A building was erected in 1893 by the City of Dayton to be used as an elementary school (Old North Dayton School). This building continued to be used for the next eleven years as the elementary school. In 1906, a high school was established, and a building was needed. The City of Dayton deeded the…
County Wide
Deena Dill Chosen 1988 Most Photogenic In Tennessee
Deena Dill is a 1988 graduate of Rhea County High School in Evensville, Tennessee. The daughter of the late James & Phyllis Dill of Dayton. Deena was named first place winner for the State of Tennessee in the 1988 Ms. PP of A Photogenic Contest which was sponsored by the Professional Photographers Association of America,…
Rhea County Tennessee
Rhea County named after John Rhea – an American solider and POLITICIAN John Rhea was born in Ireland, in 1753. He immigrated to the United States in 1769 with his parents, who settled in Philadelphia, PA. John Rhea was an American solider and politician of the early 19th century. He was a Revolutionary War solider…
Fire Threatens Rhea County Courthouse 1929
Rhea County Courthouse Saved by quick Fire Department Action On the evening of February 28, 1929, the Rhea County Courthouse was threatened with destruction by fire when a blaze was discovered in the middle of the main courtroom. The blaze extended ten feet high by the time the firefighters arrived, but soon was under control.…
Robert J. Coulter Funeral Director
R.J.Coulter Established Coulter Funeral Home in 1897 Above the owner and operator, Robert J. Coulter watches as the coffin containing the body of William Jennings Bryan is placed into a waiting hearse in front of his Funeral Home in downtown Dayton. Bryan, after the conclusion of the Scopes Trial, stayed in Dayton for five days…
Ice Storm of 1960
Nine inch Snow Blankets Worst Ice Storm In Fifty Years The worst ice storm in 50 years struck Rhea County and most of East Tennessee during night of March 2, 1960. This destroyed all electricity in the Walden’s Ridge area. With the electrical power out, the residents of the ridge also had to do without…
Rhea Drive-In
The Rhea Drive-In Gone But Not Forgotten Another piece of Rhea County’s history fell to the ground on Thursday May 22, 2008. The old Rhea Drive-In was torn down to make way for future developments. The late Ronnie Ray of Dayton was the current owner in 2008. He is shown here on the backhoe knocking…
Rhea County Sheriff’s Department 1959
Looking back to the Rhea County Sheriff’s Department in 1959. A small but fierce looking department. This photo was taken next to the old jail which sat right about where the Election Commission Office is today. (Left to Right) Elliot Millard, Wilson Marler, Floyd Kelly, Sheriff Fred Mullins, Ola Harris and Raymond Powers. Copyright All…
1961 Tennessee Strawberry festival Planning Committee
Every year, a lot of planning goes into making the Tennessee Strawberry Festival successful. This requires months of work from dedicated people who serve on the Strawberry Planning Committee. Let’s look back at an old photo and see the people who helped to make the 1961 Festival a success. This is the Strawberry Festival Planning…
Rhea County Registrar of Deeds Gladys Best Retires
longest serving elected official in Tennessee August 31, 2018 Gladys Best was just out of Rhea Central High School when she went to work for the Register of Deeds office as a typist. Gladys became the interim Register of Deeds in 1962. Later, she won the election to the office. Little did she know at…