Monteagle Assembly is located at Monteagle, Grundy County, Tenn., on the top of Cumberland Mountain, fifteen miles from Cowan, between Sewanee and Tracy City, immediately on the railroad owned and managed by the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Company. Cowan is a small village on the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad, eighty-four miles from Nashville and sixty-four miles from Chattanooga. The ride up the mountain from Cowan to the Assembly grounds is one of the most picturesque in this country. The ascent for the first nine miles is 1,100 feet. The Assembly owns a hundred acres of land, which have been laid out into parks, drives, avenues, and building lots. About twenty-five acres have already been improved, and quite a number of lots have been sold to individuals upon which to build cottages. An amphitheater, capable of seating 2,000 persons, on the plan of the one at Chautauqua, has been erected. Within a very short distance of the Assembly grounds is some of the most magnificent mountain scenery to be found in any country. The elevation is 2,140 feet above the sea level. The Assembly is strictly undenominational. Each Christian denomination is entitled to four members in the board of trustees, provided they have as many members of the Assembly. The charter prohibits it from being managed for the pecuniary interest of any person or persons.
The first annual meeting of the Assembly has closed. It was a success beyond our most sanguine expectation. The Normal School and Teachers’ Retreat opened July 2, and closed August 4. These schools were all well attended. More than one hundred and fifty teachers attended the Normal alone. About fifty-two studied elocution. These teachers were from several States, and a more intelligent class I have never seen collected together anywhere.
The Assembly opened July 17, and closed August 6. At the opening service there were 1,000 people present. The attendance was good during the entire Assembly. At one time on the grounds there were twenty-one States and nineteen Christian denominations represented.
In the program, two days were given to temperance, one day to Y. M. C. A. work, two days to missions, foreign and domestic, and two days to education. The meetings throughout were of great interest.