As the United States celebrates its 250 th anniversary, Tennessee celebrates its 230 th —thanks in large part to something that happened on Gay Street. June 1, Tennessee’s official birthday, usually offers great weather for outdoor celebrations. It’s the day that President Washington signed the bill…
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For more than 80 years, Knoxville knew it as the House Behind the Wall. Some knew the unusual name of the woman who had lived there for many years: Eugenia. Her last name might seem unnecessary; there was only one Eugenia. But Eugenia Williams became a local legend, even as some of her lifelong…
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🚗 Three Trails, One City: "Discover Tennessee Trails and Byways" by starting in Knoxville Knoxville is a destination in its own right, but it's also a trailhead to three of Tennessee’s most fascinating driving experiences. The Rocky Top Trail, White Lightning Trail, and Top Secret Trail all pass…
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Imagine, if you can, a city that has, within a 25-minute drive on one side, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and its associated American Museum of Science and Energy. And equidistant on the opposite side, Dolly Parton’s extravagant and broadly popular theme park, Dollywood. And mountains all…
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Knoxville may be a rarity in that it’s home to two historic houses that are associated with the ends of what were once passionate love affairs. One of them is the 1941 Lyons View mansion of Eugenia Williams. After an extensive six-year renovation by the Aslan Foundation, it will be open to the…
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February may be Black History Month, but Black history is American history, and in Knoxville there’s plenty to go around for the whole year! This post highlights the Black history of this area along with attractions that have temporary and permanent exhibits, murals, statues, parks, and more. The…
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It’s been 10 years since a vigorous group of young craftspeople and entrepreneurs—“makers”—began to style Knoxville “The Maker City,” about the same time that Etsy, the online marketplace, confirmed that claim as a national designation. And it’s true there’s a lot of making going on here…
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Kingston Pike Postcard | Courtesy Knoxville History Project Sunday, January 17, is National Bootleggers' Day, believe it or not. Knoxville didn't start that holiday, which is just five years old now, but our city has quite a rich story in that regard. Knoxville and liquor go way back, of…
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Knoxville isn’t used to the spotlight. For years, the city kept a low profile, happy to defer to its regional attractions, the Smoky Mountains and the…
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Christmas seems ancient, doesn’t it? The Biblical story is literally ancient, and there seems to be something old fashioned about most of the ways we…
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