Articles for the Tennesee Community History Program

"Stories of Land and Place: A Small Town Perspective Reclamation of the Past in Franklin" by Robert Hicks
"I didn't move to Franklin in 1974 because of any passion for the Civil War. Don't laugh. I know folks who have done just that. I moved to Franklin because I wanted to live in a small town near Nashville with some sense of place, in time and history. Growing up in South Florida in the 1960s, everything was about today, everything seemed new. I didn't want to live in the past. I just wanted to live in a place that actually had a past … " read more
"Stories of Land and Place: An Urban Perspective Lost and Found: Reclaiming "Community" in Memphis through Revitalization of the Neighborhood" by Stan Hyland
"When reflecting on land and place in cities, first thoughts are often of downtown skyscrapers, bridges, or parks. For urban dwellers, however, the significance of land and place is often contained within neighborhoods, the specific buildings, spaces, and people among which they go about their daily lives. As, or more, important than the physical buildings and places, is the history, identity, the very personality of a neighborhood that connects urban people with their space … " read more
"A Land Threaded with Memory" by Gerald Smith
"As early as 1670, explorers from the east had crossed Tennessee and reached the Chickasaw Bluffs at Memphis. That journey was one of the most daring and exciting in Tennessee history. They saw the Tennessee of full Native American culture — a land that was mostly forested but with many large towns and villages along the rivers and creeks. Here and there they would have even seen some land under cultivation … " read more
"Key Ingredients: Tennessee by Food" by Rachel Baum
"Like Southern food in general, traditional Tennessee food developed from a fusion of European, Native American, and African traditions. The pork and wheat of Europe, the corn and beans of America, and the cooking style of African-Americans combined to make the barbeque, biscuits, beans and cornbread found throughout the state … " read more
"Women in World War II" by Dr. Kristine M. McCusker
"Ads called them "soldiers in housedresses." Produce for Victory posters touted their labor as critical to the war effort. Illustrators such as Norman Rockwell depicted their confidence in their ability to wage — and win — an international war. Indeed, early in World War II, most Americans realized that women would be essential to winning the war … " read more
"The First Agriculturalist in Tennessee" by Lindsey King, Ph.D
"Plant knowledge has played a very important role in Cherokee healing traditions. Historically, natural plant and herbal remedies were commonly practiced among Cherokee families and medicine men; many of these are still in use … " read more
"A Piece of the Pie: Patterns of African-American Land Ownership in Haywood County" by Dr. Dorothy Granberry
"Before the yellow fever epidemic in 1878 created a stream of refugees fleeing towns and cities for the countryside; before the election of William Winfield and Samuel McElwee to county offices in the 1880s; and before the pivotal election of 1888 when massive voter fraud was leveled against county officials, African-Americans in Haywood County had established themselves as farm owners, as well as tenant farmers … " read more
"Remembering The Past to Build a Community's Future: Butler, TN — The Town that Wouldn't Drown" by Gary Burkett and the citizens of Butler
"The past relationship between the lake and the community of Butler contains a secret known to fewer people with each passing year; among the sparse remains of the foundations of buildings that still lie at the bottom of Watauga Lake are the remnants of the original community of Butler — the only incorporated town to be flooded by the Tennessee Valley Authority … " read more
"Barn Proud in Marshall County" by Nancye Hobbs
"In 1836, Marshall County, Tennessee was formed in a rural area that thrived from its vast agricultural diversity. The land in and around the county was used for farming of many different types and prospered in that respect for many years to come. Marshall County is a community with a rich and diverse cultural heritage and a great interest in its history … " read more

More to come. Check back!

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