Historic Union County

Spreading the good news of Union County

Hello! My name is McKenzie Sharp and I am running for homecoming queen for FFA (Future Farmers of America.) I am President in the Horace Maynard Chapter. I would like to help show Union County and the rest of the world that FFA is still here. It seems we are drifting from farming and going in another direction. Did you and your family eat today? That food came from a farm. No farms, no food. FFA has shaped me to who I am today, and it has helped me get through the tough times in my life.

Even though the threat of rain could have put a damper on the Thunder in the Park celebration at Wilson Park, located in Union County, TN, it was a great success. The smiling faces of our vendors, the smiles and the joy expressed on the faces of local folks and visitors from other counties as they viewed the antique cars, listened to the live band, mingled through the crowd and visited with friends and neighbors is what made it such a great success.

It’s been a long road, but with a lot of faith and community support St. Teresa of Kolkata Catholic Church will move into a permanent church home sometime around the middle of 2018.

The church broke ground for the new building during a special ceremony at the church carnival held Sept. 2, on the church’s 24-acre property, located behind Kay’s Market on Maynardville Highway. Pastor Fr. Steve Pawelk said earthmoving will happen soon, and once that is complete, construction should begin soon after.

Union County roots, that stretch all the way to Wisconsin and Utah, provide the setting for a true story of the life of Van Buren Butcher’s granddaughter, Carla Jane Butcher Morgan. There’s probably not too many of us around who remember “Uncle Buren;” but he is also the grandfather of the well-known country singer, Lois Johnson, of Nashville fame. Lois is the daughter of Fred and Iretta Butcher Johnson. Carla Jane, “C. J.,” is the daughter of Iretta’s brother, Carl Butcher. You will remember C. J. who performed with Lois Johnson at last year’s Union County Heritage Festival.

It's Fair time. I take my appetite to the Fair. There are many exotic foods to sample that aren't available other times of the year. Corn dogs with a squiggly line of mustard are my favorite. I can fix them at home, but Fair time is Corn Dog time in my mind. Elephant ears are good, too. The list goes on and on, but my Corn Dog recipe is where I'm heading today.

The Union County Heritage Festival announces its 2017 collectible print "Coming Home". Keeping with this year's Festival theme, "Come Here Come Home", Artist Betty Bullen has delivered an emotional picture of a veteran returning home from service to Union County. Betty says she gathered inspiration for the painting from numerous sources, including an episode of Bill Landry's Heartland Series where Landry interviews a Sharps Chapel Farm boy who returned home to Union County from service in WW II.

Hi, my name is Abby Pursiful. I am a senior at Union County High School and I am running for homecoming queen. The homecoming fundraiser runs approximately six weeks. This allows each club the opportunity to raise funds. I am representing the Skills USA Cosmetology division, of which I am the president. Ninety percent of the proceeds raised will be donated to Skills USA Cosmetology and ten percent of the proceeds will be going to the athletics department.

Are you ready for fun, festivities and fireworks?

Saturday, Sept. 2, Wilson Park will once again host Union County's signature Thunder in the Park festival, a free event that will light up the night with a professional fireworks show. The gates open at 5 p.m.

This is Thunder in the Park's second year. The brainchild of former Union County Chamber of Commerce president Leslie Corum, it was a partnership between the Chamber and Union County government. This year, Union County government is taking the lead to bring the thunder once again.

There's a lot of love at the core of Luttrell Library director Kim Todd's new project: love for books, love for kids, love for family, and love for a sassy canine named Lil Bit.

Todd is set this winter to publish the first in a series of illustrated children's books featuring Lil Bit, her rescued terrier and Chihuahua mix. The book, called "Finding Home," is inspired by Lil Bit's real-life rescue story, which Todd is reluctant to reveal because it would spoil the story. Teddy, the boy who becomes Lil Bit's owner, is inspired by Todd's husband and fellow writer Ted.

Every month seems to have its major national holiday except August. Yet for American women, August holds one of the most important dates, August 26, 1920. This date brought full suffrage or the right to vote for women in America.

Tucked away atop Hinds Ridge, two miles across the Union County line in Grainger County, is Narrow Ridge Earth Literacy Center, whose mission is to study, teach and demonstrate sustainability and to provide experiential learning of Earth Literacy.

Chow Chow is delicious. I wondered where that name came from. Taking a jar in hand, I looked at it straight on. Why is it called Chow Chow? Curiosity got the best of me. I checked it out online. I am now more confused than ever. Consider these possibilities:
1. There are "Northern" and "Southern" varieties. Mine is Southern.
2. Some say it came South with the Acadian expulsion from Nova Scotia.
3. Others cite a connection with the Chinese rail workers in the 1800's.
4. A chutney from India is made from chayote, hence "chow chow".

The Union County Historical Society will host the 13th Annual Heritage Festival Quilt Show at the Union County Museum. The Historical Society extends a special invitation to bring your quilts to the museum on Thursday, October 5th between 1:30 and 6:00 pm.

Asa Napoleon McClain’s home place was what we know as the Bruce and Pearl Rutherford home and farm on old Highway 33 at Maynardville. Asa was a carpenter and built the two-story weatherboard home. The house is gone, but the spring house is still there. Asa McClain enlisted in the Union Army at Williamsburg, KY on April 11, 1862 and served under Col. Ausmus. He died May 20, 1864, probably of pneumonia; he was buried in College Hill Cemetery at Nashville. He married Elizabeth Rooks, and they are my great grandparents.
(See also Our Union County Families, p. 111.)

I have never heard anyone say, "Tea is tea." Green tea, black tea and exotic tea blends line the shelves at Food City. Why am I talking about tea? First of all, it's hot outside and I want a tall glass of iced tea. Then, too, my taste in tea has changed over the years. My favorite now is sweet tea. You can buy it in a gallon jug. Even the fast food places brew their own sweetened iced tea.

There was a time when green tea was king in our house. Mother would buy a one pound bag of green tea siftings. It wouldn't last long. Mother knew how to brew good tea. She would scald the tea pot with hot water, add the right amount of loose tea leaves and fill with scalding hot water. After it steeped a few minutes, Mother poured out a cup for Dad, first of all, and then for my two brothers and me. Finally she poured a cup for herself. That was the order for everything served at our table. I will talk about that another time.

Randy Boyd is running for Tennessee Governor. Literally. Boyd, a self-described "serial entrepreneur" and former Tennessee commissioner of economic development, has committed to run 537 miles and visit all 95 counties in Tennessee. And on August 16, his run brought him to Union County for a lunch with Union Countians at the Winery at Seven Springs Farm.

UT Extension Union County and Union County Business & Professional Association are teaming up to "Hay Bale Union County". The Hay Bale Contest is open to all businesses, organizations, groups, and schools. Decorate your business or set up a display that is viewable from a roadway. Entries will be judged on eye appeal, use of space & materials, creativity, and adherence to theme. The theme of the 2017 Heritage Festival is “Come Here, Come Home.”

The Union County Chamber of Commerce will sponsor the Photography Show for the Heritage Festival.

The contest for amateurs only will provide pictures of Union County to be used in promoting Union County as a tourist destination. Photographers may enter one photo in each category: “Come here,Come home”, Union County People, or Union County Places.

A favorite event is cruising back to Maynardville Public Library Saturday, Sept. 9. The fifth Thunder Road Author Rally will run 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. that day. The event is free to the public and to authors wishing to set up booths.

Maynardville Library Director Chantay Collins said the rally has been a huge success and has filled a need. It started when library employee Jessica Raley joined Knoxville Writers Guild. Around the same time, Chantay and Raley went to an independent author event in Knoxville.

The Union County Farmers Market got "corny" last Saturday with the second annual Youth and Corn Festival. The festival celebrates...you guessed it...Union County's youth and that special time of year when the corn comes in. Huff Farm was on hand with corn for sale, and there were corn-related activities aplenty.

Winning the Corniest Joke Contest was a young man identified only as "Tim." Winning the Corn Shucking Contest for age 6 and older was John March Schwarzen. Michelle Phillips won the day's door prize.