931-423-4111

COUNTIES

Along The Byway

Putnam County

Putnam County was originally created in 1842.

Visitor Center

Highlands Visitor Center

470-A Neal St.
Cookeville, TN 38501
Phone: 931-525-1575

Website

Travel Route Description
Continuing on US 70N/TN 24/Cookeville Highway from Smith County, the Walton Road Scenic Byway crosses into Putnam County where it follows US 70N/TN 24/Nashville Highway to Cookeville, and closely aligns with the original road bed. In Cookeville the Byway continues onto US 70N/TN 24/West Broad Street to East Broad Street. The route follows US 70N/TN 24/East Spring Street through eastern Cookeville.

Diverging southward away from the original road bed—soon to be retraced by the proposed Cookeville-Monterey Rail Trail—the route continues on US 70N/TN 24/Monterey Highway reaching the town of Monterey. In Monterey the route follows US 70N/TN 24/TN 84/South Holly Street and then turns right onto US 70N/TN 24/East Stratton Avenue.

Downtown Cookeville

After passing through Monterey, visitors will continue on the Byway, US 70/TN 24/Crossville Highway, to the Putnam/Cumberland County line, where the Byway generally realigns with the old roadbed.

Historic Context
Putnam County was originally created in 1842, taking land from neighboring Jackson, Overton, Fentress, and White Counties. However, Jackson and Overton Counties claimed its creation was illegal, as their own populations were reduced below constitutional levels in the process. The county was officially dissolved until 1854, when it was re-established after many boundary disputes and revisions. Its charter called for a county seat to be named after Richard F. Cooke, a state Senator from 1851-1854 who was instrumental in the re-establishment of the county. Like other counties in the region, Putnam had its own valuable natural resources, especially saltpeter, used in the production of gunpowder. Calfkiller Saltpeter Cave and Johnson Cave were two major mines in CalfkillerValley and mining contributed to ammunition for both the War of 1812 and the Civil War.

The important Walton Road passed through the length of the county, and many pioneers heading out of Knoxville stopped to settle in Putnam County along the road. The county’s 1860 population was 8,558, but its location subjected it to assault from both Union and Confederate armies. In 1870 the population had grown only to 8,698. But the county rebounded, and the population steadily grew to 16,890 by 1900, due in large part to two railroads, the Nashville and Knoxville Railroad and the Tennessee Central Railroad, both reaching the county by 1890. The railroads helped create new rail towns, such as Monterey, established in 1893. Other new communities to appear along the rails included Baxter, Algood, and Buffalo Valley.

Early Putnam County Residents
During the early twentieth century, as progressive farming practices were encouraged, there was a shift in the profitably of certain agricultural products, with corn and tobacco declining in favor of poultry and dairy. By the 1920s, automobile highways, again helped bring new growth to Putnam County. US Highway 70 North was the first major highway to pass through the Upper Cumberland region and it was completed through the county by 1930. Due to a lack of employment opportunities during the 1940s and 1950s, however, the county saw a decline in population. However, this changed with the routing of Interstate 40 through the county. Tennessee Polytechnic Institute became the Tennessee Technological University in 1965 in a period where there was significant development of the state university system. I-40 also brought manufacturers to Putnam County, and by 2010, this was one of the state’s fastest growing counties.

Historic Sites

Arcade Building

Arcade Building

Cookeville, Tennessee

Located on the courthouse square, the Arcade Building was completed in 1913 to contain shops and offices. It was listed in the National Register for its innovative commercial design.

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Broad Street Church of Christ

Broad Street Church of Christ

Cookeville, Tennessee

This building was originally the home of the Central Emmanuel Baptist Church and was built ca. 1920. It is notable for its Romanesque design and corner tower.
Cookeville Railroad Depot

Cookeville Railroad Depot

Cookeville, Tennessee

The Cookeville Railroad Depot was built by the Tennessee Central Railroad in 1909. The depot has been rehabilitated into a train museum and visitor’s center.

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Website

First Presbyterian Church

First Presbyterian Church

Cookeville, Tennessee

The First Presbyterian Church was built in 1909 and listed on the National Register for its Neo-classical style architecture and for its role in local religious history.

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Harding Studio

Harding Studio

Cookeville, Tennessee

The Harding Studio is located at 43 W. Broad Street and the building served as the photography studio for Richard Henry Harding and later his son Alard from 1914 to 1974

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Henderson Hall

Henderson Hall

Cookeville, Tennessee

Henderson Hall is located on the campus of Tennessee Tech University and was built in 1931 to house the industrial arts department.

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John’s Place

John’s Place

Cookeville, Tennessee

John’s Place is located at 11 Gibson Avenue and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its role in local African American history. The restaurant was built in 1949.

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Website

Southern Motel

Southern Motel

Cookeville, Tennessee

The Southern Motel reflects the heyday of automobile traffic along US 70N prior to Interstate 40. Figure 44 comes from a postcard of the 1960s.

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Visitor Sites & Attractions

Arcade Building

Cookeville Depot Museum

Cookeville, Tennessee

Located in Cookeville’s historic Westside District, the Cookeville Depot Museum is a treat not just for rail enthusiasts. The building was constructed in 1909 and houses many Tennessee Central Railway artifacts, including a replica of what Cookeville looked like circa 1955, as well as a replica of a coal tipple with a model train loading up with coal. The park-like grounds of the Depot contain a 1913 Baldwin steam engine, a 1920’s classic red caboose, a 1960’s caboose, and two small track cars.

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Website

Cookeville History Museum

Cookeville History Museum

Cookeville, Tennessee

The Cookeville History Museum strives to promote the history of Cookeville and Putnam County through a series of exhibits, programs, and activities. Unique features of the museum include a timeline around the building beginning with the first people to the area to the present; a traveling exhibit and collection displays; and a Children’s History Hour the second Saturday of every month.

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Website

Cream City Ice Cream & Coffee House

Cream City Ice Cream & Coffee House

Cookeville, Tennessee

The iconic sign above this historic building is an emblem of the Cream City local historic district. At Cream City Ice Cream & Coffee visitors can enjoy gourmet ice cream and coffee across from the historic Cookeville Depot Museum. Internet is free at this cafe.

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Baxter Depot Museum

Baxter Depot Museum

Baxter, Tennessee

In the 1920s, the train regularly hauled cattle, hogs, eggs, handles, poultry, lumber, acid wood, pulp wood, poles and cross ties. The original depot was demolished in 1964, and the newly built depot on the same site is set to open in 2013.

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Website

Monterey Depot Museum

Monterey Depot Museum

Monterey, Tennessee

The Monterey Central Transportation Museum (Monterey Depot Museum) opened on Feb. 24, 2012. The museum not only tells the story of the railroad and other modes of transportaion; It tells the history of the people of the Upper Cumberland.

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The Garden Inn B&B at Bee Rock

The Garden Inn B&B at Bee Rock

Monterey, Tennessee

Bee Rock is on the edge of a Cumberland Plateau bluff and is a frequent hot spot for rock climbing. The Garden Inn B&B at Bee Rock offers a stunning view of the bluff and a relaxing place to stay.

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