This Month in Carter County History…

Published 11:40 am Wednesday, February 5, 2025

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By Joe Penza

City Archivist

Amazing events have occurred all throughout the history of Elizabethton and Carter County. In this monthly column, we look at some celebrated episodes from our past, but also dig up some lesser-known events that might surprise you. For this month, we examine some religious, military, and tax history, and tie it all up with remembrance of one of our great civic leaders, Mr. Mack Morriss. All of this history awaits you at the Archives of the City of Elizabethton at the Elizabethton- Carter County Public Library. If you’re interested in anything related to local history please contact the archives at 423-547-6360 or at jpenza@cityofelizabethton.org. We can discover something new about our past together!

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FEBRUARY:

Saturday, February 17th, 1827: Prominent members of Sinking Creek Baptist Church, James Edens, Reese Bayless, Richard Murrel, and Joseph Crouch, are ordained to preach and set out to spread the Gospel throughout the Carter, Johnson, and Washington County area.

Sunday, February 2nd, 1919: Major C.R. Hathaway, returning World War I hero and recipient of the English Military Cross and American Distinguished Service Medal, talks to a packed house at Elizabethton Methodist Church about his experiences on the front lines in France and Germany.

Friday, February 14th, 1936: George Edens, Clerk and Master, announces that 4,000 pieces of property throughout Carter County will be sold at auction to pay delinquent taxes from 1930 & 1931. The properties’ combined worth is estimated at $100,000.

Wednesday, February 18th, 1976: Famed author, historian, and former Elizabethton City Councilman and Mayor Mack Morriss dies at age 56. He had been a journalist for Yank Magazine during World War II and at the time of his death was the station manager at WBEJ. An Elizabethton Star editorial states “Elizabethton has lost a Great Citizen… Few men have left the imprint on a town that Mack Morriss leaves in Elizabethton and Carter County.”