Petros

Petros is a small town located in the eastern part of Morgan County, Tennessee. It is bordered by Highway 116 which branches off to Highway 62.

In the mid-1800's , Petros was called Joynersville. It was not until the late 1800's when it was known as Petros and incorporated with a mayor and a city council. This area was young, fresh and made only of farms. It finally began to bloom in 1899, when a great quantity of coal was discovered. This brought many prospectors, adventurers, and families who were all looking for fortunes.

At one time there were six major coal mines in Petros. The tremendous growth of the coal industry helped decide that Petros was the best site for a new prison, known as Brushy Mountain Prison. By having both the prison and the coal mines, the population of Petros increased up to 1,000 people. The town was the largest in the county during this time. The county's first bank was located here. Other buisnesses, churchs, and even an opera house were on the townsite.

However, the population ceased to grow when the coal supply declined. Families then moved to Oak Ridge, which is nearly 20 miles away, to search for opportunities. The central employer in Petros remains the State Prison.

Petros even had it's own school up until 1976. The schools of Petros and Joyner consolidated into a new building on Highway 62.

Much of the 1999 film October Sky was filmed in Petros. Producers chose the town and other surrounding areas to film the movie. Petros provided the perfect backdrop for a movie taking place in a coal mining town. A drawing of some of the sets created for the movie is displayed in the post office.

Much of Petros has changed and today the only economic aspect left of the old Petros is Brushy Mountain Prison and a few local buisnesses.

Today Petros retains it's close-knit population and shares a great sense of community.

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