Ivory towers and leafy soybeans come together in Weakley County when the thriving University of Tennessee at Martin spreads out into acres of farmland.

Higher education on the UT campus site was begun in 1900 with the founding of Hall-Moody Institute. Over 100 years later, the university serves approximately 5,800 students and offers undergraduate degrees in more than 80 specialized fields of study. According to the school, 95 percent of its graduates find jobs or continue graduate studies within six months of graduation.


Weakley County's rich agricultural heritage can be seen in the variety of annual festivals. The 12th Tennessee Soybean Festival will be held Sept. 5-11 in downtown Martin featuring music, comedy and concerts. Beauty contests, sports events, parades and good food are all part of the week of festivities.


The Gleason Community celebrates Tater Town Special every Labor Day Weekend to honor the special place the sweet potato once held in the community. Sharon Spring Festival and Tennessee Iris Festival are two other events that highlight the agrarian community.


Barbara Virgin, executive director of the Weakley County Chamber of Commerce, has only been on the job two months, but she has a strong vision for the future of the county. Under her direction, the county is kicking off the GROW Weakley County County Campaign. The four letters stand for Generate, Recruit, Opportunity and Work force and the main focus will be on generating revenue, developing reseach and organizing community leaders to work together for a better future.

'We want to put Weakley County at the cutting edge of growth,' Virgin said.

'One of the best things about Weakley County is the fact that it is progressive but has kept its hometown feeling,' Virgin addied. 'Our communities are a warm, inviting group of people who welcome everyone.'

Incorporated towns

Dresden
City Hall: 117 West Main St., 364-2270
Meetings: 1st Monday of every month at 6 p.m.
Mayor: Danny Forrester
Police Chief: Jerry Wilson 364-2255
Fire Chief: Dickie Hart
Driver's License Testing 811 Morrow St. (731) 364-5547

Gleason
City Hall: 101 College Street 648-5547
Meetings: 2nd Thursday of every month at 7 p.m.
Mayor: Jack Dunning
Police Chief: Edmond Stewart 648-5547
Fire Chief: Jerry Connell 648-5547

Greenfield
City Hall: 222 N. Front St., 235-2330
Meetings: 2nd Tuesday of every month at 5:30 p.m.
Mayor: Eddie Joe McKelvy
Police Chief: Danny Harris
Fire Chief: Bob Dudley

Martin
Population: 10,515
City Hall: 101 University St. 587-3126
Meetings: 2nd Monday of every month at 5:15 p.m.
Mayor: Randy Brundige 587-3126
Police Department: David Moore 587-5355
Fire Chief: Oran True 587-4919
Court Clerk: Cathy Page-Lawrence 587-5355
Senior Citizens Center: Martin Senior Adult Center, 701 N. Lindell St,. 587-3900
Airport: Everett Stewart Airport

Sharon
City Hall: 143 E. Main St., 456-2122
Meetings: 3rd Monday of every month at 7 p.m.
Mayor: James Gary Roberts
Interim Police Chiefs: Gary Eddings and Phil Pate
Fire Chief: Stacey Boswick
Senior Citizens Center: Sharon Senior Center 456-2213

Schools

The University of Tennessee at Martin, 544 University St., Martin, TN 38238 - (800) 829.UTM1 or 731.587.7000
Adult Learning Center 364-5481
Dresden Elementary 364-3041
Dresden Middle School 364-2407
Dresden High School 364-2949
Gleason School 648-5351
Greenfield School 235-3421
Martin Primary School 587-9033
Martin Elementary School 587-2290
Martin Middle School 587-2346
Westview High School 587-4202
Sharon School 456-2672

Heathcare

Health Department 364-2210
Volunteer Community Hospital - Martin, 587-4261

Libraries

C. E. Weldon Public Library 100 Main Street á Martin, Tennessee 587-3148
Gleason Library 105 College Street 648-9020
Ned R. McWherter Weakley County Library, 341 Linden St., Dresden 364-2678
Paul Meeks Library at the University of Tennessee-Martin

Utilities

Electric Weakley County Municipal Electric 364-2280
Gas West Tennessee Public Utility District 800-443-7794
Water City of Gleason 648-5547
Telephone Bell South 557-6500
Texas Gas Transmission Corporation
Solid Waste 587-2537
Water Plant 587-2676
Wastewater Services 587-2457

Recreation

Big Cypress Tree State Park, Greenfield
Garrett Lake, operated by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Commission

Tater Town Special, Gleason
Tennessee Soybean Festival, Martin
Tennessee Iris Festival May, Dresden

Local Media

Weakley County Press
Dresden Enterprise
UTM Pacer

Web Sites

www.cityofmartin.net
www.cityofdresden.com
www.gleasononline.com
www.wcpnews.com
www.dresdenenterprise.com
www.pacer.utm.edu
www.utm.edu
www.tnsoybeanfestival.org
www.weakleycountytn.gov
www.weakleycountychamber.com