150 BELL-RINGERS: All of these folks rang the bell at the courthouse on June 16 to observe the Clay County Sesquicentennial, but there were probably a couple more not shown here.

Thanks to all of you across the county who participated in this observance. Clay is now officially 150!!!

Sesquicentennial postponed

Clay County (TN) Sesquicentennial T-shirts are almost gone, with only a handful remaining.  A second order will be made if public demand dictates it. 

NOTE: Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the Clay County Sesquicentennial has been postponed.  For more updated information, you can visit https://clayco150.com/. 

CELINA – A year-long schedule of events is set for the Clay County Sesquicentennial in 2020.  Volunteers are needed to make the unique event a success.

Several subcommittees have already been at work for many months on the 150-year anniversary, said Melissa White, chairman of the Historic Preservation Committee. That group is overseeing the “150” celebration. 

“The primary purpose of the Sesquicentennial celebration is to celebrate Clay County’s founding and unique history, while looking to our promising future,” White said.

Many activities scheduled

“In June 2018, the HPC hosted a kickoff event at the historic Clay County Courthouse.  The genealogy group has hosted multiple workshops in the various communities of our county and has issued dozens of First Families Certificates and collected over 400 Clay County family trees for the Sesquicentennial book.

“The education subcommittee has met with all Clay County teachers to offer ideas and support for teaching Clay County history in all schools. The media subcommittee has digitized multiple videotapes that document Clay County history,” White said.

The “150” lapel pins are available, as are the two-sided “150” coins (left).

Volunteers needed

“We need as many people as possible to be involved,” White said. “We need diverse perspectives. We’ll only have one sesquicentennial, and we want it to be a very special event. We’ll need several dozen volunteers to help make this happen.

“So many of our residents remember what a special time and event the centennial was in 1970,” White said. “We want the ‘150’ to be just as memorable, if not more.”

For more information on the 150 or to volunteer, contact the chamber of commerce at 931-243-3338. T-shirts,  commemorative knives (below, shown larger than actual size), ornaments, lapel pins, two-sided buttons and genealogy books are being sold at the chamber.