Scott County, Tennessee
FNB Chronicles

This page was created 06 Sep 2008

The Scott County Historical Association is a non-profit corporation chartered by the State of Tennessee.

The Association was originally chartered in the year 1965. The original incorporators were JAMES BAKER, Mrs. HOWARD JEFFERS, Mrs. EARL W. LOCKIN, Mrs. CLYDE REED, CHESTER D. SEXTON, CLIFTON SEXTON, GEORGE A. TERRY, TASKEL WELCH, JOHN LEE WEST, JAMES O. WEST, ELSIE CECIL, COLUMBUS WATTERS, CLYDE REED, C. C. REED, RICHARD SMITH and TOM GENTRY.

The stated purpose of the association at that time was to support the Scott County Historical Society, the Scott County Museum, and the related aspects of the discovering, the collecting, the preserving and the diffusing of knowledge of historical articles, items, letters, papers, records, relics and specimens, so as to serve the best interests of the general welfare of the people of Scott County.

From the records at the Courthouse and from discussions with some of the incorporators, it appears that during 1965 there was a strong drive in the community for the establishment of some type of permanent structure for the housing of items of historical interest to students of Scott County history. On August 7, 1965, the Scott County Quarterly Court approved the spending of $800.00 for a two-story log cabin. The money was to be given to the Scott County Historical Society, but title to the log cabin to be in the county’s name.

A log cabin was located in Kentucky, disassembled and moved to what was supposed to be a temporary location on Highway 27 and was acquired in the name of the Scott County Historical Association. The cabin was not erected on the newly acquired site. In 1966 the tract of land was reconveyed to the original owners. The temporary storage area became the permanent resting place of the unassembled log cabin.

All that survived to the 1980s of the old Association was a copy of the Charter, By-Laws, Constitution, and a bank balance of $167.67.

The Association was dormant until June 23, 1983 when, at the request of Scott County Historian IRENE BAKER, the Scott County Commission appointed IRENE BAKER, FAYRENE TERRY, CARMEL BURKE, NORMA MABE, HELEN SHOEMAKER, BRUCE BUTLER, ELSIE CECIL and SHARON T. SCOTT as members of the Scott County Historical Committee.

One of the first actions of the Committee was to reactivate the Scott County Historical Society. IRENE BAKER was elected president of the Society with CARMEL BURKE vice-president, BRUCE BUTLER, secretary, and HELEN SHOEMAKER, treasurer. The By-Laws were changed so that the members of the county-appointed Scott County Historical Committee would be the board of directors of the Scott County Historical Society.

As of September 15, 1989 there are approximately 150 members in the Society. These members are from at least 13 different states from New York to California. Membership is open to anyone interested in the history of Scott County or the Cumberland Plateau area. Annual dues are $10 per person per year.

A few years ago, Senator HOWARD H. BAKER and his cousin, JAMES T. BAKER, donated a 100-year-old Huntsville home to the Historical Society to be restored and made the permanent headquarters of the organization. That restoration project is now well under way, with the exterior of the two-story home being restored to its original appearance. The interior of "The Doisy House is being remodeled room by room with donations and mostly volunteer labor of Society members.

FNB Chronicle, Vol. 1, No. 1 – Summer 1989
First National Bank
P.O. Box 4699
Oneida, TN 37841
(p9)

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