From The Claiborne Progress Online - Wednesday, July 26, 2006

Congratulations are in order to the Claiborne County Historical and Genealogical Society because it now holds the deed to the historical Old Jail located in Tazewell located on what was once a back street of the town of Tazewell but now is Highway 33.

The Old Jail next to Century Bank sits unoccupied and in bad need of renovation and repair.

The announcement came by Patricia Brooks, President of the CCHGS at the July meeting of the Society and she and the Society would like to express their thanks to County Mayor Virgil Harrell and the county commissioners who worked to see that the Old Jail would be saved for future generations of Claiborne County residents and non-residents to learn more of the County's historic past. This news comes almost in perfect unison with the opening of the newest of Claiborne County's facilities, the new Jail and Detention Center located on Straight Creek Road.

From Goodspeed's History of Claiborne County - "The first jail was completed at about the same time as the courthouse - 1804. It was used until 1819, when Josiah C. Ramsey, John Evans, William Graham, William Renfro, Robert Crockett, David Rogers and Reuben Rogers were appointed commissioners to erect a new jail. It was built with a double wall, the outside being rock and the inside frame."

The Claiborne County Historical and Genealogical Society would ask that all concerned readers please help in the restoration efforts that will soon be underway lead by the CCHGS. This can be by individual donations to the Old Jail Project specifically or by joining the Society and contributing with your attendance and ideas of how this and other projects concerning preservation of County historical landmarks can be accomplished. Funding and support of these efforts are of utmost importance.

You can send your contributions to the CCHGS, P.O Box 32, Tazewell, Tennessee 37879 and look for our booth at the upcoming Claiborne County Fair in August .

The annual dues of the Society are $12.50 for single, $15 for family and $1 for students. Prospective members should contact the Vice-President Patricia Brooks, e-mail patricialbrooks@gmail.com or visit the website http://www.rootsweb.com/~tnccths/ for more membership information.

For those who pre-ordered the book and had requested to receive their book in the mail, should by now have received your copy.

For those who pre-ordered the book and were planning to pick their book up locally, you can pick your book up at First Century Bank in Tazewell. Please see Brenda Burchfield at the bank to get your pre-ordered copy of the book.

For everyone else who wants to purchase the book, here's how you can get your copy:

1- You can now go to First Century Bank in Tazewell. Please see Brenda Burchfield at the bank to purchase a copy of the book.

2- You can go into *any* of the following local banks; First Century, Citizens, Commercial and Home Federal, and purchase a copy of the book. The cost of the books that are picked up at the banks will be $75.00.

3- For everyone else who would like a copy mailed to them, please send a check or money order for $79.95 (This includes shipping and handling) to this address:

PLEASE DO NOT post Historical or Genealogical questions or requests on the Guestbook. All Historical and  Genealogical questions or requests should be addressed to Brandy Geist, Publications Editor for the Claiborne County Historical and Genealogical Society.