Name: Historic Theaters of the Tennessee Tri-Cities
Brand: Robert Sorrell
SKU: 9781467158053
Price: 24.99 USD
Availability: InStock

Historic Theaters of the Tennessee Tri-Cities

9781467158053

$24.99

The Stories Behind Iconic Venues

Theaters in the Tri-Cities featured everything from early minstrel shows of the nineteenth century to the modern multiplex movie houses of the twenty-first century. It’s a complex subject that is closely connected to the region’s overall history. The Barter Theatre is the official theater of Virginia. Memorial Hall Theater, which opened in 1904, may be the oldest operating venue in the region. The Johnson City Transit Center now sits at the previous site of four famous theaters. Robert Sorrell details the history of these iconic theaters and the influence they had on their communities.

Cover image for Historic Theaters of the Tennessee Tri-Cities, isbn: 9781467158053

Shiloh National Military Park

9780738591360

$7.99

Shiloh National Military Park boasts a rich history.

Lost Motels of Gatlinburg

9781467156387

$24.99

Forgotten Gems of Gatlinburg

When the Great Smoky Mountains was dedicated a national park in 1934, tourists flocked to the area. Ray Bohanan, who owned Bohanan’s Craft Shop and Cabins, stood by the road shouting, “Cabins for rent!” The Frost Lodge reminded tourists of the days when a room cost five dollars. Residents at the LeConte Creek Cottages and Motel were treated to a “woodland wonderland.” Parkway Motor Inn was a haven for weary drivers for decades. The Mountain View Hotel boasted a list of famous residents like Eleanor Roosevelt. Guests at the Terrace Motel remembered waters from the Roaring Fork Creek lulling them to sleep. Brian McKnight relives the simpler times and the city’s finest, long-forgotten lodging.

Cover image for Lost Motels of Gatlinburg, isbn: 9781467156387

Tennessee in the Victorian Era

9781467155236

$24.99

A Tumultuous Social Era

The Victorian Era is usually thought of as a time of elegant formality, of stately mansions in the "upstairs/downstairs" tradition. But the era was rife with social issues. In January 1918, the Baroness von Zollner was released from custody and further investigation on charges of spying. She was never seen again in Tennessee. A Nashville newspaper story exposed the "trashy" literature that "boys read." While the protest was real, nothing was done to curtail the accessibility of such dime novels due to the First Amendment right to free speech. A.K. Ward found his way to Central America "in a hilarious mood" before being returned to Tennessee to face charges of embezzlement and fraud. Historian James B. Jones details these stories and more.

Tipton-Haynes State Historic Site

9781467109765

$24.99

When describing the Tipton-Haynes State Historic Site in a 1945 interview, Tennessee historian Samuel Cole Williams said, "No other site in Tennessee compares with this in its historic interest." Five original structures, six reconstructed and restored buildings, a limestone cave, and a small family cemetery bear witness today of the rich and diverse history of Tipton-Haynes, which spans the Pleistocene Ice Age, Native American settlement, Tennessee statehood, the American Civil War, and the Great Depression. During the latter half the 20th century, the Tennessee Historical Commission and the nonprofit Tipton-Haynes Historical Association, Inc., worked to establish and preserve the Tipton-Haynes State Historic Site. Collected photographs of these efforts and achievements have been hidden away in the site's archives for decades to only now be viewed by the public.

Kingsport: City of Industry

9781467160483

$24.99

Kingsport is a prime example of a community born out of a vision to create a planned model city of industry and an ideal community. In the early 20th century, Kingsport was ripe with opportunity and potential. Its advantageous location on the railroad, proximity to a wealth of raw natural resources, hearty labor supply, and unmatched community spirit laid the foundation for Kingsport to become one of the leading industrial centers of the New South. This book explores many of Kingsport's diverse industries, from the Corning Glass Works that manufactured Pyrex to the Holston Ordnance Works that produced RDX (the world's most powerful explosive until the atom bomb) to Tennessee Eastman and its role in managing Clinton Engineering Works in Oak Ridge during World War II. Other local companies include General Shale, Kingsport Press, Borden Mills, Holliston Mills, Foremost Dairies, Blue Ridge Glass, PET Dairy, and Dixie Maid Bakery.

Notorious Memphis Gangster Diggs Nolen

9781467155243

$24.99

The Memphis Underworld King

Diggs Nolen's name was the byword for crime in 1920s Memphis. As a child, he dreamed of becoming a swashbuckling outlaw. He turned his back on a promising career, his family and consorted with the worst elements of society. Under the tutelage of train robber Frank Holloway, Nolen became a notorious con artist. Later, he and his gun-slinging wife built an empire out of selling narcotics and trafficking stolen goods. Law enforcement caught Nolen, but they could not hold him. Nolen escaped from Leavenworth Prison, led the largest jailbreak in Memphis history and confounded prosecutors with legal wranglings. Author Patrick O'Daniel details Nolen's quixotic quest for criminal fame that earned him the title King of the Memphis Underworld.

All Aboard, Tennessee!

9781455627301

$19.95

A young boy rides the train through Tennessee's beautiful, historic, and interesting landscapes. From the Blue Ridge to the Appalachian Ridge and Valley Region, the Cumberland Plateau, the Highland Rim, and the Nashville Basin, the narrator experiences the marvels of his home state. He hikes, fishes, and even tours Graceland! This is Maggie Bunn's fifth project and she is looking forward to sharing and creating more stories. Rosalind Bunn is the author of nine children's books and is excited to share her newest story with everyone--especially her grandchildren.

Tennessee's Confederates

9780738582092

$7.99

Tennessee boasts a rich history.

Cover image for Tennessee's Confederates, isbn: 9780738582092

Smyrna

9781467111904

$24.99

With the Nashville & Chattanooga Railroad linking the two cities in 1850, more people began to build houses and claim land south of Nashville. The railroad added a way station in the community called Stewartsboro, which was incorporated in 1869 as Smyrna after the nearby Smyrna Presbyterian Church. The town's location along the railroad placed it in the path of both armies during the Civil War, and skirmishes were fought throughout the town. Confederate scout Sam Davis, honored for sacrificing his own life rather than betraying a friend, became a well-known figure. Smyrna residents primarily grew corn, wheat, and cotton until the mid-1900s, when industry began to outpace agriculture. In 1941, the Smyrna Army Airfield, known later as the Stewart Air Force Base, opened as a training facility for World War II soldiers. The early 1980s saw further industrial growth when Nissan of North America selected the town for a new manufacturing plant. Today, the town combines agriculture with industry as it continues to grow and prosper.

Old Gray Cemetery in Knoxville

9781467154826

$23.99

The History of an Historic Cemetery
Founded in 1850 and dedicated in 1852, Knoxville's Old Gray Cemetery is one of the area's most iconic landmarks. It provides an important example of planning and design, and is named after poet Thomas Gray. Join author Judy Loest as she details the history of this renowned cemetery.

Pigeon Forge

9780738586113

$24.99

Explore the charming town of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee from its humble beginnings as farmland to a bustling tourist attraction.

Pigeon Forge is a booming resort town in Tennessee with the majestic Great Smoky Mountains towering in the background. The national park's birth in 1934 forever changed this once-fertile farming river valley. Pigeon Forge is a vacationing playground with every type of family amusement imaginable, the most noted being Dolly Parton's own Dollywood theme park. The town began with a few large-acre farms and a cluster of farm-related businesses. Its unusual name derived from an iron forge built by Isaac Love in 1819 and the Little Pigeon River that provided power for its operation. The Cherokees, native to the area, named the river because of the countless passenger pigeons lining its banks. Love's son, William, built a gristmill in 1830 that still stands today. The Old Mill is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Beale Street

9780738543635

$24.99

Once celebrated as the Main Street of Negro America," Beale Street has a long and vibrant history. In the early 20th century, the 15-block neighborhood supported a collection of hotels, pool halls, saloons, banks, barber shops, pharmacies, dry goods stores, theaters, gambling dens, jewelers, fraternal clubs, churches, entertainment agencies, beauty salons, pawn shops, blues halls, and juke joints. Above the street-level storefronts were offices of African American business and professional men: dentists, doctors, undertakers, photographers, teachers, realtors, and insurance brokers. By mid-century, following the social strife and urban renewal projects of the 1960s and 1970s, little remained of the original neighborhood. Those buildings spared by the bulldozers were boarded up and falling down. In the nick of time, in the 1980s, the city realized the area's potential as a tourist attraction. New bars, restaurants, and entertainment venues opened along the remaining three-block strip, providing a mecca for those seeking to recapture the magic of Beale Street."

Greeneville

9780738553993

$24.99

As in most towns, Greeneville's citizens balance the need to modernize and the desire to preserve structures from the city's 1800s heyday. Some buildings are being renovated with their historic grandeur in mind, and others are being sacrificed to accommodate contemporary necessities. Many of these vintage buildings can only be viewed through photographs.

The Peabody Hotel

9780738514536

$24.99

The South's finest and one of America's best-these words have always defined the world-famous Peabody Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee. The Peabody emerged from the war-torn, post-Civil War South in 1869 to become one of the finest hotels in America. Its reputation for comfort, service, and fine dining grew along with Memphis's stature as "the river city, cotton capital, and birthplace of the blues." The most famous and infamous citizens of the era stayed at the original Peabody in its day. There, plantations were won or lost on a roll of the dice. After more than 50 years, the original hotel was replaced by a new 12-story, 615-room hotel in 1925. It was then that the hotel's name became synonymous with elegance. It also became the social center of Memphis and the mid-South, and a haunt for the rich and famous. The celebrated ducks swimming in the marble lobby fountain, parties in the skyway, or dancing on the open plantation roof to the music of the most renowned bands and orchestras of the day have all been part of this fabulous hotel's history. Today, the fully restored Peabody retains its reputation for legendary Southern hospitality and tasteful elegance. The hotel continues to serve as an anchor for the restoration and revitalization of the downtown area of one of America's most important cities.

Railroads of Chattanooga

9780738515397

$24.99

Founded in 1803 at the site of Ross's Landing on the Tennessee River, Chattanooga was once a small settlement centered around a trading post run by John Ross, who was the leader of the Cherokee nation at the time. In 1836, the State of Georgia chartered the Western and Atlantic Railroad to connect the village of Marthasville (now Atlanta) with the river port at Chattanooga. Within the next twenty years, additional railroad companies would link Chattanooga with all of the major cities in the country. These connections would prove to be vital to the Confederate effort during the Civil War and would make Chattanooga the prime target of numerous military actions on both sides, the most famous being the Andrews Raid of 1862. Railroads of Chattanooga celebrates the history of Chattanooga as a major Southeastern railroad hub and the employees, engines, and events that have made it what it is today.

Tennessee’s Great Copper Basin

9781467124942

$24.99

In 1843, the discovery of copper in Tennessee's far southeastern corner sparked a transformation in the isolated area known to geologists as the Ducktown Basin. By 1854, the first shafts had been sunk, and 28 mining companies had been incorporated for the purpose of exploring the possible wealth of the Ducktown district. For generations to come, the families of mine captains from Cornwall, executives and engineers from the industrial North, emigrants from Europe and the Middle East, miners drawn by the promise of jobs, and farmers who had bought land for pennies an acre in the 1830s would sit side by side in the same small churches and send their children to the same small schools. In the process, they would create a kind of culture that few small Southern communities had ever seen. This book, illustrated with photographs gathered from the scrapbooks and attics of their descendants, tells their story.

Elizabethton

9780738517179

$24.99

The bustling city of Elizabethton, Tennessee, located on the convergence of the Watauga and Doe Rivers, is the product of a long and rich history. For centuries its fertile ground and ample wildlife sustained the Cherokee Indians, who later leased and sold a vast amount of land to settlers in the mid-1700s. In 1772 these settlers formed the Watauga Association, becoming what Teddy Roosevelt called the first "men of American birth to establish a free and independent community on the continent." The era of industrialization resulted in severalfactories and mills all along Elizabethton's rivers, creating a commercial paradise that continues to thrive today.

Milligan College

9780738587776

$24.99

Milligan College began as an early 1800s community effort to educate young people in Northeast Tennessee, and it has grown to serve individuals from around the globe. Established by church members along the waters of Buffalo Creek between Johnson City and Elizabethton, the school sought to equip its pupils to become productive citizens with a mission-minded worldview. Its graduates have had positive influences throughout the world as servant leaders, and Milligan remains committed to the development of intellect, body, and spirit, with a devotion to personal attention and a Christian, liberal arts education. The institution has grown from a single creek-side building with a handful of students to a beautiful, extensive campus offering more than 25 majors, master's programs, and degree completion options to over 1,100 traditional and nontraditional students. US News & World Report consistently recognizes Milligan as one of "America's Best Colleges."

Lost Restaurants of Knoxville

9781625859532

$24.99

Discover the fascinating stories of Knoxville's eateries as author and historian Paula Johnson dives back in time through the stories of the city's great restaurants.

Over the past 225 years, Knoxville dining has come full circle - from early taverns and saloons to upscale continental cuisine and back to the roots of local eating experiences. Greek immigrants Frank and George Regas founded the legendary Regas Restaurant, which operated for 90 years, spreading culinary influence throughout the entire city. Early country music stars frequented Harold's Deli while visiting the city to perform on Tennessee's first live radio shows. Guests from around the world sat 266 feet in the air at the Sunsphere Restaurant, a fine dining establishment run by the Hardee's Corporation during Knoxville's World's Fair.

Memphis Blues:

9780738542379

$24.99

The blues was born in the Mississippi Delta, and since that fateful night in 1903 when W. C. Handy heard the mournful sound of a pocketknife sliding over the strings of an acoustic guitar and the plaintive song of a long-forgotten musician in the hot night of Tutwiler, Mississippi, the blues has been on a journey around the world. From the cotton fields and juke
joints of the Delta, up Highway 61 to Memphis's Beale Street, St. Louis, the Southside of Chicago, England, and points beyond, the blues is America's unique form of music. Blues is incisive in its honesty, elemental in its rhythm,
and powerful in its almost visceral sensation. Nearly every style of popular music has its roots in the blues. Muddy Waters said it best: "The blues had a baby, and they called it rock and roll." Memphis has become the heart of the blues world, with a re-born Beale Street acting as its spiritual center. People come from the world over to experience its beat, savor its emotion, and feel its power. In the end . . . "it ain't nothin' but the blues."

Jewish Community of Chattanooga

9780738501208

$24.99

Chattanooga is truly a city that reflects America's diverse history, possessing a rich, antebellum heritage combined with the energy and determination of the many brave immigrants who transformed this area from a traditional Southern town into a cosmopolitan center of the New South. One of Chattanooga's most important contributors, the Jewish
community has played an integral role in improving and diversifying the life and culture of this historic Tennessee town. In this volume of over 200 photographs, you will enjoy a celebration of the struggles, the stories of heroism and of common life, and the many successes of Chattanooga's Jewish citizens. Touching upon all aspects of Jewish life, the Jewish Community of Chattanooga will take you on an exciting visual tour of the Jewish experience with beautiful and rare photographs of different Life Cycle events, Hebrew-oriented schools, such as the Jewish Day School, Jewish cemeteries, past and present-day synagogues, and its people, including many families, prominent businesspersons, special achievers, and community and civic leaders.

Hardeman County

9780738591445

$24.99

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.

Chattanooga's Terminal Station

9780738568089

$24.99

Long before Glenn Miller made the world-famous ""Chattanooga Choo Choo"" an American icon, Chattanooga was already a bustling railroad community.

By the beginning of the 20th century, passenger trains overwhelmed Chattanooga's two railroad depots and a larger station was needed. The solution was Terminal Station, which rivaled most Southern depots in size, expense, and aesthetic beauty. Providing transportation to cities throughout the country, the terminal made its mark as the gateway for rail from the agricultural south to the industrial north. Following its closure, the terminal was reopened as a renowned hotel and entertainment complex in 1973, becoming one of Chattanooga's many exciting attractions. Images of Rail: Chattanooga's Terminal Station follows the history of this depot in both stories and photographs.

Tennessee's Union Cavalrymen

9780738567471

$24.99

Despite officially joining the Confederacy in 1861, Tennessee provided the Union with nearly 32,000 troops during the Civil War. Representing a Southern opposition to secession and loyalty to the Union, many of these Tennesseans served as cavalry or as mounted infantry. Among those serving on horseback were Samuel P. Carter, who temporarily left his post in the U.S. Navy to command a cavalry brigade; Pres. Andrew Johnson's son, Robert Johnson, who served as colonel of the 1st Tennessee Cavalry; and James Brownlow, son of Tennessee's Reconstruction governor, who led his command in a naked charge across the Chattahoochee River. Labeled traitors and renegades by Confederate Tennesseans, these men risked reprisals on their homes and families as they dutifully served the Union cause. This volume draws upon photographs from the collections of the Tennessee State Museum, the Library of Congress, the United States Army Military History Institute, and other public and private collections to tell the story of these loyal cavaliers.

Walland

9781467126892

$24.99

Approximately 10 miles long, Walland, Tennessee, is situated along the Chilhowee Ridge where the Little River naturally divides the mountain. Early on, both Baptist and Methodist churches were established, and the area's Baptist church was the first permanent Baptist church in Blount County. Amerine Forge, operated by George Amerine, was the largest ironworks in Blount County from 1845 to 1860. In 1901, Schlosser Leather Company opened a tannery, making it the largest industry in the county.

Memphis Music

9780738544113

$24.99

Memphis means music. That relationship was solidified in 1909 when W. C. Handy wrote the song "Mr. Crump" and later published it as the "Memphis Blues." As Handy's songs were sung and played in streets and music halls, a spotlight began to shine on a new mecca for innovation in music--Memphis, Tennessee. Memphis Music: Before the Blues surveys the people, music, and events that contributed to the rich musical life that emerged against the backdrop of the Civil War and yellow fever in the 19th century. The story is not just one of the building blocks to what has been called America's greatest export--popular music--but rather it is a story of ongoing innovation and creativity that came from a convergence of people of different cultures.

Nashville Brewing

9780738543475

$24.99

Known for country music, antebellum homes, the Parthenon, and Civil War battlefields, Nashville also has a rich brewing history that spans 100 years. Several breweries were established in the late 1800s, but the William Gerst Brewing Company alone endured into the 20th century and even survived Prohibition. Once one of the largest breweries in the South, Gerst brewed its last batch in 1954, leaving Nashvillians unable to enjoy locally brewed beer until the dawn of the recent microbrewery revolution. Nashville Brewing offers readers a pictorial account of the William Gerst Brewing Company-an important but almost forgotten part of Nashville history.

Carter County

9780738594170

$24.99

In the 1760s, the first Europeans crossed the Blue Ridge Mountains from North Carolina and down the Valley of Virginia into the area that today comprises Carter County, Tennessee. They illegally settled the fertile bottomlands, already cleared by Native Americans, along the banks of Watauga River where Elizabethton is now situated. This was in direct defiance of British law forbidding settlements west of the Appalachian Mountains. The settlers became known as the "Overmountain Men." In 1775, they obtained clear title to the Indian land they had illegally occupied for years. Carter County was established in 1796 from Washington District, North Carolina. Early residents relied on natural resources for food and employment, and the mountains and streams supplied an abundance of wild game for hunters and trappers. Throughout the l800s, iron ore was mined, and furnaces operated along watercourses. Throughout the early 1900s, lumber companies offered logging and sawmill jobs, and in the 1920s, two huge textile mills began operating in Elizabethton, bringing Carter County into the industrial age.

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park

9780738543499

$24.99

Great Smoky Mountains National Park has some of the highest, oldest, and most picturesque mountain peaks and ridges in the United States. Discover its history.

Its mountains, rivers, and scenic gorges constitute a formidable barrier between Tennessee and North Carolina. The struggle to acquire the land for the park from 10 large lumber companies and hundreds of small landholders started in 1923 and lasted more than 15 years. More than half of the 500,000 acres acquired for the park had been logged before the park's dedication in 1940, but thousands of acres of old growth forest still survive. One of the most biologically diverse regions in North America-with thousands of species of plant and animal life, including 125 species of native trees-the park was designated an International Biosphere Reserve by the United Nations in 1976 and a World Heritage Site in 1983.

Ijams Nature Center

9780738585796

$24.99

Ijams Nature Center, on the banks of the Tennessee River, evolved from humble beginnings during the early 20th century into a natural showplace known as the Island Home Bird Sanctuary. Developed by Harry Ijams, Knoxville's leading ornithologist, and Alice Yoe Ijams, "First Lady of Knoxville Garden Clubs," the Ijams property has been a gathering point for birders and nature-lovers for more than a century. Girl Scouting has been a fixture at Ijams since 1923, followed by Camp Mary Ijams, and Camp Margaret Townsend in the Smokies was created in part through Ijams and Townsend family ties. Harry Ijams also helped establish the first official campsite on Mount LeConte and used his artistry as a commercial illustrator to promote the Smoky Mountains as a national park. Over the years, Ijams Nature Center has grown in size and stature to become the region's leading wildlife sanctuary and environmental learning center incorporating Mead's Quarry, which in its heyday produced Tennessee marble used both in local buildings and national monuments.

Knoxville's WIVK

9780738567037

$24.99

WIVK was established in 1953 and quickly became one of Knoxville's most popular radio stations, featuring programs that would become part of broadcasting lore in both the city and East Tennessee. The station went much further than anyone ever expected. It climbed through the ranks of broadcasting to become regarded as one of the United States' premier full-service country music radio stations. Its unique style of music, news, weather, and information has been a part of daily life in East Tennessee for more than 50 years. This is the story of a real Knoxville landmark and the people who made WIVK the broadcast legend it is today.

Soddy-Daisy

9780738542362

$24.99

Cherokee Indians lived in the Soddy-Daisy area long before European settlers came to the beautiful valley in the late 18th century. When these pioneers found the area abundant with rich soil, clay, and coal, they established some of the first coal mines in Hamilton County. Soddy-Daisy is a city of approximately 12,000; it was once two separate towns that incorporated in 1969. Readers will enjoy viewing vintage photographs and learning about early families, prominent homes, community events,
businesses, and landmarks. Most of the more than 200 images in this volume have never before been published.

Carson-Newman College

9780738593746

$24.99

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.

Shiloh National Military Park

9780738591353

$24.99

Shiloh National Military Park, established on December 27, 1894, commemorates and preserves the site of the April 1862 Battle of Shiloh, one of the first major engagements of the Civil War. With 23,746 casualties, Shiloh served not only as a wake-up call for the North and South but also provided important strategic gains for the North. Prior to the park's establishment, a small national cemetery had been the only preservation and commemoration at the site for decades, but the arrival of the commission to build the park changed the isolated area to a memorial visited by hundreds of thousands annually. Originally governed by the War Department, Shiloh is now under the auspices of the National Park Service, which continues to preserve, commemorate, interpret, and educate the public about the Battle of Shiloh and the Civil War.