MT. JULIET, Tenn. (WTVF) — Do you ever wish you could time travel?
I would love to see my parents' childhood. What was a world like when it was not driven by technology?
If you want to know what Mt. Juliet was like in the 1930s and 1940s, you can take a trip back in time. Time travel still isn't a thing, but this is close.
"No amount of photos and no amount of aerial imagery can fully capture this model," said Rob Ealy with the City of Mt. Juliet.
"Any youth in the 1950s, having a model train was almost a requirement," said Keith Wamsley, a local train enthusiast.
It's never too late for train enthusiasts, like Wamsley, to let a boyhood hobby derail.
"I can remember as a kid just bating at the breath to get the Christmas Sears catalog because they would also have about four pages of train stuff in it," Wamsley said.
This train stuff isn't just a bunch of choo choo trains. It's a part of a city's story.
"There's four things this guy loved," said Mt. Juliet Parks Director Rocky Lee. "It was his faith, his family, the city and trains."
Lee is referring to N.C. Hibbett, who was Mt. Juliet's first mayor. The train set belonged to Hibbett and it's now on display at the city's community center at Charlie Daniels Park. Hibbett passed away in 2013.
"It shows churches, it shows general stories, of course it shows the railroad," said Ealy.
"I don't have a room in my house big enough for this so I couldn't take it," Wamsley said while chucking.
"The model shows nearly every house that was present in the area," Ealy said.
It's rich in detail from the school, to the pharmacy and even the foliage.
"This is a good history lesson for people moving here, what Mt. Juliet used to look like back in the 30's," said Lee.
You can see it for yourself at the community center on the second and fourth Saturday of the month from 2-4.
Our viewers are the best! When Hannah McDonald highlighted the plight of Serenity Sumler, so many of you immediately stepped up. Serenity stopped to help a driver after spotting a wreck and was hit by another car, resulting in terrible injuries. Without the funds to pay for physical therapy, she was at a loss. Because of the kindness of others - she now can rehab and get back to school. Best of luck to her as she trains to become a chef!
- Carrie Sharp
