You’d have to go a long way to find anything to compare to the friendliness and desire to help that we have found here.”

The Rescue Squad was presented a Jeep and $1,000 in appreciation from United Airlines.

Mr. and Mrs. Dave Godshalk and their family came here with

Sonoco. After settling in, Mrs. Rolfe Godshalk was impressed by Newport’s uniqueness and felt that there needed to be something for newcomers to learn about the positives of Newport and Cocke County – its history, its communities, its culture, its opportunities. She enlisted the aid of her club, the Clifton Club, to undertake the project. With her as the author/ editor, the club went into the community and from the citizens gathered the information and the pictures which were compiled into a book entitled Newport which was published in 1970. Wilma Dykeman, one of the club members herself, wrote of the book in her column in the Knoxville News Sentinel and said, “Newport helped the author write Newport.” It isn’t just adults who can get behind a project of helping others.

On Sunday, Nov. 10, 2002, a tornado ripped through Morgan County, Tennessee, devastating lives, homes and hopes. The next day a Knoxville television station featured a little boy whose home was destroyed who said he also didn’t get to have his birthday party. Some Cocke County High School students who saw that broadcast were

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stirred to act. Why couldn’t they give him a party? With Emma Cagle as president, the CCHS Beta Club began planning and making arrangements. It grew into a school project and enough money was contributed so that every child in the little boy’s class received a present. The club members

from Newport motored to Wartburg. The boy’s mother had been told about the party and was at the school. After the excitement calmed, the boy looked at his mother and said, “You said I wasn’t going to get any birthday presents.”

It might be difficult to say who benefitted from this more – the Cocke County students or the Wartburg students.

In the history of CCHS, there have been two occasions when the

local people, many of who were alumni, came forward to help with a project. In 1966 a drive was begun to build the present stadium at a cost of $200,000. A challenge was issued. There were some large industrial donations, but the citizens did their part, as they did with renovations of the auditorium, which were completed in 2019. Then there are the people who quietly and anonymously go about helping others – the

teachers who see that students have shoes, coats, the necessary materials, ladies who notice hungry children and see that they have something to eat, a doctor who stops at a home to check on a sick child who is not even his patient, gruff old men who will deny being emotional but will slip money to help someone with a problem, a child who’ll give a favorite toy to another child who may be hurting – all of these can be

found in Cocke County. Remember the parable of the widow’s mite that emphasized that it is not the size but the spirit in which a gift is given that matters? American author Napoleon Hill once said, “If you cannot do great things yourself, you can do small things in a great way.” Whether the deed be great or small, if it helps others, it has been successful, and you have made a difference.

Northport Baptist Church has offered a Christmas dinner to the needy in Cocke County since 1986.

Churches are the anchors of a town

BY EDDIE WALKER

When you travel through a town, most any American town, churches are visible, often on the main street or usually not more than a couple of blocks away. These structures are part of the town’s heritage, they say something about the people, and they are attractive visuals to the landscape.

In recent times travel routes have often been changed to avoid the downtown congestion and delays, but think about passing through one of Newport’s surroundings towns – Morristown, Greeneville, Dandridge, Johnson City, Sevierville, Hot Springs, White Pine, Jonesborough and even Knoxville. In each you will see churches of varying designs, sizes, denominations and ages.

Such used to be case in Newport. The business district developed on Main Street along the railroad, but the churches were built one block back on what is now Broadway but at one time was called Church Street. It became the main travel route by the 1890s and then its importance was enhanced in the early 1920s when it became part of the Dixie Highway, which was a planned route to improve travel between the South and the Midwest. The highway through Newport was one of the major east-west routes until the development of the interstate system.

At one time along the Dixie Highway in downtown Newport were the First Baptist Church, the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, the Methodist Episcopal Church and First Christian Church.

Just a half-block over, but still visible, was the Newport Presbyterian Church.

Newport’s oldest church, Pisgah Presbyterian, started out as an exception to the “downtown rule.” When it moved from Oldtown in 1858 and built its church on the Gorman property, there was no town of Newport here. There was just a little hamlet (which is smaller than a village) which later was called “Clifton” and/or “Gorman’s Depot” before it officially became “Newport” in 1884. The Pisgah Church was adjacent to the cemetery that remains across from Walgreens.

Pisgah Presbyterian was used by all the church people. There was a Union Sunday School and then preaching was done by the preacher of whichever denomination happened to be scheduled. In rural areas and small towns, few churches rarely had a regular preacher each and every Sunday in those days.

First Baptist Church was organized in the Pisgah Presbyterian Church in 1876. The congregation continued to meet there until they built their first church in 1877 on the spot used by the congregation until October 2022. The Baptists still participated in the

SEE CHURCHES ON PAGE 8

First Baptist Church 1906 building.

Union Sunday School until 1884 when they formed their own. The other church groups continued using the Presbyterian church on Sundays, but Wednesday night prayer meeting was a Union service at the Baptist church. Traveling “out of town” to the Presbyterian church was harder at night by lantern light.

This early sharing of a building may have been the reason Cocke County churches have usually had such a spirit of cooperation with each other, even if theology and doctrine differed.

A congregation might bicker within its own walls, but rarely with another congregation.

The Southern Methodists built a church in 1885 about 50 yards east and the two branches of Methodism used this building with a Sunday School and alternating preachers until the Northern Methodists built their church in 1892 another 50 yards east. The two merged into one congregation in 1941 and used the Southern building until moving to a new building in 1957.

The Pisgah Presbyterians moved to downtown in 1897 and changed their name to the Newport Presbyterian Church. The Christians built their original church on Church Street in 1921. The present building was erected on the same site in 1928.

Why were churches built in the downtowns? These were common areas and more easily accessible for all persons. Just as business and trades were part of any community, so were the churches, and as previously stated, they said something about a town.

Which one was the best?

Which one was the perfect one? None of them. They were then and are now composed of human beings with all the weaknesses, frailties and fallibilities that the human race has to offer. A local pastor once remarked that Satan had

the key to every church and didn’t need an invitation to come inside. Those not of any church often describe the churches as being “full of hypocrites,” but another pastor countered that churches “weren’t hotels for saints but hospitals for sinners,” and those who were in the churches knew they needed its healing.

Why have churches left many downtowns? Changes in the population and the culture would be the most likely reasons. In Newport’s case, the changes required the churches to have more space and different designs. Look at the topography of downtown Newport. It is a narrow strip of land hemmed by a river, two bluffs and the railroad.

When many of the buildings were built 1890-1920, probably little thought was given to expansion. The churches were sandwiched between

businesses.

Where could they go?

Also, when these churches were erected, parking was not an issue. Many people walked wherever they went. Not every family had a vehicle and those that did functioned well with only one, as opposed to today when there are several vehicles within the same family.

Newport’s downtown churches were multi-storied. Congregations have always had members who were handicapped and older. Whether it is “pleasant to repeat” (from a hymn line), the mobility of those people was not given much consideration until recent years. Older buildings had steps, and for the older people steps become an issue. Anyone who has had any type of handicap, temporary or permanent, certainly understands this, and anyone who has dealt

with implementing the ADA policies understands how little the non-handicapped understand and how resistant they are to change the status quo.

First Baptist Church constructed a ramp and First Christian Church installed an elevator.

Water was another factor for the churches on the south side of Broadway. The bluff behind them is permeated with wet-weather springs and during heavy rains the buildings along the bluff have been plagued with flooding. This is something The Newport Plain Talk, First Baptist Church, Rhea-Mims building, Stokely Memorial Library, the old First Methodist Church have all experienced.

In fact, the water was the main reason that the Methodists left downtown. In the early 1950s the war and depression were over, economy was improving

and many churches went into building programs.

First Baptist Church got started on their building first. Construction would be delayed when the site flooded. The Methodist leadership concluded that a similar problem would exist if they started building on their site. That is when they made the decision to leave downtown.

Moving to another site is not always easy. Moving “so far away from downtown” was not popular with all Methodists in 1955. Even some of the members of First Baptist had suggested they leave downtown. The Methodists moved; the Baptists stayed, because churches, like other institutions and organizations, operate under this golden rule: those who have the gold make the rules.

Leaving a church building is not easy for members or friends when one thinks of

years of worship, rejoicing, remembrance and mourning shared within its walls.

Citizens will remember graduations, weddings and funerals at First Baptist Church, and it was there that Newport gathered on the evening of Sept. 11, 2001, with a need for divine guidance and reassurance.

Since Newport was established, the population has grown and the boundaries have expanded.

Churches have been established in many other places and are now anchoring the community in those locations.

But more than geographical anchors of town, the churches have been spiritual, emotional and sometimes material havens for the citizens. When times were good, the churches have been here. When times were tough, the churches have been here. They each have made a difference.

First Christian Church

Appreciation and respect for veterans

BY EDDIE WALKER

A veteran is any person who has served in one of the branches of the military.

When persons enlist, it is not known how or where their skills may be needed, but they are willing to serve even if it means making the supreme sacrifice.

American history has proven that nearly every generation has had to face a military conflict.

The nickname for Tennessee, the “Volunteer State,” originated from the fact that when calls have been made for troops, the citizens have responded willingly.

In the War of 1812, the response was so great that the Tennessee Militia had to be divided into the Eastern and Western Divisions. When President James K. Polk called for 2600 volunteers from Tennessee in the Mexican War, 30,000 answered.

Whatever the conflict, Cocke County residents have stepped up to the plate.

At the time of the American Revolution, this area of East Tennessee was still wilderness, inhabited by Native Americans and a few scattered white traders. However, after independence was gained, settlers began moving into this area, not always legally to be honest, but most of these men had answered the call to arms in other places. They brought here, however, a love of freedom, pride in their country and willingness to serve.

Even when America itself was not directly threatened, veterans stepped forward to defend the cause of freedom whenever and wherever they might be needed and it uphold the honor and reputation of their country. In every conflict there have been those who gave their lives.

A lack of early records here would make it impossible to name them all, but a list of Revolutionary War veterans who came to this area would include Thomas Bibee, William Boydston, William Bragg, James Milliken, Bartlett Sisk, John Huff, Darius O’Neil, Vinet Fine, Michael Nehs, Sr., Michael Nehs, Jr., John Ottinger, Jesse Bryant, Joseph Burke, John Campbell, Thomas Palmer, Alexander Smart, George Carter, Peter Fine, John Parrott, Martin Shults, Jacob Boyer, John Carmichael, William Coleman, George Kelley, Spencer Coleman, Abraham Hembree, James Potter, John Williamson, Samuel Yates, Edom Kendrick, Matthew Fox, Jesse Webb, John Fugate, John Heath, John Henry, Allen Surratt, Peter Wise, Henry Click, George Gregory, Robert Jackson, William Lofty, Samuel Martin, Lewis Sawyer, Jehu Stokely, Maximillian Conner, Alexander Smith and John Waddell.

Many Cocke County citizens today can count one or more these men as an ancestor and can be proud that he made a difference for both the county and the country.

Just 30 years after the American Revolution, the country was again at odds with Great Britain in a conflict that is known as the War of 1812. The state and national archives show that Cocke County citizens were in the following units: 4th Regiment, TN Militia (commanded by Col. Samuel Bayless), East TN Volunteer Mounted Gunmen (commanded by Col. John Brown), 1st Regiment Volunteer Mounted Infantry (commanded by Col. Samuel Bunch), 2nd Regiment East TN Militia (commanded by Col. Samuel Bunch), 3 rd Regiment East TN Militia (commanded by Col. Williams Johnson), and 2nd Regiment East TN Volunteer Militia (commanded

by Col. William Lillard).

Since Lillard was a citizen of Cocke County, there were more local men in his unit than any of the others. All of these units served in the Gulf Coast Theatre in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana, culminating with the Battle of New Orleans. Because the military engagements were more with the Native Americans – Cherokee, Creek and Shawnee – rather than the British, this is sometimes called the Creek War or Indian War.

The Mexican War (1846-1848) followed the 1845 annexation of Texas by the United States, as Mexico still considered the area its territory. They did not recognize the validity of the Treaty of Velasco, ending the Texas War of Independence in 1836. When the United States invaded Mexico, troops were needed and Cocke County residents were among those who responded. There isn’t a complete list of names but in October 1880 when there was a rally in Newport, more than 100 veterans of the Mexican War attended.

The Civil War was a dark time in our history, the country torn apart, state against state, brother against brother. When

Tennessee seceded to the Confederacy, East Tennessee remained primarily pro-Union, but there was a pro-Southern element here also. Local men joined both armies and when the war ended, they returned home and tried to resume life as usual. Of course, there was resentment and bitterness and some moved elsewhere. Over time those feelings eased, but a lasting effect is reflected in the politics of Cocke County, which have been near solidly Republican. There have only been two Democrats elected to Congress from the First TN Congressional District since the Civil War.

The Spanish-American War was with Spain, based on US intervention in the Cuba’s War of Independence in 1898 after the USS Maine was blown up in Havana Harbor. It was a short conflict, but Cocke County formed its own unit to serve – Company C, 6th Regiment, US Volunteer Immunes. Governor Ben W. Hooper was their captain. The unit served in Puerto Rico. Then come the modern conflicts – World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War, Afghanistan. Here it gets personal as many know and have known veterans

from each of these.

Their stories and experiences have been heard first-hand and some of their effects have been witnessed by those back home. The peacetime veterans must not be forgotten either. They have kept our military foundation solid in readiness for any times of combat.

During World War I, Newport attorney Capt. Thurman Ailor organized and headed Company E, 2nd Tennessee Infantry, which was composed of Cocke County citizens.

Starting with the Revolutionary War veterans, for every conflict there have been programs of compensation. Those first veterans were awarded bounty lands as well as pensions, but also from the start, getting and receiving them for some had involved the proverbial “red tape.” The government has not always been forthcoming with the reparations, and in the case of WWII veterans, it led to violence. Confederate veterans only received pensions if the individual Southern states could later fund them.

In 1921 all agencies which offered any type of aid to veterans were consolidated into the Veterans Bureau which has

evolved into the Veterans Administration, which was elevated to Cabinet status in 1989. The motto of the VA is based on its goal of caring for those “who have borne the battle.” The VA manages all veteran benefits — medical, financial and burial.

In 1945 the position of Veterans Service Officer was created to be located in every county to assist veterans with their benefits.

The VA provides tombstones for any veterans since the American Revolution, and of late, citizens have seen that the unmarked graves of many local veterans have been marked.

In recent years, Vietnam veterans have come forward and related the negative, unprovoked and hostile treatment they received to their return to the United States. Such mistreatment may have contributed to the estimate that at least 30% of Vietnam veterans later have had some degree of PTSD. Few of them talk about it, but what most of these might have experienced can leave deep scars.

When the United States entered the Gulf War, citizens made a concerted effort to see its veterans were not again treated

as the Vietnam veterans were. One plan was the campaign of “yellow ribbons” which citizens were asked to display as a symbol of honor and remembrance of those serving in the military far away from home.

Another local group that seeks to remember our veterans is the Cocke County chapter of the Quilts of Valor. Founded in 2015, this group has 18 volunteers, both men and women, who meet monthly at the DAV building. They handcraft quilts of various patterns but all in patriotic colors and motifs. Any veteran can receive one of these quilts symbolic of covering them with comfort and healing and with appreciation for their service and sacrifice to our nation.

The local chapter of QOV has distributed quilts to over 500 of our local veterans.

The phrase “Our country – right or wrong!” was coined in 1816 by naval hero Stephen Decatur. Our veterans have dedicated themselves and offered their lives in defense of their country, no matter what. In every era, in every year, they have made a difference, and those who support them make a difference, too.

Quilts of Valor were awarded to a group of local veterans in 2022.

This group of veterans in 1972 represented service in World War I, World War II, Korea and Vietnam. From left first row: Hugh Holder, Neil Harper, O.L. Clark.

Second row: Fred Murr, Jack Holt, Ricky Bryant, Randy Reneau. Third row: Herbert Harper, Herman Shelton, Cecil Samples, Ernest Johnson, O.C. Hopkins.

G.A. Bentley, the pied piper of industry

BY EDDIE WALKER

G.A. Bentley is a name that would not be familiar with many people in Cocke County today. Yet, his work here has had lasting effects for many families. As an industrial recruiter in the 1950s and 1960s, he helped to bring industry here and in so doing greatly

improved the economy of Cocke County and lifestyles of its citizens. He was so adept at doing this that one community dubbed him “the pied piper of industry,” as he had a way of convincing industries to follow where he led.

He was George Allen Bentley and was born in Coatesville, Chester Coun-

ty, Pennsylvania, on March 2, 1890.

Chester County, which is near Philadelphia, has been called “the land of iron and steel,” because of its number of such industries through the years. Lukens Steel Company began in 1810 in Coatesville and is still in operation. The steel industry was the founda-

tion for Bentley’s work ethic. His father was the superintendent of The Century Company, and G.A.’s first job was at Lukens Steel. In 1920 he was manager of an automobile works there. Mr. Bentley told that left work in a rubber plant in Ohio to begin as an industrial recruiter in 1928.

Eventually he developed what was called the “Bentley System” which acted as a “go-between” for communities who were seeking industry and industries that were looking for new locations. It was his job to see that each “got the most for the money.” In the Breese (Illinois) Journal, Dec. 2, 1937, his mode of

operation was explained: “He makes a survey of a community, learns of its facilities, including power, water, schools, churches, streets, mail service, finances and everything that might be of interest to an industrial organization if it is seeking a new

G.A. Bentley, far left, with Cocke County officials R.D. Ford, Donald Cody and Roy T. Campbell Jr.

location for its factory. His report on what he found in Breese was most favorable, stating the only thing we lacked was natural gas. He commented very highly on our low tax rate and the fact that our city was out of debt. He asked for the number of people between the ages of 18 and 50 living in Breese who are wanting work in a factory … “

This was how it was done for any location where he was engaged. In 1935, he was in Long Beach, New York, in 1938 St. Louis and in 1940 he was located in Chicago. One report said that when he was before the leaders of a community, he spoke “with the air of an evangelist” which “instilled excitement and then enthusiasm in the men attending.”

Over the years, he amassed a tremendous network of contacts, both of communities and industries, and seemingly keeping all of this in his head, whenever a need arose, he could retrieve it to make the necessary contacts, usually starting at the top with the heads. Some of the places Bentley assisted, in varying degrees, included Kirksville, Missouri, Breese, Spencerville, Ohio, Versailles, Kentucky, Groton, Vermont, Falls City, Nebraska, Seymour, Indiana, Mt. Carmel, Illinois, Casper, Wyoming, Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey, Sikeston, Missour and Smyrna, Delaware.

It was while Mr. Bentley was living in Chicago that he was severely injured when he was struck by a car. He recovered, though badly stooped and walking with the aid of two canes. He chose to use canes because “who would pay attention to an industry locator who walked into an office on crutches?”

He was unable to drive car afterward, but his vast knowledge of industrial recruiting was not harmed and his career continued.

In 1946, he left Chicago and went to Newport News, Virginia, as industrial commissioner for the Peninsula Industrial Committee which comprised all of Virginia’s Lower Peninsula. On Jan. 1, 1951, he began a similar job for the Beckley, West Virginia, Chamber of Commerce where he was until December 1952. On Jan.

1, 1953 he began work in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, and was there a year when he moved to Middlesboro, Kentucky. This begins his connection with Newport and Cocke County.

Following World War ll, Americans had a new vision as to the role that industry could play in a community. Through the cooperation, modifications and labor force, America’s industries had played a vital role in winning the war. Many communities were interested in the development that new industry could bring. Such was a vision in Cocke County. At that time, the major industries here were Rhyne Lumber Company, Stokely-Van Camp and

Unaka Tannery, along with some smaller operations and American Enka in Hamblen County. There previously had been a Chamber of Commerce but it was defunct. In 1951 it was revived with M.M. Bullard, a true visionary, as president. The new chamber also created an Industrial Development Committee with a purpose to stimulate industry here. Contacts were made but nothing substantial developed until the committee learned about G.A. Bentley in Middlesboro in 1954. Having only been there a short time, Bentley was ready to leave because he would not work where there were union issues.

James Franks, Burnett Shepherd and Luther Cooper went to Middlesboro to see if he would be interested in coming to Newport. He was, and he began his work here Jan. 1, 1955.

In the next 20 months, he made over 60 contacts

with industries. Once he put the communities and industries in touch, it was up to the community to “sell” their location to the industry.

Within 90 days in 1956, three industries made plans to locate here: WallTube from Plymouth, Michigan, Heywood-Wakefield from Gardner, Massachusetts and National Cylinder Gas of Chicago.

Once here, the latter was known as Chemtron. Bentley was here until Oct. 1, 1956, when he moved to Erwin, Tennessee. When Mr. Bentley left Newport, Col. Bullard was quoted in the Erwin Record saying that Bentley had more than lived up to the expectations and the only reason for his leaving was that his contract has expired and his industrial program was ahead of the city planning program. He was in Erwin until 1958 when he moved to Corbin, Kentucky. In May 1960, he

returned to East Tennessee as industrial commissioner for Elizabethton and Carter County.

While Mr. Bentley was here, Col. Bullard also worked with him to bring industries and civic improvements to the county, continuing during the times Mr. Bentley wasn’t here.

Mr. Bentley returned here in 1963, starting on Sept. 1 as industrial recruiter for both Cocke and Jefferson Counties. During this time, his work brought three more industries here: Vernco from Columbia, Indiana, Electro-Voice from Buchanan, Michigan and Sonoco from Hartsville, South Carolina.

An article in the Knoxville News-Sentinel, Aug. 13, 1967, said Bentley “seems to attract industries like sugar draws ants.” At that point, Bentley said in his 39 years in that field, he had relocated 329 industries. In that interview,

Bentley was asked what Newport had that other East Tennessee communities didn’t have when it came to attracting industry. He mentioned that it was an “open shop” town, there was labor peace and a wage scale far under what is found in northern and midwestern cities. He also pointed out that Newport was on I-40, existing industries here are expanding, a sewer system is extending, the high school has a new football stadium, NGS had made a $1 million addition, Smoky Mountain Golf Course has a new club house, Holiday Inn is about to open and other new motels are planned.

Bentley left Newport the second time in 1968 and was next in Pana, Illinois, until 1970 when he retired to Erwin. While doing recruiting work there in 1956, he met and married an Erwin lady, Mrs. Minnie Weaver in 1957. This was his third marriage. His

first wife was Margaret Nolan, whom he married in 1927. She died in 1953. His second wife was Mrs. Margaret Durando, whom he married in 1955; that marriage was short-lived. When Mr. Bentley died Aug. 2, 1971, at the age of 81, this was said about him in an editorial in the Johnson City Press-Chronicle: “He was a pusher, a go-getter, a doer … Getting new industries was his specialty, and his talents in this field were almost uncanny … He could open doors that seemed closed. He could succeed where others failed. He seemed to know intuitively where to go and what to day … To arrive at what we owe this man, it would necessary to look into the lives of all the people who have jobs because of him.”

Many such people in Cocke County have been recipients because people like G.A. Bentley have made a difference.

M.M. Bullard worked cooperatively with Mr. Bentley to bring industry to Cocke County.

As they taught, they spread the word

BY EDDIE WALKER

Religion and education often have been hand-inhand through the years, although in more recent years, it seemed that each was pulling against the other. It was the work of the church that established the first formal educational program in Cocke County, and then various religious denominations established their own educational institutions.

Cocke County’s first school was Anderson Academy, which resulted from a legislative act dated Sep. 13, 1806, which designated the proceeds from the sale of public lands for an academy to be established in every county. At that time there were only 32 counties. The goals of these academies were to develop the moral and spiritual natures of the pupils, to emphasize cultural education and to develop a body of intelligent students.

Anderson Academy was named for Tennessee Sen. Joseph Anderson (17571837), who lived in Lowland in what is now Hamblen County. Due to financial issues, the academy was not functioning until 1815. Although the academy was established with public monies, it had a strong Presbyterian influence, as most of its professors were Presbyterian ministers. It was the Presbyterian church that brought religion and education into the wilderness of East Tennessee.

The first academy was a mile west of Newport [Oldtown] near the present intersection of Woodson Road and Wagon Way. By 1850, the original building had been abandoned and the institution had moved to a new building in Newport and changed the name to “Newport Academy.” This school closed at the beginning of the Civil War. Tennessee did not have a well-organized statewide school system until after the war. The present system had its origins in 1873 when an act required public schools to be funded by property taxes and poll taxes and created the office of superintendent of schools in every county.

The religious denominations continued to support their own institutions, which became mission opportunities for church groups. It became the job of the missionaries to make the schools’ programs and needs known to those interested.

Parrottsville Academy was established in 1875 by a group of citizens, all but one being Methodist. The first teachers, George R. Stuart and Thomas F. Robeson, both became Methodist preachers. The school had both primary and secondary instruction, with plans to offer one year of college work. The school was in the old Roadman Mansion. The Parrottsville United Methodist Church is on the site today.

Following a disagreement over staff, the trustees in

1886 sold the academy to the Methodist Episcopal Church, which operated it under its Southern Education program. The name was changed to Parrottsville Seminary. Information about the school, such as its staff, curricula, enrollment, tuition and property values began appearing in the annual reports of the Method-

ist Episcopal denomination. Parrottsville Seminary does not appear in the reports after 1908. Area newspapers began mentioning Parrottsville High School. Most likely, the ME Church had sold the facility to the Cocke County School System.

Dr. Edward O. Guerrant (1838-1916) was a physician

“Society of Soul Winners” in 1896.

Dr. Guerrant’s organization was responsible for establishing three educational institutions in Cocke County. First under the control of the Presbyterian Synod of Tennessee, they were later part of the Executive Committee of the Home Missions of the Presbyterian General Assembly.

These institutions were Ebenezer, Smoky Mountain Seminary and the John Black School.

Ebenezer was established in 1898 from a school that had begun about 1890 by two Moravian missionaries, Miss Catherine Plontz and William Nowak. Of Dr. Guerrant’s schools, Ebenezer is the best known. Two of its teachers, John Wood and Miss Lenora Whitaker, married and became the parents of writer Catherine Marshall, who used their experience there as the basis for her best-selling novel Christy, which was published in 1967. In 1994 the story was presented in a TV drama, parts of which some of the local residents found offensive.

The site of the school is near Chapel Hollow Road in the Old 15th section. It is about six miles south of Del Rio. The Presbyterians operated the school until 1927. The original mission building burned in 1962, but as a result of Christy, the location still attracts interest from visitors to the area.

Smoky Mountain Seminary was on Tobe’s Creek Road not far from the I-40 Waterville exit. It was established in 1901. In 1912 it was reported that there was a five-room school and a three-room cottage. In 1914, an article in The Newport Plain Talk told that there were 43 students and that tuition was 35 cents per month. A visitor to the Sunday School reported that the lesson was creditable to “the junior class of any theological seminary.” Smoky Mountain Seminary closed around 1925.

Miss Mary Andrews of Milledgeville, Georgia, came to the Black’s community near Hartford about 1903. Mr. John Black contacted Dr. Guerrant about the need for better educational instruction and spiritual guidance in his community. Miss Mary Andrews of Milledgeville came to the Black settlement about 1903. According to Presbyterian records, the school was not established until 1911. Even after the school closed, the church was called Mary Andrews Chapel. Miss Andrews remained in the community until her death in 1953.

in Mt. Sterling, Kentucky, who was called to preach for the Presbyterian church. He had a fervor for sharing the gospel with the poor in the remote areas of Appalachia. Part of his plan was to help these people was providing educational opportunities where they might be most needed. To accomplish this goal, he established the

1913. On a five-acre tract, there was a school building and cottages for Miss Compton and the ministers. The school had an excellent academic reputation. The county school system supported Compton Memorial to some degree. Following a disagreement, Miss Compton turned to the school back to Milligan College, which then sold it to Cocke County. Cosby Academy was established in 1912 by the Home Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention within the bounds of the East Tennessee Baptist Association. It was located on the site of the present Cosby School.

The original campus had an administration/ classroom building and a girls’ dormitory. Later a second dormitory was built. Classes began on Sept. 1, 1914. The school had both elementary and secondary classes. Its graduates went to college fully prepared. Its mission was frequently reported on the state paper Baptist and Reflector, and interested patrons were quick to meet its needs. The focus on mission schools decreased as public schools improved and busing became more available. Cosby Academy ceased to exist when it was sold to the Cocke County School System in 1935 and became Cosby School.

Sunset Gap is a community about five miles from Cosby on the Sevier-Cocke line. A school was opened there in 1924 by Miss Sarah Cochrane, who was a field missionary of the Presbyterian church. The school was actually named “Glenwood” but was best known just as “Sunset Gap.”

It was Miss Cochrane’s mission “to train boys and girls to be responsible, to be clean, to be neat and to cooperate with their fellows.”

At one time it was the only elementary school in Sevier or Cocke County to have an A rating.

The school program ended at Sunset Gap in 1960 and the facility became a mission and a community center. It is still functions as such today.

In addition to the mission schools, two missionary couples who played major roles for many years in the county were Rev. and Mrs. L.L. Brown and Rev. and Mrs. O.W. Harer. The couples worked in the communities and the schools to help the people spiritually, materially and educationally. Their work was done on faith as a labor of love.

In 1905, Miss Viola Compton of Indiana came to the Raven’s Branch community of Cocke County as a missionary of the Disciples of Christ. She had a dream to build a Christian school there, and with the help of the community and Milligan College, Compton Memorial School opened in

Affiliated with Christ’s Home in Warminster, Pennsylvania, the Browns were here for a short time in the early 1900ss and then left, doing mission work in Persia. They returned in the early 1930s, leaving in 1945 when Rev. Brown’s health failed. The Harers came after the Browns. Many citizens today still remember “Preacher Harer” and Miss Grace and the work they did to share God’s word with the local school children for 40-plus years.

Ebenezer Mission was the basis for the novel “Christy.”

Compton Memorial School at Ravens Branch.

Why it’s called McCabe Avenue

McCabe Avenue is in West End. Many drivers use this route to avoid heavier Broadway traffic closer to downtown. The street goes right by the Rhyne Lumber Company site, which is familiar to many people. However, there would only be a very few who will remember that that business was earlier known as McCabe Lumber Company, and at other times, Spiegle Lumber Company. In fact, the area also has been called “Spiegle Hill.”

Until after the Civil War, trees were usually felled only when an area was to be cleared to get the land for cultivation, for firewood or to get material to build a house or barn. For the latter reasons, it was not the largest trees which were cut. In the Southern mountains there was still much virgin forest land and many massive trees.

At that time the demand for wood was greater than that for metal. The economy of the South had been primarily agricultural and had been decimated by the ravages of the war and the abolition of slavery. The northern capitalists soon recognized an opportunity. Here was an area of rich resources, and with a shortage of ready cash, a willing labor pool.

One of the first large scale logging operations in the South was the Scottish-Carolina Timber and Land Company which was established here in Cocke County in 1884. That business has a story all its own, which Wilma Dykeman covered in her book

The French Broad. (The SCTL left here in 1886. Ms. Dykeman’s explanation was the company’s devastation from a flood. She probably had knew, but chose not the write, that another major reason was the lack of cooperation between the SCTL and the local business and political leaders.)

There were other areas in the South where later logging operations were located. The primary focus for the businessmen was removing the desirable timber and for the workers it was getting their wages. There was only minimal regard to the land or landscape.

Forests are a renewable resource which, however, takes time. In many areas, bare land was washed and eroded which, in turn, removed wildlife habitats and damaged the streams.

The Biltmore Forest School on the Vanderbilt estate in Asheville was the first forestry school in the United States. From 1898-1914, its goal was to teach southerners how to conserve the forest resources and to quickly replant cut-over lands. In correlation to this was President Theodore Roosevelt’s desire to protect wildlife and public lands that led to the creation of the national parks, forests, game preserves and monuments.

Having digressed and getting back to the local angle, George Molledore Spiegle (1862-1946) was a lumberman and also a capitalist who saw the potential of the southern mountains. He came here in 1898 and set up business in the former Bellvue Cotton Mill, which was at the present intersection of East Main Street and Lincoln Avenue. The Knoxville Journal and Tribune, May 27, 1900, mentioned that George M. Spiegle of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was “operating extensive lumber interests in Newport.”

In “Newport News” in the Chattanooga Daily Times, March 27, 1901, it was reported that Southern Railway was getting ready to put in a sidetrack “for Spiegle’s new lumber mill in the West End.”

The next phases of the story have both confusion and drama.

On Feb. 21, 1906, in the Nashville Banner, it was

reported that the Secretary of State has issued a charter to McCabe Lumber Company which had a capital of $50,000. The incorporators were listed as G.M. Spiegle, Walter McCabe, Henry Spiegle, Frank Richardson and W.D. McSween. Walter McCabe was a brother-in-law of George Spiegle, whose wife was Lavinia McCabe. Henry Spiegle was George’s younger brother.

A special section about the city of Newport appeared in the Chattanooga News, Sept. 15, 1906. It was stated that the business had started March 1, 1906, as a successor to Geo. M. Spiegle & Company, which grew so quickly had it was necessary to move to an eight acre tract on the west side of town.

Handling only hardwoods, there they operated a saw mill, a planing mill, dry kiln and a lumber yard. They have shipped lumber across the South. George Spiegle was listed as President and Walter McCabe as Secretary. W.J. and W.D. McSween were their General Counselors. Frank Richardson and Henry Spiegle were the buyers.

As mentioned previous-

ly, Henry Spiegle (18701908), known as “Harry,” was George’s brother. Harry married Agnes J. Hauser in 1892 and they had seven children. While George’s principal residence remained in Philadelphia, Harry and his family had moved to Tennessee by 1903.

Evidently, Harry “had issues.” In 1908, he was living in Knoxville and was employed at the Knoxville Saw Mill Company.

As reported in the Philadelphia Inquirer, on Sept. 4, 1908, Harry had been the black sheep of the family and had “caused more or less domestic discord the last eight to ten years.”

He had been in trouble several times and his brother had had to straighten things out. Harry had “deserted his wife for a southern girl,” and George had brought Harry’s family back to Philadelphia where he was supporting them. Harry had gotten a lumber job in Marshall, North Carolina, when he was arrested and tried for forgery. In August 1908, the case was dismissed on a technicality. For some reason, he felt George

was responsible for his arrest, and on Sept. 3 he came to the office, where he fired a .32 revolver which misfired twice. In an ensuing scuffle, George was able to wrest the gun away from Harry and shot at him, meaning it to be just a warning. However, a bullet struck Harry in the shoulder and ranged downward, damaging several vital organs. He underwent surgery but died later that night. George turned himself into the police, made bond and was released. The next year he was acquitted by reason of self-defense. Reports of this incident were reported, naturally in The Newport Plain Talk, as well as across the country.

In 1910, Walter McCabe sold his interest in McCabe Lumber Company to G.M. Spiegle and went into business for himself in Knoxville. Advertisements in the Knoxville newspapers state that he was located on the “old Baldwin ballpark” at Dale and South and was buying “all hardwoods and white pine.” The McCabe family moved from Newport to Knoxville where they were quite active in church and social affairs for many

years. Here comes the confusing part: which was which and who owned what?

In 1911, The Newport Plain Talk, reported that Spiegle mill would be enlarged at McCabe Lumber Company. In the Special Edition on Feb. 24, 1915, there was an article about the lumber business of Walter McCabe, and during that time there were regular advertisements, saying that F.S. Graddon was the manager. The McCabe Company would have a lumber yard near the T&NC Depot in Newport. (That was at the present intersection of Asheville Highway and Edwina Road.)

In 1916, Spiegle was part of a group which established an operation, called Cotrim, in Bristol, Tennessee. The men were described as “expert lumbermen and manufacturers and have been operating at Newport, Tenn.” The Spiegle family remained involved with Cotrim for many years. It is still in operation.

In 1918, Charles T. Rhyne, a young man, came to Newport to work for Mr. Spiegle as manager of McCabe Lumber

Company. (Young Rhyne had previously worked for Boice Hardwood Company at Hartford.) One picture shows “McCabe Lumber Company” on the mill and another shows “Spiegle Lumber Company” on the warehouse.

Mr. Rhyne was later able to purchase the business. The Nashville Banner, Feb. 18, 1926, reported that Rhyne Lumber Company had been incorporated with $30,000 capital. The incorporators were listed as C.T. Rhyne, T.Q. Hunt, J.O. Cope, W.D. McSween and Motelle Rhyne.

(Mrs. Patsy Williams recalls that the Rhyne family went to the New York World’s Fair in 1939 and stopped in Philadelphia to deliver their final payment to the Spiegle family.)

So, this is why Newport has McCabe Avenue. These men made a difference in providing a market for loggers and industrial jobs for mill workers. Also, they produced quality construction materials for contractors and carpenters. These opportunities remained constant even during the years of the Great Depression.

Spiegle Lumber Company

McCabe Lumber Company

A town’s appearance makes a difference

BY EDDIE WALKER

A 2019 Bloomberg study reported that the more beautiful a city is the more successful it is at attracting jobs and new residents which in turn generates more income. The report went onto say that beautiful places do not

just occur naturally. They are the product of public policy and investment, but residents can and do make their cities more beautiful.

Civic improvements don’t just refer to the infrastructure – utilities, transportation and services such as fire and police protection, schools and librar-

ies and hospitals. They also include city beautification which involves cleaning up trash and waste, removing weeds and unnecessary growth, razing dilapidated structures, planting flowers, trees and shrubbery, painting, lighting darkened areas, repairing broken pavement and sidewalks

and painting wherever needed.

Who notices these needs? Urban planners and industrial developers, of course, do, but there are the visionaries, those persons who can see the potentials beyond what is the broken, the trash, the dilapidated. These

people have pride in their community and recognize that an attractive physical environment can change the attitudes of the entire population.

It would seem that Newport has always had such people. In Newport’s earliest years, one of the town’s early newspapers,

the Eastern Sentinel, made mention of the need for residents to take more pride in the appearance of the town. In the issue of January 27, 1881: We are certainly in hopes that the experience of the past three weeks will not

SEE APPEARANCE ON PAGE 17

Margaret Clark, Frances Leibrock and Louise Butcher work to beautify the library grounds.

be lost upon our citizens in regard to fixing up our sidewalks … the streets in the west end of town are almost impassable and very few ladies dare to enliven our thoroughfares … Dr. [L.W.] Hooper complains about the mud … On March 10, 1881, it was written: Housecleaning is in order and a thorough cleaning should be given the streets and alleys. A few touches of the paint brush would make wonderful improvement in some localities. We certainly have the prettiest town in the state when it has on its Sunday clothes.

In the years between 1890 and 1910, there was a group of citizens who really promoted Newport and Cocke County and sought to bring business and industry here. There were long articles in the Knoxville, Chattanooga and Nashville newspapers describing the advantages and opportunities of the town. It is people like them who have wanted our town to be made as attractive as possible.

In 1911 a Women’s Improvement Club was organized here with the goal of developing the civic, intellectual and cultural life. In the Newport Plain Talk, March 9, 1911, the ladies announced that a general cleaning up week would be set for the first week of April. They added that the Board of Mayor and Aldermen were entering into the “spirit of a more clean town” and were taking up the question of garbage cans. In the April 20 issue, the ladies expressed appreciation for the efforts that the citizens had made towards cleaning up. On June 8, 1911, the following letter from Mrs. J.W. O’Hara appeared: A drive around our beautiful town will reveal many improvements which have been inaugurated the past few months. Our macadamized [graveled] streets, newly painted residences, old ram-shackled buildings torn down, outhouses and fences whitewashed. The “Clean-up” spirit is contagious. If you don’t believe it, my friend, just try setting and example your neighbors will follow.

Like any project, civic cleanliness has to be continued or slovenly conditions will recur. This was true in Newport, for an editorial in 1914 asked “Is Newport to have a clean up?” and stated There are only two streets in Newport … other towns the size of Newport have cleaner and better kept streets than we have. It is a pretty shiftless town that won’t clean its streets. The other day we heard that the one thing wrong with Newport was that the streets were so dreadfully dirty.

Another article Aug. 26, 1924, was titled “Newport Needs Cleaning-Up.” The Knoxville Journal reported that in September 1934 that the Twentieth Century Club had hosted a meeting with leaders of Newport women’s organizations – United Daughters of the Confederacy, American Legion

Auxiliary, PTA, Business Women’s Club

– all of which pledged their support to “improve and beautify Newport.” In November of that year, Mr. Sam Brewster of TVA spoke to the club about aid available from TERA [Tennessee Emergency Relief Administration] to secure a city planner to assist in developing zoning regulations, beautifying public areas and establishing a city park.

In 1963, Newport went into civic improvement in a BIG way. The local Chamber of Commerce sponsored the “Clean-Up, Paint-Up, Fix-Up” campaign and urged all citizens and organizations to participate. Mrs. Patsy Williams was chairman of this endeavor. It was a very successful, and in January 1964 Newport was given the award for “The Best Overall Program” in the Tennessee Community Program. They also received second place in the “Grand Award” from the state.

In February 1964, Newport Mayor and Mrs. J. Fred Jones were in Washington, DC at the International Inn to receive the “Special Achievement Award” for the Clean-Up, Paint-Up and Fix-Up” national campaign. The competition was divided by city size and was based upon civic beautification, slum prevention, health and safety, juvenile delinquency, fire protection, civic pride and business development. Mayor Jones proudly stated, “Our citizens worked hard for this award.”

One citizen who really put her desire for

a prettier Newport into action was Mrs. Eva Sexton.

She was a native of Newport. In 1961 she began the job as manager/secretary of the Newport Chamber of Commerce and she was among those who would promote Newport and its opportunities to inquirers. She was quick to defend Newport to any detractors. She didn’t want any credit or recognition for herself; she was only interested in making Newport a better place to live and work.

When she left the Chamber in 1981, she wasn’t idle long. Mayor Jeanne Wilson engaged her in beautification efforts for the town. Using her “green thumb,” her sense of color and design and her frugal nature, she set to make a difference in the appearance of the town, as economically as possible. Readers may remember seeing her puttering about town in her baseball cap, her car loaded with gardening tools and water jugs.

The concrete planters along the streets were her idea. She envisioned the dogwood grove across from Walgreens. She came up with the plan for the old Pisgah Cemetery, an overgrown jungle, to be preserved and easily maintained. She designed the local history park on the riverbank on East Main Street. She spent many hours planting and watering flower beds at the Newport City Park and through her efforts the caboose was placed in the park. She and Doug Shoemaker were responsi-

ble for the growth of white pines around the perimeter of the park.

While she wanted to be “a committee of one,” she was quick to say she couldn’t have accomplished this had it not been for “her boys” from the City Street Department. It was her direction and inspiration that began the beautification program that is in place today.

Tim Dockery is Director of the Newport Parks and Recreation through which the beautification program is managed. This includes the various parks – City Park, Pet Milk, White Oak, Bryant Town, Fifth/ Filbert – as well as the grounds of the Community Center, City Hall and Police Department. They also maintain the Eva Sexton Greenway and the grassy areas around the interstate.

The flowers along the streets and on the bridges are particularly attractive. The plants are purchased by Faye Fish and are grown under a hydroponic system through a cycle of fertilizing/ fertilizing/flushing.

The city plants and maintains the flowers in hanging baskets, both 19inch and 24-inch, from the utility poles and the 44inch hayracks on the bridges. They have a watering tank of 500 gallons mounted on a vehicle to travel about town in a specific pattern.

Today, Keep Cocke County Beautiful currently sponsors the clean-up on Douglas Lake basin, one of the area’s most picturesque spots.

Eva Sexton oversaw the restoration of the old Pisgah Cemetery.

Service organizations have contributed much

BY EDDIE WALKER

Tennessee has been known as the “Volunteer State” for a long time, and the men and women who have joined the various service clubs are excellent examples of the embodi-

ment of that spirit.

A service club is a voluntary, non-profit organization which meets regularly and is defined by its service mission and its membership. These groups support charitable causes relative to their

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respective communities either by direct, hands-on efforts or raising funds to support these causes. It is the goal of these groups to better their communities.

Although some organizations have specific membership requirements, no one is forced to join any of these organizations. They do so because camaraderie with the other members and an interest in fulfillment of the organizations’ goals. Cocke County has had many such organizations.

The oldest formal organization in the county would be the Masonic Order, which received a charter as Lodge No. 4 in 1806

from the State of North Carolina. Masonry is an ancient fraternal society whose goals have been to promote the brotherhood of man and the Fatherhood of God, to render aid to the less fortunate and to live responsible lives that reflect the objectives of the society. When the Masons erected their lodge hall in 1875, they made provision for Newport’s children by providing a building for the Newport Academy. The Masons used the top floor and the school the bottom. This was Newport’s school until 1898, and even after that, the building was used for occasionally for overflow classes from NGS.

The Masons and affiliated organizations like the Shriners and the Eastern Star support causes for the betterment of the commu-

nity. Through the years in Cocke County, other fraternal societies have been the International Organization of Good Templars, Woodmen of the World, Knights of Pythias, Knights of Honor, Junior Order of United American Mechanics, Independent Order of Oddfellows, Rebekahs, Royal Arch Masons and Improved Order of Red Men.

The Newport Kiwanis Club is another organization that is worked for the betterment of the community. Organized in September 1920, one of its first service projects was actually spent improving the gravel highway at Wolf Creek in May 1921. Throughout its history, aiding children and youth has held top priority. Many older citizens will recall “Kids Day” at the

City Park every summer. Kiwanis Kapers, a revue-type production, was enjoyed by the community for several years. The Kiwanis Club is still active today.

The Newport Lions Club was first organized in 1939 but disbanded during World War ll because many members went into the military. It was rechartered in 1949. In addition to many community projects, another of the club’s main projects was sight conservation. They provided vision exams and glasses for the needy, and they were very supportive of Volunteer Blind Industries in Morristown. The club disbanded about 2010.

The Newport Rotary Club was organized in

SEE SERVICE ON PAGE 19

Dean Williams and G.A. Bentley at a Jaycee meeting in 1962.

SERVICE

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 18

December 1957. The first president was Jack Hixon, the first secretary Dr. Jack Clark. This group supported any local program which fell under either of its objectives – promote peace, fight diseases, provide clean water and sanitation, protect the environment, support education and build the local economy. The club disbanded.

The name “Jaycees” actually stands for Junior Chamber of Commerce. It is an organization to provide opportunities for civic development to young adults, 18-40, who seek to make a positive change in society. The local Jaycee chapter sponsored the first “Miss Newport” pageant here in 1957.

There was an Optimist Club in Newport in the late 50s. This group seeks to make the future brighter by bringing out the best in children, in the communities and in themselves.

The Smoky Mountain Sertoma Club was chartered here in 1968. The name is an acronym for “service to mankind” which speaks of their goals. One of their first projects was developing the playground at the corner of Beech and Eighth Streets. Later adopted by the Kiwanis Club, it is still

widely used today. The club sponsored the “Miss Newport Pageant” 19691974. They also honored leaders in the community with the “Service to Mankind” award, the first recipient being Dr. Hobart Ford, Sr. The club disbanded in the late 1970s.

Health charities focus on promoting awareness of and raising funds for the research for curing and treating those afflicted with certain diseases.

These are nationally organized, but there have been many local citizens who have been involved in the activities of these charities.

The March of Dimes was founded in 1938 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt for the cause of polio, as he himself was a victim.

Once polio was brought under control by vaccines, the focus of the movement shifted to improve the health conditions of women and children. From the time of its founding in 1924, the American Heart Association has worked for improving the cardio-vascular health of mankind. Funds raised helped research for better treatment and medicine for hearth health. There was a time when local citizens had to go to places such as Philadelphia for heart surgery and stay weeks in recovery. Improvements have brought such treatments to Knoxville with recovery

being only days. Few families have escaped the scourge of cancer. Cocke County has had two organizations that have worked to those who have been affected by it. The American Cancer Society has a chapter here. Another group involved in helping cancer patients is Celebrate Life.

The American Lung Association was established in 1907 when tuberculosis was the number one cause of death. From that time, TB has been brought under control but other respiratory issues remain and the lung association is still working to alleviate those. Christmas Seals were sold as a fundraiser of this organization.

The Ruritan organization focuses on small towns and rural areas. Local clubs are autonomous and can focus on the needs in their own communities and can structure their programs to meet those needs. These have been the local Ruritan clubs: Cosby, Parrottsville, Centerview, Edwina, Del Rio and Natural Bridge. In addition to helping individuals in their communities, these groups have worked to provide such things as athletic teams, community centers, medical clinics, beautification and anti-litter campaigns, fire departments and scholarships.

The Home Demonstration Clubs were affiliated with the County Agent

which is part of the UT Agricultural Extension Service. The clubs allow rural housewives to meet together socially and learn from the Home Demonstration Agent new methods and practices to improve home and community life. In Cocke County there have been several Home Demonstration Clubs: Cosby, Parrottsville, Sinking Creek, Sunset Gap and Newport. These ladies always took an active role in the Cocke County Fair.

As America became a more “throw away” society, much of this was becoming litter along the roads and highways and in our towns. In 1988 the “Adopt a Highway” program was brought to Cocke County, and citizens and organizations began taking a few hours a month to collect the litter which had accumulated along certain stretches of roads. Cocke County and the City of Newport both established convenience and recycling centers, which allow residents to dispose of trash. Cocke County has a chapter of Keep America Beautiful. This organization seeks to create clean, beautiful locations, promote recycling and reduce litter which will have a positive impact on the local economy and the environment in general. This group sponsors the clean-up of Douglas Lake bottom each year.

The ladies of the garden clubs have adopted projects which will improve the appearance of the community. For many years, the Newport Garden Club kept the grounds of the Stokely Memorial Library. The Heartease Garden Club took the beautified plot at the conjunction of Broadway and College Street. There have been women’s organizations that were cultural, educational and social, but each of them in various ways have adopted projects that improved the community in various ways: Twentieth Century Club, Clifton Club, Tenasee Club, Beta Sigma Phi, Alpha Delta Kappa, Epsilon Sigma Al-

pha, Tanner Preservation Society, Music Appreciation Club, Newport Music Club, Easel Art Club, Business Women Club, Senior Citizens and Cocke County Retired Teachers.

In 1986 a group organized and called themselves the “Dead Pigeon River Society.” They began the campaign to see that Big Pigeon River was cleared from the pollution which the paper factory had been dumping into it since 1908. It was not an easy nor a pleasant campaign. There were meetings, there were hearings, there were threats but the group persevered and today the Big Pigeon looks much different than it did in 1986.

The following were pictured at a Newport Kiwanis Club meeting. Seated from left: Billy Smith, Allen Thomas, Fred Chapman and Hugh Russell. Standing: unidentified, Ben D. Stokely, Gay Gillespie, unidentified, Jim Burnett.