(Click on images to enlarge.. but you knew that already, didn't you?)

Greetings and hallucinations from the loveliest little burg in the hemisphere.. that being, of course, Oliver Springs, Tennessee. What's that?... Which hemisphere, you say? Well, pick one, and I stand by my assertion.

It seems as though every day that passes brings a little more progress to our town. Mayor Ed Kelley has followed up on the lead taken by the Historical Society and has been instrumental in having more vintage street lights installed around town. While not the exact pattern as the ones we put up around the Historic Depot, I understand that the city obtained them for a very, very good price (free)from a neighboring town (Clinton), and they look very nice indeed. Heartfelt thanks go out to Mayor Kelley and the good folks at City Hall for caring. I will try and get a picture of them very soon to share with you, since you happen to be one of my favorite people. In fact, how about right now?...

I went up on top of Windrock the other day to film a music video. I had not been up there in many years, and it was most exhiliarating to say the least. Folks that hail from here know that Windrock mountain is pivotal in the history and development of this area. With coal deposits once thought to be virtually inexhaustible, huge timber reserves, etc., Windrock was the mighty giant that helped feed and nurture generations in and around "The Gap".  Timber is still being harvested up there, but one of the main industries now is in recreational offroading. I know that even the thought of such gives some of our friends the blues... the specter of 4-wheelers and dirtbikes careening over land that was once home to many is indeed sad in a sense. I tend to take a somewhat pragmatic assessment of all this. #1... as I understand it, most of the coal is gone, as are the settlements at both upper and Lower Windrock. Every settlement or town has elements from whence it draws its lifeblood. When those elements are exhausted and/or diminished, certain changes are almost inevitable. The coal that energized those communities, the "black diamonds" that couldn't run out.... finally ran out, and life for many was forever altered. Now I am certain that coal still is there to be harvested, but the big seams are fairly well picked, and the rest is apparently not in a state to be profitably mined at this time. (How do I know this? Simple.. if there was a reasonable profit to be made from it, they would still be hauling it out like jacks 'n' stumps) Feel free to disagree.. all the caveats that are applicable to a solitary opinion certainly apply to mine. I love the mountain.

Speaking of Windrock, here's another chance for yours truly to opine.... Have you seen the wind generators on top of the mountain? I got the chance to get very nearly underneath them when we did the music video, and they are just some of the most elegant things I  have ever seen in the flesh. Soooo slender and graceful, and those suckers are HUUUGE!!! I think the airfoils at the pinnacle of their arc reach up over 300 feet toward the heavens. Capable of powering several hundred households, they are at this moment up there helping to energize the grid that powers this computer upon which I am composing this little blogette at 1:00 in the morning.   Wait a second.. do I have a picture? I think I do!........

I had the good pleasure of speaking by phone to our altruistic friend and magnanimous contributor Toni Ray from California (San Carlos). You will no doubt recall that Toni is the sweet lady who sent a passel (gaggle??..Boatload??.. Right smart heap??.... Oh well, never mind the colloquial nomenclature) of pictures and documents pertaining to Oliver Springs dating to well before the turn of the 20th century. Turns out that she is quite eloquent and urbane, and I enjoyed the long conversation immensely. Toni is in the process of finding time to sort through more documents and personal memorabilia left by her grandmother Edith Ross.

Here's some pictures by way of Toni that I want to share with you..                 

By the way, we know who most all these fine specimens are, although the log is unidentified..........

This is a pretty good, if partial, cross-section of high society in Oliver Springs about 1900-1905. I will try and list the names very soon.. as soon as I can dig up the list I have tucked away som'ers. Lessee.. where did I put that?.........

I reported awhile back that the Fudge Factory had burned down. I guess to be technically correct I should amend that to say that although the brick structure was not totally consumed, the building and contents were a total loss. Known to some of us old-timers as White's Auto, Oliver Springs Hardware, and probably a plethora of other firms that hung their business shingles in front of the venerable storefront, the owners, Ed and Pam Stockton, were entangled in negotiations with insurors over the building and contents for a year or more. With that finally having been resolved, the forlorn shell of the old storefront is coming down. I had meant to take a picture and post it here, but it is actually kinda sad to see it coming down, although it needed to be done. Like many towns across America, Oliver Springs has at times sustained grievous wounds from flame. Add another casualty to the sad roll.....

On a brighter note, downtown continues to experience the tenuous stirrings of revitalization. Ed and Pam continue to manufacture the world's best fudge and confections downtown, and are renovating almost the whole block where the old Emery 5&10, Reaves Cafe, et al, once did business. #3 son Cody Stockton gave me a tour of the complex the other day, and from what I could see, it looked like Ed and Pam are once again ahead of the curve.......

Our prayers and good thoughts go out to Sue St. John, our librarian and a member of the Historical Society. Sue struggles with serious health issues at this writing. Godspeed to you, Sue, and blessings on your doctors and caregivers.....

Depot lights.... not the Christmas lights, but the glorious orbs on the foundry-cast ornamental posts.... ain't they grand??

Calendars...This calendar has been both a pleasure and a challenge to author and publish. I am gratified that the Historical Society calendars have been so well received in the previous three years I have done them.

Chock full of new (to us) pictures and informative articles, the calendar is one of the best ways to connect with our proud past. Plus, it is one of, if not the biggest fundraisers for our group. Cars run on gas, cows run on grass, and the Historical Society runs on dues, donations, good will, and calendar sales.

This is a good time to mention that we at the Oliver Springs Historical Society just LOOOOVVVE to hear from our friends scattered on the four winds. Drop me an email and let me know how you are and how you came to this site. Whether a love of Oliver Springs or just fondness for all things historical, I'd love to hear about it. Robbieu41@comcast.net is the straight shot to my desk and my attention.

More to come……

Robbie Underwood

Oh, by the way... if you're not currently a member of The Oliver Springs Historical Society, you're missing the chance to be a part of one of the most dynamic groups of its kind anywhere. Click on the Historic hotel for info on joining...

Coming to Oliver Springs? Be sure and stop by the Historic Depot. Inside you will find a splendid array of pictures, artifacts, displays, etc., from our proud past. Bringing a group? Let us know and we might be able to arrange for someone to guide you in your sightseeing.

contact robbieu41@comcast.net

More to come....

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