On my way home from my recent trip to Knoxville, I stopped in Oak Ridge. As an East Tennessean and a historian, it’s a bit embarrassing to admit that, despite knowing the history of Oak Ridge, this was my first visit to the town itself. In honor of finally visiting the Secret City, let’s dive into the history of the Secret City. If you haven’t … Continue reading The History of the Secret City
Having gone to college in Knoxville (go Vols!), I know the basic outline of Knoxville’s history, especially regarding the Civil War. After all, much of the Battle of Fort Sanders in November 1863 took place on what is now the University of Tennessee’s campus and the nearby Fort Sanders neighborhood, named after the Union fort that the Confederates tried (unsuccessfully) to capture. Reflecting the proximity … Continue reading Digging Deeper into Knoxville’s History
Just after Christmas, I was in Charleston, South Carolina, one of my favorite cities. When it comes to history, Charleston is most commonly associated with the colonial period and the American Revolution (the 1780 surrender of Charleston to the British was one of the worst defeats for the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War), the history of slavery in America (including the slave trade and … Continue reading Exploring a Different Side of Charleston’s History
I recently discovered a new historic site in Northeast Tennessee: Exchange Place, in Kingsport. Located on the site of a former stagecoach relay station (hence the name, which derives from the exchanging of horses that would take place) and plantation, Exchange Place is a living history farm depicting life in the area in the 1850s. A few weekends ago, I went up to Exchange Place … Continue reading A Day Out at Exchange Place
The oldest incorporated town in Tennessee is Jonesborough (see map below), founded in 1779, seventeen years before Tennessee became a state. At the time that Jonesborough was founded, the area that is now Northeast Tennessee was part of North Carolina. The town of Jonesborough was established to provide the increasing number of settlers living on the western side of the Appalachian Mountains with access to … Continue reading Layers of History at the Chester Inn
A few weeks ago, I was in the Nashville area to visit a friend, and I decided to add a day on to my trip in order to visit Stones River National Battlefield in Murfreesboro. Over the years, I’ve visited many of the Tennessee Civil War battlefields, including Shiloh, Chattanooga, and Knoxville. When I was an undergraduate at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, I … Continue reading Uncovering the Past at Stones River
Recently, I spent a few days in the Charleston, South Carolina, area. In between relaxing at the beach and exploring downtown Charleston, I visited a new (to me, at least) historic site: McLeod Plantation Historic Site. Located on James Island, just a few miles from downtown Charleston on the way to Folly Beach (see map below), this historic site puts a particular emphasis on interpreting … Continue reading Remaking History at McLeod Plantation
If you were a middle- or upper-class traveler in the late nineteenth or early twentieth century, you would almost certainly know the name Baedeker. Perhaps you had traveled with Baedeker yourself, or knew someone who had. Or maybe you hoped to travel with Baedeker someday. But who – or what – was Baedeker? While Baedeker is no longer a household name today, our historical traveler … Continue reading Traveling with Baedeker
Making the Past Present 