When out on the roof there arose such a L A D D E R.
I’m sorry, y’all. I couldn’t help it.
This is the Samuel Cunningham House in Jonesborough. Built in 1840. Can you believe it? Dr. Cunningham was a surgeon that was instrumental in bringing the railroad to the town. In fact, he was part of a group in the area known as “The Immortal Thirty” that put their own money on the line to help finance the railroad. He put his medical practice on hold for 10 years to dedicate his time to the task. He even served as president of the East Tennessee and Virginia Railroad from 1849 to 1859. The story goes that he was so serious about the railroad coming to town, that he wanted it to go right through his front yard. Unfortunately, there is a beautiful creek that runs through the front yard and they weren’t able to build it there. However, they did run it right through his backyard! And the story also goes that he added a porch on the back to face the railroad and asked guests to come in that way so that the railroad did in fact come through his “front” yard.
