The only fatality to occur at the Palmersville Community Fair happened in October of 1931.

In the 1930s, the Palmersville Fair was held on the first Saturday in October. Events at the fair included the beginning season (high school) basketball game. In 1931, the school did not have a gymnasium; basketball games took place on a dirt court beside the school building. Basketball games at the fair drew large crowds and were an exciting time for the entire community.

During the fair, spectators would line the court cheering for each team as the game was being played, among the hundreds of people watching the game in 1931, was Mrs. Ella Smethwick, (64), and her family. During the game, Smethwick, like many others, was sitting in a chair enjoying the afternoon with family when she was struck by a vehicle from behind. Smethwick and her daughter-in-law Naomi both suffered injuries. As the crowd rushed to their side it was determined Naomi was only slightly injured but Mrs. Smethwick had suffered life-threatening injuries, she was then rushed to the Martin hospital where she would succumb to her injuries.

The person operating the vehicle during the accident was Mr. Seymour Buckley, who reported to authorities that his vehicle had malfunctioned as he was planning to back away from the parking area, but the vehicle had lunged forward instead striking Smethwick and her daughter-in-law. Buckley was overcome with grief and had to be treated for an existing heart condition. No charges were filed.

Ironically, in 1901, this same Ella Smethwick had suffered yet another tragic accident in Palmersville at the age of 31. Smethwick and her family had been attending a graduation ceremony at Minida Normal Collage in Palmersville in which a crowd of over 500 people were in attendance. Shortly after arrival a feud between two unrelated families broke out in the crowd. Several shots were fired between brothers of the Vaughn and Stephenson families striking Ella Smethwick in the leg and injuring several other innocent bystanders. As a result, Dave Vaughn, who was one of the brothers of the feuding families, was killed during the shootout. Mrs. Smethwick fortunately recovered from the injury she had sustained during the unexpected gun battle.

Ella (Stewart) Smethwick was the wife of Joe Alexander Smethwick and was the mother to seven children, she was laid to rest in the Blooming Grove Cemetery just outside of Palmersville. At the time, her family resided on today’s Barber Road.

June Kay (Smethwick) Kemp, great granddaughter of Ella Smethwick, was instrumental in providing the photo and information related to the story. June Kay (Smethwick) Kemp is an officer of the Palmersville Historical Society.

By Robert Reynolds of Gutenberg Media; visit Palmersville TN News on Facebook