Beth Durham's Blog, page 37
August 28, 2015
The Call of the trail in the Picturesque Cumberlands
As we continue our 1940’s tour of the Upper Cumberlands, let’s think about the natural beauty that surrounds us and the draw that has always been to tourists. I have written here about Monterey’s history as a resort town. And I suppose when I think about the early part of the twentieth century, when the plateau was less populated and less modernized, I fail to imagine residents seeking outdoor recreation. That’s a silly assumption.
The March of Progress publication places great importance on...
August 17, 2015
Jamestown, Tennessee “The Obedstown of the Gilded Age"
Northup Falls; You can still hike to it: Scott at Backwoods Adventures knew just where the trailhead is located.
Our tour of the Upper Cumberland begins this week in the Fentress County-seat, Jamestown. We may be starting in the center of the touring area, but remember I was prompted to write this after the Highway 127 sale which of course originated in Jamestown.
In reading more carefully the six page article in the 1940’s era “March of Progress” publication, Jamestown is presented largely...
August 8, 2015
The Upper Cumberlands of Tennessee
I mentioned last week that we’d begin a tour of the small towns dotted across the Cumberland Plateau and today I’d like to introduce this series with a booklet that was produced many years ago for the purpose of promoting those towns.
The booklet is entitled, The March of Progress in the Upper Cumberlands of Tennessee. It is undated and appears to have never intended to be a series, nor is there a copyright date. However, there are clues to its age.
On the back of the front cover it introduces...
July 30, 2015
World's Longest Yard Sale
Since 1987, the first weekend in August has seen an amazing influx of visitor from around the world to our little plateau as they both vendors and shoppers come to the Highway 127 Corridor sale. Today, the sale reaches from Addison, Michigan to Gadsden, Alabama making it six hundred ninety miles of rummage.
Who doesn’t love a good deal? And I’m betting more than a few of you readers appreciate yesterday’s treasures as much as I do. Today, I‘m thinking not just about the stuff to be found...
