RODDY REVELATIONS Delightful Village--Grand and Beautiful Scenery-- Walden's Ridge, it's Majestic Grandeur-- Sparkling Cascades--Grand and Picturesque Sight-- A Progressive People. Editor Dayton Democrat: Roddy, Tenn., Aug. 9, 1897 - Roddy is a beautiful village of less than 500 inhabitants, nestled among the hills in a fertile valley, twenty-four miles north of Dayton, on the Q. & C. railroad, and is noted for it's natural resources, grand scenery, good water and healthful climate. One the east can be see irregular hills covered with gigantic forest trees. On the west historic Walden's Ridge rises in majestic grandeur about one thousand feet above the valley and is covered with beautiful evergreens, trailing vines and a dense forest. Here and there are high cliffs, sparkling cascades, dark caverns and thundering cataracts, presenting to the eye of the pleasure seeker a grand and picturesque sight. Camp Creek, a small but beautiful stream, feed by numerous springs of pure water, clear as crystal, winds it's way northward through our village. We are blessed with good churches, fine schools, good society and health; well stored barns and larders. Our citizens are an enterprising and progressive people. One proof of this fact is they voted for the Constitutional Convention. Col. Arch McCaleb, one of Rhea County's oldest and best citizens, is very sick at his home and his physicians and friends can plainly see that he is fast nearing the end of his earthly career. Mrs. Amy Johnson and her nephew, Baxter Clack, went out to the Gibson Springs Saturday. Mrs. Johnson will spend a week or two there. (NOTE: There was a hotel on top of Walden's Ridge located at this place called Gibson's Spring, very near the White's Creek bluff. Water from the spring was considered therapeutic and many, many locals spent time there when they felt 'puney'. Nothing much remains there now except a few rocks that at one time were the foundation for part of the hotel. -EC) Miss Belle Gibson of Grandview, is visiting friends here. Mr. William Johnson, of Wilmer, Texas, arrived at Roddy last Wednesday, and from here went to his old home at Grassy Cove to visit relatives. He was met at Roddy by his brother-in-law, Mr. McAndrews. Miss Sallie and Mr. Will Brady were guests of the Misses Clack Sunday. E.K. Stout, of Sheffield, (now Pennine-EC) was in our vicinity Monday. The teachers and directors Institute will meet at Roddy Aug. 21st. We hope there will be a good turnout of teachers present. We will do all we can to entertain them while they are in our midst. For Prof. Stephens sake we will try and have some dinner. VINDICATOR. (Note: Roddy was originally called Prestonville, named for Col. Preston, one of the earlier settlers. It was changed to Roddy after the Roddy family donated many acres of land to the railroad to help encourage them to build one through this valley. I think the name change happened more or less when the railroad posted the name Roddy on the railroad station.-EC) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~