A county named for the Revolutionary War general Mad Anthony Wayne and a county seat named in honor of the beautiful home of Thomas Jefferson is, without doubt, made up of citizens proud of their history The town of Monticello has deep roots and a rich heritage that provide inspiration for all its citizens. It has produced musicians like Blind Dick Burnett, who wrote Man of Constant Sorrow, and Shelby Moore Cullom, who supervised the construction of Abraham Lincoln s burial site in Springfield, Illinois. Years after Daniel Boone came through the Cumberland Gap and followed the Cumberland...

While a few people called the area we know as Cary home in the 1700s, it was not until 1854 that signs of a village began to appear. The enterprising businessman Allison Francis Frank Page bought 300 acres on which he operated a sawmill and did some farming. The railroad soon reached Cary, and in 1868, Frank saw the opportunity to start a new venture and built a hotel, which served meals and provided accommodations to train passengers. Cary was incorporated in 1871. By 1880, there were nearly 300 residents, and by 1930, that number had tripled. The timber industry kept Cary alive, as well as...