Tucked away in northeast Knox County is a historical treasure hiding in plain sight. On Strawberry Plains Pike, not far from I-40, Aubrey’s, and other outposts of modern civilization, sits …
Exploring the Elm Grove Cemetery
Some eight or 10 four-drawer file cabinets at the McClung Historical Collection contain many precious so-called “vertical files” with newspaper clippings and other documents assembled under Librarian/Archivist Ted Baehr’s careful …
Hastie’s legacy is one of inspiration
Knoxville has produced a number of notable figures throughout its 200-year-plus history. South Knoxville has had its share. But one of its most outstanding native sons is probably known the …
Time travel to old Concord landmarks
We all do it. We whiz up and down the roads of Concord/Farragut never giving a thought as to why the roads have the names they are given. Consider the …
Alex Brandau III: Poking holes in Old Hickory
Every now and then a story will lead directly into another. Yesterday’s feature on the kinship of the Coffin family to Tennessee Williams led to an email from another Williams …
Stride Rites on a hot tin roof
My first memory of going to buy shoes was at the Coffin Shoe Store in Fountain City. Without fail, every year my mother took me to get a new pair …
Roy Acuff: Athlete, musician, friend
Sevierville’s got Dolly Parton, but Fountain City and Union County have Roy Acuff, the King of Country Music. And after Roy made some money, playing his fiddle and singing at …
SoKno hotel symbolizes dreams of past, future
One of South Knoxville’s most prominent landmarks is the vacant, forlorn-looking former Parkway Hotel. Nestled between Chapman Highway and Martin Mill Pike, across from Berry Funeral Home, it’s a white, …