Recreating history vs. making history

This weekend Monterey, Tennessee celebrated an annual event called Standing Stone Day, locally called Indian Day for the local Cherokee heritage. It was an old fashioned celebration with a parade of local machines and animals, local princesses, and a small ceremony at the site of the Standing Stone, all volunteer, of course. The Standing Stone monument was installed in 1895, so the history is not too old. And the steam powered railroad, including the right-of-way, came up the mountain in 1893. When the railroad came up the mountain, it was all privately funded, as in the old time ways. And the investors and builders expected to get their money back by hauling the local timber and coal. While I do not know, I think they did get their money back.

Now the diesel powered railroad is coming back up the mountain on the same right-of-way. The spur to the now intended sand quarries was right by the ceremony site. It was like standing by history while making history. And we all celebrated.