This month in Carter County history

Published 6:25 pm Monday, August 4, 2025

By Joe Penza, City Archivist

Amazing events have occurred all throughout the history of Elizabethton and Carter County. In this monthly column, we look at some celebrated episodes from our past, but also dig up some lesser-known events that might surprise you. For this month, we consider a public murder and the loss of two very important structures from Carter County’s past. All of this history awaits you at the Archives of the City of Elizabethton at the Elizabethton-Carter County Public Library. If you’re interested in anything related to local history, please contact the archives at 423-547-6360 or at jpenza@cityofelizabethton.org. We can discover something new about our past together!

AUGUST:
Sunday, Aug. 2, 1874: A mob of citizens lynches James Worley outside of Elizabethton after he is accused of, and confesses to, raping and murdering 13-year-old Alice Moody. Worley is hanged and shot nine times, after which Carter County residents refuse to allow his burial within the county limits and send his remains to Jonesborough.

Thursday, Aug. 2, 1934: After hosting elections all day, Hunter Elementary School burns almost entirely to the ground. The fire is so large that it is plainly visible miles away in downtown Elizabethton. The school was built just six years earlier for a cost of $13,000, “including desks and equipment.”

Saturday, Aug. 19, 1972: The Lynnwood Hotel (formerly the Governor Taylor Hotel), which stood as a landmark in Elizabethton since its construction in 1907, is torn down as part of downtown revitalization funded by the federal program Urban Renewal.