News - Knoxville History Project

Support Knoxville History!

If you share our love of Knoxville history and wish to help fund current and future efforts to educate and inspire residents and visitors to understand and enjoy the city’s sense of culture, we invite you to support our work.

Simple Ways to support KHP’s mission:

Become a Friend of KHP: Donate $50 or more per year and receive our monthly exclusive email stories written by Jack Neely through the Scruffy Citizen. Donate $100 or more per year and receive a copy of our annual printed story collection in the fall. Its easy to donate online here.

Sponsor a Zoom Talk: Donate $100 and help underwrite the cost of our free programming during the pandemic and beyond. We’ll feature your name or your business on promotions and on a special slide at the beginning and end of the presentation.

Purchase Books or Merchandise: All sales help fund KHP’s work. You can find all of our publications, postcards, playing cards, and special bundles in our online shop.

For more information, please visit our KHP Contributions page or contact Paul James, Director of Publishing & Development at paul@knoxhistoryproject.org or call the KHP office at 865-337-7723.

Donations may be mailed to: Knoxville History Project, 516 West Vine Avenue, #8, Knoxville TN 37902.

Thank you for your support!

Ray’s & Fay’s Best Friends: A New Children’s Book

In collaboration with Beck Cultural Exchange Center, KHP is proud to announce the release of a new children’s book based on the unpublished work of African American teacher and artist Ruth Cobb Brice.

This 48-page, full-color trade paperback book is now available only from KHP and Beck Cultural Exchange Center. Price is $9.99 plus tax.

The book features a foreword by Beck executive director Rev. Reneé Kesler with biographical contributions by Jack Neely.

Find a copy in our online shop.

WEEKLY ZOOMS CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE PANDEMIC

Since May 2020, KHP has been engaging the general public through educational weekly talks on Zoom. Primarily hosted by Jack Neely, we’ve also welcomed numerous guest presenters, including Becky Hancock, Laura Still, Paul Brown, Rev. Renee Kesler, and our fellow historians over at Blount Mansion.

The response has been overwhelmingly encouraging. By the end of 2020, more than 1,500 viewers had joined us directly, and many more have been watching our recorded versions here.

KHP plans to continue to offer these engaging social activities where folks can listen, watch, and also participate in virtual discussions and Q&As.

Heklp fund these free programs by sponsoring a talk. Please call Paul James at 865-337-7723 or email paul@knoxhistoryproject.org us if you would like to become a sponsor.

What our viewers are saying:

“I’ve lived in Knoxville for 7-1/2 years, and KHP makes me feel more Knoxvillian every week.” – Deanne Charlton

“Bob and I want to thank you for the tremendous job you have done to continue to promote the history of Knoxville during this COVID-19 pandemic. Jack, Paul and Nicole have spent many hours providing informative programs weekly over Zoom to keep us connected as our monthly in person meetings have changed into weekly Zoom meetings. You don’t know how much we look forward to and appreciate these informative programs while sheltering in place. Please keep up the excellent work you are doing. Thanks again!” – Linda Wimbrow

“Throughout this summer, and the limitations imposed by COVID-19, my wife Diane Fox and I have greatly enjoyed attending the Knoxville History Project’s series of Zoom presentations. History is storytelling, and when told well, connects our present to the past in ways that inform, enlighten and enrich. Each week offers new, beautifully illustrated talks covering a range of topics, from architecture and art, the history of the suffragettes to our cultural diversity. We are so fortunate have KHP enrich our lives.” – Beauvais Lyons

“Thank you for the wonderful online lectures and slides that you are providing during this Civid-19 chapter of our lives in Knoxville and around the world. Each week the lectures have offered a refreshing opportunity to be transported to other times to feel our roots, to gain greater insights about how we got here, and hopefully move forward positively by learning from the past. It is not only a weekly escape from the news of our times, but also an anchor that holds us steady in knowing we will move past this adversity and thrive once again, just like those who came before us. I look forward to this shared online experience each week, and come away inspired and comforted.” – Sue Renfro

“I woke up this morning thinking about what I have learned through the Knoxville History Project’s Zoom talks about Knoxville’s African American community. When I was a kid in Knoxville in the 40’s/50’s/60’s Knoxville was segregated, as were my all-white schools. The only way I ever saw any Black persons was going to a downtown parade where Austin High School band participated, or sometimes there were Smithwood African-Americans on the “This section reserved for colored people” back seat of the Knoxville Transit Lines. Through the Knoxville History Project I have learned there were African American persons on Knoxville City Council in the late 1800’s, and about the African American churches in the community, about an African American business man-developer, about the African American schools in town, and the Black communities near the brick factory and elsewhere. And I have learned about African American musicians who either lived in Knoxville or performed there. The Knoxville History Project is a vital factor in realizing that Black lives mattered in Knoxville, even through many of us living there were not aware of who our fellow residents and the contributions they made to our lives.” – Walter Parry

100th Anniversary Woman’s Suffrage

Celebrate the centennial of the passing of the 19th Amendment and the history of woman’s suffrage in Knoxville through stories and a walking tour brought to you by the Knoxville History Project. Quick Links:

Woman’s Suffrage Downtown Walking Tour

Anderson, Harris & Wade: Suffrage’s Forgotten Local Champions

HISTORIC BEARDEN: New Book Out Now!

KHP’s first community history: Historic Bearden: The 200-Year Story of Knoxville’s Fourth Creek Valley, a rich and colorful book is now available on our online store and at several local retailers including Union Ave Books (downtown), and throughout the Bearden area at Bennett Gallery, Long’s Drug Store, Calloways Lamp & Shade, Mayo’s, and Bobby Todd Antiques.

This 200-page, fully illustrated book has been researched and written by Jack Neely with the help of Paul James, editor and photo researcher.

Price: $24.95 plus tax

Please visit our Historic Bearden page for further details.

Special thanks to everyone who helped with this project including our sponsors, Phillip Lawson, Pilot Flying J, and The Bearden Village Council, and all the individual supporters who contributed to our Bearden Bundle campaign.

Looking east along Kingston Pike at the Weisgarber intersection, circa 1950. (Post Sign Company Collection, KHP)

VIRTUAL TALKS ON ZOOM ON THURSDAYS AT 6:00 PM

Join KPH during the pandemic “lockdown” for a weekly virtual talk and slideshow every Thursday at 6:00 pm. Recent topics have included:

The Birth of Rock ‘n’ Roll and Knoxville’s Jacob Building
Memorial Day history and Knoxville’s National Cemetery
Knoxville Summer Postcards
Early Knoxville Explorers of the Smokies

Special thanks to the Arts Fund of East Tennessee Foundation and Humanities Tennessee for special funding during the pandemic which helps us conduct these programs.

DOWNTOWN LITERARY GUIDE

The Knoxville History Project is seeking community support to fund research and production of a new engaging “Downtown Literary Guide” to increase awareness for the city’s rich literary heritage.

“A city’s literary history often forms a big part of a city’s public persona. In America as in much of the world, the cities that matter are the ones that have attracted authors to use them as settings. Dozens of major cities offer guidebooks to newcomers interested in exploring that heritage. In some cases, visitors may already be familiar with the author’s work, or, at least, have heard the author’s name. That in of itself can offer a point of access to an otherwise unfamiliar city.” – Jack Neely

Researched and published by the Knoxville History Project, using images, quotations, and brief bios, the Knoxville literary guide will offer a gateway to Knoxville’s literary heritage and to the city’s appeal. The guide will highlight works by important Knoxville authors, including James Agee, Frances Hodgson Burnett, Nikki Giovanni, Cormac McCarthy, George Washington Harris, David Madden, and others.

This signature project will be designed by the award-winning team at Robin Easter Design to complement KHP partner Knox Heritage’s highly popular “Historic Downtown Walking Tour” of historic buildings.

The format will be a tall 4.24” x 11” 28-page two-tone booklet with a print run of 10,000 booklets.

Learn more here: KHP Knoxville Literary Guide

Please contact Paul James at paul@knoxhistoryproject.org

Out Now! The Old City: A Short History by Jack Neely

Jack’s new book, six years in the making, beautifully written and tastefully designed by Robin Easter Design, is actually his longest book.

“The Old City’s history is a story of intersections. Near the spot where Jackson and Central cross, Knoxville’s rail-based economy boomed. Saloons and “resorts” (aka brothels) flourished while reformers fought poverty and plague. Immigrants built lasting legacies. Black businesses thrived. Music of all sorts-folk, jazz, country, rock ‘n’ roll- has always played and important role.”

Hardcover edition. 350 pages. Illustrated throughout. $39.99.

Now available to purchase through KHP’s Online Store or pick up a signed copy at several upcoming book-signing events where Jack will also be speaking. The first one will be on September 19th at 6:30pm at Maple Hall on Gay Street. Check our EVENTS page for all dates and times and other related programs.

KHP awarded State ABC Grant to expand Downtown Art Wraps!

This September, KHP received a grant to allow us to install what will be our 19th Downtown Art Wrap through a special Arts Builds Communities program awarded by the State of Tennessee and managed locally by the Arts and Cultural Alliance.

Broomsage by Carl Sublett

The new art wrap will be an abstract painting by Carl Sublett, one of the famous Knoxville Seven artists, whose work can be viewed at the Knoxville Museum of Art’s ongoing exhibition, HIGHER GROUND: A Century of the Visual Arts in East Tennessee. The new art wrap will be placed at the intersection of Henley Street and W. Church Avenue.

The grant requires KHP to raise matching funds on a 1:1 basis. If you would like to sponsor a new art wrap or contribute with others to make this happen, please call 865-337-7723 or email paul@knoxhistoryproject.org Thank you.

LONG TABLE DINNER TO BENEFIT KHP

The Knoxville History Project is thrilled to be chosen as the beneficiary organization for the 5^th Long Table Dinner to be held in the Old City on Sunday, October 6, 2019 at 5:00 pm.

According to Molly King, owner of Molly Jo Events, and mastermind of this wonderful event, “The Long Table Dinner is an extraordinary collaboration of Chefs, Artisans, and Makers working together to raise money for local non-profits. Our ever-evolving collective of restaurants, bars, brewers, distillers, musicians, and artists produces one of Knoxville’s must-attend events in the heart of the Old City. This twice-yearly event is a fundraiser for a different non-profit on each occasion.”

Proceeds from the Long Table Dinner will provide a huge boost to KHP’s mission of researching and promoting the history and culture of Knoxville.

$140 per person. Tickets are available at Brownpapertickets.com

Sponsorship Opportunities

Gold Level Sponsor:

Table Sponsors:

100% of sponsorship donations go directly to KHP since event expenses come out of ticket sales. Learn more about sponsorship levels: Long Table Sponsorships

If you would like to become a sponsor of this event, or learn more about supporting the Knoxville History Project, please contact Paul James, Development Director at 865-337-7723 or email at paul@knoxhistoryproject.org.

Read about KHP’s “Latest News and Community Impacts – Summer 2019: KHP Latest News & Community Impact

NEW!!! – HISTORIC KNOXVILLE:

The Curious Visitor’s Guide to its Stories and Places

The Knoxville History Project’s new book, written by Jack Neely, is a comprehensive and engaging 200-page guide for both visitors and residents offers a wide-ranging guided tour to scores of places and institutions relevant to the city’s little know but endlessly fascinating history.

Knoxville will just come alive after you’ve read this book and explored some fascinating places!

Available from KHP and local book shops and retailers. Price: 24.95

Learn more on the HISTORIC KNOXVILLE GUIDE page.

Downtown Art Wraps

Expanding every month, Downtown Art Wraps engage the public to discover the city’s rich artistic heritage by showcasing some of the important artwork made by Knoxville artists from the past. View the wraps on an interactive map and learn more on our Downtown Art Wraps page.

What’s Inside Your Shoe Box?

Most of us have a shoe box filled with old photos, clippings, and assorted memorabilia from our own lives and families.

You might have something in there that has distinct local importance and would also enhance KHP’s ability to tell a more comprehensive story of this special town. Old family photos might show interesting scenes or buildings. Posters and photos from musical shows here in Knoxville also have fascinating stories to tell, especially when coupled with others.

Learn how you can help KHP and enrich local history on our Knoxville Shoe Box page.

Kicking things off we have new information about Emory Place as well as the new Lib Cooper Knoxville Digital Postcard Collection to share!

Q & A with LAURA STILL

KNOXVILLE WALKING TOURS

The Knoxville History Project is proud to partner with author and historian, Laura Still, and Knoxville Walking Tours to expand the offerings of quality, educational, and fun historical tours around Knoxville.

To help you understand what Laura brings to your historical experience and what inspired her to move into this field, we sat down with Laura to find out what inspired these talks and what you might expect by joining her on a tour.

Read the full Q & A with Laura here.

A portion of the proceeds from all downtown tours supports the Knoxville History Project.

A NEW PUBLICATION FOR LATE 2019: HISTORIC BEARDEN

Bearden is one of Knoxville’s oldest and best-known communities, with an economically and racially diverse background and deep roots in the 19th century. However, to date, except for some short monographs and personal memoirs, it has never been the subject of a comprehensive history, description, or overview in book form.

A new full-color historical guidebook, to be written by Jack Neely, and designed by the awarding winning team at Robin Easter Design, will be released towards the end of 2019 by the Knoxville History Project.

For more information on this project please click here for KHP’s Historic Bearden book page which also contains links to our community history and oral history pages.

MAKING KHP PUBLICATIONS AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC

Thanks to generous funding from the Friends of the Knox County Public Library, KHP has been able to make a number of its publications available to readers through the library system. Special hardbound copies of the following titles are now available to check out at the Downtown Lawson McGhee Library and branch libraries:

Knoxville History: Volume 1
Knoxville Holidays & Festivals
Knoxville Blues: Stories from Knoxville’s Lively Musical Past
A Knoxville Christmas
The Legend of the Gold Bricks and other Knoxville Stories
Knoxville’s National Cemetery: A Short History

HISTORIC KNOXVILLE PLAYING CARDS

KHP is proud to showcase a new set of illustrated playing cards designed by the talented Tara Guin.

Playing with this sumptuous set will inspire you to learn a thing or two about some truly interesting, creative, successful, and altogether quirky and unforgettable characters from Knoxville’s past featured on the face cards. Meet the face cards on our Historic Knoxville Playing Cards page.

2019 WORK PLAN

For an overview of KHP’s core programs and priority projects in 2019 click here.

KNOXVILLE’S NATIONAL CEMETERY: A SHORT HISTORY

For Memorial Day Weekend 2018, KHP completed the first-ever published history of Knoxville’s National Cemetery.

A solemn destination, National Cemetery which lies adjacent to Old Gray Cemetery off Broadway, is the resting places of more than 9,000 American soldiers from every major war in the last 155 years and, in some cases, their close families. It’s so well kept, white stones in green grass, it doesn’t look very old, but it may be Knoxville’s best-preserved artifact of the Civil War. It was founded in September, 1863, when the Union-held city was anticipating a Confederate siege.

The Union monument, one of the largest in the South outside of battlefield memorial parks, has an extraordinary story behind it– about why it looks very different in old photographs. It also holds the simple grave of an especially well-known general who’s memorialized much more extravagantly elsewhere in town.

Learn more about the National Cemetery and other noteworthy cemeteries on our Historic Cemeteries page through the Knoxville History Portal.

WALK WITH ME PODCASTS

If you want to hear an unusual take on Knoxville’s history and culture, try Walk with Me.

This creation of musician, filmmaker, and former television host Bob Deck, through his company, Wide Lens, along with singer/songwriter/poet R.B. Morris. The newest ones, about the Tennessee and Bijou Theatres, the Knoxville Museum of Art, St. John’s Episcopal Church, and the Jig & Reel– all venues used in the recent Big Ears festival– include some historical context provided by the Knoxville History Project. It’s an interesting idea, and we hope to participate in more projects like it in the future. Go to WALK WITH ME