Events

Knoxville’s history in the present: Current occasions of historical interest

In person History Talks at Maple Hall: Every Second Tuesday of the month at 6:00 p.m.

You can also view past Recorded Zooms through our Engage Page.

 

PARTNER PROGRAM: Unshakeable Integrity: Adolph Ochs and Master Sgt. Roddie Edmonds

–   At East Tennessee History Center

The month’s most unusual event is this collaboration between the Tennessee Holocaust Commission and the East Tennessee Society of Professional Journalists.  That evening’s programs will combine the seemingly unrelated stories of World War II soldier and prisoner of war Roddie Edmonds (1919-1985), who was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor; and Adolph Ochs (1858-1935), the son of energetic Jewish Bavarian immigrants who grew up in post-Civil War Knoxville, eventually to be the defining publisher of the modern New York Times. The evening starts at 4:30 with a short and unstrenous walk around the Ochs family’s neighborhood. WBIR’s Robin Wilhoit will host presentations by Rev. Chris Edmonds, son of the late veteran, and Jack Neely, talking about the Ochs family’s remarkable years of civic leadership in Knoxville. Note: The tour starts at 4:30; program begins at 6:00 p.m.

Attendance is free, but registration is requested at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/unshakable-integrity-tickets-2001246075885?mc_cid=1c7034d6ca&mc_eid=b744c12cdf

PARTNER PROGRAM: Town with a Dozen Accents at James White Fort

  At James White Fort

Jack Neely will highlight the faraway origins of the first Knoxvillians. Several of Knoxville’s most influential early Revolutionary veterans and pioneers were immigrants from Ireland, England, and even Spain. (Even James White himself, who grew up not so far away in the hilly Piedmont district of North Carolina had a broader perspective than we might assume, considering that his parents had lived in Philadelphia for several years, and his grandparents, still alive during his childhood, were immigrants from Ireland.) Free program.

PARTNER EVENT: Spirits of Old Gray

–   At Old Gray Cemetery

Old Gray Cemetery’s annual outdoor party features a different cast every year of actors taking on the roles of a few of the thousands buried here since 1851. Our Laura Still will be there, leading reasonably short tours of the cemetery’s highlights. But Jack Neely will be there, too, leading a three-hour tour of almost the whole thing. We’ll also have the KHP table, with our most recent publications and other material. 

Refreshments available for purchase. On this day only, the entrance fee is of $10 for adults (students $5, and under 10 free) will go to the nonprofit that cares for the cemetery. Rain or shine. Learn more at: https://oldgraycemetery.org/events/spirits-of-old-gray/

November Eugenia Williams Coffee Club: Architecture in Knoxville

–   At Eugenia Williams House

SOLD OUT!

Considering the Eugenia Williams’ house’s reputation as a landmark of architecture, our November discussion will be a pictorial survey of Knoxville architecture from the 1790s to recent decades, from the pioneer era of London-trained Thomas Hope through the stylish boomtown-era dynamic Barber and Baumann families, through the bold avatars of 20th-century modernism, with special attention to the seemingly contradictory currents of design during the era when Knoxville-raised Texas architect John Fanz Staub was working for Eugenia–and including a nod to her neighbor, the late architectural historian Sandy McNabb, who documented several masterpieces now lost. 

KNOXVILLE WALKING TOURS

Historian, poet, and storyteller Laura Still helps you live the stories of pioneers, soldiers, outlaws, and even fictional characters who walked these streets before you. Learn more about Laura and her story on our Knoxville Walking Tours Page.

Knoxville has a rich history full of colorful characters and famous, and infamous, figures whose lives have been the inspiration for books, movies, and works of art. Take a stroll through history in beautiful downtown Knoxville while listening to true tales of the heroes, heels, and hardened criminals that are part of the hidden lore of this unique East Tennessee town. A portion of ticket proceeds are donated to KHP.

To book, just give Knoxville Walking Tours a call at (865) 309-4522

 

Tour Descriptions:

Side Street Shadows Ghost Tour

Hear more tales of ghostly history as you follow storyteller Laura Still on the Side Street Shadows tour. Find out who haunts the Farragut, how a gunfight on Cumberland nearly started a war, and where you might meet the courteous spirit of a scholar or the grumpy ghost of a violent rebel. Details & Tickets

Shadow Side Ghost Tour

Brave souls who enjoy a chill can join us for a trip into Knoxville’s shadow side. The city’s history of blood-stained streets echoing with gunfire is full of restless spirits. Visit their haunts and hear local legends of ghostly apparitions. Details & Tickets

Shadow Side 2: Ghosts of the Old City

Red Summer, drunken brawls, hot lead, and blood on the tracks. Knoxville’s Old City used to be known as the bowery, where victims of murderous brawls, dealdly shoot-outs, and horrific train crashes haunt the old buildings and back alleys along with the ghost of a musician who hasn’t quite faded away. Details & Ticket

Walk the streets of a city torn in two by divided loyalties and then get an overview of the fighting from the observation deck of the Sunsphere. Spies, bridge burners, miracle shots, betrayal, and battle. Details & Tickets

Gunslingers

Family feuds and wanted outlaws. You’ll relive the days when Knoxville was the wild west and Gay Street was the OK Corral. Details & Tickets

Early Years

Step back over two centuries and visit Knoxville’s founders as you listen to the stories of the settlement of White’s Fort and establishment of the capital of the Southwest Territory at the headwaters of the Tennessee. Details & Tickets

Musical History

The Knoxville story has always been set to music, from the time when the poetic rhythms of the native Cherokee tribes still echoed in the hills and the ballads of the Scots-Irish settlers were sung around campfires on the riverbanks. Immigrants from all over the world brought new instruments and tunes to enliven the song and make Knoxville home to musicians of every genre. Details & Tickets

Literary Heritage

Home of Cormac McCarthy, Nikki Giovanni, James Agee, and more. You’ll visit the scenes that inspired them and walk in the footsteps of their characters. Details & Tickets

The Civil War in Knoxville

It’s been over 150 years since the battle of Knoxville, one of the most sharply divided cities during the civil war. Occupied by both sides with recruiting offices set up on Gay Street on the same day, Knoxville was home to spies, street fights, and family feuds that outlasted the war. Visit the downtown sites and then get an overview of the battles and fortifications from the observation deck of the Sunsphere. Details & Tickets

Knoxville Botanical Gardens

Ten years before Tennessee became a state, David Wessels Howell planted an orchard and garden on land where the Cherokee still roamed. This was the beginning of a family business that would span two centuries, from the frontier days through the Civil War and the industrial age to modern times. Now the Howell family’s legacy has been preserved as a public garden spanning 47 acres, with walking trails and hand-laid stone walls that cross through sunny meadows and leafy glades among an astonishing variety of trees and plants. Come walk with us and hear its stories and secrets. Details & Tickets

Old Gray Cemetery

Just north of downtown Knoxville, Old Gray Cemetery is a little-known historic jewel. Founded in 1850 as part of the rural park cemetery movement, it became a popular destination for carriage rides and picnics in its early days. Join us for a guided tour of notable interments and hear stories of statesmen, soldiers, scholars, and spirits. Details & Tickets