Tennessee History Comes Alive

For the third consecutive year the Tennessee General Assembly Arts Caucus has partnered with the Tennessee State Museum in organizing a special spring exhibition. Tennessee History Comes Alive serves as a showcase for the museum’s permanent collection and is free to the public.
     This year each Arts Caucus member has chosen an artifact within the museum’s historical exhibits related to an individual or family.  The exhibit will feature personal statements from caucus members sharing thoughts on how their artifact selections reflect enduring values of Tennesseans that have influenced the history of the Volunteer State.    
      “It has been an exciting and educational process for the members of the Arts Caucus to work with the State Museum in choosing artifacts for this exhibit,” Art Caucus chairman and state Senator Doug Overbey noted. “Learning the stories behind these rare treasures and the people whose lives they have touched has been a truly interesting and inspiring experience. For instance, a watch presented by Territorial Governor William Blount to Tennessee Governor John Sevier which I selected to spotlight, demonstrates the leadership quality of both men as they oversaw the transition of Tennessee from being a part of the Territory South of the River Ohio into full statehood.”

Highlights of the exhibition include:
•  Print, 1819-1836, “Cherokee Village of Toqua,” by C. Motte:  This view of the Cherokee village of Toqua is believed to be the first print to depict a place in Tennessee.—selected by Senator Randy McNally
•  Casey Jones pedal car, early 1900s: On April 30, 1900, Jones was the engineer on the “Cannonball Express” headed from Memphis to Canton, Mississippi. Jones spotted the caboose lights of a freight train stopped on the tracks.  Too late to avoid a crash, Jones told his fireman to leap from the train. In the ensuing collision, Jones died; all others aboard the train were saved.—selected by Rep. Jimmy Eldridge
•  Bible, 1907-1911: This Bible was used by the Stout Family of Memphis, they traced their heritage to the Nashoba Community, a settlement near Germantown developed in the 1820s for former slaves transitioning to freedom.—selected by Senator Reginald Tate
•  Cannon, 1861, made by T. M. Brennan of Nashville, who operated a business making cannons and artillery shells for the Confederacy. Brennan, in a letter to Confederate General Leonidas Polk said: “I am now manufacturing a very superior cast iron gun from the best Tennessee cold blast iron….” —selected by Senator Douglas Henry
•  Quilt, 1996, “It Takes a Village,” by Lee Ella Martin and Pals of Pleasure Social and Civic Club of Nashville:  Martin served as the president of this group when members made this quilt to raise funds for college scholarships. The design, featuring Kente cloth, was based on the African proverb: “It takes a village to raise a child.” —selected by Senator Thelma Harper
•  “Chief Rozetta” steam pumper fire engine, about 1900: This engine was named for Nashville's fire chief during the early 1900s, Antonio “Tony” Rozetta.—selected by Rep. Mike Turner
•  Sofa, 1857: John Berrien Lindsley, chancellor of the University of Nashville, and Sarah McGavock married in 1857. This sofa was part of a parlor set purchased for their home. —selected by Rep. Beth Harwell

   “This exhibit, created in partnership with the Tennessee General Assembly Arts Caucus, highlights the ingenuity, craftsmanship, and material culture of Tennesseans,” Lois Riggins-Ezzell, executive director of the Tennessee State Museum said. “Visitors will learn about the people who made and owned the fascinating objects on view, unique treasures embodying the two dominant traits of the Tennessee spirit—perseverance and bravery— attributes demonstrated by our state’s historic personalities again and again.” Tennessee History Comes Alive continues through August 29, 2010.