Cocke County, Tennessee
Proclamation to Celebrate the 100th Anniversary of Leonora Whitaker (Christy) Arrival to Ebenezer (Cutter Gap) Mission

WHEREAS, Leonora Whitaker (Christy), at the age of eighteen in December of 1909 with one year of college, courageously left her family home in Dillingham, North Carolina, to teach a people with a noble heritage, struggling to survive in a most remote and inhospitable, yet magnificent region known as the Southern Highlands; and,

WHEREAS, Leonora Whitaker's (Christy), destination was Morgan Gap in the East Tennessee mountains where she was assigned to teach school traveling by train was to disembark at West Myers Flagstop where a party awaited, but she mistakenly got off the train one stop too early at the Del Rio (El Pano), Tennessee Depot; and,

WHEREAS, Leonora Whitaker (Christy), spent the night at Burnett's Boarding House and the next day accompanied postman Hubert Stokely on his delivery route which included the Ebenezer Mission (Cutter Gap) walking the seven miles through deep snow and over icy footbridges; and,

WHEREAS, Leonora Whitaker (Christy), adapted to a place the twentieth century had forgotten with the challenge to not only teach her eager students the academic fundamentals, but to find ways to lighten the burdens of their young lives with love and compassion; and,

WHEREAS, Leonora Whitaker's (Christy), fellow mission worker was the young minister, John Wood, whom she fell in love and married in May 1910 and continued to serve Ebenezer Mission until their departure in March 1912; and,

WHEREAS, Leonora Whitaker's (Christy) daughter, Catherine Wood Marshall, immortalized her mother's story in the novel Christy now cherished by so many, has become a legacy for all time; and,

WHEREAS, Leonora Whitaker's (Christy) friends Flora and Arter Corn (whom the characters Fairlight and Jeb Spencer were based) daughter Opal Myers worked relentlessly to help preserve the mountain way of life and acquired the Mission grounds, tended the sick, counseled families and instructed young folks in home economics became a good friend of Catherine Marshall and assisted her with many details and accounts of the Mission while she was researching for Christy; and,

WHEREAS, the Myers family are keepers of the Christy story, receive countless annual visitors to the actual site, share the history of Morgan Gap exhibiting extraordinary hospitality, hosting several gatherings each year and treat guests with generosity and kindness; and,

WHEREAS, the Del Rio Preservation Society, along with help from the Quaker Oats Foundation and the Cocke County Legislative Body designed, built and erected twenty-four signs marking both fictional and factual places related to Christy and it is their mission to preserve and showcase the rich culture and heritage of Del Rio; and,

WHEREAS, the Cocke County Tourism Department works tirelessly to publicize the Christy Mission, provides packets of information to visitors interested in the Christy story, is the Cocke County sponsor for the annual ChristyFest™ that began with the first trip to Del Rio in 1999, and join all of Cocke County in welcoming ChristyFest™ members and organizers, who came from all over the world to "where it all began," and appreciate their dedication to the history and culture of Del Rio and encourage them to visit often.

Now, Therefore Be It Resolved that I, Cocke County Mayor Iliff McMahan, Jr., recognize A Special Day of Remembrance when one hundred years age Leonora Whitaker (Christy) arrived in Del Rio (El Pano), Tennessee on her way to Morgan Gap (Cutter Gap) where she would serve as a mission school teacher and celebrate this year's centennial theme, "Remembering How the Story Began" will take place during the annual trip to Del Rio and the original Ebenezer Mission (Cutter Gap) site.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the Cocke County Mayor to be affixed on this 11th day of June 2009.