I just wandered by the Roane Heritage Society in the old Roane County Courthouse in Kingston.

What a treasure. Artifacts of every sort, including a ceremonial mask made of conch shell.

The pictures of the old Paddle wheelers are worth the trip and there was old man Rockwood, who started the iron mill and got a town named after him.

A most interesting piece of paper in one of the glass cases was the actual talley sheet from the Roane County vote to succeed from the Union prior to the Civil War. The vote was (in round figures)...

500 to join the Confederacy...1500 to remain loyal to the Union.

If you want to know the exact talley you'll have to stop by and read it for yourself.

I've added the link over on the right but the web site, while interesting, doesn't do it justice.