Most of my memories, however, are of Baxter Seminary. I remember the wholesome, accepting, affirming atmosphere.
They seemed to value all of us alike. I always felt as though I was "somebody" at the Seminary, and that helped me in
my development at that time.
Students came from all around the western end of Putnam County. I remember students from Baxter, Buffalo Valley,
Martin’s Creek, Cedar Hill, Boma, Herren’s Chapel, Silver Point, the Eighth District and Bloomington Springs, including the
girl I have been married to for 56 years, Louise Dyer Flatt, and her two brothers, Harold and Ernest Dyer. I was one of
at least five students who drove in from Jackson County along with my two identical twin cousins, Layton and Litton Way.
There were also students from Cuba who expanded our cultural education, including Marta Verdecia who often sang a love song
in Spanish to us in chapel I can still sing part of that song even though I don't know exactly what it means.
Chapel was always special, Dean Ethelyn P. Hill would keep us informed on what we needed to be doing and sometimes what
we had done wrong. Dr. Harry L. Upperman, president, often had some words of encouragement for us. I remember his
telling us that if we did our work well at the Seminary and graduated that we could go anywhere in the world and succeed.
Employers and colleges would be impressed when we told them that we were graduates of Baxter Seminary. That seemed
far-fetched to me at the time, but it did encourage me to start developing some dreams.
The teachers were not only good teachers, but they seemed to care about us personally and were continually encouraging.
I especially remember Mrs. Harry L. Upperman, who often told me that I was smart, which I had not heard very often.
Teachers in those days often criticized us, evidently to make us work harder and improve. I also remember Mrs. Iva Mae
Cunningham, Mr. Arnold Brown, Mrs. Jean Massa, and Miss Reba Smellage. Mr. Cecil Smith, our agriculture teacher, was
special, always smiling, and saying good things about our work. I was on his judging team- judging cattle and
demonstrating knot-tying skills. We won first place in Middle Tennessee.
On one trip, as he drove slowly though Sewanee, TN, he told us that ""this is the second foggiest place I have ever been."
When asked where the foggiest place was, he replied: "I don't know. It was so foggy I couldn't tell." That kind
of interaction with his students was enjoyable, and it made him seem very human and accepting to us. It was okay to
joke around with is students at times.
Coach Gerald Muncy had a great deal of influence on me, believing that I was better than I was in both football and
basketball. A very effective coach, "his boys" went undefeated in football in 1950 and even after he left in 1951.
My senior year in 1951, we held six of the 10 teams we defeated scoreless while the other four teams only scored one touchdown
each. All total, we scored 127 points only five points behind the state leader, Johnny Majors, who went on to become
an all-American running back at the University of Tennessee. Pat Fields and Robert Pippin were also effective runners
for us. Bob Dale Maxwell was our excellent quarterback - could run the team well and also throw a soft and accurate
pass.
The Baxter Bees also won the regular season conference championship in basketball. That same Bob Dale Maxwell led
the way with 244 points; Frank Medley followed with 188. Our whole Baxter Bee Nation was very supportive and
encouraging - coaches, faculty, players, cheerleaders and fans. It was very affirming to a teen-age boy who was not
too sure of himself. Some of us from the undefeated football teams sometimes still get together for a meal at some
restaurant in the Cookeville, TN, area. You should hear some of the football heroics we share! They get bigger
and better with time! I'm just glad to re-connect with them after all these years.
Although Baxter Seminary was affiliated with the Methodist Church, they did not attempt to indoctrinate us with their
values and were able to establish that kind of atmosphere. This is reflected in their motto: "Truth, honor, loyalty,
and service," words that are street names on the Upperman High School campus today. Even though I was not a Methodist,
I did not feel uncomfortable being there. In fact, the opposite was true; I felt very accepted.
As the article by Whitehead indicated, Baxter is in some ways "just a shadow of its former glory." Yet, there are
many positives as well with new businesses and a new Depot in process of being built, which will become a new center of
activity for the city. Jeanie Lee and the Beautification and Deport Committees, working with city government, have
made significant improvements around town - wrought iron benches, flower pots and barrels, Christmas lights, clean up efforts,
Christmas parades and fairs, and numerous activities to promote Baxter.
They produced a Baxter flag which is to be displayed on poles along major entrances to the city. Efforts are being
made to raise money for a statue of Dr. Upperman and a Seminary wrought-iron arch to be erected on Seminary grounds and a
statue of Jere Baxter, who brought the Tennessee Central Railway into Putnam County, to be erected next to the new Depot.
Metro Baxter has expanded from Baxter Crossroads to the I-40 Interstate and beyond. It is the home of numerous
people. Educational institutions are alive, well, and expanding in Baxter with good elementary, middle and high
schools. Upperman High School is well known for its quality education and athletic teams that are making us proud.
It is about twice the size of Baxter Seminary when Louise and I were students there.
I have good memories of Baxter Seminary, yet life goes on and the future looks bright. Truth, honor, loyalty, and
service are still words that guide us as we press on towards our goals today. With God’s help, we will continue to be
true to our mission and helpful to our family, friends, and community. Baxter Seminary laid a good foundation for all
of this.
Baxter Celebrates 100 Years
Posted by: Buddy Pearson - Saturday, March 14, 2015 on herald-citizen.com with photo
BAXTER - A crowd gathered at the Baxter Depot recently to celebrate the city’s 100th year of incorporation with a
proclamation signing, special music, and special speakers.
"We're kicking off our centennial year," Baxter Mayor Jeff Wilhite said at the event. "It was in 1915 on this very
day, March 12, that our charter was granted to us by the legislature of the state of Tennessee."
The Friends of the Depot presented a framed photograph of Jere Baxter, the town’s namesake, to be hung in the Baxter
Depot. It honors the man for whom the town changed its name from Mine Lick to Baxter for his establishment of the
Tennessee Central Railroad that served the Upper Cumberland.
"This railroad was the life blood of this town. Without the railroad, there probably wouldn't have been a Baxter,"
Wilhite said.
Sue Neal, member of the Friends of the Depot, spoke about her memories of Baxter Seminary, which later became Upperman
High School. It was there, she said, that students learned that they could do anything that they put their mind to.
"It was that attitude that stuck with all of us," she said. "I think we have taught our generation and that
generation has taught other generations. I think that’s the reason people from Baxter are so special. One year
I was at Tech at an event and one of the professors at the event said, ‘You're from Baxter, aren't you?’ I said, ‘Yes,
sir, I am.’ He said, ‘I can tell. I can pick out the Baxter students. They're different than the others ...
They have a different attitude from other people.’ And I really think we do. I think in so many ways, we are
different because we have that positive attitude. We're proud of our small town."
Jeanie Lee reminded those gathered about the sounds of the town’s past - from the bugle playing of Charlie Hughes to the
sounds of a horse and buggy. And Dan Maxwell spoke about his family’s old business in the W. T. Sewell Building, which
contributed much to the area’s economy.
"Your family has done so much for this town, and they practically donated the building to the town of Baxter, and we're
very appreciative of that," Wilhite told Maxwell.
The proclamation signing that finished out the event marked March 12, 2015, through March 11, 2016, as the official
centennial year, and Wilhite told the crowd that they had other celebrations in the works throughout the year that celebrate
the city’s rich history.
"Just because we're small doesn't mean we're not great," Neal said
more...
Baxter Depot and Visitor Center photo: City of Baxter
Jere Baxter photo: The Putnam County Herald
Baxter Seminary to get a new life
Posted by: Megan Trotter - Sunday, August 2, 2016 on herald-citizen.com with photo
The Baxter Beautification Committee hopes to learn what happened to the old arch for Baxter Seminary and, if
it is in good condition, use it for the upcoming park. Anyone with any information on the location of the arch can
contact committee president Jeanie Lee.
Not much more than the ghosts of the past have been wandering the old Baxter Seminary grounds since its closing in 1959.
New life is coming to the land, however. Plans are underway to turn the picturesque site and surrounding land into a park.
The land on the corner of 1st Avenue South and Elmore Town Road is designated only with a historic marker. The Baxter
Beautification Committee and other Baxter residents have a vision to turn the site into a special place for families for
generations to come.
The seminary was opened in 1910 by the Methodist Episcopal Church and saw more than 10,000 students pass through the doors before
it was sold to the Putnam County School System in 1959. Upperman High School took its place that same year. All but one
of the seminary buildings were torn down after a fire damaged them beyond repair.
"We can't bring back our buildings, but what we can do is honor our history in other ways," said Jeanie Lee, committee president.
"We can have a path of sidewalks, benches, maybe some lamp posts, and a sign at certain locations with a picture of what was
there and what it meant.
"We often have people who come to Baxter and go out to the grounds," she added. "They want to gather some history there,
but really there isn't anything out there at the moment."
Committee members recently discussed what else they envisioned for the park. Ideas included a fountain, a statue of Dr.
Harry Upperman - the past president of the seminary, playground equipment and an amphitheater.
One of the first things on the wish list is to either find the original Baxter Seminary arch or to recreate it.
The cost estimate for a new 10 foot by five foot arch was $2,200, which did not include the cost of pillars on which to place
it.
The committee also discussed using the adjoining land behind the ball park and across the nearby Cow Palace Drive to enlarge the
proposed park in order to have more room for the proposed amenities.
"We won't know until we get that cleaned up, how much land we have to work with. I think it goes back quite a bit," said
June Lewis, who lives in the only remaining seminar building - Dr. Upperman’s former home.
Once the property is cleared, the committee will be able to better see the lay of the land and to start drawing up more concrete
plans.
'This has been a dream of the committee for years," Lee said. "I can't tell you how thrilled I am to see things starting
to progress"
more...
Baxter Seminary gone, but alive in memories
Posted by: Megan Trotter - Sunday, September 25, 2016 on herald-citizen.com
Looking over some memorabilia from Baxter Seminary are former students, from left, Bill Flatt, 1952 graduate;
Sue Bush Herald, 1959 graduate; Frank Medley, 1953 graduate and retired Upperman High School principal; Reba Thomas Medley,
1953 graduate; Eddie Herald, 1959 graduate; and Meirl Williams, 1958 graduate.
Nothing much remains on the grounds where the stately Baxter Seminary once stood.
For those who attended the school, it seems impossible that the memory of the place could be erased by the sands of time;
however, that is just what is happening.
"My daughter is a teacher over at the high school, and she says that most of those kids have no idea about Baxter
Seminary," said Meirl Williams, who graduated from the school in 1958.
Baxter Seminary was opened in 1910 by the Methodist Episcopal Church. At one time it contained 300 acres and 10 buildings,
most of which the trade students helped to build themselves.
More than 10,000 students passed through the doors before it was sold to the Putnam County School System in 1959. Upperman
High School took its place that same year.
The seminary buildings fell into disrepair, and when a fire started on the old campus, it caused so much damage that the
city pulled the buildings down completely.
When former students of Baxter Seminary recently got together to reminisce, the memories came back in a rush.
They remembered favorite teachers who taught everything from English to history to math.
"Ms. Hill would thump misbehaving students over the head with the eraser on her pencil," June Lewis remembered with a laugh.
"The students respected the teachers," added Frank Medley. "The teachers respected the students. If you got out of line,
you were pulled back in."
Several of those gathered remembered the ‘tough love’ given by their former teachers.
"Mr. Birch Williams taught trades," said Bill Flatt. "He was a thorough person.
"For example, if you didn’t have something like he wanted it, as far as sanding the wood goes, he’d take his pencil and
mark all over the wood and say, ‘That needs to be sanded right there. Look.’
"Have you ever tried to get a pencil mark off a piece of wood? Two seconds of marking with a pencil made for about three
hours of sanding. But he was thorough, he was respectable, and he taught well."
Fellow graduate Frank Medley remembered one particular presentation in the auditorium.
Six prisoners from the penitentiary were brought into the school in shackles and were told to explain to the students who
they were, what their life had been like, and how they had ended up where they were.
"I’m not exaggerating one bit when I say you could have taken a feather and dropped it on the floor and would have thought
a stick of dynamite had gone off - that’s how attentive the student body was.
"That has stuck with me over the years," Medley said.
The students who gathered to share memories all agreed that the school had a friendly atmosphere, among students and also
among the students and teachers.
Everyone worked hard to succeed, and graduates of Baxter Seminary have gone out all over the world.
"I remember Dr. Upperman saying if you do your work here and you do well, anywhere you go people will be glad to have you
when they know you are a graduate of Baxter Seminary," Flatt said.
Work is underway for the former site of the Baxter Seminary to create a memorial park.
The Baxter Beautification Board envisions a trail with benches and memorial plaques with photos and history of each of the
buildings that comprised the campus. Members are also hoping for decorative light poles with plaques in honor or memory of
people at the school. Work has already begun to make this dream come to light.
The old, deteriorating sidewalks have been pulled up and the land is being examined to determine the best layout of the new
park.
When it is finished, it will be a place where former students can come to remember and the younger generations can come to
learn about where their parents, grandparents and beyond came to get their start in the world all those years ago.
"Baxter Seminary should be remembered," Flatt said. "That school meant a lot to this area, and students have gone all over
the country and the world. I’d love to have a place to come to and remember everything I did
more...
If you build it, they will come.
By: Laura Malitana - Sunday, June 18, 2017, Herald-Citizen with photo
Baxter Mayor John Martin is anticipating that motto to come true with all of the development going on around the small
city in western Putnam County.
"When I came into office, nothing was getting done," he said. "Things were stagnant."
Since he came in to office in 2016, things have been happening.
The replacement of Elmore Town Road bridge is being bid out after the city budgeted funds for that project, traffic
issues are being aggressively addressed with regards to the area known as the Crossroads where Hwys. 56 and 70 intersect,
infrastructure improvements are underway and a new park is being developed.
Sewer updates
"We have capacity for growth with our sewers," he said. "But there have been some issues we are addressing now."
The main issue is water infiltration into the sewer system that happens on wet days.
"We’re going to do camera work to scope out the problems and figure out how to fix them," he said. And the sewer
plant will also need some work.
"We’re going to seek grant funds to do that," he said.
The city also has applied for Community Development Block Grants to expand lines to Fixtur World’s new location and needed
rehabilitation work. Officials won’t know if the city receives those funds until later this year.
Crossroads traffic
Martin has been actively meeting with the Tennessee Department of Transportation to address the issue of traffic backlogs
that the area frequently sees, especially notable during the school year.
"We’ve gone back and forth about what will be best out there," Martin said. "The thing about signals is that once
you have them, you have to maintain them."
With TDOT engineers looking at the area, they said that a roundabout might be the best solution.
"There’s enough room for one," Martin said. "It won’t take much work."
With the intersection containing two state routes, Martin said the city would not be out any money.
"But we have to wait to see how the new gas tax plays out," he said, so no timeline is available as of when it would be
done - or how much it would cost the state.
Traffic counts range anywhere from 2,260 to 7,241 vehicles a day.
"It will take some learning," he said of a roundabout. "There will be educational seminars at the schools for the
bus drivers and for others to be held at the visitors center."
J. Cumby Construction’s president Justin Cumby’s mixed-use development of commercial in that area will also spur
improvements to that area near the Dollar General Store.
"I’m excited about him bringing that development," Martin said. "I can’t wait for him to start moving dirt."
Baxter Seminary Park
Work on Baxter Seminary Park, located between Cornerstone and Baxter Primary schools, is moving along.
"We’ve got the groundwork done and just need to sow the grass seed," Martin said. "The walking trails are lined
and ready for the next step."
Those trails will combine with the current Baxter City Park, which has new playground equipment thanks to the Putnam
County Health Department’s "Knock Tobacco out of the Park" initiative.
"John Ross Albertson with Putnam County Parks and Recreation is helping out a lot," he said.
There will be a bridge connecting the Cornerstone School property to the park, taking people over a little stream that was
a dump at one point in time.
"It was full of tires and other trash," he said.
The staff at Cornerstone now are looking at building an outdoor classroom near the park.
"This will look really nice once it’s all done," Martin said, adding that he is looking to build an ampitheater in
the park as well.
Senior center
library relocation,
city hall renovations
Work on the empty space at Baxter Primary is underway to make space for the Baxter Senior Center, along with the library.
"This is a wonderful concept," Martin said. "It’s all about bridging the generational gap."
Once the renovation wraps up, then the members of the senior center can enjoy the new space.
"Hopefully they’ll move in the next month," he said.
All of the security issues have been addressed, along with handicapped issues.
The library will take a bit longer to renovate, as there are some walls that need to be taken down.
"The county will help with that," he said.
And when the library moves out, the city hall building is next on the renovation list.
"The police department will go where the library is while city court will be held in the back," Martin said
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The article by Michael Whitehead, published in the Herald-Citizen on January 2, 2012, brought back many good memories of my
days as a student at Baxter Seminary in 1950-1952. It was titled "Truth, Honor,Loyalty, Service: Baxter Seminary."
The author took us from the beginning of the school in the early 1900s to its closing some 50 years later. I remember
the two grocery stores, the pool hall, the drug store, the train and Depot, the hardware store, and other places that were
mentioned. Cumberland Cafe was our primary hang-out. While waiting to see and be seen, you could listen to "I'm
Moving On" by Hank Snow or "Love-sick Blues" By Hank Williams on the Juke Box if you had an extra nickel. Fifteen cents
would buy you a hot dog, 20 cents a hamburger, 25 cents a cheeseburger, 50 cents a plate lunch, 20 cents a piece of pie, and
another nickel would get you a nice big scoop of ice cream on top of the pie.
Sidewalks and areas for benches are being constructed for the Baxter Seminary Park project, which has been in the works for years.
