Standing Stone Monument

A sandstone fragment atop a lighthouse-shaped pedestal is the only known remaining piece of a 16-foot dog-shaped monolith that stood for centuries a half mile west, marking an area of peace for American Indians who traveled and hunted the Cumberland Plateau. The stone monolith, Nee Yah Kah Tah Kee, Cherokee words meaning Standing Stone, pre-dates written history. On October 17, 1895, after the monolith had diminished over time and was finally removed by the railroad laying tracks to Monterey, the fraternal organization Improved Order of Red Men, Narragansett Tribe, No. 25, memorialized it and dedicated it to Monterey before a crowd of 3,000. The irregular shaped stones forming the base symbolized the bond of freedom, charity, and friendship that should exist between all people. In 1979, the Town of Monterey established Standing Stone Day by proclamation to honor the heritage of the Standing Stone monolith and what it represented to the area's history. Standing Stone Day is celebrated on the second Saturday in October with the placing of a ceremonial wreath and tomahawk at the monument base as a reminder to always be at peace with one another.

Monterey, Tennessee · United States