CROSSVILLE FLASHBACK! Fifteen Years Ago, the Crossville city council celebrated its 100th birthday

(Editor's note: We will be sharing stories from the past from time to time in our new feature Crossville Flashback.)

City Council Celebrates Centennial!

The Crossville City Council celebrated its one-hundredth birthday Tuesday July 10, exactly 100 years from the very first meeting of Crossville’s board of alderman held July 10, 1901.

In celebration, Crossville Mayor J. H. Graham blew out the candles on a large birthday cake and those attending the meeting got a chance to enjoy punch and a piece of the cake with council members and city staff.

L-R Frances Carson, Centennial Committee; councilman Boyd Wyatt; mayor J. H. Graham; councilman Gene Turner; city clerk Sally Oglesby

In recognition of the milestone occasion, Mayor Graham said, “We are growing and we want to perpetuate smart growth. We will continue to work for more jobs and better paying jobs.”

Crossville Centennial coordinator Frances Carson reported that recent Centennial events were very well received and Graham said that he had heard from some of the sponsors who wanted to repeat some of the events next year.

“We’ve had some wonderful Centennial moments over the last two weeks,” said Carson. Graham thanked Carson for her work on the celebration and she received a standing ovation from the meeting.

Carson introduced Everett Wyatt and his daughter Judy Chancey. Chancey sang Wyatt’s Crossville song “To You, Crossville” while Wyatt played the 12 string guitar.

During the Crossville city council's Centennial meeting, Everett Wyatt, left and his daughter Judy Chancey sing Everett's song "To You, Crossville" for the council and audience. 

Council also passed a resolution renaming the Crossville Recreational Park and its new expansion as Crossville Centennial Park. The resolution also calls for the 10 ball fields to be named for past and present city council members.

Mayor Graham said he would rather see someone like L.A. Fox’s name on a field than his own. Councilman Gene Turner said there were many who could be honored, but he felt the simplest thing was to name the fields for council members. The resolution passed with Mayor Graham opposed. Councilman Hill was absent from the meeting.

Leisure Services director Steve Hill told councilmen that the park would be very busy for the next several weeks with district games and the Angels State tournament. The some 75 teams will be attending next weekends USSSA tournament. So many teams are playing this weekend that they will also use the county’s fields at the Community Complex. The following weekend, another 75 teams will take part in an ASA Boys World event. Then Hill added that the park got a short breather and would host the Dixie Belles World Series.

Council approved $35,854 in change orders for the Centennial Park. Almost $150,000 remains the project’s contingency fund.

Council also approved the low bidder to construct another 1 million gallon water storage tank just off of Interstate Drive at the Cotton Patch property. The bid of Caldwell Tanks, Inc of Louisville Kentucky for construction of the new tank was $1,061,200. The tank design will be similar to the one nearing completion at the Homesteads.