Veteran reporter Larry Brinton recalls growing up in Hillsboro Village, how he became a journalist, and more of his big news stories, including the Janet March murder in 1996 and President Kennedy’s Nashville visit in 1963. This special podcast, on the occasion of Brinton’s recent death, is a continuation of the interview from Episode 01 by host Allen Forkum (editor of The Nashville Retrospect newspaper). (Segment begins at 04:14)

[EDITOR’S NOTE: For even more, see our video presentation “True Crime Nashville: The Reporting of Larry Brinton."]

Larry Brinton is shown in photos he estimated were taken in the early 1940s. In the left photo, Larry (left) stands with his brother, Reuben Brinton. On the right, Larry stand with his sisters Ann and Jean. Larry was born on Sept. 8, 1930, and died on July 25, 2019. (Images: Larry Brinton)

Larry Brinton is pictured in a 1964 “mugshot” for the Nashville Banner. He started working for the Banner after leaving the Navy in 1954, first as an obituary writer, then as a police reporter. (Image: Nashville Public Library, Nashville Room)

In this snapshot, Perry March (left) is pictured with Brinton at March’s house in Ajijic, Mexico. Brinton was the only reporter to whom March would talk. Brinton said of March: “From day one I was convinced he had murdered his wife of nine years. There wasn’t a doubt in my mind, ever.” (Image: Larry Brinton)

Part of the original caption from the Dec. 26, 1961, Nashville Banner: “Banner color cameras record the drama of the spectacular blaze which destroyed the historic Maxwell House Monday night, leaving in ruins one of the most famous landmarks in the Nashville area. Roaring flames ate through the roof of the century-old building while soot-smeared firemen fought stubbornly to bring the angry blaze under control. …” (Image: Nashville Public Library, Nashville Room, photo by John Morgan)

Country music star Patsy Cline is pictured in publicity photo. Brinton covered the story of her 1963 death by visiting the crash site of her airplane in Camden, Tenn. (Image: Nashville Public Library, Nashville Room)

President John F. Kennedy steps out of his open-top limousine at Vanderbilt’s Dudley Field in May 1963. During his visit, Brinton had an encounter with the president at the Hermitage Hotel. (Image: Nashville Public Library, Nashville Room)

Also hear the award-winning journalist discuss his role in exposing the cash-for-clemency scandal of Gov. Ray Blanton, which eventually led to Brinton’s portrayal of himself in the 1985 movie “Marie.” (Segment begins at 42:25)

Marie Ragghianti stands in front of Nashville’s Federal Courthouse in 1977. While heading the state parole board, Ragghianti met secretly with Larry Brinton in September 1976, saying that she suspected paroles were being sold by Gov. Ray Blanton’s administration. (Image: Nashville Public Library, Nashville Room, photo by Dean Dixon)

The front page of the Oct. 23, 1976, Nashville Banner on which Brinton’s story about the cash-for-clemency scandal first appeared. (Image: Tennessee State Library and Archives)

In the 1985 Warner Brothers movie “Marie” about the cash-for-clemency scandal, Brinton portrayed himself. This screen capture from the movie’s trailer shows Sissy Spacek as Marie Ragghianti with Brinton in the background. (Image: Warner Brothers)

And finally, Allen Forkum reviews some of the contents of the August 2019 issue, including the 1926 execution of the “Petting Party Bandit” and an 1899 outbreak of illness in Nashville due to contaminated buttermilk. (Segment begins at 01:48)

SHOW NOTES

A list of articles relating to this episode that you can find in archive issues of The Nashville Retrospect (archive issues can be ordered by clicking here or on the issue links below):

• “Growing Up in Hillsboro Village” by Larry Brinton, The Nashville Retrospect, October 2016

• “4 Opry Stars Die In Crash,” by Larry Brinton and Clay Harges, Nashville Banner, March 6, 1963 (The Nashville Retrospect, March 2010)

• “Police Push For Killers Of Stringbean, Wife,” by Robert Glass, Nashville Banner, Nov. 12, 1973 (The Nashville Retrospect, November 2010)

• “The Stringbean Murders” by Larry Brinton, The Nashville Retrospect, November 2010

• “Ashes Mark End To 102 Years of History” by Ed Huddleston (about the Maxwell House Hotel fire), Nashville Banner, Dec. 26, 1961 (The Nashville Retrospect, December 2009)

• “Perry March” by Larry Brinton, The Nashville Retrospect, August 2010

• “November 22, 1963” by Paul Clements (about the assassination of President Kennedy), The Nashville Retrospect, November 2013

• “Cash For Clemency” by Larry Brinton, The Nashville Retrospect, September 2011

• “Sisk Apologizes To Rep. Hall For Dousing, Slap In The Face,” Nashville Banner, March 25, 1977 (The Nashville Retrospect, March 2018)

Other related articles:

• “The Blanton Administration: FBI Probing Parole Payoffs” by Larry Brinton, Nashville Banner, Oct. 23, 1976

• “Tennessee: How U.S. Wages War on Corruption” by Charles R. Babcock, The Washington Post, Jan. 3, 1979

• “Vanishing Of Scripts Stirs Furor” by Kirk Loggins, The Tennessean, Dec. 22, 1984

• “Marie on ‘Marie’: Like a Sledgehammer” by Gene Wyatt, The Tennessean, Sept. 27, 1985

• “‘Marie’ Fast-Paced, Well Acted” by Janet Maslin (N.T. Times News Service), The Tennessean, Sept. 27, 1985

• “Guilty on all counts; Ex-lawyer convicted of killing his wife” by Sheila Burke (about the verdict against Perry March in the murder of Janet March), The Tennessean, Aug. 18, 2006

Links relating to this episode:

“Nashville Retrospect” podcast, Episode 01, featuring Larry Brinton

Larry B. Brinton obituary

“Larry Brinton, a hard-nosed, old-school Nashville reporter, dies at 88” by Brad Schmitt and Mary Hance at Tennessean

“Longtime Nashville journalist Larry Brinton dies at age 88” by Chuck Morris at WSMV

“Marie Ragghianti” at Wikipedia

“Marie: A True Story” book by Peter Maas at Amazon

“Marie: A True Story” Warner Brothers Archive Collection DVD at Amazon

“Marie: A True Story” movie trailer at YouTube

“Ku Klux Klan”by Mark V. Wetherington at Tennessee Encyclopedia

“The Murder of Janet March” at Wikipedia

Audio excerpts: “Marie: A True Story” movie, Warner Brothers (1985); “Marie: A True Story” trailer, Warner Brothers (1985).

Music: “Near You” by Francis Craig and His Orchestra (Bullet, 1947); “Quiet Outro” by ROZKOL (2018); “Covered Wagon Days” by Ted Weems and His Orchestra; and “The Buffalo Rag” by Vess L. Ossman

Dancing at the Hermitage Hotel. Being at teenager at the start of World War II. Confronting Jim Crow injustices. Host Allen Forkum (editor of The Nashville Retrospect newspaper) interviews 94-year-old Mary B. Williams, who also recalls her career as a presenter in the early days of Nashville television, when commercials were performed live and occasionally made for humorous bloopers. (Segment begins at 04:40)

(Special thanks to Tom Vickstrom)

Mary Binkley Williams and her husband, Thurman P. Williams, are pictured at the time of her marriage in 1942 when she was 18 years old. She grew up at 1509 Russell St. in East Nashville before going with her husband to Virginia the day after their marriage. (Image: Mary B. Williams)

The Hermitage Hotel, Nashville’s first million-dollar hotel, opened in 1910 and is pictured here on a vintage postcard. Mrs. Williams has fond memories of the hotel, from fraternity dances, to sorority lunches, and even her honeymoon. (Image: Mike Slate)

Mrs. Williams landed a job modeling clothes for a N.Y. designer at Tinsley’s, a women’s clothing store in downtown Nashville. These advertisements appeared in the Jan. 21, 1945, Nashville Tennessean. (Image: Newspapers.com)

Original caption from the Aug. 13, 1950, Nashville Tennessean: “Behind the Camera’s Eye—Shelton Weaver, WSM-TV studio engineer, makes an adjustment on one of the station’s expensive television cameras. A single tube used in the camera costs $1,300.” In the podcast, Mrs. Williams recalls her career as at presenter in live commercials at WSM-TV. (Image: Newspapers.com, photo by Robert C. Holt Jr.)

Mrs. Williams today lives in the Green Hills area of Nashville.

Also hear Don Cusic, Curb professor of music industry history at Belmont University, tell the story of Nashville’s first big hit record, “Near You” in 1947, and the beginnings of Music City USA. Hear Donia Dickerson recount the origins of the song, written by her father, Francis Craig, a famed Big Band leader in Nashville. (Segment begins at 46:00)

(Special thanks to Beth Odle)

Francis Craig and His Orchestra are picture at a performance at the Hermitage Hotel. (Image: Nashville Public Library, Nashville Room)

Original caption from the Aug. 28, 1947, Nashville Banner: “Francis Craig, Nashville orchestra leader, is shown with the first record of ‘Near You,’ the song written and recorded by him and which is now the most popular choice on the juke boxes of America. Craig has broken an all-time record by being the first Southern man to write, play, and record a song in the South and see it make the Hit Parade.” The record would go on to sell millions of copies and start Nashville on the road to being a recording center. (Image: Nashville Public Library, Nashville Room)

This sheet music for Francis Craig’s “Near You” is part of his collection of papers at the Nashville Public Library, which was donated by his daughter, Donia Craig Dickerson.

And finally, Allen Forkum reviews some of the contents of the March 2019 issue, including Vanderbilt University first women’s basketball team in 1897, the death of Daniel Boone in 1809, and an obscenity case against homosexual movies in 1979. (Notice: The mentioned Clover Bottom Massacre should have been 1780, not 1870.) (Segment begins at 02:00)

SHOW NOTES

A list of articles relating to this episode that you can find in archive issues of The Nashville Retrospect (archive issues and be orderd by clicking here or on the issues links below):

• “Craig’s ‘Near You’ Tops Hit Parade,” Nashville Banner, Aug. 28, 1947 (The Nashville Retrospect, August 2011)

• “Artifacts: Francis Craig photo and record” by Clinton J. Holloway, The Nashville Retrospect, July 2015

• “Francis Craig’s Orchestra To Play For WSM Opening,” Nashville Banner, Oct. 4, 1925 (The Nashville Retrospect, October 2009)

Links relating to this episode:

*My Cup Runneth Over,” by Mary B. Williams

Nashville Sound: An Illustrated Timeline by Don Cusic

“Francis Craig” at Wikipedia

The Hermitage Hotel

“Hermitage Hotel” at Wikipedia

Kroger grocery stores

“Cain-Sloan” at Wikipedia

Audio excerpts: “Near You/Red Rose” 78-rpm record and Donia Craig Dickson interviewed by Ken Berryhill (WRVU, 4/13/2000) from the Francis Craig Papers, Nashville Public Library, Nashville Room.

Music: “Near You” by Francis Craig and His Orchestra (Bullet, 1947); “Quiet Outro” by ROZKOL (2018); “Covered Wagon Days” by Ted Weems and His Orchestra; and “The Buffalo Rag” by Vess L. Ossman

Slavery was so pervasive in Tennessee that the city of Nashville owned slaves. Host Allen Forkum (editor of The Nashville Retrospect newspaper) interviews historian Bill Carey about his book Runaways, Coffles and Fancy Girls: A History of Slavery in Tennessee. Using his survey of advertisements in Tennessee newspapers, Carey shows how slavery touched many aspect of everyday commerce and law, such as banks, newspapers, factories, courts and even taxpayers. The ads also provide personal details and descriptions of enslaved African-American individuals, and they reveal the cruelty of the human bondage, from the separation of mothers from their children, to the use of young girls as sex slaves. (Segment begins at 04:50)

Nashville purchased 24 slaves in 1830 to work on construction projects for the city government, such as the water works. The next year, two of them, a married couple, escaped. The mayor of Nashville placed the above ad offering a reward for their capture. The ad appeared in the June 25, 1831, National Banner and Nashville Whig. (Image: Tennessee State Library and Archives)

This ad offering a reward for a runaway slave was placed by slaveholder, and future president, Andrew Jackson in the Oct. 24, 1804, Tennessee Gazette. Jackson offered extra money for the slave to be beaten. (Image: Tennessee State Library and Archives)

“Fancy girls” were young female slaves sold for sex. This advertisement by slave trader Rees W. Porter, who operated a slave mart in downtown Nashville, appeared in a March 20, 1856, Republican Banner. (Image: Tennessee State Library and Archives)

Also hear Roots author Alex Haley speak to the Tennessee State Legislature in April 1977. In his speech, samples of which can be heard in this podcast, Haley announced that a new, 12-part TV mini-series was in production, following the success of the record-breaking Roots mini-series. The book and the TV show sparked a surge of interest in genealogical research. In this podcast, genealogist Taneya Koonce discusses her own connection to Roots and the challenges of African-American genealogical research. (Segment begins at 31:00)

(Special thanks to Joel Dark)

Alex Haley (right), author of Roots, speaks to the Tennessee State Legislature on April 5, 1977. Governor Ray Blanton is on the left. (Image: Nashville Public Library, Nashville Room, photo by Jack Gunter)

Alex Haley signs autographs at Fisk University as part of a “Welcome Home Alex Haley” event on May 20, 1977. Haley was raised in Henning, Tenn. (Image: Nashville Public Library, Nashville Room, photo by Dean Dixon)

Original caption from the May 21, 1977, Nashville Banner: “Keisha Rutland, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Rutland of Nashville, proudly displays Haley’s autograph [on a copy of his book Roots]. (Image: Nashville Public Library, Nashville Room, photo by Dean Dixon)

Alex Haley speaks before a crowd of thousands at the Tennessee State University stadium on May 20, 1977, during a “Welcome Home Alex Haley” event. (Image: Nashville Public Library, Nashville Room)

In the 1979 TV mini-series “Roots: The Next Generations,”  the characters Jim and Carrie Warner were a fictionalized version of a real interracial couple in Henning, Tenn. Pictured above are Jim and Carrie Turner, and their sons, George, Hardin, and William. Nashville genealogist Taneya Koonce, who is interviewed in this podcast, researched the family, which you can read about here and here. (Image: Sharon Minor)

And finally, Allen Forkum reviews some of the contents of the February 2019 issue, including a river catching fire in 1824 and Bigfoot sightings in 1979. As part of Black History Month, there are also articles about a new Ku Klux Klan headquartered in Nashville in 1919, and a personal account of life under slavery by a former Nashville slave. (Segment begins at 02:15)

SHOW NOTES

A list of articles relating to this episode that you can find in archive issues of The Nashville Retrospect (archive issues can be ordered by clicking here or on the issue links below):

• “Find Your Roots, Haley Tells Youngsters,” Nashville Banner, May 21, 1977 (The Nashville Retrospect, May 2014)

• “When the City of Nashville Owned Slaves” by Bill Carey, The Nashville Retrospect, August 2018

• “Sale of Negroes,” Nashville Union and American, Jan. 16, 1858; 16 slaves, from 8 months old to 60 years old, for almost $16,000, (The Nashville Retrospect, January 2019)

• “Will be Sold,” Tennessee Gazette and Mero District Advertiser, Feb. 1, 1806 (The Nashville Retrospect, February 2019)

• “Stop the Runaways,” National Banner and Nashville Whig, Feb. 6, 1835 (The Nashville Retrospect, February 2019)

• “Cecelia Chappel, A Nashville Slave Narrative,” The Nashville Retrospect, February 2019

• “Frances Batson, A Nashville Slave Narrative,” The Nashville Retrospect, February 2017

• “Slavery in Tennessee,” National Banner and Nashville Whig, Nov. 7, 1834; about Tennessee choosing not to abolish slavery with its new constitution (The Nashville Retrospect, November 2011)

• “Fort Donelson Falls—Panic In City,” The Nashville Retrospect, February 2012 (excerpts from The Great Panic, a booklet about the fall of Nashville to Federal troops published in 1862)

• “The Executions of Henry and Moses,” Nashville Gazette, Feb. 22, 1852; execution of two slave accused of murder (The Nashville Retrospect, February 2010)

• “Agents of Abolition,” Nashville Union, Dec. 10, 1838; about a suppressed slave revolt in Williamson County (The Nashville Retrospect, December 2018)

• “Caution to owners of Slaves,” Nashville Whig, Jan. 3, 1825; about city laws regulating the hiring of slaves (The Nashville Retrospect, January 2017)

Other related articles and links:

• “Slave Importations in Memphis” (“for sale…direct from Congo” by Nathan Bedford Forrest), Republican Banner, May 1, 1859

• “‘Roots’ Now Landmark In Television History,” Indiana Gazette, Feb. 3, 1977

• “Haley Lauds Growing Up In Henning,” Nashville Banner, April 6, 1977

• “‘Roots’ Search Gains Interest,” The Tennessean, April 10, 1977

• “U.S. historians defend ‘Roots’,” Arizona Daily Star, April 10, 1977

• “Haley Announces ‘Roots’ Sequel With State Aspect,” The Tennessean, April 6, 1977

• “Blacks Must Help Others: Haley,” The Tennessean, May 21, 1977

• "Records, Memories Helping Blacks Build Family Histories," The Tennessean, May 23, 1977

• “Alex Haley Sued For Plagiarism,” The Tennessean, May 26, 1977

• “Alex Haley loses plagiarism case,” Missoulian, Jan. 6, 1979

Bill Carey:

Runaways, Coffles and Fancy Girls: A History of Slavery in Tennessee, book by Bill Carey

Fortunes, Fiddles and Fried Chicken: A Business History of Nashville, book by Bill Carey

Chancellors, Commodores, & Coeds: A History of Vanderbilt University, book by Bill Carey

TN History for Kids! website

Isaac Franklin:

“Retracing Slavery’s Trail of Tears” by Edward Ball at Smithsonian

“Isaac Franklin’s money had a major influence on modern-day Nashville — despite the blood on it” by Betsy Phillips at Nashville Scene

“More About Isaac Franklin” by Betsy Phillips at Nashville Scene

“Isaac Franklin” by Mark Brown at Tennessee Encyclopedia

Black History Month events:

Nashville Conference on African-American History and Culture

"Fort Negley Descendants Project" event at Fort Negley

Nashville Public Library

Fort Negley

The Hermitage

Roots:

Roots: The Saga of an American Family book by Alex Haley at Amazon

Roots: The Saga of an American Family at Wikipedia

“Roots” 1977 mini-series at Wikipedia

“Roots: The Next Generations” mini-series at Wikipedia

Alex Haley Museum

Taneya Koonce:

“Taneya’s Genealogy Blog” by Taneya Koonce

“Roots and Truth in Genealogy” blog post by Taneya Koonce

“Jim & Carrie of ‘Roots: The Next Generations’” blog post by Taneya Koonce

Genealogy:

Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society, Nashville Chapter

Middle Tennessee Genealogical Society

Ancestry.com DNA testing

23andme.com DNA testing

The Freedmen’s Bureau Project

The Freedmen’s Bureau Records

Audio excerpts: Alex Haley speaking before the state legislature, April 5, 1977, from the Tennessee State Library and Archives; trailer for Roots (1977) TV mini-series by ABC

Music: “Near You” by Francis Craig and His Orchestra (Bullet, 1947); “Quiet Outro” by ROZKOL (2018); “Covered Wagon Days” by Ted Weems and His Orchestra; and “The Buffalo Rag” by Vess L. Ossman

Sometimes called "the forgotten conflict," the War of 1812 has largely faded from modern memory, even though it had a lasting legacy. Host Allen Forkum (editor of The Nashville Retrospect newspaper) interviews Dr. Tom Kanon of the Tennessee State Library and Archives about his book, Tennesseans at War, 1812 to 1815, and that legacy, including: Tennessee rising to national prominence and becoming known as “The Volunteer State”; Native-Americans losing millions of acres of territory in the Creek War, which Kanon contends was a first step toward the Indian Removal Act of the 1830s; and Gen. Andrew Jackson becoming president of the United States because of his fame after a lopsided victory against the British in the Battle of New Orleans. Also hear how a comet and earthquakes helped launch the war. (Segment begins at 05:15)

“Andrew Jackson with the Tennessee forces on the Hickory Grounds (Ala) A.D. 1814” is a circa 1840 lithograph published by Breuker & Kessler. (Image: Library of Congress)

“Se-loc-ta, A Creek Chief” is an engraving from The Indian Tribes of North America (1838) by Thomas Loraine McKenney and James Hall. Selocta joined Gen. Jackson as a guide and warrior in his campaign against the Red Sticks, a faction of Creek Indians at war with American settlers. (Image: Library of Congress)

This map shows “The Battle of the Horse Shoe,” which took place on March 27, 1814, between Red Stick Creek Indians and Tennessee troops led by Major General Andrew Jackson. The map is from The Pictorial Field-Book of the War of 1812 (1869) by Benson John Lossing. The original caption: “The above plan of the battle of Cholocco Litabixee, or the Horseshoe, is arranged from one in Pickett’s History of Alabama. A shows the position of the hill from which Jackson’s canon played upon the breastwork. CCC represents the position of Coffee’s command. (Image: Tennessee State Library and Archives)

“Treaty with the Creeks” is an 1847 depiction of the August 1814 meeting at Fort Jackson between representatives the United States, led by Major General Andrew Jackson, and the defeated Creek Indians. Kanon says the Creek Indians lost 22 million acres of land, located in today's Alabama and Georgia. (Image: New York Public Library)

“January 8, 1815. British (Gen. Pakenham) Loss: Gen. Pak. & Over 2000 Kd [killed] & Wd [wounded]. American (Gen. Jackson.) Loss: 7 Kd. & 6 Wd.” is a lithograph published circa 1890 by Kurz & Allison of Chicago. (Image: Library of Congress)

In this episode's "audio artifact" segment, hear Richard Fulton’s country music record from 1968. Fulton was a Tennessee state senator, a U.S. congressman, and a mayor of Nashville. (Segment begins at 58:00)

(Special thanks to Clinton J. Holloway for use of his Richard Fulton record)

Richard Fulton’s “Poor Little Paper Boy” was predicted by the Jan. 20, 1968, Billboard magazine to hit the top 20 Hot Country Singles chart, though it apparently did not. (Image: Clinton J. Holloway)

And finally, Allen Forkum reviews some of the contents of the January 2019 issue, including: Gen. Tom Thumb’s Nashville visit in 1869; Richard Fulton’s ousting from the state senate in 1955; a speech given at the 1905 emancipation celebration; and a religious controversy in 1835. Also hear an interview with former Nashville Banner reporter Roger Shirley about his 1982 story about the sulphur water fountain at Werthan Industries. (Segment begins at 01:30)

(Special thanks to Roger Shirley)

A line forms to get a drink of sulphur water at Werthan Industries on Taylor Street at Eighth Avenue North in December 1982. Nashville attorney David Rutherford (standing at the back of the line) tried to get the historic sulphur spring moved to nearby Morgan Park. In the podcast, former Nashville Banner reporter Roger Shirley recalls visiting the foundation to write a story (which was republished in the December 2018 issue of The Nashville Retrospect).  (Image: Nashville Public Library, Nashville Room, photo by Owen Cartwright)

SHOW NOTES

A list of articles relating to this episode that you can find in archive issues of The Nashville Retrospect (archive issues can be ordered by clicking here or on the issues links below):

• “The War of 1812, Part I: Why Tennesseans Should Remember ‘The Forgotten Conflict’,” by Dr. Tom Kanon, The Nashville Retrospect, June 2012

• “The War of 1812, Part II: Tennessee and the Declaration of War,” by Dr. Tom Kanon, The Nashville Retrospect, August 2012

• “The War of 1812, Part III: Jackson and His Tennesseans Depart for War,” by Dr. Tom Kanon, The Nashville Retrospect, December 2012

• “The War of 1812, Part IV: The Beginnings of the Creek War,” by Dr. Tom Kanon, The Nashville Retrospect, September 2013

• “The War of 1812, Part V: Early Battles of the Creek War,” by Dr. Tom Kanon, The Nashville Retrospect, November 2013

• “The War of 1812, Part VI: The Battles of Emuckfau and Enitochopco,” by Dr. Tom Kanon, The Nashville Retrospect, January 2014

• “The War of 1812, Part VII: The Battle of Horseshoe Bend,” by Dr. Tom Kanon, The Nashville Retrospect, March 2014

• “The War of 1812, Part VIII: The Treaty of Fort Jackson,” by Dr. Tom Kanon, The Nashville Retrospect, August 2014

• “The War of 1812, Part IX: Jackson’s ‘Visit’ to Pensacola,” by Dr. Tom Kanon, The Nashville Retrospect, November 2014

• “The War of 1812, Part X: The Battle of New Orleans,” by Dr. Tom Kanon, The Nashville Retrospect, January 2015

• “The War of 1812, Part XI: The Trial of Andrew Jackson,” by Dr. Tom Kanon, The Nashville Retrospect, March 2015

• “The War of 1812, Part XII: The Legacy of the War,” by Dr. Tom Kanon, The Nashville Retrospect, May 2015

• “Indians near Detroit,” The Clarion, Jan. 19, 1808 (The Nashville Retrospect, January 2019)

• “Fifteen Hundred Volunteers,” The Clarion, Nov. 17, 1812, (The Nashville Retrospect, November 2012)

• “The Farewell” (a poem from the War of 1812), Nashville Whig, Feb. 17, 1813, (The Nashville Retrospect, February 2013)

• “$850 Reward” (advertisement for deserters), The Clarion, Sept. 1, 1814 (The Nashville Retrospect, September 2018)

• "The Eighth of January," Nashville Union and American,  Jan. 9, 1858

• "The Eighth of January," Daily Press and Times, Jan. 9, 1869

• “Earthquake,” The Clarion, Dec. 17, 1811 (The Nashville Retrospect, December 2011)

• “The 200th Anniversary of The New Madrid Earthquakes: Part I,” by George Zepp, The Nashville Retrospect, January 2012

• "The 200th Anniversary of The New Madrid Earthquakes: Part II,” by George Zepp, The Nashville Retrospect, February 2012

• “Earthquake Christians,” by Tom Kanon, The Nashville Retrospect, January 2012

• “Senate Vote Ousts Fulton,” Nashville Banner, Jan. 5, 1955 (The Nashville Retrospect, January 2019)

• “Artifacts: Richard Fulton record,” by Clinton J. Holloway, The Nashville Retrospect, January 2019

Other related articles:

• “Fulton To Autograph Records at Cain-Sloan,” Nashville Tennessean, Jan. 11, 1968

• “Nashville’s Mayor Vows To Aid the Industry; Richard Fulton Once Cut a Record Himself,” Billboard, March 13, 1976

• “Fog Slows Search; Rep. Fulton Views Efforts Helplessly,” Nashville Tennessean, Jan. 18, 1970

Links relating to this episode:

Dr. Tom Kanon email

Tennesseans at War, 1812 to 1815 by Tom Kanon

“Prelude to the War of 1812” at The Mariner’s Museum

“The War of 1812: Stoking the Fires” at National Archives

“British Navy Impressment” on “History Detectives” at PBS

“Battle of New Orleans Day” at The Hermitage

“War of 1812” at Tennessee State Library and Archives

“Brief History of Tennessee in the War of 1812” at Tennessee State Library and Archives

Tennessee State Museum

“War of 1812 Timeline” at American Battlefield Trust

"The War of 1812: The Movie" parody trailer by College Humor

Audio excerpts: “Poor Little Paper Boy” and “A Dozen Yellow Roses,” by Richard Fulton, written and produced by John A. Bozeman, RCA Records (1968)

Music: “Near You” by Francis Craig and His Orchestra (Bullet, 1947); “Quiet Outro” by ROZKOL (2018); “Covered Wagon Days” by Ted Weems and His Orchestra; and “The Buffalo Rag” by Vess L. Ossman

On Christmas Eve, 1956, a woman jumped off the Shelby Street Bridge into the Cumberland River with a baby in her arms. Host Allen Forkum (editor of The Nashville Retrospect newspaper) revisits this tragic and heroic story through interviews with people who were there, including Harold Hogue, Anne Knox, and Judy Hunt Charest. Also learn about the aftermath of the event during the decades since. (Segment begins at 04:45)

(Special thanks to Mike Hudgins and Sheri Hogue for their assistance with this story.)

Original caption from the Dec. 24, 1956, Nashville Banner: “Muddy waters of the Cumberland River swirl around Mrs. Milton Hunt (arrow No. 1), who clings to a steel retaining beam, and her three-and-a-half months old daughter, Judy (arrow No. 2).” In the podcast, Anne Knox mentions the two objects floating in the water. (Image: Tennessee State Library and Archives, photo by Vic Cooley)

Original caption: “Jack Knox [III], 25-year-old drafting department employe of Nashville Bridge Co. holds Mrs. Hunt above the water after he had rescued the baby and then swam to where the mother was hanging on near exhaustion.” (Image: Anne Knox, Mike Hudgins, photo by Vic Cooley)

Original caption: “Mrs. Hunt is pulled ashore from the Bridge Company boat. A first aid team worked on her until she could be taken to General Hospital, where she was listed in critical condition.” The man in the foreground wearing a watch is Harold Hogue, who is interviewed in the podcast. Virgil Johnson is piloting the boat. (Image: Anne Knox, Mike Hudgins)

Original caption: “Gilbert M. Dorland, vice-president of Nashville Bridge Co., hold three-and-a-half months old Judy Hunt after the tot was pulled form the icy waters of Cumberland River below the firm’s building.” (Image: Anne Knox, Mike Hudgins)

Original caption: “Dressed in the only available dry clothes, a bridge company baseball uniform, Knox warms up after his plunge into the icy waters shorty after 10 a.m. today. He is a former West End High School and Citadel athlete.” (Image: Nashville Public Library, Nashville Room)

The Hunt family (Marguerite, Milton and Judy) is pictured in 1957. (Image: Judy Hunt Charest)

Judy and her mother, Marguerite. (Image: Judy Hunt Charest)

Jack Knox (right) receives the Arland D. Williams Society award at The Citadel in Charleston, S.C., on Nov. 12, 2005. He died ten days later. (Image: Anne Knox, Mike Hudgins)

Judy Hunt Charest and Harold Hogue at the reunion at the site of the rescue on Sept. 16, 2015. The John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge (formerly the Shelby Street Bridge), the Nashville Bridge Building (formerly the Nashville Bridge Company), and the pier mentioned in the story, can all be seen in the background. (Image: Allen Forkum)

Harold Hogue shows the watch given to him by Judy Hunt Charest, which she had engraved with: “Everyone needs a HERO. Thanks for being mine. 12/24/56 Love, Baby.” (Image: Allen Forkum)

UPDATE: Harold Hogue died on Dec. 28, 2020.

UDPATE: Judy Hunt Charest died on March 11, 2022.

Also hear folk singers Dee and Delta Hicks of Fentress County, Tenn., discuss the lost tradition of Old Christmas in a 1981 interview by Bob Fulcher (assisted by Sharon Celsor-Hughes). Old Christmas was traditionally observed in some rural and mountainous areas of the south on Jan. 6 and included tales of farm animals kneeling to pray at midnight on Christmas Day. The interview was part of Cumberland Trail Park Manger Bob Fulcher's  Tennessee State Parks Folklife Project. (Segment begins at 48:40)

(Special thanks to Bob Fulcher of Cumberland Trail, and to Lori Lockhart and Zach Keith at the Tennessee State Library and Archives.)

Dee and Delta Hicks of Fentress County, Tenn. (Image: Bob Fulcher)

And finally, Allen Forkum reviews some of the contents of the December 2018 issue, including children’s letters to Santa Claus in 1907 and Johnny Cash’s 1976 Christmas TV special. Also hear calls from readers about bygone Christmases in Nashville. (Segment begins at 01:30)

SHOW NOTES

A list of articles relating to this episode that you can find in archive issues of The Nashville Retrospect (archive issues can be ordered by clicking here or on the issue links below):

• “Dives In River With Baby; Rescued,” Nashville Banner, Dec. 24, 1956 (The Nashville Retrospect, December 2011)

• “Love Gives Itself; Jack Knox III and His Heroic Christmas Eve Rescue” by Mike Hudgins, The Nashville Retrospect, December 2011

• “Dives In River With Baby” letter to the editor by Judy Hunt Charest, The Nashville Retrospect, January 2012

• “Dives In River With Baby” letter to the editor by Harold Hogue, The Nashville Retrospect, December 2015

Other related articles:

• “Knox Grins, Shivers After River Rescue,” Nashville Banner, Dec. 24, 1956

• “Woman ‘Critical’ Following Plunge,” Nashville Tennessean, Dec. 25, 1956

• “Photographer Witness To Near-Fatal Jump,” Nashville Tennessean, Dec. 25, 1956

• “Mother And Baby, Saved From River,” Oakland Tribune, Dec. 25, 1956

• “Plunges With Her Baby In River; Saved,” New York Daily News, Dec. 25, 1956

• “Old Christmas,” Nashville American, Jan. 7, 1907

Links relating to this episode:

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1–800–273–8255

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline website

“Bipolar Disorder, Manic Depression” at WebMD

"Ordinary Angels" (song about the river rescue) written by Chris Floyd, Scott Barrier, and Judy Hunt Charest

 “Tennessee State Parks Folklife Project” at Tennessee Virtual Archive

Bob Fulcher: Folklife Heritage Award, 2017 Governor’s Arts Awards

Cumberland Trail

“Dee Hicks” and “Dee & Delta Hicks” by Bob Fulcher at Sandrock Recordings

“Old Christmas Day” at The Free Dictionary

“The history of Old Christmas” by Jim Buchanan in The Guide

Audio excerpts: Dee and Delta Hicks, interview by Bob Fulcher, Dec. 8, 1981, 81-PK–2, Tennessee State Library and Archives

Music: “Near You” by Francis Craig and His Orchestra (Bullet, 1947); “Quiet Outro” by ROZKOL (2018); “The Apotheosis of All Deserts” by ROZKOL (2017); “Covered Wagon Days” by Ted Weems and His Orchestra; and “The Buffalo Rag” by Vess L. Ossman

On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I, we take a look at artifacts and monuments of The Great War found throughout the city. Host Allen Forkum (editor of The Nashville Retrospect newspaper) interviews Dr. Lisa Budreau, senior curator of military history at the Tennessee State Museum, about relics and souvenirs collected from Tennessee soldiers after World War I, including a German cannon and Sergeant Alvin C. York’s war medals. Dan Pomeroy, senior curator and director of the state museum, relates the history of the Military Branch Museum, located in the War Memorial Building. And Allison Griffey of the Tennessee State Library and Archives discusses stories from the Gold Star Records, including soldier’s letters, as well as women factory workers, the influenza epidemic, and the Mexican village at the Old Hickory gun powder plant. (Segment begins at 03:22)

Some of the uniforms featured in the new Tennessee State Museum temporary exhibition titled “Tennessee and the Great War: A Centennial Exhibition” (left to right): aviator Lieutenant Charles McGhee Tyson of Knoxville (the boots belonged to his father, General Lawrence Tyson), Rebekah Dodson Senter of the Army Nurse Corps, and Captain Albert Harris Jr. of Davidson County and part of the Vanderbilt Medical Unit in France.

The German breastplate armor discussed by Dr. Budreau in the podcast can be seen in the upper left. Beside it is a gas mask case. At the bottom is a Colt-Vickers water-cooled .303 caliber British machine gun, which were used by many countries during WWI, including the U.S. 30th Division troops attached to the British army.

This German field cannon can be seen in the new Tennessee State Museum temporary exhibition about WWI. The 7.7 cm, Model 1896 cannon by Krupp was likely captured by the U.S. 30th Division near the German Hindenburg line in 1918. It took over two and a half years to restore it to operational condition. 

This Sergeant Alvin C. York collection is part of a permanent WWI display at the new Tennessee State Museum. York's Medal of Honor and Croix de Guerre with palm can be seen in the middle right of the picture.

The gold star flag of Nashvillian Johnny Overton, held in the Gold Star Records at the Tennessee State Library and Archives, features the popular WWI phrase “Over There.” Overton was killed on the battlefield in France on July 18, 1918, at the age of 24. You can read more about Johnny Overton in the November 2018 issue, in the article "A Nashville Soldier of the Great War Remembered," by John P. Williams. (Image: Tennessee State Library and Archives)

At left is Cecil Calvert Bain, whose items in the Gold Star Records include a letter home about influenza in his camp. Like many soldiers in World War I, he would ultimately die of the disease at age 27 in Camp Gordon. At right is Private Luther Gilbert, Company B, 804th Pioneer Infantry, United States Army. Pvt. Gilbert was a member of one of the 14 African-American Pioneer Infantry units in World War I. Men in these units were often given dangerous maintenance and engineering tasks on the front lines. He died of pneumonia at 22 years old in France and was most likely a victim of the Influenza Epidemic of 1918.(Images: Tennessee State Library and Archives)

Sue Howell (Mrs. A.C. Adams) is pictured with her seven sons, all of whom were involved in World War I and survived. She displayed seven blue stars on her service flag. The photo appears in the book Davidson County Women in the World War, 1917–1919, published in 1923, which you can read more about in the October 2018 issue of The Nashville Retrospect in the "Artifacts" column by Clinton J. Holloway. (Image: Clinton Holloway)

The Old Hickory DuPont gun powder plant is shown circa 1918. (Image: Tennessee State Library and Archives)

Also hear the song “Over There” from World War I and lines from patriotic songs written by two Nashville women for the war. (Segment begins at 54:40)

The cover of the sheet music for “Over There” credits the Nora Bayes version of the song with introducing it to the country. A recording of Bayes singing the song can be heard at the end of the podcast. “Over there” became a common phrase during WWI, indicating where American troops were fighting. (Image: Library of Congress)

The cover illustration for the sheet music of “Over the Top” dramatically captures the meaning of the title. Nashvillian Marian Phelps wrote the lyrics for the patriotic song. (Image: Washington University)

And finally, Allen Forkum reviews some of the contents of the November 2018 issue, including such stories as: the toll of the 1918 influenza epidemic on Nashvillians; the city’s joyous reaction to news of the end of the Great War; and a Nashvillian’s letter from the front lines of the war. (Segment begins at 01:30)

SHOW NOTES

A list of articles relating to this episode contained in archive issues of The Nashville Retrospect (archive issues can be ordered by clicking here or on the issue links below):

• “Tennessee’s Gold Star Soldiers of WWI,” by Allison Griffey, The Nashville Retrospect, June 2016

• “Artifacts: ‘Davidson County Women in the World War, 1917–1919’” by Clinton J. Holloway, The Nashville Retrospect, October 2018

• “Kidnap the Kaiser” by Tom Henderson III, The Nashville Retrospect, January 2013

• “Sword Unsheathed By Uncle Sam,” Nashville Banner, April 6, 1917 (The Nashville Retrospect, April 2018)

• “Old Hickory’s ‘Swinging Bridge’,” Nashville Banner, April 25, 1919 (The Nashville Retrospect, April 2010)

• “1918 Flu Epidemic ‘Horrible’,” Nashville Banner, April 26, 1976 (The Nashville Retrospect, March 2018)

• “Nashville Welcomes Home Tennessee’s Gallant Sons,” Nashville Banner, March 31, 1919 (The Nashville Retrospect, March 2019)

• Also see the November 2018 issue of The Nashville Retrospect for articles about life in trenches of WWI, the flu epidemic in Nashville, and extensive coverage of Nashville’s reaction to the end of the Great War.

Other related articles:

• “Tribute Paid To Vanderbilt Unit,” Nashville Tennessean, Nov. 3, 1917

• “Lack of Patriotic Spirit,” Nashville Tennessean, March 5, 1918

• “Mrs. Ashford Writes Patriotic Song” (“Old Glory”) Nashville Tennessean, June 17, 1917

• “Miss Phelps, Author of Patriotic Song” (Over the Top”), *Nashville Tennessean, Nov. 14, 1917

• “Nashville Woman Writes Patriotic Song” (“Over the Top”), Nashville Tennessean, Nov. 14, 1917

Links relating to this episode:

The Military Branch of the Tennessee State Museum

Tennessee State Museum

“Tennessee and the Great War: A Centennial Exhibition” at the State Museum

Tennessee State Library and Archives

Bodies of War: World War I and the Politics of Commemoration in America, 1919–1933 (2010) by Dr. Lisa M. Budreau

"Tennesseans, and their families, made the ultimate sacrifice during World War I | Opinion" by Dr. Lisa Budreau in The Tennessean

“Alvin C. York Collection” at Tennessee Virtual Archives

“Old Hickory DuPont Gunpowder Plant Photographs” at Tennessee Virtual Archives

“Over Here, Over There: Tennesseans in the First World War” at Tennessee Virtual Archives

“Record of Ex-Soldiers in World War I, Tennessee Counties, 1917–1919” at Tennessee Virtual Archives

“Tennessee in World War I” at Tennessee Virtual Archives

Tennessee Great War Commission

American Gold Star Mothers Inc.

“Over There” song info at Library of Congress

“‘Over There’ At 100” by National Public Radio

“Over the Top” sheet music at Washington University

“Over the Top” sheet music at Library of Congress

“Over the Top” song info at Wikipedia

“Old Glory” sheet music at Library of Congress

“World War I Sheet Music” at the Library of Congress

“Music of Emma Louise Ashford” at Evensong Music

Sergeant York Patriotic Foundation

"The Deadly Virus: The Influenza Epidemic of 1918” by the National Archives

Audio excerpts from: “Over There” sung by Nora Bayes; “Over There” sung by Billy Murray; clip of “Sergeant York” (1941) by Warner Bros.

Music: “Near You” by Francis Craig and His Orchestra (Bullet, 1947); “Quiet Outro” by ROZKOL (2018); “Covered Wagon” by Ted Weems and His Orchestra; and “The Buffalo Rag” by Vess L. Ossman

Ghost stories, TV horror hosts, and cemeteries are visited in this Halloween-themed episode. Host Allen Forkum (editor of The Nashville Retrospect newspaper) interviews historian Fletch Coke about the history of Nashville City Cemetery and about the stories of people interred there, including Confederate generals, a mysterious woman buried under a boulder, a U.S. president, the man who named Old Glory, and notable Nashville historical figures. The cemetery is the city's oldest public grave yard, established in 1822. (Segment begins at 04:50)

The Captain William Driver monument is pictured in 1959. Driver is known for originating the name “Old Glory” for the American flag. (Image: Nashville Public Library, Nashville Room)

This Nashville Banner photo shows the neglected state of City Cemetery in 1937. It accompanied an article headlined “Patriots Rest in Weeds” (see the July 2015 Nashville Retrospect). (Image: Nashville Public Library, Nashville Room, photo by John E. Hood)

In 1959, Mayor Ben West headed a major restoration of Nashville City Cemetery. (Image: Nashville Public Library, Nashville Room, photo by Bill Goodman)

The Steele boulder monument is pictured in 1984. (Image: Nashville Public Library, Nashville Room)

The 1908 survey map of Nashville City Cemetery has been crucial for locating graves at the site. Burial records up to 1846 were lost during the Civil War. (Image: Nashville City Cemetery Association, Metro Archives)

Also hear audio clips of Nashville’s legendary TV horror hosts, Dr. Lucifur and Sir Cecil Creape. Experts Jeff Thompson and Larry Underwood (Dr. Gangrene) relate the history of these local TV personalities who, from the ‘50s to the ‘80s, hosted late-night showings of monster movies. (Segment begins at 40:10)

Dr. Lucifur (Ken Bramming) as he appeared in the intro to his TV program “Shock Theater” of the 1950s and ’60s. Notice the “mystic circle” effect. (Image: Jeff Thompson)

Ken Bramming on the “Shock Theater” set called the Purple Grotto, which featured a door stained with bloody handprints. (Image: Jeff Thompson)

Original caption from the Nov. 1, 1976, Nashville Banner: “Resident Opryland spook Sir Cecil Creape greets 4-year-old twins Keith and Kevin Tidwell.” (Image: Nashville Public Library, Nashville Room, photo by Bob Ray)

This cut-out mask of Sir Cecil Creape’s face was used to promote the Channel 4 show “Creature Feature” in the early '70s. The show was hosted by the ghoulish Sir Cecil, played Russ McCown. (Image: Stanley Hime)

Dr. Gangrene (Larry Underwood) is an award-winning Nashville horror host who has been performing for almost 20 years, carrying on the tradition of Dr. Lucifur and Sir Cecil Creape. (Image: Larry Underwood)

Larry Underwood (right) and his brother, Jimmy, are pictured in Ben Cooper brand Halloween costumes in 1972. (Image: Larry Underwood)

And finally, Allen Forkum reviews some of the “creepier” stories in the October 2018 issue of The Nashville Retrospect newspaper, including: the auction of Jacob Schnell’s “haunted house” in 1974; the 1926 Nashville Banner editorial about Halloween vandalism; a 1976 Banner story about Morris Levine and his popular Halloween parties; and an 1868 article about the strange fate of a young woman buried with a valuable diamond ring. (Segment begins at 01:50)

SHOW NOTES

A list of articles relating to this episode contained in archive issues of The Nashville Retrospect (archive issues can be ordered by clicking here or on the issue links below):

• "Beautify Historic Cemetery,” Nashville Banner, Oct. 8, 1959 (The Nashville Retrospect, October 2013)

• "Polk’s First Grave In City Cemetery,” Nashville Banner, Nov. 2, 1925 (The Nashville Retrospect, November 2012)

• “The Forgotten Brave,” Republican Banner, Dec. 11, 1867 (The Nashville Banner, December 2017)

• “Army Officer Here To Explore ‘Bob’s Hole’ For Bodies,” Nashville Tennessean and Nashville American, Dec. 4, 1911 (The Nashville Retrospect, December 2017)

• “Patriots Rest In Weeds,” Nashville Banner Magazine, July 18, 1937 (The Nashville Retrospect, July 2015)

• “Editor Shot By Rival Editor,” by Allen Forkum, The Nashville Retrospect, August 2009

• “The Monsters & Dr. Lucifur” by Tom Henderson III, The Nashville Retrospect, October 2011

• “Sir Cecil Creape: A Few Memories of Russ McCown” by Stanley E. Hime, The Nashville Retrospect, October 2013

• “Creapey Greeting” photo of Sir Cecil Creape, Nashville Banner, Nov. 1, 1976 (The Nashville Retrospect, October 2015)

• “Local TV ghoul haunts Opry House ‘catacombs’,” Nashville Banner, Oct. 30, 1985 (The Nashville Retrospect, October 2015)

Other related articles:

• “Neglected City Cemetery Found Rich In Nashville Lore,” Nashville Banner, Oct. 27, 1958

• “Clean Up The Cemetery!” Nashville Banner, July 19, 1937

• “City Cemetery in Bad Odor,” Republican Banner, Nov. 26, 1867

• “A Pretty Ghoul Is Like A Malady,” regarding Sir Cecil Creape, Nashville Tennessean Showcase, April 23, 1972

Links relating to this episode:

Nashville City Cemetery Association

1908 survey map of City Cemetery

Grundy Reburial Ceremony at City Cemetery

City Cemetery’s 19th Annual Living History Tour

Metropolitan Nashville Historical Commission

Metro Parks and Recreation

“William Driver” by Ophelia Paine

“William Carroll” by Jonathan M. Atkins

“James K. Polk” by Wayne Cutler

“Felix Grundy” by Jonathan M. Atkins

“Felix Kirk Zollicoffer” by Larry Whiteaker

“Dr. Lucifur: Nashville’s Tasteful Transylvanian” by Jeff Thompson, Filmfax magazine

The Television Horrors of Dan Curtis: Dark Shadows, The Night Stalker and Other Productions, 1966–2006 by Jeff Thompson

House of Dan Curtis: The Television Mysteries of the Dark Shadows Auteur by Jeff Thompson

Nights of Dan Curtis: The Television Epics of the Dark Shadows Auteur: Horror, Western, and War by Jeff Thompson

Dr. Gangrene’s Mad Mad Mad Blog

Horror Hootenanny 15 at The End

12 Hours of Terror at Belcourt Theatre

"Mr. Ken Bramming: A Remembrance"

“Creature Feature” Christmas Special excerpt (1971)

“Creature Feature” show excerpt

“Phantom of the Opry” launch (1983)

“NashEvil: From Sir Cecil Creape to Dr. Gangrene, a history of Nashville horror hosts” by Randy Fox, Nashville Scene

“Sir Cecil Creape: Nashville’s Hometown Ghoul” by Nashville Public Radio

“Chiller Cinema #29” Halloween Spooktacular (2000), Sir Cecil Creape tribute

“American Scary” Nashville Hosts (deleted sequence)

Audio excerpts from: “Frankenstein” (1931) trailer, “Bride of Frankenstein” (1935) trailer, and “Creature from the Black Lagoon” (1954) trailer

Music: “Near You” by Francis Craig and His Orchestra (Bullet, 1947); “Quiet Outro” by ROZKOL (2018); “Covered Wagon Days” by Ted Weems and His Orchestra; and “The Buffalo Rag” by Vess L. Ossman

Violent protests by white supremacists, a school bombing, and courage in the face of racial hatred all helped define 1957, the year Nashville's public schools began desegregation. Host Allen Forkum (editor of The Nashville Retrospect newspaper) talks to Dr. Bobby Lovett about the significance of the Supreme Court’s 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision and its effect on the civil rights movement in Nashville.

Lajuanda Street Harley, a Glenn School student who was one of the first black first-graders to be integrated, recalls the tumultuous times, along with her 90-year-old mother, Sorena Street. The two also discuss downtown shopping, white vs. black schools, and dealing with racism. Debie Oeser Cox, a first-grader in 1958, recalls her time at Glenn School, as well as race relations and life in North East Nashville.

Former police officer Joe Casey and former news reporter Larry Brinton remember events relating to pro-segregationist protesters and the Hattie Cotton School bombing.

Also hear audio excerpts from the January 1957 hearings before the Tennessee State Legislature on the merits of Governor Frank Clement’s “moderate” segregation plan. (All of the above is part of one segment, which begins at 03:50)

Lajuanda Street (back turned) and Jackie Griffith (right) meet white fellow students on registration day at Glenn School, on Aug. 28, 1957. It was the first day blacks were allowed to register for white schools in Nashville. (Image: Nashville Public Library, Nashville Room, photo by Bob Ray)

Original caption from the Sept. 10, 1957, Nashville Banner: “A large rock is hurled at the windshield of a car carrying two Negroes during an unruly demonstration Monday night against desegregation at Fehr School. Arrows show the rock and a soft drink bottle, cocked in the hand of a young boy and ready to be tossed at the vehicle. Five hundred adults, as well as youngsters, many not yet in their teens, tossed debris at passing cars which contained Negroes. Police finally broke up the crowd. No injuries were reported.” (Image: Nashville Public Library, Nashville Room, photo by Dale Ernsberger)

On Sept. 9, 1957, large groups of jeering whites gathered outside of Glenn School and other elementary schools to protest black first-graders being integrated into the previously all-white schools. At the far right, Harold Street escorts his daughter Lajuanda (not seen), who thought the crowd was part of a first-day-of-school parade. In front of him, Mary Griffith holds the hands of her daughter, Jacquelyn Faye, and son, Stevie; Mary Griffith had been fired from her job at Pet Milk Company for participating in integration. (Image: Nashville Public Library, Nashville Room)

Segregationist and white supremacist John Kasper, of Camden, N.J., speaks to protesters at Glenn School. The Nashville Tennessean reported he called upon his supporters "to boycott the schools, warning them of violence if desegregation continues, urging them to attend his rally last night on the steps of War Memorial auditorium.” At that rally, Kasper would urge the picketing of Hattie Cotton School, which was bombed later that same night. (Image: Nashville Public Library, Nashville Room)

Lajuanda Street (left) begins her first day of school at Glenn with an unidentified fellow student. Lajuanda Street Harley’s recollections of that day are featured in this podcast. (Image: Nashville Public Library, Nashville Room)

Original caption from the Sept. 10, 1957, Nashville Banner: “East wall of Hattie Cotton School is left in shambles from an early morning dynamite blast. The school, located at 1010 West Greenwood Ave., enrolled one Negro student Monday.” (Image: Nashville Public Library, Nashville Room, photo by Rob Ray)

And finally, Allen Forkum briefly reviews some of the contents of the September 2018 issue of The Nashville Retrospect, including: the 1978 robbery of the Country Music Hall of Fame; the 1941 fire at Woolworth downtown; 1868 articles about Market Street drunkenness and velocipedes; and a 1970 advertisement for the famous Nashville stripper Heaven Lee. (Segment begins at 01:25)

SHOW NOTES

A list of articles relating to this episode contained in archive issues of The Nashville Retrospect (archive issues can be ordered by clicking here or on the issue links below):

• “18 Negroes Play On City [Golf] Courses,” Nashville Tennessean, Feb. 14, 1956 (The Nashville Retrospect, February 2010)

• “Parents Corner Supt. Bass At Glenn School As Negro, White Pupils Talk,” Nashville Banner, Aug. 28, 1957 (The Nashville Retrospect, August 2009)

• Photo of pro-segregationist protesters at Jones Elementary School with a United States flag, a Confederate battle flag, and a KKK sign, Nashville Banner, Sept 10, 1957 (The Nashville Retrospect, September 2014)

• See the September 2018 issue of The Nashville Retrospect for other stories referenced on this episode, including: “Blast Wrecks School,” Nashville Tennessean, Sept. 10, 1958; and “School Attendance Off by 25–30 Pct.” Nashville Tennessean, Sept. 10, 1958.

Other related articles:

• “School Bills Clear 1st Hurdle,” Nashville Tennessean, Jan. 16, 1957

• “School Plan Start Upheld,” Nashville Tennessean, Jan. 22, 1957

• “Clement Signs 5 School Bills,” Nashville Tennessean, Jan. 26, 1957

• “Law Held Antagonistic to U.S. Supreme Court Ruling,” Nashville Tennessean, Sept. 7, 1957

• “West–Lawlessness Elements Must Go; Five Quizzed In School Explosion,” Nashville Banner, Sept. 10, 1957

• “Mayor West, Oliver Request U.S. Action Against Agitators Here,” Nashville Banner, Sept. 11, 1957

• “Kasper Undaunted By Two Contempt Convictions,” Nashville Banner, Sept. 11, 1957

• “Police Shift To Tough Policy,” Nashville Tennessean, Sept. 11, 1957

Links relating to this episode:

“Walking into History: The Beginning of School Desegregation in Nashville,” by John Egerton

Dr. Bobby Lovett

The Civil Rights Movement in Tennessee: A Narrative History, by Dr. Bobby Lovett

The African-American History of Nashville, Tennessee, 1780–1930: Elites and Dilemmas, by Dr. Bobby Lovett

The Nashville Way: Racial Etiquette and the Struggle for Social Justice in a Southern City, by Dr. Bobby Lovett

“Nashville History” blog by Debie Oeser Cox

Civil Rights Room at the Nashville Public Library

Audio: Excerpts from segregation hearings of January 1957, an audio recording by the Tennessee State Library and Archives

Music: “Near You” by Francis Craig and His Orchestra (Bullet, 1947); “Quiet Outro” by ROZKOL (2018); “The Apotheosis of All Deserts” by ROZKOL (2017); “Covered Wagon Days” by Ted Weems and His Orchestra; and “The Buffalo Rag” by Vess L. Ossman

Nashville today attracts thousands of new residents every month, but over 200 years ago, people risked their very lives to move here. Host Allen Forkum (editor of The Nashville Retrospect newspaper) interviews historian Paul Clements about the first settlers to arrive in the Nashville area in the late 1700s. Led by James Robertson, the settlers not only endured a treacherous journey, but after arriving they also faced an ever-present threat of attack from Native-American groups trying to drive the settlers from their hunting grounds. (Note: This episode contains graphic descriptions of violence. Segment begins at 03:50)

This postcard image, from the mural in the west lunette of the nave of the Kentucky State Capitol, depicts representatives from the Transylvania Land Company and Cherokee Indians negotiating the Transylvania Purchase in 1775. James Robertson attended the meeting, along with Richard Henderson and Daniel Boone. Some of the land acquired would be the future home of the Cumberland Settlements and Nashville. (Image: Mike Slate)

General James Robertson (1742–1814) as depicted by Henry Benbridge (1744–1812). (Image: Tennessee State Library and Archives)

This mural, located in offices of the Tennessee State Capitol, depicts the Battle of the Bluff, which occurred on April 2, 1781. Legend holds that Charlotte Robertson, James Robertson’s wife, let dogs out of Bluff Station (later know as Fort Nashborough) to drive off attacking Creek Indians.

Also in Episode 05, hear Elvis Presley’s speech to the Tennessee Legislature at the State Capitol on March 8, 1961. School-skipping teenagers in the galleries screamed as a gavel was banged to bring the crowd to order. Elvis received a round of applause after declaring that he would never leave his adopted home of Tennessee. (Segment begins at 48:00)

Excerpt from the original caption in the March 8, 1961, Nashville Banner: “Gov. Buford Ellington introduces singer-actor Elvis Presley to the State Legislature this morning amid applause from the packed house. … The artist, who drove up from Memphis for the appearance, was named a colonel on the governor’s staff and in reply said: ‘This recognition is the greatest honor I’ve ever received.’ … He’ll be returning here this weekend for a RCA Victor recording session.” (Image: Tennessee State Library and Archives, photo by Don Foster)

Original caption from the March 9, 1961, Nashville Tennessean: “Ann Ellington and Elvis share a private joke at the entrance to the governor’s mansion after his tumultuous reception at the Capitol. Shorty before, Gov. Buford Ellington said, ‘You’re a great man.’ And Elvis rode off—with Ann.” (Image: Tennessee State Library and Archives, photo by Gerald Holly)

The blue vinyl disc above features the audio recording of Elvis’s appearance before the state legislature in 1961. A machine like the one pictured below was used to make the recording. Both items are archived at the Tennessee State Library and Archives.

And finally, Allen Forkum briefly reviews some of the stories in the August 2018 issue of The Nashville Retrospect, including: the rediscovery of a mystery tunnel on Capitol Hill in 1961; old swimming pools of Nashville, such as Cascade Plunge and Centennial Park (story by Tom Henderson); the city of Nashville’s purchase of slaves in 1830 (story by Bill Carey); and a road rage incident in 1884. (Segment begins at 01:30)

SHOW NOTES

A list of articles relating to this episode contained in archive issues of The Nashville Retrospect (archive issues can be ordered by clicking here or on the issue links below):

• “Our Frontier Heritage and Why It Matters” by Paul Clements, The Nashville Retrospect, October 2010

• “James Robertson” by Paul Clements, a 25-part series, The Nashville Retrospect, from September 2014 to September 2016

• “Richard Henderson” by Paul Clements, a 3-part series, The Nashville Retrospect, from December 2017 to February 2018

• “Colonel John Donelson” by Paul Clements, a 4-part series, The Nashville Retrospect, from May 2014 to July 2014

• “Prehistory Life and Death in the Cumberland River Region” by Paul Clements; The Nashville Retrospect, July 2013

• “Indian Village Uncovered In Granny White Area,” Nashville Banner, June 8, 1973, (The Nashville Retrospect, June 2017)

• See the August 2018 issue of The Nashville Retrospect for other stories referenced on this episode.

Other related articles:

• “Elvis Does Free Shot For Assembly,” Nashville Banner, March 8, 1961

• “Elvis Still Wows Womenfolks," Nashville Tennessean, March 9, 1961

Links relating to this episode:

“James Robertson” by Terry Weeks

“Transylvania Purchase” by Michael Toomey

“John Donelson” by Anne-Leslie Owens

“French Lick” by Anita S. Goodstein

“Cumberland Compact” by Kenneth Fieth

“Frontier Stations” by Walter T. Durham

Fort Nashborough

Native History Association

Native American Indian Association of Tennessee

Gray Audograph

Werthan Lofts

Music City Center

Audio: Excerpts from “Elvis Presley, March 8, 1961,” an audio recording by the Tennessee Library and Archives

Music: “Near You” by Francis Craig and His Orchestra (Bullet, 1947); “Quiet Outro” by ROZKOL (2018); “Covered Wagon Days” by Ted Weems and His Orchestra; and “The Buffalo Rag” by Vess L. Ossman

The deadliest train wreck in U.S. history occurred at Dutchman's Curve in West Nashville. Host Allen Forkum (editor of The Nashville Retrospect newspaper) interviews historian Betsy Thorpe about the July 9, 1918, tragedy. Thorpe discusses why there was a disproportionately high number of African-Americans killed, who was ultimately blamed for the accident, and how she became interested enough to write a book, The Day the Whistles Cried. (Segment begins at 03:40)

Two Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis passenger trains collided in West Nashville on July 9, 1918, killing 101 people. Crowds can be seen gathering in the surrounding cornfields. A wreck train can be seen in the background. This photo was taken from a bridge over the track that is today part of the Richland Creek Greenway, near White Bridge Road and Harding Road. (Image: Betsy Thorpe, H.C. Hill III Collection, photo by H.C. Hill)

In this photo of the wreck, rescuers work to remove survivors from some of the telescoped cars. Spectators can be seen standing on what later became known as White Bridge Road and is today part of Richland Creek Greenway, near today's Belle Meade. A newspaper reported that 50,000 flocked to the scene of the accident. (Image: Betsy Thorpe, H.C. Hill III Collection, photo by H.C. Hill)

Also in Episode 04, hear excerpts from the album “Down to Earth, with Elmer Hinton.” Hinton was a popular columnist for The Nashville Tennessean for nearly 30 years. Known for his folksy humor and nostalgia for country life, Hinton recorded an album in 1968 that also featured music by Gary and Randy Scruggs and the Rudy Sisters, among others. (Segment begins at 28:00)

The front cover of Elmer Hinton’s 1968 album.

And finally, Allen Forkum reviews some of the stories in the July 2018 issue of The Nashville Retrospect, including: the dedication of Hadley Park, the county’s first municipal park for African-Americans (1912); the early 1800s settlement in Mexican Texas called Nashville-on-the-Brazos; the discovery of a comet by local astronomer E.E. Barnard (1884), and an army baseball tournament held in Nashville for the entertainment of soldiers stationed there during WWII (1943). (Segment begins at 01:35)

SHOW NOTES

A list of articles relating to this episode contained in archive issues of The Nashville Retrospect (archive issues can be ordered by clicking here or on the issue links below):

• “Passenger Trains Collide at Dutchman’s Curve,” Nashville Tennessean, July 10, 1918 (The Nashville Retrospect, July 2010)

• “Massive Walls of City Reservoir Crumble Without Warning,” Nashville Banner, Nov. 5, 1912 (The Nashville Retrospect, November 2009)

• “Avalanche of Flames in East Nashville,” Nashville Banner, March 22, 1916 (The Nashville Retrospect, March 2016)

• “Flu Cases Exceeded 100,000 in Tennessee,” Nashville Tennessean and Nashville American, Nov. 1, 1918 (The Nashville Retrospect, November 2014)

• “1918 Flu Epidemic ‘Horrible,’” Nashville Banner, March 26, 1976 (The Nashville Retrospect, March 2018)

• See the July 2018 issue of The Nashville Retrospect for other stories referenced on this episode, such as Hadley Park.

Other related articles:

• “The New Elmer Hinton—Even Better On Tape?!” The Nashville Tennessean Sunday Showcase, June 2, 1968

• “Death at the Throttle on Dutchman’s Curve,” The Nashville Tennessean Magazine, July 10, 1960

Links relating to this episode:

The Day the Whistles Cried by Betsy Thorpe

Dutchman’s Curve 100th Anniversary Event

“Great Train Wreck of 1918” at Wikipedia

“Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway” at Wikipedia

“Hadley Park” by Debit Oeser Cox

“Elmer Hinton” by Glenn A. Himebaugh, Tennessee Encyclopedia

Elmer Hinton Memorial Public Library

Middle Tennessee Strawberry Festival in Portland, Tenn.

St. Cecilia Academy

“Railroad Sounds” by Audio Fidelity

Audio: Excerpts from “Down to Earth, With Elmer Hinton,” by Geordie Records (1968); excerpts from “Railroad Sounds” by Audio Fidelity (1958)

Music: “Near You” by Francis Craig and His Orchestra (Bullet, 1947); “Quiet Outro” by ROZKOL (2018); “Covered Wagon Days” by Ted Weems and His Orchestra; and “The Buffalo Rag” by Vess L. Ossman

Nashville used to be a city of streetcars, society bootleggers, and downtown shopping. Host Allen Forkum (editor of The Nashville Retrospect newspaper) interviews Frank Schwartz, who, at 92 years old, remembers a Nashville with street photographers, downtown theaters, and residents who dressed up to go out. He also discusses his family’s business, Rich-Schwartz, a women’s fine-clothing store known for such innovations as “ready-to-wear” garments and “red tag” sales. (Segment begins at 04:10.)

Frank Schwartz (right) is pictured on Church Street in 1938 with his friend Arnold Haber Jr. The photograph was taken by a street photographer, which Schwartz describes in the podcast. (Image: Frank Schwartz)

Owned by Randall Butler, this 1932 Chevrolet was the “jalopy” that he and Frank Schwartz drove as teenagers. The picture was taken in 1942 at the intersection of West End and Elliston Place. Notice the pile of metal to the right and the “Smash the Japs” sign, both part of a scrap-metal collection drive for World War II. Marshall-Donnelly-Combs Funeral Home is in the background on the left. (Image: Frank Schwartz)

This circa 1927 photo (from the Rich-Schwartz 60th anniversary booklet) shows a window of the original store, which opened in 1902 and was located on Fifth Avenue North. (Image: Frank Schwartz and Jewish Federation of Nashville Archives)

Also in Episode 03, hear excerpts from President Lyndon Johnson’s speech at the dedication of the J. Percy Priest Dam on June 29, 1968, in which he discusses nuclear weapons and conservation. Bill Staggs is interviewed about being there that day as part of The Townsmen, a rock group backing up The Jordanaires. (Segment begins at 27:00.)

President Lyndon B. Johnson speaks at the dedication ceremony for the J. Percy Priest Dam on June 29, 1968. (Image: Nashville Public Library, Nashville Room, photo by Bill Goodman)

In this Nashville Banner photo, The Jordanaires (left) perform during the dedication ceremonies for Percy Priest Dam (seen in the background). Backing up The Jordanaires is local band The Townsmen, made up of (from left to right): Nathan “Snake” Black (not fully visible on drums), Gary Jerkins, Bill Staggs, and Gerald Jerkins. (Image: Nashville Public Library, Nashville Room)

And finally, Allen Forkum reviews some of the stories in the June 2018 issue of The Nashville Retrospect, including: the birth of a girl with four legs (1868); the Ku Klux Klan's first public rally since 1869 (1923); and figure-eight racing at Fairgrounds Speedway (1963). (Segment begins at 01:26.)

SHOW NOTES

A list of articles relating to this episode contained in archive issues of The Nashville Retrospect (archive issues can be ordered by clicking here or on the issue links below):

• ”Rich-Schwartz: The World’s First ’Ready-To-Wear“ Women’s Store” by Jean Roseman, The Nashville Retrospect, July 2012

• “Blaze Destroys Loew’s Theater,” Nashville Banner, Aug. 9, 1967 (The Nashville Retrospect, August 2012)

• “The Paramount Theater,” by Stanley Hime, The Nashville Retrospect, October 2010

• “President Urges Respect For Law And Order,” Nashville Tennessean, Dec. 6, 1933, (The Nashville Retrospect, December 2016)

• “Police Raid; Restaurant Violated New Prohibition Law” by George Zepp, The Nashville Retrospect, August 2009

• “Streetcar Makes Final Run; Modern Buses Take Over,” Nashville Tennessean, Feb. 2, 1941 (The Nashville Retrospect, February 2016)

• “75 Years Later: A Look Back at Streetcars in Nashville” by Ralcon Wagner, The Nashville Retrospect, February 2016

• “The Street Car in Parade,” Nashville Banner, Oct. 30, 1926 (The Nashville Retrospect, October 2016)

• “On The Electric Cars,” Daily American, May 1, 1889 (The Nashville Retrospect, April 2010)

• See the June 2018 issue of The Nashville Retrospect for other stories referenced on this episode.

Links relating to this episode:

50th Anniversary of J. Percy Priest Dam, U.S. Arm Corp of Engineers

"Rich, Schwartz & Joseph" by Debie Oeser Cox

Marshall-Donnelly-Combs Funeral Home

Audio: President Johnson excerpts courtesy of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Music: “Near You” by Francis Craig and His Orchestra (Bullet, 1947); “Quiet Outro” by ROZKOL (2018); “Covered Wagon Days” by Ted Weems and His Orchestra; and “The Buffalo Rag” by Vess L. Ossman