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.

 

10th Annual Luncheon Benefiting the Knoxville History Project

–   At The Mill and Mine

 

This year’s luncheon, is set to be our biggest yet. As of June 4, seating is almost to capacity, with only a few spots remaining. If you would still like to attend, please contact Paul James at paul@knoxhistoryproject.org to check availability. Thank you.

 

At this year’s annual luncheon, now in its 10th year, KHP will present Duane Grieve with the Captain William Rule Award* for his considerable contributions to what we know about Knoxville history. Duane is one of Knoxville’s key historic-preservationist architects in Knoxville, leading efforts to restore the 1903 beaux-arts Miller’s Building, the 1929 YMCA building, and Emory Place, where he made his office in the former 1880s Victorian Walla Walla chewing-gum factory. Recently, he led the establishment of Everly Brothers Park in Bearden, close to where the Phil and Don Everly lived and went to school at West High. With the help of Graham Nash, Duane obtained quotes from music stars who cite the Everly Brothers’ influence on their own careers, including Paul McCartney, Paul Simon, Brian Wilson, Bob Dylan, Dolly Parton, and others. Duane served as a City Councilman for two terms and also as vice-mayor. He’s a fellow in the American Institute of Architects, a longstanding board member of Legacy Parks Foundation, and for 8 years served as the director of the East Tennessee Community Design Center. He is also a founding board member of KHP.

*The William Rule Award for Lifetime Achievement in Knoxville History honors the legacy of Captain William Rule, a major figure in the city’s history. Captain Rule was a Civil War veteran, a longtime newspaper publisher, a two-time Knoxville mayor, and the author of the city’s first substantial history of the city: The Standard History of Knoxville, published in 1900.

For more information on the luncheon please CLICK HERE.

If you cannot attend, but wish to make a donation in honor of Duane Grieve, and to support the work of the Knoxville History Project, please click DONATE. Thank you.

KHP Coffee Club at the Eugenia Williams House

–   At Eugenia Williams House

From Eugenia’s verandah, you can see the Tennessee River in bits and pieces through the dense summer foliage. Knoxville’s most prominent geographical feature, it was still wild and undammed when she built her house. Over the centuries, it has served as both a barrier and a highway, navigated by flatboats and sternwheelers, industrial barges and paddleboards, crossed by canoes and ferries, pontoon bridges and railroad trestles. And who knows what’s down there at the bottom, but shipwrecks, airplanes, and Confederate cannons are somewhere in the silt. We’ll share what we know, and show pictures. Space is limited to 48 people and pre-registration is required. Tickets are $10 per or $5 if you’re a current Friend of KHP Supporter and can be purchased at Home | Knoxville History Project.

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