City of McKenzie celebrates founder’s birthday

McKENZIE, Tenn. — Residents of the city of McKenzie gathered Thursday to celebrate the birthday of the city’s founder.

“It is so exciting! I was here in 1969 when we had our centennial, and so this is our sesquicentennial celebrating our birthday jubilee of 150 years,” McKenzie Mayor Jill Holland said.

Thursday’s event was a special celebration for the town’s founder, James Monroe McKenzie.

“We are actually celebrating James Monroe McKenzie’s birthday,” Mayor Holland said. “He was actually born on Valentine’s Day 201 years ago.”

City leaders had a birthday party at the historic McKenzie Depot.

“The depot is especially significant because McKenzie was, of course, established as a railroad town, and James Monroe McKenzie and his relatives actually gave the land for the depot and for different areas of the town,” Mayor Holland said.

Even James Monroe McKenzie himself stopped by the party.

“Donated the land for the McKenzie Depot so that my son could be the station agent, and he was for 50 years, as a matter of fact, and his name was George Washington McKenzie,” an impersonator of James Monroe McKenzie said.

Thursday’s event was just part of a series of events which will celebrate the city’s 150th birthday.

The city plans to celebrate all year with several community events.

“It’s going to be broken out into different clubs and churches and stuff. Each one is taking their own initiative,” Monica Heath, the city’s Economic, Main Street, and Community Developer, said.