From the files of the Polk County News ...

In 1928, the Grand Jury recommended that a small country farm be purchased for the county as a poor farm on which to keep the county dependents .. It took a long time to select a jury for the trial of the man charged with murder in the killing of Dep. John Gilbert ... President Herbert Hoover embarked on a goodwill trip to Latin America ... It was reported in Zion News that there was good hog killing weather ... Tennga Railroad Company planned to purchase a spur line owned by Conasauga River Lumber Company.

In 1938, charges up for the criminal court term included wife desertion, poisoning a cow, possession of a still, and possession of whiskey ... There were 1,752 bales of cotton ginned in the county ... The county received $116,150 from the Works Progress Program for farm to market roads.

In 1958, Grover Rann became the second Democrat in history to represent this area in the state legislature, winning over James Passmore. Buford Ellington easily won the governor’s race and Albert Gore smothered his Republican opponent for a Senate seat ... The high school began a new grading system, converting numbers to letters ... Students enrolled at UTK included Mary Biggs, Ralph Biggs, Tom Biggs, Carolyn Campbell, Charles Dugan, Mary Fawver, Larry Lillard, Roy Lillard, Ben McClary, Rebecca Passmore, Joe Price, Roger Paul Trew from Benton; Jane Ballew, James Crawford, Patricia Neal, Charlotte Thomas from Copperhill; Jordan Carter, James Green, Andrew Harbison, Martha Smith from Delano; Guy Burger, Roger Spargo from Ducktown; Ethel Benson from Isabella; James Mercer from Ocoee; Francis Davis, John Davis, Henriete Johnson, Dannie Lea from Old Fort; and John Montgomery from Postelle.

In 1968, two men were charged with operating moonshine stills and possessing unstamped whiskey ... The Benton Jaycettes wrapped presents to be sent to servicemen in Vietnam ... Food prices: turkey, 39¢/lb.; ice cream, 69¢/half gal; cranberry sauce 25¢/can.

In 1978, Lamar Alexander was elected governor, Senator Howard Baker and Congresswoman Marilyn Lloyd were re-elected, as were State Senator Ben Longley and Rep. Bob Harrill ... Brad Kimbrough was named County Council Chairman Pro-Tem ... A hearing was scheduled on a property tax appeal by Cities Service involving some $1 million in possible revenue ... The School Board again approved a plan to build new schools at Turtletown and North Polk. This is the same plan that had been turned down by the County Council, recommending instead consolidation for Delano and Turtletown .. Memorial services were held in memory of James Kenneth Green, former South Polk principal who died unexpectedly.

In 1988, the School Board backed a coach’s decision to cut a female freshman from the Wildcat football squad ... The Copper Basin Crisis Center was formed to provide a variety of services for area residents ... The bankruptcy court ruled that Copperhill did not have to live up to the terms of a massive water contract with McCaysville. The decade-old contract had included water purchases by Cities Service, which reneged on its part of the deal. The ruling left McCaysville facing a huge debt to Farmers Home Administration ... The Public Service Commission ordered that there were to be no toll charges for calls between Delano and Benton. Toll charges on calls from the Copper Basin to Benton had already been dropped. Calls between Delano and the Basin were still long distance .. The Cougars retained their No. 1 state ranking as they defeated South Pittsburgh for the district title ... The Wildcats defeated McMinn Central to win a playoff berth.

In 1998, fire destroyed a section of the mansion in Ducktown owned by Sylvia Daniels Bray … The schools’ overall average test gains beat the state average gain … The county’s long-range coordinating committee was to begin meeting … Copperhill agreed to run water lines to Coletown if residents were willing pay for it.