Tennessee's oldest town celebrates Statehood Day

The state's oldest town teamed up with Washington County last Friday to celebrate Tennessee's 230th Statehood Day. The event took place outside of the old courthouse in downtown Jonesborough last Friday with State Rep. Rebecca Alexander and State Sen. Rusty Crowe in attendance. Though Tennessee Statehood Day is technically June 1, the county chose to have the celebration on Friday to pair with the Washington County Unite Quilt which was on show inside the courthouse. "This is a dual celebration, not only for the 250th anniversary of this country, but also the 230th anniversary of the state of Tennessee," said former Sessions Court Judge, John Kiener. Kiener then spoke on a brief history of Tennessee's formation, including how Jonesborough technically existed in three states (Franklin, North Carolina and Tennessee). Both Anne G'Fellers-Mason, Program Manager at the McKinney Center, as well as Paul Harris, Jonesborough Tourism staff member and Heritage Alliance tour guide, spoke at the event, sharing more history about the town of Jonesborough and the county. "I think it's always good to look back on our history and heritage and know why we are where we are. We didn't get here on our own," said Harris. There was a decent sized crowd on hand for the event, with the sidewalk filled. "I love seeing everybody come out—not only enjoy the event, but ask questions afterwards," Harris said. Additionally, the county and town celebrated the Commemorative Washington County Unite Quilt. The quilt, which features squares from all 29 states with a Washington County, was created in honor of America's upcoming 250th birthday and celebrates the shared history, heritage and community spirit of Washington Counties across the United States. The quilt will be displayed on the first floor of the courthouse for two weeks before continuing to its next destination as part of the nationwide America 250 commemoration. Representatives from the Washington County Archives were on site after the program to share the history and significance of the quilt with members of the public who wanted to learn more. "Each of those counties (named Washington) were given instructions on creating their quilted square that describes their county, that showcases their county and also honors George Washington," added Harris.