The East Tennessee Historical Society (ETHS), headquartered in

Knoxville Knoxville is a city in and the county seat of Knox County in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 United States census, Knoxville's population was 190,740, making it the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division and the state's ...

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, is a

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

dedicated to the study of

East Tennessee East Tennessee is one of the three Grand Divisions of Tennessee defined in state law. Geographically and socioculturally distinct, it comprises approximately the eastern third of the U.S. state of Tennessee. East Tennessee consists of 33 count ...

history, the preservation of historically significant artifacts, and educating the citizens of

. The society operates a

museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make these ...

and museum shop in the East Tennessee History Center on Gay Street in downtown Knoxville. The East Tennessee Historical Society was established in 1834, 38 years after the establishment of the state of Tennessee, to record the history of the development and settlement of the area.

History

The East Tennessee Historical and Antiquarian Society was founded by Tennessee historian

J. G. M. Ramsey James Gettys McGready Ramsey (March 25, 1797 – April 11, 1884) was an American historian, physician, planter, slave owner, and businessman, active primarily in East Tennessee during the nineteenth century. Ramsey is perhaps best known for h ...

(1797–1884), who sought to archive the papers and correspondence of the state's pioneers.W. Todd Groce, "A Brief History of the East Tennessee Historical Society," ''Journal of East Tennessee History'' Vol. 66 (1994), pp. 1-9. The first meeting of the society was May 5, 1834.

East Tennessee College The University of Tennessee (officially The University of Tennessee, Knoxville; or UT Knoxville; UTK; or UT) is a public land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee. Founded in 1794, two years before Tennessee became the 16th state, ...

president William B. Reese was elected as the first president and the executive committee included

John Hervey Crozier John Hervey Crozier (February 10, 1812 – October 25, 1889) was an American attorney and politician active primarily in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA, during the mid-nineteenth century. Described as "an orator of uncommon brilliancy" and "one of ...

and

Thomas William Humes Thomas William Humes (April 22, 1815 – January 16, 1892) was an American clergyman and educator, active in Knoxville, Tennessee, during the latter half of the 19th century. Elected rector of St. John's Episcopal Church in 1846, Humes led ...

. As the society's recording secretary, Ramsey acquired a collection of papers and correspondence from early Tennesseans such as

William Blount William Blount (March 26, 1749March 21, 1800) was an American Founding Father, statesman, farmer and land speculator who signed the United States Constitution. He was a member of the North Carolina delegation at the Constitutional Convention of ...

John Sevier John Sevier (September 23, 1745 September 24, 1815) was an American soldier, frontiersman, and politician, and one of the founding fathers of the State of Tennessee. A member of the Democratic-Republican Party, he played a leading role in Tennes ...

, Samuel Wear, Alexander Outlaw, and James Hubbert. The "Antiquarian" was dropped from the society's name by 1852. Ramsey kept the society's archives at his plantation, Mecklenburg, east of Knoxville. The archives were destroyed when Mecklenburg was burned in the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

. By the end of the war, the society had disintegrated. In January 1883, Confederate veterans, led by Moses White and William Henderson joined Ramsey and Crozier in reviving the East Tennessee Historical Society as an auxiliary of the Southern Historical Association. In 1885,

University of Tennessee The University of Tennessee (officially The University of Tennessee, Knoxville; or UT Knoxville; UTK; or UT) is a public land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee. Founded in 1794, two years before Tennessee became the 16th state, ...

professor

William Gibbs McAdoo William Gibbs McAdoo Jr.McAdoo is variously differentiated from family members of the same name: * Dr. William Gibbs McAdoo (1820–1894) – sometimes called "I" or "Senior" * William Gibbs McAdoo (1863–1941) – sometimes called "II" or "Ju ...

served as president and future Knoxville mayor Samuel G. Heiskell served as vice president. Other members included newspaper editor William Rule and scholar Eben Alexander. The society began admitting women and hosted lectures on Fort Loudoun, Irish nationalist

John Mitchel John Mitchel ( ga, Seán Mistéal; 3 November 1815 – 20 March 1875) was an Irish nationalist activist, author, and political journalist. In the Great Famine (Ireland), Famine years of the 1840s he was a leading writer for The Nation (Irish n ...

, and the

state of Franklin The State of Franklin (also the Free Republic of Franklin or the State of Frankland)Landrum, refers to the proposed state as "the proposed republic of Franklin; while Wheeler has it as ''Frankland''." In ''That's Not in My American History Boo ...

, and featured speaker

Fitzhugh Lee Fitzhugh Lee (November 19, 1835 – April 28, 1905) was a Confederate cavalry general in the American Civil War, the 40th Governor of Virginia, diplomat, and United States Army general in the Spanish–American War. He was the son of Sydney S ...

. By the end of the century, the second incarnation of the ETHS was no longer active. In December 1924, Knoxville-area educators and librarians met at the

Lawson McGhee Library The Lawson McGhee Library is the main library of Knox County Public Library in Knoxville, Tennessee Knoxville is a city in and the county seat of Knox County in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 United States census, Knoxville's po ...

to discuss reviving the ETHS and a new society met on January 16, 1925. Charter members included U.T. professor Philip Hamer, Lawson McGhee librarian

Mary U. Rothrock Mary Utopia Rothrock (September 19, 1890 – January 30, 1976), was an American librarian and historian. Born in Brick Church in Giles County, Tennessee, Rothrock grew up Trenton, Tennessee. She was the youngest of five children of John Rothrock ...

, and U.T. president James Hoskins. The society began publishing its annual scholarly journal in 1929 and hosted lectures by historians Stanley J. Folmsbee and

Samuel Cole Williams Samuel Cole Williams (January 15, 1864 – December 14, 1947) was an American jurist, historian, educator, and businessman. He was born and raised in the state of Tennessee, where he primarily had his career in Johnson City in East Tennessee. ...

. The society published its first book, Folmsbee's ''Sectionalism and Internal Improvements in Tennessee'', in 1939. In 1946, the society published a comprehensive history of Knox County, ''The French Broad-Holston Country'', as part of the state's sequicentennial celebrations. The book, edited by Rothrock, included a history of the county written by Folmsbee with contributions by

Harvey Broome Harvey Benjamin Broome (July 15, 1902 – March 8, 1968) was an American lawyer, writer and conservationist. A native of Knoxville, Tennessee, Broome was a founding member of The Wilderness Society, for which he served as president from 1957 un ...

. A revised edition was published in 1972. In 1976, the society published a comprehensive history of Knoxville, ''Heart of the Valley: A History of Knoxville, Tennessee''. The book was edited by Lucile Deaderick, and included a history of the city by William MacArthur. MacArthur's history was republished in the 1982 book, ''Knoxville: Crossroads of the New South'', which included photographs from the McClung Collection. In the late 1970s, Knox County acquired the Old Customs House to house the McClung Collection and the Knox County Archives. The ETHS set up its headquarters in the building and hired a professional staff. Under the directorship of Charles Faulkner Bryan and Mark Wetherington, the society’s membership doubled in the 1980s. With W. Todd Groce as executive director (1990-1995), the ETHS renamed its scholarly publication as the ''Journal of East Tennessee History'', created the First Families of Tennessee project in 1992, and established the Museum of East Tennessee History in 1993.

Publications

Since 1929, the society has published an annual collection of scholarly essays on the history and culture of East Tennessee. Initially known as ''Publications'', the essays have been published as the ''Journal of East Tennessee History'' since 1990. The journal covers topics on historical and cultural issues related to East Tennessee and the southern

Appalachia Appalachia () is a cultural region in the Eastern United States that stretches from the Southern Tier of New York State to northern Alabama and Georgia. While the Appalachian Mountains stretch from Belle Isle in Newfoundland and Labrador, Ca ...

n region, including the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

, the early settlement of East Tennessee,

post-Civil War Reconstruction The Reconstruction era was a period in American history following the American Civil War (1861–1865) and lasting until approximately the Compromise of 1877. During Reconstruction, attempts were made to rebuild the country after the bloo ...

, the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, and the

1982 World's Fair The 1982 World's Fair, officially known as the Knoxville International Energy Exposition (KIEE) and simply as Energy Expo '82 and Expo '82, was an international exposition held in Knoxville, Tennessee, United States. Focused on energy and ele ...

. The society publishes the tri-annual magazine "Tennessee Ancestors" and the quarterly newsletter "Newsline".

Books

List of books published by the ETHS

*''Sectionalism and Internal Improvements in Tennessee, 1796 - 1845'' by Stanley J. Folmsbee, 1939. *''Three Outstanding Lawyers of a Former Generation'' by John W. Green, 1943. *''The French Broad-Holston Country: A History of Knox County, Tennessee'', edited by Mary Rothrock, 1946, reprinted 1972. *''The Early Career of David Crockett'' by Stanley J. Folmsbee and Anna Grace Catron, 1956. *''The Mercurial Sam Houston'' by Ernest Shearer, 1963. *''Knoxville's First Graveyard: Tombstone Inscriptions in the

First Presbyterian Church Cemetery The First Presbyterian Church Graveyard is the oldest graveyard in Knoxville, Tennessee, United States. Established in the 1790s, the graveyard contains the graves of some of Knoxville's most prominent early residents, including territorial gov ...

, 1800-1879'', 1965. *''The Arts of East Tennessee in the Nineteenth Century'', compiled by the Dulin Art Gallery, 1971. *''Valley So Wild: A Folk History'' by Alberta and

Carson Brewer Carson Brewer (February 2, 1920 – January 15, 2003) was an American journalist and conservationist, best known for his work documenting the folk life of Knoxville and the surrounding Appalachian communities in East Tennessee. During his ...

, 1975. *''Heart of the Valley: A History of Knoxville, Tennessee'', edited by Lucile Deaderick, 1976. *''The Terror of Tellico Plains: The Memoirs of Ray H. Jenkins'' by Ray Jenkins, 1979. *''Dear Margaret: Letters From Oak Ridge to Margaret Mead'' by Thelma Present and Margaret Mead, 1985. *''Tennessee Towns: From Adams to Yorkville'' by Tom Siler, 1985. *''Quiet Places: The Burial Sites of Civil War Generals in Tennessee'' by Buckner and Nathaniel Cheairs Hughes, 1992. *''Early Inns and Taverns of East Tennessee: A Photoessay'' by Jane Gray Buchanan, 1996. *''Art and Furniture of East Tennessee: The Inaugural Exhibit of the Museum of East Tennessee History'' by Namuni Hale Young, 1997.

Reprints and revisions

*''Occupation of East Tennessee and the Defense of Knoxville'' by Orlando Poe, 1963. Originally published in 1888. *''The Annals of Tennessee to the End of the Eighteenth Century'' by J.G.M. Ramsey, 1967. Originally published in 1853. *''Divided Loyalties: Fort Sanders and the Civil War in East Tennessee'' by Digby Gordon Seymour, 1984 (2nd ed.), 2002 (3rd ed.). Originally published in 1963. *''A Facsimile Edition of the Half-Century of Knoxville: The First Published Account of the Founding of Knoxville'' by

, 1990. Originally published in 1852. *''Knoxville'' by Betsey Beeler Creekmore, 1991. Originally published in 1958.

East Tennessee History Center

The headquarters of the East Tennessee Historical Society is located in the East Tennessee History Center in the Old Customs House in Knoxville, which is owned by Knox County. This building, depicted in the ETHS logo, is home to the Historical Society's Museum of East Tennessee History, which features cultural and historical exhibits from the region. Displays include items owned by

Davy Crockett David Crockett (August 17, 1786 – March 6, 1836) was an American folk hero, frontiersman, soldier, and politician. He is often referred to in popular culture as the "King of the Wild Frontier". He represented Tennessee in the U.S. House of Re ...

and

, memorabilia from the

Appalachian Exposition The Appalachian Exposition, also known as the Appalachian Exhibition, was an event held in 1910 and 1911 in Knoxville, Tennessee's on property (now Chilhowee Park) owned by Knoxville Railway and Light. The park grounds were 65 acres and included ...

s of 1910 and 1911, artifacts from the Battle of Fort Sanders, a complete trolley car, a drugstore display, and early

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

instruments and memorabilia. The center displays works by regional artists such as

Lloyd Branson Enoch Lloyd Branson (1853–1925) was an American artist best known for his portraits of Southern politicians and depictions of early East Tennessee history. One of the most influential figures in Knoxville's early art circles, Branson rec ...

Adelia Armstrong Lutz Adelia Armstrong Lutz (; June 25, 1859 – November 17, 1931) was an American artist active in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. She organized art circles in Knoxville, Tennessee, as director of the Knoxville Art Club and as ...

Catherine Wiley Anna Catherine Wiley (January 18, 1879 – May 16, 1958) was an American artist active primarily in the early twentieth century. After training with the Art Students League of New York and receiving instruction from artists such as Lloyd Bran ...

, and

Joseph Knaffl Joseph Knaffl (October 9, 1861 – March 23, 1938) was an American art and portrait photographer, active in Knoxville, Tennessee, during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He is best known for his 1899 portrait, "Knaffl Madonna," which has be ...

. The history center contains the Knox County Archives and the Calvin M. McClung Collection of the Knox County Public Libraries.

First Families of Tennessee and Civil War Families of Tennessee

The East Tennessee Historical Society maintains two honorary organizations for genealogical research. The First Families of Tennessee is an organization of individuals who can trace their ancestry to families who lived in the area that became Tennessee prior to statehood. The Civil War Families of Tennessee is an organization of individuals whose ancestors fought in the

References

External links

ETHS website
{{Authority control East Tennessee Organizations established in 1834 Tennessee culture Appalachian studies Appalachian culture in Tennessee Historical societies in Tennessee Culture of Knoxville, Tennessee Music of East Tennessee Rural history museums in Tennessee 1834 establishments in Tennessee