Wise County Reunion

Before it was a homecoming, it was a veterans' show. Moore's 1953 Centennial History of Wise County says the gathering began in 1896 as the Old Settlers and Ex-Confederate Reunion, with programs planned around ex-Confederates: maneuvers, sham battles and long speeches. As the veterans died, it turned into a homecoming. By Moore's day it had permanent screened camps of lumber and stone, a concrete pavilion with stage and dressing rooms, and band concerts and a closing square dance. Fairs, stock shows, rodeos and church encampments also used the ground, which Moore called Joe Wheeler Park.

What the plaque says

Wise County Reunion The Confederate veterans of Wise County are said to have held occasional reunions in the 1860s-1870s. Old settlers invited both the Confederate veterans and Wise County pioneers to an 1881 reunion at Cold Springs. This was on July 12, the anniversary of Captain George Stevens' victory over hostile Indians in 1874. About 5,000 people attended the 1881 reunion. The "Wise County Messenger" reported a successful day -"only the music being a failure". Events included speeches and picnicking. The reunion began to occupy the present site in 1896. By 1900 it extended to three days - honoring old settlers on the first, the veterans on the second, and daughters and sons of Confederates on the third. Sometimes 12,000 would attend, parading from courthouse to camp ground. Programs included candidates' speeches, rodeos, and sham battles. Evenings were devoted to visiting. In 1909, the grounds were leased for 25 years. Later, campsites were leased and improved by participants. The Wise County Old Settlers Association, formed in 1904, sponsored a 1907 Pioneer History by C. D. Cates. Extended to a week, with visiting in daytime and stated events in the evenings, this reunion is now the oldest recurring public event in the county. (1976)

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Wise County Courthouse — 2.0 mi
  J. Riely Gordon's granite Romanesque courthouse of 1895-96 in Decatur, built after fire destroyed the Second Empire courthouse and set off a fight over the county seat.

More markers nearby

• First Baptist Church of Decatur — 0.4 mi
• First National Bank of Decatur — 2.0 mi
• Wise County, C.S.A. — 2.0 mi
• Colonel Absalom Bishop — 2.0 mi