Images of America

When describing the Tipton-Haynes State Historic Site in a 1945 interview, Tennessee historian Samuel Cole Williams said, "No other site in Tennessee compares with this in its historic interest." Five original structures, six reconstructed and restored buildings, a limestone cave, and a small family cemetery bear witness today of the rich and diverse history of Tipton-Haynes, which spans the Pleistocene Ice Age, Native American settlement, Tennessee statehood, the American Civil War, and the Great Depression. During the latter half the 20th century, the Tennessee Historical Commission and the nonprofit Tipton-Haynes Historical Association, Inc., worked to establish and preserve the Tipton-Haynes State Historic Site. Collected photographs of these efforts and achievements have been hidden away in the site's archives for decades to only now be viewed by the public.

With the Nashville & Chattanooga Railroad linking the two cities in 1850, more people began to build houses and claim land south of Nashville. The railroad added a way station in the community called Stewartsboro, which was incorporated in 1869 as Smyrna after the nearby Smyrna Presbyterian Church. The town's location along the railroad placed it in the path of both armies during the Civil War, and skirmishes were fought throughout the town. Confederate scout Sam Davis, honored for sacrificing his own life rather than betraying a friend, became a well-known figure. Smyrna residents primarily grew corn, wheat, and cotton until the mid-1900s, when industry began to outpace agriculture. In 1941, the Smyrna Army Airfield, known later as the Stewart Air Force Base, opened as a training facility for World War II soldiers. The early 1980s saw further industrial growth when Nissan of North America selected the town for a new manufacturing plant. Today, the town combines agriculture with industry as it continues to grow and prosper.

The South's finest and one of America's best-these words have always defined the world-famous Peabody Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee. The Peabody emerged from the war-torn, post-Civil War South in 1869 to become one of the finest hotels in America. Its reputation for comfort, service, and fine dining grew along with Memphis's stature as "the river city, cotton capital, and birthplace of the blues." The most famous and infamous citizens of the era stayed at the original Peabody in its day. There, plantations were won or lost on a roll of the dice. After more than 50 years, the original hotel was replaced by a new 12-story, 615-room hotel in 1925. It was then that the hotel's name became synonymous with elegance. It also became the social center of Memphis and the mid-South, and a haunt for the rich and famous. The celebrated ducks swimming in the marble lobby fountain, parties in the skyway, or dancing on the open plantation roof to the music of the most renowned bands and orchestras of the day have all been part of this fabulous hotel's history. Today, the fully restored Peabody retains its reputation for legendary Southern hospitality and tasteful elegance. The hotel continues to serve as an anchor for the restoration and revitalization of the downtown area of one of America's most important cities.

Chattanooga is truly a city that reflects America's diverse history, possessing a rich, antebellum heritage combined with the energy and determination of the many brave immigrants who transformed this area from a traditional Southern town into a cosmopolitan center of the New South. One of Chattanooga's most important contributors, the Jewish
community has played an integral role in improving and diversifying the life and culture of this historic Tennessee town. In this volume of over 200 photographs, you will enjoy a celebration of the struggles, the stories of heroism and of common life, and the many successes of Chattanooga's Jewish citizens. Touching upon all aspects of Jewish life, the Jewish Community of Chattanooga will take you on an exciting visual tour of the Jewish experience with beautiful and rare photographs of different Life Cycle events, Hebrew-oriented schools, such as the Jewish Day School, Jewish cemeteries, past and present-day synagogues, and its people, including many families, prominent businesspersons, special achievers, and community and civic leaders.