Around 1900, R. Ross Donnelly opened an undertaking parlor in the rear of his post office at Shouns, Tennessee, just outside Mountain City. W. Y. “Bill” Hill, who was married to Donnelly’s niece, Edith Donnelly, came to Johnson County from West Tennessee in 1927 and started working for Mr. Donnelly. The name of the firm was changed to Donnelly-Hill Funeral Home. Mr. Donnelly served in the dual capacity of undertaker and postmaster until his death in 1937.

  Around 1930, Mr. Hill purchased a house on Murphy Street in Mountain City, renovated the structure, and opened Hill Funeral Home. In 1954, Mr. Hill’s son, W. D. “Bill” Hill, graduated from Cincinnati College of Embalming and returned to Johnson County to work with his father. Also in 1954, Mr. Lewis Gentry, who had been employed by Hill Funeral Home, opened Lewis Gentry Funeral Home on the corner of Main and Murphy Streets. Mr. Gentry purchased Hill Funeral Home in 1962 and merged it with his funeral home at the Main Street location. Mr. W. Y. Hill retired at that time and died in 1978. His son, W. D. Hill became the manager of a local building supply company and later served as Johnson County Executive.

Charlie had spent many years serving the families of Johnson and Carter Counties, starting his career in funeral service in 1958. Charlie had been a supporter and an active member of the Mountain City Community for many years. Charlie was a good friend to all and his death was a loss to the families of Johnson County in January of 2001.

  In late 2004, the building on the west side of the funeral home was purchased and remodeled into the Charles B. Hux Memorial Chapel.

Manager Dan Lipford Licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer in the States of Tennessee, Virginia, and North Carolina, Website www.huxlipfordfh.com Phone number 423-727-9221 Fax Number 423-727-4759.

-Dinner – $6.00,

-ATV Rodeo Tickets – $5.00,

-Both – $10.00

Menu: Smoked Brisket, Baked Beans, Slaw, Sheet Cake, Drink.

Events: -Side x Side Obstacle Event: Trophy Class – $10.00, Cash Class – $25.00

                 -Classes – 0-750, 751-999, 1000-up -

Mud Bog Double Elimination: Trophy Class – $10.00, Cash Class – $25.00 Top 3 Split Cash

                  -Classes – ATV-0-499, 500-750, 751-up

                                    -Side x Side-0-750, 751-999, 1000-up -

ATV Obstacle Event: Trophy Class – $10.00, Cash Class – $25.00 Top 3 Split Cash

                  -Classes – 0-499, 500-750, 751-up

Call Frank at 423-291-1800 or Mike at 423-612-4091 for more information!

Help us raise money for our latest local attraction

 Doe Mountain Recreation Park

“Coming Soon”- “Doe Mountain Adventure Trails” over 8,600 acres of hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, and OHV. For additional information call Johnson County Mayor Larry Potter (423)727-3100

Download Nomination Ballot

Please download, print out , and complete the form, then mail it onto “The Johnson County Chamber of Commerce”  PO Box 66 Mountain City, TN 37683.

Prospect Hill offers 5 large, private, romantic guess rooms. Each room decorated with delightful taste offers a fireplace, central heat/air, cable TV, CD players, wireless internet, guest refrigerator, robes, candles and snacks. Breakfast is included along with daily availability of coffee, tea and hot chocolate.

The Prospect also offers an additional cottage located on 30 acres of wooded property in the town area.

Their GPS location is: 36-28-36N 81-48-49W 2905′

Give them a call today to gain more information.

 
Robert & Judy Hotchkiss

We have planned a fantastic season this year and hope that you join us in many of the events that we will be offering at Watauga Lake Winery.

Our new web page is up and we would love for you to look us up and give us your thoughts:

www.WataugaLakeWinery.com. You may now contact us at info@Wataugalakewinery.com . Please let your friends, family and neighbors know about our website. We will be posting all of our new events every month on our website as well as on facebook. Our hours at the winery this season will be Thursday thru Saturday from 11:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. and on Sunday from 1:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. You can always reach us at 423-768-3633 if you need us at any other time.

Hours: Thursday-Saturday 10am-5pm & Sunday 1pm-4pm

6952 Big Dry Run Rd. Butler, TN 37640

Phone: 423-768-0345

Upcoming Events

APRIL 13:  We will kick-off our new season with a Rhythm and Wine evening. This will begin at 6 p.m. on Saturday evening, April 13th.   We will be featuring music by the Todd Wright jazz duo.  If you are not familiar with Todd, check out his bio at www.Todd-Wright.com. Saxophonist Todd Wright has performed throughout Europe and is the Director of Jazz Studies at ASU.  This will be our NOLA celebration (New Orleans Louisiana) with a Cajun dinner followed by a performance by the “Todd Wright Jazz Duo.”   Tickets will be $75.00 per couple or $40.00 per single.  Of course, a bottle of wine of your choosing is included with your dinner.  For reservations please send your check to us at: 1877 Dry Hill Road, Butler, TN  37640

Cajun Dinner Menu for April 13th:

Hors d’oeuvres:

• Cajun Andouille en Croute
• Cajun Spiced Crab Dip on Toasted
• Baguettte Rounds

Dinner:

• Mixed green salad with Creole Vinaigrette and Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
• Jambalaya
• Chicken Creole over Parsley Rice
• Corn Maque Choux
• Crusty French Baguettes w/whipped butter

Dessert:

• Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding w/vanilla sauce served with coffee

AND, if you want to continue your Cajun experience we are planning our first cooking class on Saturday April 20th. This will be a hands-on demonstration class featuring Shrimp and Grits, salad with Cajun Dressing, French baguettes and BANANAS FOSTER!! Of course, we will eat what we prepare!!

The cost for this cooking experience is $30.00 per person.

Watauga Lake Winery Editorial

By Paula Walter

By definition, agrotourism is the combination of both tourism and agriculture. For those longing for peace and quiet, scenic mountain views and an escape from the hustle and bustle of daily life, a trip to an area that offers that serenity may be just what you are seeking. Johnson County, Tennessee, nestled in the Appalachian Mountains, not only offers abundant activities such as fishing and outdoor adventures on Doe Mountain, but it can now boast its first winery.

Watauga Lake Winery opened its doors on Thursday, November 1st at the old Dry Run Elementary School. The winery currently offers two red wines, along with three whites that range from dry to sweet. Owners Linda and Wayne Gay are planning on producing eight wines by the time summer rolls around. According to Wayne, most of their wines are a blend of various grapes. All of their licensing and business regulations fall under the realm of agriculture.

The different varieties of grapes are grown on the Gays’ property in the Dry Hill region of the county. It typically takes three to four years before the grapes are mature enough to use in the winemaking process. When the Gay’s moved to Johnson County, they built an Italian-style home and decided a grape arbor would make for nice landscaping. Several years and approximately 3,500 grapevines later, the Guys decided to open Watauga Lake Winery in an effort to help encourage tourism in Johnson County.

Watauga Lake Winery offers red and white wines with names that come from this region of the state and our neighboring counties of Watauga and Avery in North Carolina. Their wines are processed on-site. The Big Dry Run Red is named for the stream across from the winery. It is a dry, bold and fruity wine. Copperhead Hollow Red is a blend of three different grapes. Doe Mountain Red is a full-bodied red wine named after our own Doe Mountain. Elk River White is a dry yet crispy white wine with an essence of fruit and offers a touch of sweetness. The Watauga River White is a fruity, semi-sweet wine and delicious. The Villa Nove White is named after the Gays’ own vineyard and is a sweet white wine. Forge Mountain Mist is a fruity wine with hints of peach and grapefruit. Iron Mountain Sunset is a blush wine, a combination of two different grapes. Laurel Creek Surprise offers tastes of both raspberry and chocolate.

Creativity is an important part of our lives and The Jewelry Workshop encourages individuals to explore and develop their creativity through jewelry making classes.  Our workshop area offers 1500 square feet of space to work on projects or take classes.

2012 Holiday Class Schedule

ALL CLASSES HELD AT THE JEWELRY WORKSHOP AT ABOVE ADDRESS!

Saturday November 3 – Ceramics Part 1 (cost $25)

time: 10am – 2pm  *students will learn to make pinch pots, wall pockets, ornaments and jewelry pieces. class fee includes 5 lbs of clay and kiln firing

Monday, November 5 – Ceramics Part 1 (cost $25) – same as above

Tuesday, November 6 – Wire earrings (cost $20)  Time: 1pm – 3pm

Wednesday, November 7- Basic Jewelry- Necklaces (cost $20)  Time 10am – 12pm  * students will make floating necklaces using crimping techniques

Wednesday, November 7 – Basic Jewelry – Earrings (cost $20) Time: 1pm – 3pm    * Students will learn how to make two different styles of earrings

Thursday, November 8 – Ceramics Part 1 (cost $25)  Time: 10am – 12pm **Same as above- ceramics-

Monday, November 12 – Ceramics Part II (cost $25)  Time: 10am – 12pm  *Students will glaze bisque fired pieces – cost includes firing fee and glazes

Wednesday November 14- Tree of Life Pendant  (cost $20)  Time: 10 am – 12pm

Wednesday November 14 – Copper Enameling ($25) Time: 1pm – 3pm

Thursday, November 15 – Ceramics Part II (cost $25)  Time: 10am – 12pm  *students will glae bisque fired pieces – cost includes firing fee and glazes

Before 2005, the mountain was used as a wildlife management area and leased to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.

Now that the property has been turned over to the state, the next step will be to create a 15-member board called the Doe Mountain Recreation Authority. They will develop a management plan that allows for a broad range of activities such as mountain biking, hiking, horseback riding, and scenic touring by all-terrain vehicles.

Soft opening date coming soon, we are extremely excited about the possibility of having public access to this prominent landmark in Johnson County and the recreational activities and the connection with nature that it will create!

We will keep you posted about this upcoming project so check back often.

Photo Gallery