A Day Away By Mike Steely
Just north of Knoxville is a small town unique in its government and special in its creation.
Maynardville is located between Knoxville and Tazewell along Highway 61/33, a road better known from Halls northward as Maynardville Highway. The road is being widened to four lanes and will soon be a quicker route to leave the metro area for rural East Tennessee.
The town is named for pro-Unionist and Knoxville attorney Horace Maynard, who defended the creation of a new county there, and has about 2,600 residents. Originally called “Liberty,” the town was chosen as the county seat of Union County.
No, the county was not named for support of the Union in the Civil War, but because it was created in 1850 from portions of surrounding counties, including Knox. Union County is growing with new residents moving to the area to work in Knoxville and Oak Ridge. More than 60% of the population works outside the county.
The Maynardville area has various campgrounds and marinas along the Clinch River and Norris Lake. The city is unusual in having a council/city manager system where the elected council members choose the mayor and vice mayor. Much of the development is happening along the highway, and Main Street takes off from the south of the old city and runs past what was the “downtown” area that includes a historic old bank building.
Back on the main highway is the former Union County Jail, the Union County Museum and Genealogy Library, and access to the local schools. The county and the town proudly claim to be the “Cradle of Country Music” and boast musicians like Roy Acuff, Chet Atkins, Kenny Chesney and Carl Smith.
Nearby parks include Big Creek State Park and the Chuck Swan State Forest. Within Maynardville are a Food City, convenience stores, banks, service stations and other common amenities.
Maynardville is located along the historic “Thunder Road” moonshine trail and is mentioned in the famous country song. Other small towns in Union County include Luttrell and Plainview. The town sits in the center of what is known as Raccoon Valley.
You can contact the museum and library by phone at 865-992-2136 or email unioncountyhistoricalsocietytn@gmail.com.
If you’d like to make a day trip, you might also consider continuing north and stopping at Tazewell and doubling back on Highway 25E there to the Clinch Mountain Overlook, Bean Station, Tate Spring and Rutledge. Getting out with a spouse or taking the family for an outing is a great way to get away for a day.
