Johnson County gets $31,500 state check for Copperhead Road Landmark

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MOUNTAIN CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — A $31,500 check was presented to Johnson County for the creation of a “Copperhead Road Landmark.”

Last year, state lawmakers passed and Gov. Bill Lee signed a bill making Steve Earle’s “Copperhead Road” an official state song. The southern rock anthem follows narrator John Lee Pettimore III’s family history of moonshine making in Johnson County.

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On Thursday, the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development presented the check to Johnson County Mayor Larry Potter as part of the department’s Tourism Enhancement Grant.

The funds will help pay for the new landmark, which will be located near the iconic road at the Watauga Lake Winery in Butler.

According to the county, Bluegrass star and host of the PBS show “Song of the Mountains” Tim White and the artist of The Birthplace of Country Music Mural in Bristol are collaborating on the future landmark, which is expected to be unveiled in late May.

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