On some of those July days, it rained just enough to steam everything up and make the soot smear. Knoxville was too distracted during wartime to make the joint look nice. Business came before beauty. Pro baseball was crippled by […]
Every Wednesday and Saturday in the warmer months, Knoxville witnesses a 161-year tradition. It began in 1854, when ambitious young developers William Swan and Joseph Mabry donated land to the city for a public market. The city built a small […]
“Damn I’m glad festival season’s over,” said my friend, who’s a professional musician. He said that with a mild curse and a heavy sigh, as if it had been a real ordeal. He’d been obliged to play for several of […]
In the minds of people around the world, many of whom have never been to Tennessee, many of whom have never set foot in North America, many of whom don’t even speak English, the word “Knoxville” will be forever associated […]
Market Square’s bell finally has a story. You can read it right on the brand-new plaque. For a decade, the bell, which weighs more than a ton, has puzzled visitors. Here’s a big bronze bell, with the date of 1883 […]
For years, people have speculated about the long-term prospects for the old Andrew Johnson Hotel, and as of this week, it’s finally for sale. The building has been used for more than 20 years for Knox County School offices, but […]
If you find yourself ambling on North Gay, as I do when I park free under the highway, you may be in for a start. The familiar building many of us grew up with known as Regas Restaurant suddenly sports, […]
At a recent public forum, citizens and city leaders discussed the several recommendations of the Urban Land Institute’s short study last October. One of them concerned the urban scholars’ impression that Henley Street was a barrier between downtown and seemingly […]
A city as divided as Knoxville is obliged to be polite. Hence there’s never been a Civil War monument downtown. The monuments on the Knox County Courthouse lawn reflect only the pioneer era and the Spanish-American War. It’s a rare Southern […]
Jack Neely is executive director of the Knoxville History Project. He has become one of Knoxville’s most popular writers and its unofficial historian. Jack is well known for his thoughtful, well-researched, and provocative pieces of long-form journalism, not to mention his books, speeches, and other public appearances...
123 S. Gay Street Ste. C
Knoxville, TN 37902
JACK NEELY
jack@knoxhistoryproject.org
(865) 337-7723
PAUL JAMES
Development Director
paul@knoxhistoryproject.org
(865) 300-4559
NICOLE STAHL
Administrative Coordinator
nicolestahl@knoxhistoryproject.org
(865) 360-8053
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