John “Doc” German, 80, right, tells stories to his his daughter, Kathy German Karnes, on the steps of the home where he was born in 1931. Caney Creek was a small community on the banks of the Ocoee River in Polk County.GOT MEMORIES?If anyone has photos or stories to tell about Caney Creek, contact Will Moore at 423-715-2399, at willmooremedia@gmail.com or www.willmooremedia.com.LOCAL HISTORYThe Saturday radio talk show on local history called “Old Town Cleveland” can be heard on 99.9 WOOP-FM from 10 a.m. till noon.
Century-old foundations swept bare of all but moss hint at the history of the rural Tennessee village on the bank of the Ocoee River.
Countless such communities have come and gone throughout the South.
But Caney Creek was not like the others.
The little 14-home outpost built in 1912 was ahead of its time, with electricity and running water – modern conveniences almost unheard of back then.