Published Works

To date, the Knoxville History Project has several story compilations based on articles written by Jack Neely that appeared in the Knoxville Mercury from 2015-2017. While most of those stories are searchable in original form on the “Stories” section of this website, quite a few have been updated, and in some cases expanded. Archive photographs and historic illustrations now enhance the texts.

We have found that bringing together previously disparate stories within a volume greatly enhances the power of these chapters of Knoxville’s rich and fascinating history.

Some of these titles were made available initially as donor premiums for the Friends of the Knoxville History Project. Please visit our online shop to purchase these volumes.

 

NEW FOR FRIENDS OF KHP!

For gifts of $50.00 and above

 

Knoxville Blues: Stories from Knoxville’s Musical Past

Featuring the following stories by Jack Neely:

Roy Acuff and the Crazy Tennesseans
Bluegrass Legends on Gay Street • Civic Coliseum
Howard “Louie Bluie” Armstrong • Big Ears Festival
St. James Hotel Sessions • Chilhowee’s Jacob Building
Knoxville’s first Music Festival • WNOX Auditorium

Make a donation and support the Knoxville History Project here.

Knoxville History Volume 1

A sampler of stories written by Jack Neely illustrate the extraordinary work of the Knoxville History Project.  Chapters Include:

  • The Launch of the Mercury, On Adolph Ochs’s Birthday
  • A Fifth Avenue Church’s Unique Architectural Heritage
  • The Life of Rock ‘n’ Roll Pioneer “Stick” McGhee
  • Knoxville: Summer 1979
  • The Attorney-Toreador of Gay Street
  • ​The Fastest Bandleader in the World
  • Knoxville’s Halloween History
  • A Short History of the Tennessee Theatre
  • Searching for Institutions in the Ever-Changing Old City
  • The Day the White House on Wheels Rolled into Town
  • Magnificent Distractions: Christmas 1916 Saw a Promenade of American Show Biz
  • Singer-Songwriter of the Everly Brothers Turns 80

 

Knoxville Holidays & Festivals

A community need a stable culture, and a sense of mutual tradition, to celebrate holidays consistently. To some extent, these stories mark Knoxville’s growth and self- awareness as a permanent community – and, at times, a pretty festive one. Chapters Include:

  • A “Penny Funny” Valentine’s Day
  • Patrick’s Day: An Old Holiday
  • Memorial Day: A Day to Remember
  • The Glorious Fourth of July
  • From Armistice to Veterans Day
  • Knoxville’s Kuumba Weekend
  • Emancipation Week: the Backstory of the Eighth of August
  • A Century of Tennessee Valley Fairs
  • More Tricks than Treats in Knoxville Halloween
  • Thanksgiving Traditions
  • Did Charles Dickens inspire a Knoxville Holiday?
  • How a Knoxvillian brought New Year’s Eve to Times Square

 

 

A Knoxville Christmas 

A collection of stories documenting Knoxville’s celebration of the Christmas season since the 1800s. From Dickens and dolls, to parades and pageants. From glittering lights and dragon balloons, to the city’s first municipal Christmas tree. This small-sized book tells the story of Knoxville’s rich and often surprising Christmas history. Chapters Include:

  • Did Charles Dickens Inspire a Knoxville Holiday?
  • ​The Saturnalia of 1893​
  • The First Municipal Christmas Tree: A Knoxville Christmas, 1914
  • ​Christmas in 1915: The Garden of Allah, Creeping Babies, and the Blue Rabbit
  • ​Magnificent Distractions: Christmas, 1916, Saw a Promenade of American Show Biz
  • ​Knoxville Christmas Parades
  • Christmas vs. the Holidays: A Little Perspective on Our Favorite Schism
  • ​Local Holidays: Some Noteworthy Local Knoxville Birthdays

 

COMING SOON!

Currently in production for a spring 2018 release is a new volume: Knoxville Blues: Stories of Knoxville’s Lively Musical Past. Please watch this space!