Mt. Zion UM Church and Cemetery, the hills resting in the distance
in southern Calhoun include the county's highest peak - Mule Knob.
From Mt. Zion's highest hill, a view of Calhoun,
Clay and Braxton from the "Center of the World"
By Bob Weaver 2010
About 65 years ago, the folks of the Mt. Zion Community decided they lived in the "Center of the World."
It was a time of community pride, proud of the spot, with a huge sign plastered high on the Mt. Zion water tank, declaring it to be the the very center of the world.
Signs were posted at each end of the ridge welcoming motorists to the "Center of the World." Signs at the entrances of each side-road posted the names of residents who lived in that area, making them easy to find.
It was a product of the community action program, during which time the Mt. Zion Community Park was built.
The park still hosts the annual ox roast.
Needless to say, that generation is virtually all gone, the proud ones who revered life on the small ridge farms.
Those long-held family farms have been sold, but the ridge still has an idyllic feel, neat and clean, with a few new homes being built.
The ridge road was constructed by an engineer who knew how to tilt the curves for better traveling.
The center has long been the Mt. Zion United Methodist Church, its adjacent cemetery filled with many of the folks whose lives touched the community with pride.
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