RINGGOLD, Ga. – Dolly Parton is coming to town.
Kind of, sort of.
The Catoosa County Commission voted to approve a new sign in front of the courthouse during a meeting Tuesday night. The sign, sponsored by the Ringgold Convention and Visitors Bureau, will tell readers about the town’s history as a popular wedding destination. In particular, it will highlight the 1969 wedding of country singers Tammy Wynette and George Jones, as well as Parton’s 1966 ceremony at First Baptist Church of Ringgold.
Randall Franks, a Ringgold councilman, told the county commission on Tuesday that Catoosa County and Fulton County hosted more weddings than any other municipality in Georgia.
According to a letter Franks wrote in preparation for the proposal of the sign, Catoosa County was home to 225,000 marriages from 1858-2014.
“That’s an amazing number,” he told the commission, “when you think about the fact that we are a community of about 65,000 today.”
Parton’s marriage is the most notable event among the many nuptials in town. Then 20 years old, Parton came to town from Sevier County, Tenn., with her mother and her fiance.
According to Frank’s letter, Catoosa County was a popular wedding destination because couples could get blood tests, get marriage licenses and hold a quick ceremony within hours.
In 2003, Jones told the Catoosa County News that he and Wynette tied the knot in town because of that speed.
“That was where you could go to get married in a day,” he said. “You didn’t have to wait for a license. Everyone went there if they wanted to get married fast.”
After her divorce from Jones, according to Frank’s letter, Wynette married another county musician in Ringgold, this time tying the knot with Don Chapel. In 1957, Don Everly of The Everly Brothers also got married in Ringgold.
Franks said this will be the 11th sign the city of Ringgold has erected around town in the last six years. He said they are supposed to boost the experience of visiting the town, ostensibly to make Ringgold a better draw for tourists. On average, the signs cost about $2,300.
Specifically, Franks was asking the county for an easement, allowing the city to put the sign on county property. The city will move the grass and dirt and plop the sign in. The county will then take care of it.
“Are you going to have Dolly Parton here for the dedication?” Commission Chairman Keith Greene asked during the meeting.
“It would be wonderful if she does,” Frank said. “She often visits.”
No guarantee was made. Nevertheless, the county unanimously voted to approve the sign.
Contact staff writer Tyler Jett at tjett@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6476.