The unlikely saga of America’s first Syrian family There are diverging stories about whether the Arbeely family of Syria actually attended the Exposition Universelle, the Paris World’s Fair of 1878, or whether they just pretended to. It was one of […]

If you’ve been under a rock of late, or simply don’t care about the sport, then it may have escaped your notice that a new baseball stadium is about to open downtown. In a departure from my “Ghost Walking” column, […]

With the publication of a new educational booklet from the Knoxville History Project, it’s a good time to take a look at the fascinating history of music here in Knoxville. Designed to increase awareness and appreciation for the city’s rich […]

Walk along Walnut Avenue between Summit Hill Drive and Union Avenue today and you’ll find that it’s a relatively unremarkable spot compared to Market Square, just a few yards away. In fact, the only items of note are the new […]

Knoxville’s championship season of 1879 The long-awaited return of minor-league baseball to downtown Knoxville is stirring up some old stories, especially at the Museum of East Tennessee History’s worthy exhibit about baseball throughout the state. It was our first team […]

Touching tributes by musical icons endear this Bearden Park If you haven’t noticed, there is a small pocket park in Bearden that celebrates two of the most cherished performers of rock and roll history. It’s no hyperbole to say that […]

Due to its condition, as reported by engineers, the future of the Gay Street Bridge is in question. The Gay Street Bridge is a Knoxville icon. The steel bridge, designed and constructed by the Youngstown, Ohio, Bridge Co., is the […]

When checking the status of a flight, whether you are heading out of town or waiting on a family member or friend to arrive, it can be handy to know the three-digit code for the Knoxville airport. Those three letters—TYS—actually […]

The elderly British sailor with an Italian name who became suddenly famous after his death Thomas F. Grimaldi was fairly new to town, a cobbler arriving in the very early 1870s, but in the rapidly growing railroad town he rose […]