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News Updates
County's 225th Anniversary Being Celebrated Saturday
Tim Massey, left, president of Greene County Heritage Trust, is shown portraying Robert Kerr, a founder of Greeneville and a veteran of the Battle of Kings Mountain. At right is Artie O’Neal, portraying Daniel Kennedy, known as “the father of Greene County,” and also a Battle of Kings Mountain veteran, at the grave and marker of Daniel Kennedy at the Zion Presbyterian Church Cemetery in Camp Creek. Both men will be involved in Saturday’s observance of the 225th anniversary of the founding of Greene County.
Source: The Greeneville Sun
by Staff
Date: 2008-04-24
The 225th anniversary of the founding of Greene County will be celebrated this Saturday, April 26.
The Greene County Heritage Trust will host a day of celebration to commemorate the anniversary of the founding of Greene County.
The Heritage Trust is inviting the public to honor "our predecessors who set such high standards and spend the day learning more about our past, with an eye to remembering how the past affects the future."
Events will center around the Big Spring behind the local library, where Greeneville began, as well as the nearby replica cabin that serves as a reminder of the capitol of the Lost State of Franklin, and Old Harmony Cemetery behind Town Hall.
Over the next two centuries, Greene County would be the site of many events in which to take pride.
The years of 1785 to 1788 saw Greeneville as the capitol of the Lost State of Franklin, the shortest-lived state in our nation's history.
Andrew Johnson moved to Greeneville in 1826, opened his tailor shop and began his long climb to the presidency.
Events Planned Saturday
Members of the Overmountain Victory Trail Association (OVTA) and period reenactors will arrive here on Friday evening, camping around the Big Spring, behind the library.
On Saturday morning at 9:45 a.m. the reenactors will march from the Capitol cabin to the Old Harmony Cemetery.
A memorial service is planned at the cemetery. The Nolachuckey Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution will lay flowers to honor some of the founding fathers of Greene County, many whom were buried in the Old Harmony Cemetery.
Among those to be memorialized: Robert Kerr, first settler of Greeneville; William Dickson, first postmaster; Joseph Brown, the first teacher; and the four known Revolutionary War soldiers buried there, William Brown, Thomas McAmis, Richard Woods, and James Wright.
Also participating in the memorial service will be the Sons of the Revolution, Sons of the American Revolution, and the Children of the Revolution.
The Overmountain Victory Trail Association members will fire a rifle volley and then march back to the cabin with the reenactors and everyone else who chooses to join the march.
OVTA members will be encamped throughout the day and at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. will tell the Story of the Battle of Kings Mountain.
The story will conclude with a reenactor portraying Daniel Kennedy, a Kings Mountain veteran and the "father" of Greene County, telling of his experiences in introducing the controversial legislation to form a new county.
Also on Saturday, events will include a tour of the Dickson-Williams Mansion at 3 p.m., walking tours of Greeneville throughout the day, starting at the General Morgan Inn, and tours of the Andrew Johnson Historic Site.
On Friday and Saturday evenings, Appalachian GhostWalks will conduct a "haunting" tour of Greeneville. Please make reservations for the tour at (423) 743-WALK (9255).
James-Ben Art Center, at the corner of North Main and Church Street, will feature a special showing of Greene County Heritage-inspired art works specifically created for this occasion.
Davy Crockett is represented by Lynne Olka's portraits in both full color and sepia tone.
Food will be available. OVTA members and reenactors will be busy all day preparing food, making camp and discussing concerns of the day (circa 1780s).
Parking will be available at the Walters State Community College lot on College Street.
The Greene County Heritage Trust was formed in 1973 to promote participation in the preservation and restoration of sites, buildings, objects and antiquities that are of historic and/or cultural significance or interest to Greeneville/Greene County.
For more information about the anniversary celebration or the Heritage Trust, call Tim Massey at 798-0525 or Sam Miller at 639-6131.
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