Jesse Ray Thomas never would have asked for a day of his own.
But the late creator of the Cadiz Cruz-In, and so much more, got one at 3 PM Saturday — when officials, family and friends gathered at the Renaissance Stage and declared April 6 his, and his alone, in Trigg County.
It seemed fitting. The smell of a food truck. The revving of powerful engines down Main Street. The soft breeze. The warming sun. Surf rock blaring on the speakers.
Mayor Todd King and County Treasurer Lucy Oliver Kyler shared the proclamation — permanently stamping the date into the community calendar.
Dean McCraw, a long-time friend of Thomas, nearly wept as he gave tribute to a life well lived.
Kerry Allen, with Cadiz-Trigg County Tourism, presented the Thomas family with Bicentennial pins adorned with his “little blue car” — a 1929 Model A. Ken Culwell offered dash plaques, while photographer Richard Knight presented a set of prints — one composed of a family collage, the other a still of his “little blue car.”
King also presented the Thomas clan with a “Key to the City.”
Ron Brown, who took over after Thomas retired from county waste management, also shared some words from the heart.
Barbara Jones, now the chief organizer of the Cadiz Cruz-In, said this year’s gatherings would be different…and in a good way. More than 100 cars and trucks were present Saturday, and now they will be in Cadiz one hour, and one month, longer than previous seasons.
About Thomas:
Born December 10, 1934, Thomas died September 29, 2023, at 88 years old — just three months after retiring from an 18-year service as the county’s waste management coordinator. A graduate of Dawson Springs High School, Thomas worked at Cadiz Auto Parts (NAPA) in 1959, bought the business five years later, and owned it alongside Cadiz Kawasaki for the next 42 years.
He was a 30-year member of the Trigg County Hospital Board, served on the board of the Trigg County Recreation Complex, the TVA Advisory Board and the U.S. Forestry Advisory Board.
