TTHN Ep 10 - Horror on the Mississippi: The Forgotten Inferno

TTHN Ep 10a - Horror on the Mississippi: The Forgotten Inferno Bonus Material - Interview with Norman Shaw

It's Interviewsday!  On Tuesdays, as I am able and have interview inventory to release, I'm trying to share some of the interviews that we've done previously. This week, we're opening up one of our Patreon interviews for everyone to enjoy. When we released Episode 10, Horror on the Mississippi: The Forgotten Inferno, I had the opportunity to sit down with historian Norman Shaw to discuss one of the deadliest maritime disasters in American history: the explosion of the steamboat Sultana. In this conversation, Norman shares insights into the events leading up to the disaster, the conditions aboard the overcrowded vessel, the challenges of researching the tragedy, and why the story of the Sultana deserves to be remembered more than 160 years later. If you enjoyed Episode 10, this interview provides additional background, context, and perspective from a researcher who has spent years studying the disaster and the people whose lives were forever changed by it. As always, one of our goals at The Tennessee History Nerd is not only to tell great stories, but also to introduce you to the historians, researchers, curators, preservationists, and subject matter experts who help us better understand the past. So grab your favorite beverage, settle in, and enjoy this week's free interview release with historian Norman Shaw. Love what you're hearing? Hate what you're hearing? Either way, we'd love to hear what you think! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2589833/fan_mail/new] Thanks for listening!  Please check out our other episodes! Advertise with us!  John.summers@summersmediaenterprises.com Check out our sister podcast Dauphin Island Diaries Check out merchandise from The Tennessee History Nerd.   www.summersmediaenterprises.com/merch If you enjoyed this episode, follow the show, share it with someone who loves history, and leave a review—it helps more folks discover the stories of the Volunteer State.

TTHN Ep 14 - The Failed State

The State of Franklin. For four years, it existed in a place somewhere between a territory, a rebellion, and a nation. It had a governor. It had a legislature. It had courts. It levied taxes. It raised a militia. It negotiated treaties. It even petitioned Congress for admission into the United States. And yet today, it survives mostly as a footnote in Tennessee history. To understand Franklin, we have to set aside the way we think about states today. In the 1780s, Americans did not necessarily view a state as a subdivision of a nation. Under the Articles of Confederation, the states were themselves sovereign political entities joined together in a confederation. That distinction helps explain why a group of settlers west of the Appalachian Mountains believed they could create a state of their own. When North Carolina ceded its western lands in 1784, the people living beyond the mountains suddenly found themselves in political limbo. Isolated from the eastern centers of government and accustomed to governing and defending themselves, many concluded that the solution was simple: If no government would govern them, they would create one. What followed was one of the most fascinating political experiments in early American history. In this episode, we examine the North Carolina Cession Act of 1784, the creation of the State of Franklin, the leadership of John Sevier, the opposition of John Tipton, the constitutional debates, the courthouse wars, the Battle of the State of Franklin, and the ultimately unsuccessful effort to secure recognition as America's fourteenth state. Because Franklin was more than a frontier curiosity. It was a test of what the American Revolution had actually created. And although Franklin failed... The men who built it would help create Tennessee. 📚 Sources Fink, Paul M. Various published works and collected research concerning the State of Franklin and early Tennessee history. Tipton-Haynes State Historic Site. Museum exhibits, interpretive materials, historical markers, publications, and site research reviewed by author. Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture. • Corlew, Robert E. "John Sevier." • West, Carroll Van. "John Tipton." • Toomey, Michael. "State of Franklin." NCPedia. Articles and reference materials relating to the State of Franklin, North Carolina's western cession, and early Tennessee settlement. Chester Inn State Historic Site and Museum. Interpretive materials relating to Jonesborough, Franklin, and early statehood history. Williams, Samuel Cole. History of the Lost State of Franklin (1924). Consulted indirectly through later scholarship and cited as a foundational work on the subject. Foster, Dave. Franklin: The Stillborn State and the Sevier/Tipton Political Feud. Consulted as supplemental reference material. Historical Marker Database (HMdb.org). Historical marker texts and supporting documentation relating to Franklin sites and events. McCray, Kelly. Materials consulted during preliminary research and comparison of interpretations. Additional local historical publications, museum materials, historical markers, and reference works reviewed by author. 🎙️ Credits Hosted by Big John Summers Produced by Summers Media Enterprises Music by Big John Summers 📣 Follow & Support Follow The Tennessee History Nerd on Facebook, Instagram, and X for additional content, including on-location videos, historical interpretation, and stories from across Tennessee. Support the show on Patreon for: • Early access to episodes • Ad-free listening • Exclusive bonus content, including full-length interviews 🔗 Links 🎧 Support the show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/summersmediaenterprises [https://www.patreon.com/summersmediaenterprises] 🧢 Merch & Apparel: https://www.summersmediaenterprises.com/merch [https://www.summersmediaenterprises.com/merch] 📘 Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheTennesseeHistoryNerd/ [https://www.facebook.com/TheTennesseeHistoryNerd/] Love what you're hearing? Hate what you're hearing? Either way, we'd love to hear what you think! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2589833/fan_mail/new] Thanks for listening!  Please check out our other episodes! Advertise with us!  John.summers@summersmediaenterprises.com Check out our sister podcast Dauphin Island Diaries Check out merchandise from The Tennessee History Nerd.   www.summersmediaenterprises.com/merch If you enjoyed this episode, follow the show, share it with someone who loves history, and leave a review—it helps more folks discover the stories of the Volunteer State.

TTHN Ep 5a - The Talking Leaves - Bonus Material: Interview with Charlie Rhodarmer

Director, Sequoyah Birthplace Museum   In this companion interview to Episode 5, The Talking Leaves, we go beyond the narrative and into the details with Charlie Rhodarmer, director of the Sequoyah Birthplace Museum in Vonore, Tennessee. Drawing on his experience and deep familiarity with the site and its history, Charlie provides valuable context, clarifications, and corrections that help sharpen our understanding of Sequoyah’s life and legacy. From the complexities of reconstructing Sequoyah’s story to the challenges of interpreting a life preserved through both oral tradition and limited documentation, this conversation adds depth that can’t be captured in a single episode. This is the kind of perspective you only get by being there—by standing near the place where the story begins and speaking with those who help preserve it. 🎯 What You’ll Hear in This Interview * Clarifications and corrections related to Sequoyah’s life and timeline * The challenges of interpreting historical figures rooted in oral tradition * Insights from the Sequoyah Birthplace Museum’s research and exhibits * Discussion of common misconceptions about Sequoyah * The importance of place-based history in understanding the past * Behind-the-scenes perspective from the museum itself 🧠 Why This Matters Sequoyah’s story is one of the most remarkable in American history—but it is also one of the most complex. This interview highlights the importance of careful interpretation, source awareness, and humility when approaching historical narratives that come to us through multiple and sometimes conflicting accounts. 📍 About the Location This interview is connected to the Sequoyah Birthplace Museum, located near the site traditionally associated with Sequoyah’s birthplace along the Little Tennessee River (now part of Tellico Lake). Credits: Hosted by Big John Summers Guest: Charlie Rhodarmer Produced by Summers Media Enterprises Follow & Support: Follow The Tennessee History Nerd on Facebook, Instagram, and X for additional content, including on-location videos and historical insights from around the state of Tennessee as well as other places that bear relevance. Support the show on Patreon for: * Ad-free listening * Exclusive bonus content, including full-length interviews 🔗 Links  🎧 Support the show on Patreon (early access, bonus content, interviews): https://www.patreon.com/summersmediaenterprises [https://www.patreon.com/summersmediaenterprises] 🧢 Merch & Apparel: https://www.summersmediaenterprises.com/merch [https://www.summersmediaenterprises.com/merch] 📘 Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheTennesseeHistoryNerd/ [https://www.facebook.com/TheTennesseeHistoryNerd/] Love what you're hearing? Hate what you're hearing? Either way, we'd love to hear what you think! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2589833/fan_mail/new] Thanks for listening!  Please check out our other episodes! Advertise with us!  John.summers@summersmediaenterprises.com Check out our sister podcast Dauphin Island Diaries Check out merchandise from The Tennessee History Nerd.   www.summersmediaenterprises.com/merch If you enjoyed this episode, follow the show, share it with someone who loves history, and leave a review—it helps more folks discover the stories of the Volunteer State.

TTHN Ep 13 - Driving Across Tennessee: Anderson County Edition

Anderson County has reinvented itself again and again. Founded in 1801 and named for U.S. Senator Joseph Anderson, the county began as part of Tennessee's frontier landscape of ridges, valleys, rivers, and scattered settlements. Over the next two centuries, it would become the setting for some of the most remarkable chapters in Tennessee history. This is a county where Unionists resisted secession during the Civil War. It is a county where coal miners took up arms against Tennessee's convict leasing system during the Coal Creek War. It is home to Fraterville, the site of one of the deadliest mining disasters in American history. It is a county where an old farmer named John Hendrix reportedly foresaw dramatic changes that would later transform the region. Then came the twentieth century. The Tennessee Valley Authority reshaped the landscape through Norris Dam and Norris Lake. Entire communities were displaced. Farms, roads, and family homes disappeared beneath the waters of a new reservoir. Only a few years later, the federal government returned. This time it came with fences, guards, secrecy, and a mission that would change the world. The Manhattan Project transformed a rural portion of Anderson County into Oak Ridge, the Secret City, where thousands of workers helped usher in the Atomic Age. Yet the story of Anderson County did not end there. The county would later become the site of another chapter in American history as students, families, and community leaders found themselves at the center of the struggle over school integration through the stories of the Clinton 12 and the Scarboro 85. From frontier settlements to coal camps, from Norris Dam to Oak Ridge, from Civil War Unionism to the Civil Rights Movement, Anderson County's history is ultimately the story of a place repeatedly transformed by forces larger than itself. This is the story of Anderson County, Tennessee. Key Sources Tennessee Encyclopedia   The Historical Marker Database (HMDB) — Anderson County historical markers Interpretive materials at the Oak Ridge History Museum Interpretive materials at the American Museum of Science and Energy (AMSE) Interpretive materials at Norris Dam Interpretive materials at the Green McAdoo Cultural Center On-site research and field observations conducted in Clinton, Oak Ridge, Scarboro, Norris, Fraterville, Briceville, Rocky Top, Miner's Circle, and the Elza Gate area Credits Hosted by Big John Summers Produced by Summers Media Enterprises Foley/Sound effect recordings by Big John Summers Follow & Support Follow The Tennessee History Nerd on Facebook for: • On-location videos • Tennessee history content • Episode updates • Historical insights and research clips Support the show on Patreon for: • Early access • Ad-free listening • Bonus interviews • Extended historical discussions 🔗 Links 🎧 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/summersmediaenterprises [https://www.patreon.com/summersmediaenterprises] 🧢 Merch: https://www.summersmediaenterprises.com/merch [https://www.summersmediaenterprises.com/merch] 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheTennesseeHistoryNerd/ [https://www.facebook.com/TheTennesseeHistoryNerd/] Check out Dauphin Island Diaries: https://www.summersmediaenterprises.com/podcasts/did [https://www.summersmediaenterprises.com/podcasts/did] Subscribe to Patreon: Patreon.com/summersmediaenterprises Love what you're hearing? Hate what you're hearing? Either way, we'd love to hear what you think! Advertise with us! john.summers@summersmediaenterprises.com [john.summers@summersmediaenterprises.com] Thanks for listening! Please check out our other episodes! #TheTennesseeHistoryNerd Love what you're hearing? Hate what you're hearing? Either way, we'd love to hear what you think! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2589833/fan_mail/new] Thanks for listening!  Please check out our other episodes! Advertise with us!  John.summers@summersmediaenterprises.com Check out our sister podcast Dauphin Island Diaries Check out merchandise from The Tennessee History Nerd.   www.summersmediaenterprises.com/merch If you enjoyed this episode, follow the show, share it with someone who loves history, and leave a review—it helps more folks discover the stories of the Volunteer State.

TTHN Ep 7a - The Iron Men (Addendum) - Bonus Material: Interview with Norman Jetmundsen

We're making this interview, which previously required a Patreon subscription to be able to access, available to the general public now--no subscription required. For Ep 7 - The Iron Men, I had the opportunity to sit down with Norman Jetmundsen—author, historian, and co-producer of Sewanee 1899: Unrivaled—whose work served as a primary narrative source for this episode on the Iron Men of Sewanee.   This conversation goes beyond the story told in the episode. We talk about: * how the 1899 season has been remembered over time * what makes that team’s achievement so remarkable even today * the research behind Unrivaled * and the details that didn’t make it into the documentary If you’ve listened to the episode, this adds another layer. If you haven’t yet, this will give you a deeper sense of just how extraordinary that story really is. There’s a difference between hearing the story… and hearing from the people who have spent years preserving it. Credits: Hosted by Big John Summers Produced by Summers Media Enterprises Follow & Support: Follow The Tennessee History Nerd on Facebook, Instagram, and X for additional content, including on-location videos and historical insights from around the state of Tennessee as well as other places that bear relevance. Support the show on Patreon for: * Early access to episodes * Ad-free listening * Exclusive bonus content, including full-length interviews 🔗 Links 🎧 Support the show on Patreon (early access, bonus content, interviews): https://www.patreon.com/summersmediaenterprises [https://www.patreon.com/summersmediaenterprises] 🧢 Merch & Apparel: https://www.summersmediaenterprises.com/merch [https://www.summersmediaenterprises.com/merch] 📘 Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheTennesseeHistoryNerd/ [https://www.facebook.com/TheTennesseeHistoryNerd/] Love what you're hearing? Hate what you're hearing? Either way, we'd love to hear what you think! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2589833/fan_mail/new] Thanks for listening!  Please check out our other episodes! Advertise with us!  John.summers@summersmediaenterprises.com Check out our sister podcast Dauphin Island Diaries Check out merchandise from The Tennessee History Nerd.   www.summersmediaenterprises.com/merch If you enjoyed this episode, follow the show, share it with someone who loves history, and leave a review—it helps more folks discover the stories of the Volunteer State.