On October 30, 2018, led by Commissioner Danny Cooke, a fundraising campaign was announced to restore Norton Mill.

Among those pictured here are: Mayor Jason Bailey, Josh Jones, Union County Business and Professional Association President Martin Shafer, Chamber of Commerce President Thomas Skibinski, County Commissioners Danny Cooke, Debra Keck, Sidney Jessee, Jr., and Dawn Flatford, Roger Flatford, Billy Myers, and James “Rick” Riddle of the Winery at Seven Springs.

Not too long ago, I was honored to get to serve as hostess at the first Big Ridge Park Welcome Center. Many people stopped in during the Big Ridge Park Annual Blue Grass Festival. Some people stopped in just to see inside the building or to talk Union County history. One of the things I learned, or was reminded of, is that this little building was the first building in Union County to have electric lights switched on as a result of establishment of the Tennessee Valley Authority and the construction of Norris Dam. I did say “lights”–the building has two overhead lights.