Rutherford is really a small town feeling that grabs you quickly. For instance, when we moved in, I wanted to have a storage/work shop built, but on a concrete slab. Around these parts sheds are set on concrete pylons a lot. I live on a corner of a cul de sac and a road. The road goes to one block off our downtown street about a half mile or less from the house. In the back yard, the cement truck was pouring the slab and was about half way done when my phone rang in the house. It was the lady at town hall telling me I needed a permit for the concrete pour! Now that is SMALL TOWN. We love it here. When we moved in, unknown to us, the town Mayor lived up the street. The second week we were still unpacking he came to our door and introduced himself and welcomed us to the neighborhood and to Rutherford. I was really impressed and told him so. I said that I lived in Henderson NV for 20 years and not ONCE did the Mayor ever come to my house to visit. And furthermore, I worked for the City of Las Vegas for almost 20 years and not ONE Mayor came to visit me either! And I really liked Oscar Goodman a lot! oh well....
There is a farm field on the other side of the road (that goes into downtown) so we get the full rural USA feeling here. I am learning about crop rotation practices here: corn one year, soy beans the next, etc. Birds all over the place. Robins nesting in our gutter down drains, cardinals flying around with their beautiful red blazing across the yard. Our youngest dog Sarge, aka Duffis Dog loves spring. Mother robins training their new hatchlings HATE it when Sarge is let out into the fenced back yard because sometimes, Momma hasn't warned the new ones about quick dogs jumping on slow new birds. What a mess. Rutherford is the smallest community of a line of four communities separated by farm fields. Starting North and moving South, Union City on the Kentucky border (23 miles from us) then Kenton, where my daughter and her family live (10 min. dive) then Us (Rutherford)...then Dyer which is pretty nice size....it even has a diner called "The Toot 'n Tell It". We eat there a lot....good food, and friends drop in and sit with ya. Then, continuing to move South, is Trenton. Trenton is a nice size. Has a McDonald's, Subway, Sonic, Mexican and Chinese eateries, and my favorite Music Store! There is also a High School/Community Complex there. In between Dyer and Trenton is Gibson County High School which is an area wide facility...not a town school, you could probably have guessed that by the School name.
We have what is called "the Four Lane" around these parts. It is not a freeway as there are roads the feed into it (most at right angles). The speed limit is 65, so we can zip around pretty good. Have to be careful though because south of Trenton, on the way to Humboldt, the speed drops to 55mph and the local sheriffs watch it pretty darn good. Read into that warning what you will. just sayin' Most of our roads here are two lane roads though...like the Alamo Hwy. (yes, even we have one...after all Rutherford is "the last home of Davy Crockett")
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| Davy Crockett's Cabin....tours available, and front porch singing Tuesday evenings 7:00 during the summer |
which runs between Trenton to the southwest to Alamo TN. and beyond. The church we are members of is down that road a piece at Gibson Wells. An un-icorporated town somewhere, haven't figured out just where "there" it really is, yet. BUT we go to the Methodist Church there. They have the neatest Youth Group. What an enthusiastic group of kids! They call their group KFC...for Kids For Christ....pretty neat huh? Anyway, Alamo Highway has a 55mph limit on it, but most only take that as a suggestion.
Rutherford's Downtown is one block long . . . BUT . . . on BOTH sides of the street!! On that section of small town bliss is the Post Office, a gift/flower shop, grocery store, and several clothing stores, then cross the street to the north side and come back, we have a FANTASTIC Clothing Store where I bought a suit and an overcoat...some shirts...you get the idea. Then next to that is our Town Hall where the permits are issues from, a beauty salon, Bank, Hester's Drug Store where they treat you like family and the service is SUPURB! If there is one thing about a small town drug store it is SERVICE par EXCELLENCE! They know everyone and serve them as we all wish we could be served by others. Then next to them is an insurance agency and next on the corner is our local medical clinic. Around the corner on Trenton highway (actually a two lane road) is the Masons lodge...every town has to have one of those, don't they? Oh, our Fire Department is on the other side of Trenton Highway behind the tire repair shop. We have three churches within two blocks there as well. The Methodist Church, Baptist Church and a Presbyterian Church. So we have God pretty well covered as well.
I can imagine seeing this town in it's prime. There was a Kenwood factory here some years ago and some other industries as well. People were many and everyone knew everyone....just about like it is today except the "people were many" part. There is one house across from the Methodist church that is a historical landmark. Looks like a southern plantation home. There are a few of those around here, it seems to be a popular style. It is also nice to see them being taken care of. We have our own Middle School here as well. Our Granddaughter from Kenton is going there now, since Kenton School goes to 4th grade only. I know, this is getting complicated. So much for a TOUR of a SOUTHERN Small Town.
The point of this story is: There are many wonderful places to live. Some folk like the comfort and accessibility that a large city provides. Others like super rural living, like out on the farm, away from the hustle bustle of a lot of folks. Others like mountain top living where there are just a few folks around to contend with and then there are folks like Pat and I that have found comfort and joy of living in a small, rural based town where we have what we need, and the rest is not all that far away, if we need that too. But what we have found is the serene feeling we get with a slower pace of living. Yes, we have to drive a bit farther to places like the Doctors or the Shopping Centers, but we make those trips after we gather a list. We have found that LISTS are a very important part of organization.
God is here as well. With a town as small as this, with three churches within three blocks and not counting the other three or four a little farther out of the center, I have found that peoples values are basically focused on God. This is an easy place to talk about Jesus. As a matter of fact, He comes up in most conversations about how He has blessed us in certain ways. I love talking about Jesus, don't you? It is so nice to see people make an effort to talk about Him. People do that in Southern, small, rural towns. If you are thinking about relocating, I highly recommend finding one of those Souther, small, rural towns to move to. We are blessed. We don't miss the busy-ness of large town-city living. But what is important to understand is, find a place you enjoy...park it....live it.
Keep singing, keep praising, enjoy where you live.
Blessings,
Gary
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