Tennessee

The communities of northeast Tennessee are among the oldest settlements west of the Appalachian Mountains and the original 13 colonies. The cities of Bristol, Johnson City, and Kingsport and surrounding towns of Elizabethton, Erwin, Greeneville, Jonesborough, Mountain City, and Rogersville are home to some of the most remarkable historic houses in the country. The region is home to the oldest frame structure in Tennessee--the Carter Mansion in Elizabethton--and Pres. Andrew Johnson's residences in Greeneville, the Rocky Mount State Historic Site in Piney Flats, the Allandale Mansion in Kingsport, and the Roderick Butler Mansion in Mountain City. Northeast Tennessee features mountain log cabins, brick Federal-style residences, Georgian, Colonial, and Victorian mansions, urban apartment dwellings, row houses, and a number of other architectural styles. The region's oldest homes were built in the late 1700s, including the Gillespie stone house in Limestone.

James K. Polk was the 11th president of the United States and expanded the country’s border to the Pacific Ocean, adding more territory than any other president. Explore his life, marriage, presidency, and more in this intimate view of his life presented through photographs, portraits, letters, and other images and stories. This book also discusses the death and legacy of President Polk, the long widowhood of Sarah Polk, and the complicated business of preserving the legacy and memory of a president. 

Rachel Helvering, Kate Gunn, and Jaryn Abdallah are staff members at the President James K. Polk Home and Museum, a site dedicated to preserving the memory and legacy of the Polks. Zacharie Kinslow has done extensive research and writing on James K. Polk and his family. Founded in 1924 by Sarah Polk’s great-niece Sarah Jetton Fall and her daughter, Saidee Fall Grant, the James K. Polk Memorial Association is committed to preserving artifacts, history, and property that belonged to the Polks. The association purchased James’s parents’ home in 1929 and opened it as a museum later that same year. All royalties from this volume will go toward the continued mission of the association.

Few places in the country can boast the extraordinary historic architecture possessed by Nashville, a remarkable hybrid city integrating both New South commerce with Old South charm and traditions. During the nineteenth century and the early twentieth century, many affluent families, including governors, statesmen, and presidents, built luxurious homes in many different revival styles of architecture such as Gothic Revival, Renaissance Revival, Greek Revival, and Colonial Revival. Since that time, residents and countless
visitors to Nashville alike have enjoyed their dramatic and imposing exteriors. In this volume, you are given a special opportunity to walk into these homes and explore their fascinating interiors as they
appeared from 1866 to 1920. Nashville Interiors: 1866 to 1920 provides valuable insight into the tastes and needs of the families who lived in these historic homes, from their formal parlors and gardens to their private dining rooms and bedrooms. Within these pages, the capital city's most famous country homes, such as Belmont Mansion, Belle Meade Plantation, and the Hermitage, and a wide assortment of city dwellings, boarding schools, hotels, and businesses again open their doors, allowing today's viewer a rare, intimate glimpse into their past.

In the barbeque joints and plate lunch cafes off Memphis's Front Street, one is easily reminded of the days when cotton was king, of a society of characters and cads; the big time and the small time; the rich and the richer; the hangers-on, anointed, powerful, and busted. Cotton created empires in agriculture, transportation, banking, and warehousing. It also shackled the dreams and lives of those born into slavery and sharecropping. Although many of the day-to-day dealings have moved to manicured office parks and high-rise buildings, cotton's influence still remains at the core of the Southern economy and Southern society. Cotton propelled technological advances that have changed the face and soul of the South. It was the wellspring that gave birth to modern music. Cotton triggered the migrations of millions of blacks and poor whites, shaping the culture of Northern cities. Its allure has called out to writers, artists, and photographers from around the world, attracted by the tragedy, irony, and power of cotton's story. In this book of vivid images and intriguing text, Memphis historian and author William Bearden presents the captivating history of cotton's profound influence on American society.