By: Jacob Burgess
MTN Reporter
Highway 96 in middle Tennessee takes you around Nashville from one side to the other cutting through Franklin, Murfreesboro and a good number of small towns.
Auburntown is one of those small towns that highway 96 takes you past but when just speeding by most don’t even know Auburntown is there. The highway starts to curve to the left with Auburntown’s main street cutting down to the right.
Taking that right turn leads into the heart of Auburntown and its rich history. Roger Turney has been a key figure in Auburntown. Turney has been mayor since before most of the town’s folks can remember. Not only has Turney been the mayor since before most can remember but has been a part of the city since being a child.
I wasn’t born in Auburntown but my family moved when I was wrong since my grandparents lived here, Turney said.
Auburntown history as a town, dates to 1949 when the city became incorporated. Turney’s grandfather, C.S. Hawkins, was the first mayor of Auburntown. Turney never planned to be in politics or even Auburntown as an adult, moving to California as kid.
I told all the kids in the fourth grade that I was moving and never coming back, but I would end up eating my words eventually, Turney said. Turney moved back to the Middle Tennessee area to finish college at Middle Tennessee State University with an education degree. Turney and his wife, Shirley, moved away from Auburntown back west. The Turney's settled down for good in Auburntown after a few years.
The King of Auburntown
Turney never planned for politics but once settling in Auburntown, he slowly was brought into the realm of city leadership.
“I was principal of the school here and they asked me to serve on the city council,” Turney said. “I served on the city council and the mayor we had at that point, Magnus Phillips, and he had to resign as mayor, and they asked me to fulfill that. Well, we didn’t even have an election, the city council voted to put me in as mayor.”
Turney’s main job as Auburn school’s principal and teacher had him already in an important position. Turney taught any math and science classes along with anything needed of him.
The biggest accomplishment was getting city water, we have run water all through the city and surrounding areas, Turney said.
The Future
With Turney retiring, Auburntown needed someone to become the next lifetime mayor. Martye Harris stepped up, running for mayor unopposed. Harris, another Auburntown lifer, has a deep relationship with Turney. Turney tutored Harris and many more while being a teacher. As an adult, Harris joined the city council following a similar path to Turney.
The goal is to keep Auburntown running smoothly the way it has been, keeping that small town charm, Harris said.
“I couldn’t try to take the place of Roger, I want to do the best I can for the city of Auburntown,” Harris said.
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