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Have you ever noticed how quiet it is around Gay Street and Main Street in the evening? During the day, it’s reasonably lively with lawyers, bankers, government employees milling about. It will be even more so in the coming years […]

Chug Rigsby, crazy drunks, radio pleas, a riverside boulevard, a new football coach, and Knoxville’s Christmas of 1925 A century ago it was snowing over much of the eastern part of the nation. People anticipated a White Christmas, even if […]

The often-forgotten diversity of 1790s Knoxville   Ken Burns’ The American Revolution was a powerful prelude to the 250th anniversary of the United States. One point the documentary makes over and over concerns the surprising diversity of America’s original patriots. If […]

“Here comes Santa Claus, here comes Santa Claus, right down Santa Claus Lane, Vixen and Blitzen and all his reindeers pulling on the reins, Bells are ringing, children singing, all is merry and bright, So hang your stockings and say […]

Just beyond the edge of the town’s original 64 lots laid out in 1791, the intersection of Gay Street and Clinch Avenue has long been a bustling place in downtown Knoxville. Today, thousands of people walk or drive through here […]

It’s interesting how the use of a certain spot on a street basically stays the same for decades, if not more than a century. The site of a courthouse typically indicates a long tenure, but how about hotels? Hyatt Place, […]

The steps of the Dr. John Mason Boyd memorial arch at the corner of Gay Street and Main Street offer a fine perch to ponder bygone times in this old section of downtown. Anyone who has more than just glanced […]

Now well past its 100th anniversary, the Tennessee Valley Fair, when it opens on September 5, continues its legacy as one of the most fun events on the fall calendar. The spot where it all takes place, Chilhowee Park, looms […]

Just like we do today, Knoxvillians have long come downtown looking for some entertainment. For many years, Staub’s Opera House (later known as Staub’s Theatre and the Lyric) served as the city’s most dependable live-performance venue. But in the early […]