Tennessee

This pictorial history of Natchez Trace illustrates the people, places, and events that have shaped the area's cultural and natural history.

The Natchez Trace is one of the oldest trails in North America. In 1801, President Jefferson ordered the Army to build a road along the trail to provide a route for moving troops and delivering mail. Jefferson dispatched soldiers down the road in 1803 to protect the Louisiana Purchase, and Andrew Jackson and his troops followed it to battle the British in the War of 1812. As an 1800-era link between Nashville, Tennessee, and Natchez, Mississippi, the road served as a pathway for settling much of what we now know as the South. Twentieth-century writers such as Eudora Welty later embellished its lore of heroes, bandits, and spies, inspiring Southern leaders to revive the Natchez Trace.

The story of Elkmont from small logging community to exclusive summer resort and GSMNP site.

Prior to the formation of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) in 1934, the small community of Elkmont was established as a logging camp by Col. Wilson B. Townsend's Little River Lumber Company around 1908. This was after he purchased 86,000 acres of mostly virgin forest. The area that was previously inhabited by various American Indian groups, and later by European-American settlers beginning around 1830, was to become for a time the second largest town in Sevier County, Tennessee. Colonel Townsend's business ventures proved successful beyond expectation, as he skillfully exploited the area's valuable hardwood forests. His logging company and railroad provided a mountain population with jobs and steady wages. Once all the valuable timber was harvested, Townsend sold land to private citizens who established what was to become an exclusive summer community that included both the Appalachian and Wonderland Clubs. These coexisted inside the GSMNP until 1992. This is the story of Elkmont.

Hardeman County was named for Thomas Hardeman, a War of 1812 veteran and a pioneer of young America's frontier.

He served as the county's first clerk and helped to shape the county that would bear his name. Hardeman and other early settlers created towns and settlements that eventually stretched over 650 square miles. They quickly established churches and schools and added businesses and farms to the fabric of the county. The nearby Hatchie River had long been a waterway used by the Chickasaw Indians, and many of the county's towns were settled on or near the waterway that led them to the Mississippi River. This river and the railroads became a prize to be won--and controlled--during the Civil War.

This pictorial history of Carson-Newman College illustrates the people, places, and events that have shaped this institution's legacy.

Carson-Newman College, a private, Christian liberal arts college, is located in Jefferson City, Tennessee, approximately 25 miles east of Knoxville. In the early 1840s, a number of Baptist leaders desired to offer better-prepared ministers to area congregations. Afforded the use of a local Baptist church building, Mossy Creek Missionary Baptist Seminary opened to students in the fall of 1851. In 1880, the school was named Carson College and for several years existed alongside Newman College, a separate facility for the education of women. In 1889, the two colleges united as one of the first coeducational Baptist institutions. As Carson-Newman College celebrates 160 years of rich history steeped in the ideals of truth, beauty, and goodness, it continues to prepare students academically and spiritually to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

Rare, historic images lift the veil on a town's history, revealing heroes and villains that will shock and delight.

Named for its ebullient natural springs, Fountain City, Tennessee, has a rich history and a truly unique identity. Originally established in 1788 by John Adair as Adair's Fort, this area was a depot for the Cumberland Guard, which protected emigrant families traveling to settlements in present-day Nashville. With a population of about 30,000, Fountain City was thought to be the nation's largest unincorporated city by the mid-20th century. Though this distinction was lost when the community was incorporated into Knoxville in 1962, Fountain City has maintained a separate identity and preserved its extensive history. Filled with detailed images of the area, this volume provides a rare glimpse of the people, places, and events that have molded the suburb into an ideal environment in which to learn, relax, and enjoy a myriad of recreational activities.

The amazing photographs of Knoxville, Tennessee in this book chart the growth of this major metropolitan area in the Southeast, from a small fort to big Southern city.

Though it began as a small fort on the Tennessee River, Knoxville would not know obscurity for long. Founded in 1791, Knoxville became the capital of the new state of Tennessee five years later and rapidly became a major metropolitan area for the southeastern United States. Exportations of raw and natural goods brought wealth and new residents, and soon its main thoroughfare became a window into the growth, development, decline, and rebirth of an all-American city. Then, as now, all roads downtown lead to Gay Street, and everything Knoxville came from it.

Though Knoxville is a decidedly Southern city, it has also taken its place within the American melting pot. Swiss, English, Dutch, Irish, German, Greek, African, and Spanish families have all played major roles in the city's development. For many years, at one small popcorn stand on Gay Street stood Gary Crowder-the meticulous owner of the amazing collection of photographs predominantly featured in Images of America: Knoxville.

Sevierville has a long history of tourism, roadside attractions, and is located in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. Read this hometown's unique history.

Sevierville, the first city many people see when they arrive in the Smoky Mountains, is located in a picturesque valley at the foot of the Smokies. Founded in 1795 and incorporated in 1901, it is the oldest city in Sevier County and the eighth-oldest town in Tennessee. More than just a beautiful place to vacation, Sevierville has a rich heritage and history.

Two centuries ago, Sevierville was a small, rural community with one church, two mills, one tavern, one trading post, two lawyers, and a stable for a courthouse. As the county seat, the town became an important commercial center. One of Sevierville's most breathtaking sights and enduring symbols is the classic clock tower on the historic courthouse, with majestic Mount LeConte as a backdrop. Just minutes from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Sevierville combines a relaxed, small-town atmosphere with ready access to hundreds of vacation attractions, shopping, and recreational opportunities.

Join author and local historian Carroll McMahan as he chronicles his hometown's unique history. This volume, complete with archival photos, is a must for enthusiasts of the Smokies and East Tennessee.