Volume 30, Number 20 • May 22, 1940

Tennessee Walking horse ridathon scheduled for June 4

Tennessee Walking horses and riders from at least twenty middle Tennessee counties are expected to participate in the ridathon over Stone’s River Battlefield on June 4. It is expected that at least 300 horses will take part.

This will be the biggest ridathon ever held and is being sponsored by the Rutherford County Walking Horse Club. Dr. W.P. Boyd will act as director-general of the ride.

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The Celina Merchants are perched on top of the South Central Amateur Baseball League today and are fast being recognized as the hottest team in the league.

Cave City (KY) came to town Sunday with probably the best team to show here in a decade, but were forced into the background by a brilliant pitching exhibition by L. Westmoreland, aided by some very timely hitting by his mates.

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Cleo Smith, son of Wheeler Smith and who was visiting his father from the CCC Camp at Jamestown, was fatally injured last Saturday when the car he was driving collided with a Killon Motor Express truck on a curve near Lex Smith’s, on the Celina-Livingston highway.

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Miss Lillian Robinson arrived last week to assume her duties as county home demonstation agent. Miss Robinson came to Celina from Chattanooga.

The new agent stated she was very enthusiastic about the mattress making project, which she hopes to have well under way in a short time.

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Clay County Facts

Clay County became a county in 1871, after the first court was held at Butler’s Landing.

The courthouse was finished in 1873 at a cost of $9,999.

J.J. Brown was the first county clerk, W.H. Hawkins the first circuit clerk, Adam Thrasher the first sheriff, Tim S. TeHenry the first clerk and master and H.G. Tinsley the first trustee.

Celina was incorporated in 1909 and H.H. Kyle was the first mayor.

Celina has a population of a few less than 1,000 and Clay County has 9,500.

Clay County has only one bank, the Bank of Celina.

The county has a tax rate of $3, the third highest in the state.

The county has three high schools and thirty-eight elementary schools.

The first county fair was held in 1903.

The county was named after Henry Clay.