More storytelling events needed

John Everett Williams

It was a great afternoon of listening to locals Gus Radford, Kent Jones and John Everett Williams looking back on history and talking about characters that made some of that happen.

Gus Radford, who portrayed Gov. Gordon Browining, told about the Huntingdon man’s political endeavors.

Radford, a colorful character himself, was born and raised in Huntingdon and graduated from the Memphis School of Law and practiced law in Carroll County from 1973 to 1982. He served as district attorney for 24 years and practiced law part time for 8 years until he retired in 2014.

Browning was a three-term governor and U.S. congressman. He had a law practice in Huntingdon where he lived. His last house still stands on West Main Street. He was married to Miss Ida Leach. In 1922 he won a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives and served six terms.

In 1936 when he beat his opponent for governor, he rode home on by train . He was met by the Huntingdon High School band who played for him. During his governorship he reduced the million dollar debt, and helped veterans and teachers. He worked on the staff of General Dwight D. Eisenhower.

In 1952 he was beat for governor by Frank G . Clement who used television and his preaching techniques to win.

In 1953 he built a home on West Main Street. He enjoyed singing the Tennessee Walz which he did once on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry. He was dedicated to everything that had to do with veterans.The Gordon Browning Bowl game was played in Huntingdon for a number of years.

 W. Kent Jones is a lifelong resident of Carroll County. He graduated with a BA degree from Bethel College and was awarded a Dr. of Jurisprudence Degree from Vanderbilt University School of Law. He has been a practicing attorney for 59 years. He was recently recognized as a Tennessee Bar Association Senior Counselor. He is an elected member of Carroll County Sports Hall of Fame and Bethel University Sports Hall of Fame. For years he was a sportscaster for Huntingdon Mustang football.

His story was about what he called “The Event” that occurred in Huntingdon on Feb. 26, 1954.

It was the day that Lt. Jack Jenkins, 24, a graduate of Huntingdon High School and Bethel College, crashed the flying boxcar plane he was piloting in the vicinity of where Wal-Mart now stands.

In Korea he flew missions when he became a pilot. His record had no blemishes. He had 1,185 hours of military aircraft flying time and was stationed at Ft. Benning, Ga. He was an Air Force instructor.

On that eventful day he filed a flight plan from Ft. Benning to Montgomery and would be gone four hours. But he left the flight plan and flew to Huntingdon. He had told some people that he wanted to buzz the Carroll County courthouse.

He dropped the altitude from 700 feet to 300 feet when he arrived in Huntingdon. He flew to the high school and to the elementary school that was letting our for the day.

Everyone was terrified because no one had eve seen an airplane this large.

He went toward Bruceton and then turned back and engaged the throttle to full speed.

There were about 50 people in the courthouse on this Friday afternoon, among them being attorney Hance Lassiter and Sheriff Roy Butler. Jenkins gained enough power to miss the courthouse, but pieces began falling from the plane. A wing came off and the plane caught on fire as it was coming down, finally crashing near what is Wal-Mart. The four occupants plus Jenkins died in the crash.

Lassiter filed a case concerning the crash that went all the way to the Supreme Court. It is the only case from Huntingdon to make it to the Supreme Court.

In The Dixie’s audience was Carolyn Pritchard Rowland, now of Jackson, who was in the courthouse on that fateful day. She was a teacher at the time at Clarksburg School. Teachers were undergoing some type of training. Everyone was terrified, she recalled.

It is believed if the plane had hit the courthouse it would have been the worst aviation disaster in a populated area ever to happen.

John Everett Williams portrayed Alvin Hawkins, who served as governor and was from Huntingdon. Williams is a state Court of Criminal Appeals judge.

Hawkins was governor from 1881 – 1883 and was all about reducing the state debt and was reported to be kind and have the least corrupted administration.

They also mentioned some other local people and told stories that involved them.

In closing, Radford called the star of the event, The Dixie, that is a great venue for programs.

It was just a great afternoon. I just hope there are more afternoons like this with some more local folks willing to tell these stories that are so interesting.

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