The Jaycee boat ramp in 1959
A Robert Sherrill Memorial Marker will be dedicated Thursday, April 25, at the South Pittsburg Public Boat Dock at 4 CDT. The public is invited to attend.
Known as the Voice of the Pirates for his years as announcer of South Pittsburg High School home football games, Mr. Sherrill was active in the South Pittsburg Junior Chamber of Commerce before he entered public service and was mayor of South Pittsburg 1996-2004. His Jaycee activities included:
1. Fundraising chairman for the 1957 “Operation Pin Cushion” - the project to vaccinate all Marion County citizens against polio. The team of nurses who administered the shots were Mary Campbell, Vera Carter, Peggy Hampton and Vera Storey. For his efforts, Mr. Sherrill was honored as the Jaycee Man of the Year.
2. President in 1962 when the Jaycees replaced 123 wooden street sign markers with metal markers - the poles fabricated from Siskin Steel pipe and anchored in 5 gallon buckets filled with Penn Dixie cement.
3. Construction worker for the 1959 South Pittsburg Boat Ramp.
Why, you ask, was the boat dock an important Jaycee project? In the 1950s boating, fishing and waterskiing on the Tennessee River were popular recreational activities. The South Pittsburg - New Hope ferry landing at the end of Third Street was the primary access for launching boats. The Jaycees recognized the need for a boat dock with adequate parking separate from the ferry.
In 1959 the Jaycees selected a site south of the mouth of Battle Creek and north of the 3rd Street ferry landing. Lease agreement with the TVA and a road usage agreement with TN Consolidated Coal Company were the first steps. Mr. Sherrill worked many hours as a member of the Jaycee construction team.
On May 31, 1959 the grand opening featured the “Flying Boatmen” of Knoxville, a group of 25 skilled boatmen organized in 1953 to display marine skill and safety while featuring precision formations, speed and maneuverability. In 1960 Jaycee Drive access road was built.
The marker recognizes Mr. Sherrill’s work on the project. He (Nov. 1931- Sept. 2023) and Roy Houston “Sawbrier” Avans Sr. (Oct. 1943- Jan. 2023) were the last Jaycee who built the South Pittsburg Boat Ramp. Markers in their honor are near a ginkgo tree - the symbol of strength, endurance, and longevity. The South Pittsburg Boat Ramp is accessible from Jaycee Drive off North Cedar Avenue where it merges with US 72 East of South Pittsburg.