I came today in my archives across a pamphlet of great historical interest to me. Mr. Clifford Stiner, prominent Union County resident, was the author. The pamphlet reveals Mr. Stiner’s occupations/hobbies/interests as historian, pilot, politician, newspaper editor, and author.
A huge amount of inference can be drawn from the title page, exclusive to the contents of the pamphlet itself, pointing to Mr. Stiner’s self-sufficiency. Mr. Stiner declared on the title page of “The Dawn of Union County” that he edited, sketched, researched and printed the missive. Concise though the pamphlet is (it contains fifteen pages excluding the self-illustrated front and back covers and the title page), and though it only contains a single photograph of his birthplace, it is worthy to consider the time that was involved in the sole execution of tasks necessary to produce this now historical gem.
It can further be inferred that Mr. Stiner possessed a measure of humility. He did not advertise himself a pariah; rather, he described himself as “A Free Lance Historian and Collector”, humorously noting that he did so “’Country Style’”.
Most significant to me was this phrase from the title page: “Names, Figures, Persons, Places or Things are questionable upon proof”. Mr. Stiner was acknowledging he was not infallible. My interpretation is thus: “I’m pretty sure I know what I’m talking about, but you are welcome to prove me wrong.” To make this easier for the reader, Mr. Stiner provided his mailing address so readers could contact him personally.
I never knew Mr. Stiner personally. Mr. Stiner was an innovative man. I know he had an airport located on the present Old Luttrell Road, on a hill just above the former home of the late Burl Warwick, the rental house in which I was raised, where my family lived from 1971 to 1984. The “Old Stiner House”, now in disrepair, is located across from Maynardville Elementary School, close to the intersection of Main Street with Bertha’s Place.
I learned not long ago that Mr. Stiner isolated himself in the extremely little house just behind the Stiner house while he suffered/recovered from tuberculosis. Legendary County 4-H Extension Agent J. Harold Julian also lived in that little house at some point.
Mr. Stiner also operated a theater in Union County. The building still stands, though it is also in disrepair. The theater is located just up the road from the “Old Stiner House”, closer to the site of the now demolished Horace Maynard High School that was erected in 1923.
Mr. Stiner was also a home builder. Many of the houses he built are still standing all these many years after his passing. One of these residences is the former home of Rina C. Shoffner, owner/operator of Shoffner’s Furniture and Appliances.
Mr. Stiner’s pamphlet discussed briefly the following topics: Daniel Boone in Union County; Indian Mounds; Union County Under a Sea; Union County Created; The Name Union County; Population; Area Square Miles; Temperature; Elevation; Ex-President Andrew Johnson Here; Horace Maynard; The Name Maynardville; H.M.H.S.; Site of Maynardville; Marble; Galenite; Iron Ore; Timber; Our Dying Pine; Hardwood; Agriculture; Dairying; Forward or Backward; Maynardville; Luttrell; Communities; Journalism; Dissolve Union County?; New Court House.
These topics emphasize Mr. Stiner’s love of and concern for the county that was his life-long home. It is evident that Mr. Stiner was interested in and thoughtful of Union County’s history, preservation and resources. He was equally anxious for the county’s continuation and progress.
Clifford Stiner was without doubt a man of inestimable influence and prominence in Union County history. I would like to be able to sit down and have a conversation with him about his place in Union County’s development and his estimation of its current situation. With what would he be most pleased? What would he see as the county’s most pressing concerns?
If you, Dear Reader, would like to view Mr. Stiner’s pamphlet, I believe a copy can be found at the museum maintained by the Union County Historical Society. You can also reach out to me via historicunioncounty.com. The title page notes “Copying Rights Reserved”.
Normally, Dear Reader, I leave you with some thoughts from emails I have received. This week, however, I leave you with the quote that Mr. Stiner placed on the back page of “The Dawn of Union County”:

Freedom Is:
Discovering the Surface—
Soaring the Universe