June 99 News Archives Welcome to Tennessee Online's News Archives Just Click the Headline of interest to go to the story. Public Pressure Saves Memphis’ Confederate Memorial Park Smoky Mountain Highland games a success Dell passes on Stones River location for factory Summer Archaeology Programs start soon Fort Loudoun/Sequoyah Museum prepare National Medal of Honor Museum needing donations Berea College to host Melungeon Workshop 
Nashville-The Tennessee Historical
Commission has come under fire from West Tennessee Representative
Henri Brooks (D-Memphis) and other black legislators over their refusal
to erect a state historical marker in the Capitol Plaza commemorating
the mid-Atlantic route used by slave traders. The Commission Board
did meet and discuss the idea, but rejected it because it had nothing
to do with Tennessee history. When the Commission rejected the idea, Rep. Brooks, who is chairwoman of the Tennessee Black Caucus, said their arguments against erecting the monument were “just racism plain and simple” and has threatened legislation that would eliminate the State Historical Commission. “If they can’t perform their job in a non-discriminatory manner,” said Brooks, “then it should not be an entity that survives on public dollars.” Brooks also enlisted the aid of the Director of Fisk University’s race relations institute Ray Winbush, who went on record as saying “since Tennessee was home to slaves, the marker should be erected.” The Historical Commission’s Executive Committee says the marker does not fall under their historical jurisdiction. “The executive committee isn’t saying they didn’t think the Middle Passage was significant,” said Tennessee Historical commissioner Executive Director Herbert Harper, “it just doesn’t meet the criteria for this commission related to Tennessee history.” Tennessee historians and other members pointed out that the Atlantic Ocean doesn’t touch Tennessee and the marker is more appropriate to coastal cities. The dates Rep. Brooks proposed for the marker were also questioned. “I don’t think much slave trading was going on in Tennessee in 1444 or 1492, which were the dates Rep. Brooks originally proposed for the Middle Passage marker,” said one historian. If the state put up a marker for every historical whim that someone suggested, the commission wouldn’t have enough money to protect or preserve the real historic sites, which they are directed by law to protect. Rep. Brook’s request was just not a good idea and her reaction is unbelievable. The Tennessee Historical Commission does a great job with what it has and that includes a lot more responsibilities than just making markers. There are many black Tennesseans of historical note that deserve recognition and that is where our efforts should be directed - not at something like this.” The representative says she plans to meet with the State Capitol Commission to see if a marker can be erected without the historical commission’s approval. Memphis-The City of Memphis has decided to keep its Confederate Memorial Park as it is. The City Parks commission had offered it to the RA Bloch Foundation as a site for a Cancer Survivors Monument Park, which would have meant the old monuments would have to come down. The site is part of a National Historic District and has served as a memorial to the city’s Confederat soldiers for the last 90 years The 2.5 acre Park has a long history in the city and serves as a memorial to those who served in the Confederate States Army and also contains monuments to veterans up to WWI. After the city made the announcement that they were looking at the site as a possible location for the Bloch Foundation, Southern historians and local members of the Tennessee Sons of Confederate Veterans began a campaign to stop the city from giving it away. They were successful. The Memphis Commercial Appeal is reporting that the Memphis City Parks Commission decided that the number of phone calls they received from people supporting the park was enough to warrant discarding the idea and searching for another location. The Bloch Foundation has built similar parks in 13 other American cities. The Sons of Confederate Veterans and others protecting the park are scheduled to hold a mass rally on May 19 at 1 p.m. to protest the city’s proposal and bring attention to the downtown park. That may turn into a celebration with the latest news. They do have a web site on the park’s plight at: http://members.aol.com/RebSoilder/confederatepark.html games a success 
Gatlinburg-The Smoky Mountains flashed
back to its roots when the 18th Annual Gatlinburg Highland games were
held Saturday and Sunday May 15 and 16. The annual event kicked off
with a parade through the city. The annual event is the biggest such Highland Festival in Tennessee. Thousands of people were on hand to compete in and watch the Highland games, which included such activities as the caber toss, battleaxe throwing, and other field events. The Bagpiping competitions were among the most popular attractions at the two-day festival and those judged best presented a special concert at the Gatlinburg First United Methodist Church. In addition, there were numerous demonstrations of old world crafts and lectures on famous Scottish units in American wars. Vendors were also on hand with every thing Scottish and the curious got a chance to taste authentic British food. “This was one of the best ones I have been to in a couple of years,” said Mary Ann Maughn. “The weather cooperated and craftspeople were able to get here early and get set up. While the games are exciting, I like to walk through the Clan’s’ camps, see the colors, and the period dress. It is one of the best Highland games in the South.” Athletes and craftsmen use the Gatlinburg Highland Games as a way to kick off the annual season. The annual games are a “home-grown” event started by the City of Gatlinburg and the local Scottish Society in Knoxville as a way to celebrate the region’s heavy Scots-Irish heritage. The event has grown every year since it started and has been featured in numerous region and national magazines. Organizes are already taking reservations for next year’s games. The biggest Highland Festival and Games in America will occur later this summer on Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina. location for factory Murfreesboro-The Dell Computer Corporation has backed off the idea of locating a factory near Stones River National Battlefield Park and has, instead, struck a deal with Nashville Mayor Phil Bredesen to use the old mental facility property in the city. The site Dell was looking at is directly adjacent to Stones River National Battlefield Park and is actually a significant part of the historic battleground, and is included in the General Management Plan which came out in November- which means it is an area specifically designated for inclusion in the National Battlefield. The land is the site of the opening phases of the battle and of Sheridan's stand against that attack. It also includes the Gresham House site (the main Union hospital for the right wing), the Harding House site, and General Joshua Sill's death site, for whom Fort Sill, Oklahoma is named. Murfreesboro contractors are trying to develop the property into a city industrial park, which has many historians and preservationists upset. The national Battlefield Park is considered one of America’s ten most endangered from development. While Dell has decided to not build there, preservationists are concerned that others will be recruited to the site. Programs start soon 
Knoxville-Knoxville’s Blount Mansion and the Hermitage in Nashville are offering special archaeology programs for children this summer and are requesting parents try to make reservations early. Blount Mansion is only offering two summer “camps” this year. the first session begins June 21 through the 25 and is for children ages 9-12 and reservations need to be in by June 1. It costs $60 per student and there are only thirty spaces available. For more information on the camps, you can locate the Blount Mansion on the world wide web at: http://www.korrnet.org/blount96/ The Archaeology Camps provides students the opportunity to explore the intrigue of archaeology through a field trip to an ongoing excavation, making pottery, discovering ancient artifacts and more. The Hermitage in Nashville is offering day-long camps where children can watch and participate in real ongoing excavations at the site. In the last couple of years, archaeologists have been working around the plantation’s slave quarters, which also served as Andrew and Rachel Jackson’s first home on the property. They have uncovered numerous artifacts related to the Jackson’s and also uncovered many items related to African culture and religious practices. The day camps do allow more spaces for those interested and there are many like activities for adults who want to see more than the usual tour. Information can be obtained from their web site at: http://www.thehermitage.com/. Since most are only a day-long program, the cost is less expensive. Other educational activities at the sites are planned as well. The Blount Mansion is offering a living history camp for kids called “Time Travelers”. Participants will be assigned real 18th Century characters, dress in period clothes while doing “chores” such as woodworking, candle making, open hearth cooking, etc. There is only one session of this program planned and only 14 spaces available. Over the last two years, these educational summer programs have started to catch on across the state at other historic sites. Not only do they offer unique opportunity for children, but also for adults who want more than the average “park experience”. They have also been a good financial boost for the sites and have led to other such parks and historic site looking into developing new interactive programs. Vonore-Fort Loudoun State Historic Site will be holding its annual Memorial Day “Garrison Weekend”, which will feature reenactors from the French & Indian War era of American history. The annual weekend features numerous old world craftsmen and vendors in addition to exhibits on British colonial life and military drills. There will be Native American reenactors and exhibits relevant to the time period as well. The Memorial Day Garrison Weekend is regarded as one of the best in the South and features period reenactors from across the nation and Europe. The Park’s Friends organization helps run the yearly event and a small admission fee is charged. The State historic Site is the oldest European structure in Tennessee and Southern Appalachia. After the Memorial Day event, The garrison weekends will run throughout the summer and end in early fall. The Sequoyah Birthplace Museum, which is located .5 mile from Fort Loudoun, will also be holding its annual Memorial Day Crafts Festival and Pow Wow. There will be numerous Native American craftspeople on hand making and selling traditional items. In addition to the activities for children, there will also be living history exhibits of Native American life in the 18th and 19th century. Parking is available at both locations for the events and are close enough to each other to offer easy access to both events. Chattanooga-The National Medal of Honor Museum is in a fund-raising drive to raise money for the museum’s ongoing projects. the museum is still working to raise funds to renovate the St. Elmo location in Chattanooga, but is also needing to raise money to help with current expenses. Each year, the museum furnishes Medal of Honor Citations on all 3,462 recipients to military installations, schools, and other such organizations throughout America, in addition to continuing research and collection of artifacts related to the Medal of Honor and military history. The museum is the only one of its kind in America and regarded by historians as one of the best resources on military history. “Just doing the basic work that we are here for costs money,” said one trustee. “Donations, no matter how small, allows us to commemorate the recipients of America’s highest military award in schools and historic sites across the nation. We are always needing museum volunteers and donors and rely on them to help us accomplish our goals and directives. We do more than just display artifacts. Over the years, we have placed markers on highways, decorated unmarked graves, ran educational programs for schools, and helped document the lives of the recipients after they left the service.” The museum is open daily. For more information on hours of operation, you can contact them at (423) 267-1737 or on their web site at www.smoky.com/medalofhonor. Melungeon Workshop 
Sneedville-Berea College in Berea,
Kentucky is holding a special geneology workshop on June 26 for those
of Melungeon ancestry. The workshop will feature sessions for beginners,
intermediate, and Internet geneology as well as special sessions to
explore Native American and Black American connections. Chat groups
will be held throughout the day on the subject and feature numerous
“how to” demonstrations for those wanting to explore their family
heritages. The Melungeon were a mysterious race of people first discovered by French traders and later by John Sevier in the Southern Appalachian mountains of Tennessee and Virginia. In 1994, Dr. N. Brent Kennedy published a book on the subject following being diagnosed with a disease common only to those of Mediterranean ancestry. They have been primarily concentrated in the upper east Tennessee region and have played a large part in the history on the state. In addition to their settlement of the region and early trade with Native american tribes, Pvt. Harrison Collins of Rogersville received a National Medal of Honor for actions in the War Between the States. The Melungeon Heritage Association is sponsoring the weekend event and says all those who are interested need to register before June 1. The fee is $5 and $10 after the June deadline.You can send checks to Melungeon Roots, P.O. Box 4042, Wise, Virginia 24293. For more infrmation, you can contact Berea College. Lecture series Knoxville-The East Tennessee Historical Society has begun its annual Brown Bag Lecture series. The lectures are held in the Lucille S. Thompson Auditorium of the east Tennessee History Center in downtown Knoxville. the subjects coming up include:
unresolved in Maryville Maryville-The Blount County Board of Education formally asked Maryville High School to stop using the Confederate Battleflag as their symbol and has asked that any item bearing Confederate symbols be removed from the school cafeteria, classrooms, school jackets, and from the school’s bookstore. In addition, they directed the band to cease playing “Dixie” at school functions. This was in response to a claim filed with the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights by Dr. Jeffrey Whitlow, who protested the flag after seeing it waved at a high school football game. He withdrew the complaint when the Board decided to meet on the issue and said he would accept whatever decision they rendered. The board did not outright ban the flag in its decision and said students would still be permitted to wave them at football games. The flag has been a symbol of the school since the 1930s. “Their decision was a slap in the face to anyone of southern heritage,” said Sevier County history teacher Dean Schneitman. “I don’t see why they had to stop the band from playing “Dixie” and I’m curious if their policy also applied to historically related artifacts in the classroom. What really bothers me is how one man’s opinion can cause all of this. It’s hard to teach a civics class and explain democracy when an elected body does this.” Following the board’s decision, however, Dr. Whitlow threatened to re-file the complaint with the OCR because it didn’t go far enough. He said the board did not include language in the policy that prevents students from waving it at ballgames and having it on campus and that their decision was weak. The Director of Maryville Schools said he was disappointed with Whitlow’s reversal and that Maryville officials as well as the Board of Education thought they had arrived at a cooperative decision tht was best for everyone. A committee was formed of students and Maryville faculty to come up with and design a new school logo and flag. Officials say they expect to have one on the ball field by the first of the football season.  Shop Talk Gatlinburg-We would like to thank everyone for the e-mails and comments on our site. We would especially like to thank the parents who made those “end of the school year reports” a lot easier to deal with by being specific in the information requested. We are working to add some more Artifacts sections to the page as well as developing the Preservation section. If anyone knows of a need at one of the historic sites or museums, please let us know and we will get it posted. Tennessee Online picked up a couple of awards this past month for its 1998 work in historic preservation. Ed Hooper received the Tennessee Historical Commission’s Certificate of Merit during National Historic Preservation Week for his work with historical preservation through the Internet site and his weekly “Looking Back” column in the Tennessee Star Journal. In April, he received the Commander’s Award from the Tennessee Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans for his efforts in helping alert people to the plight of Shiloh National Military Park, the National Medal of Honor Museum, and his work documenting the state’s Confederate history. “Mr. Hooper has done a lot for Tennessee and its historical community,” said Historical preservationist Jack Wilkins. “His work on-air, in print, and on the Internet has helped shed light on a subject that has become all too easy to overlook. His work documenting notable Tennesseans who had an impact on not only America, but the world at large is incredible.” SCV Division Commander Russell Bailey said Hooper was nominated for the Commander’s Award by people in both east and west Tennessee and that his work in bringing attention to the subject deserves recognition. Hooper says he was honored by receiving the awards and hopes the Tennessee Online site and his other efforts will continue to be effective. “The Sons of Confederate Veterans are one of, if not the best, historical preservation groups in America,” said Hooper. “Without the efforts of people like Jerry Lessenberry and other SCV members, these battles would be impossible to win.” This year marked the second one in a row that the Historical Commission awarded Ed the Certificate of Merit. News Archives |
