Reelfoot Forward

In 1901, Andrew Carnegie donated $70,000 for the construction of a library in Jackson, Tenn. Today, the ornate building is devoted to telling stories in a different way. In this episode, John Reitzammer takes us behind-the-scenes of the renovation of the building that now tells the stories of West Tennessee's musical history. As part of the Americana Music Triangle, the Tennessee Music Museum highlights the lives and careers of artists like Carl Perkins, Eddy Arnold, Sonny Boy Williamson and others.

Later, discover what happened during Union City’s 1954 10-day Centennial.

Rusty Robinson combined two of his favorite things to create one of the most unique museums in the world, Rusty’s TV and Movie Car Museum in Jackson, Tenn. Rusty’s passion for both cars and entertainment has led to a museum with more than 26 cars on display that have been used in movies and television shows along with lots of entertainment memorabilia. The list of movies represented there is long and includes “The Fast and The Furious,” “Death Race,” “Batman,” “The Beverly Hillbillies” and many more. Pay Rusty a visit at his museum and you’ll hear hilarious stories from the man himself while checking out cars like Scooby Do's Mystery Machine, the General Lee from “The Dukes of Hazzard” and Herbie The Love Bug. In this episode, he shares about the role his parents played in supporting his passion, why his museum is a great first date spot and which of the cars he wanted got away.

Then, find out how a rare Titan 1 Missile came to be at Discovery Park of America’s STEM Landing.

John Sellers is a young dad, husband, philanthropist and entrepreneur who, with his wife Courtney, runs Martin Coffeehouse along with six other successful West Tennessee businesses. In this episode, find out what drives John to jump in and make things happen and where his passion and inspiration come from. He also talks about their projects in Nepal and Kenya that bridge the literacy gap through school supplies, letters of encouragement and libraries in rural areas. For every cup of coffee sold, Martin Coffeehouse donates 10 cents to the projects and recently completed a library for the Collins Children's Home in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Then, discover the details behind one of the Civil War’s “most audacious bluffs” that took place during the Battle of Union City, a few miles away from Discovery Park of America.

If Old McDonald is your idea of a farmer, you will want to listen to this episode featuring Emily Workman. Over 2.1 million farms dot America’s rural landscape and about 99 percent of U.S. farms are operated by families, individuals, family partnerships or family corporations. Because these farm and ranch families comprise just 2 percent of the U.S. population, many people today live their entire lives and never actually meet a real farmer or even see crops growing in a field. Farmer and ag specialist Emily Workman shares with Scott some of the truths behind what it takes to run a farm in a world where false information and propaganda can be spread with the click of a mouse on a computer or the touch of a finger on a mobile device. From GMOs and precision ag to education and raising a family on a farm, Emily’s first-hand knowledge will be fascinating to anyone who cares about how a growing population is fed and clothed today and will be in the future.

Also, go behind-the-scenes at Discovery Park of America with Hugh Wade and discover more about the World War II Jeep located in the Military Gallery. As an early volunteer, Wade played a significant leadership role in acquiring many of the unusual artifacts on display in the museum and heritage park.

Julie Hill, Chair of the Music Department at the University of Tennessee at Martin, does more than just talk about her passion for the arts; she puts that passion to work in West Tennessee and around the world as a performer and leader in many different arts-related initiatives. A performer and scholar who has received worldwide recognition and is principal percussionist with the Paducah Symphony Orchestra and member of the award-winning bands Caixa Trio and X4 quartet, she has seen firsthand the power of the arts in the lives of those living and working in rural communities. In addition to sharing how her love for Brazilian music led to a program focused on social transformation for black women and at-risk children in Northeastern Brazil, she discusses how—closer to home—a group of parents and educators in Martin, Tenn. has formed Weakley ArtsCan, an organization working to make the arts available to students in the area.

Then, Gunner Garner, docent at Discovery Park of America, takes us back in time to explore the development of Gutenberg's printing press and the impact it made around the world.

If you love West Tennessee heritage, don’t miss this conversation with Sonia Outlaw-Clark from the West Tennessee Delta Heritage Center. She covers topics like the importance of cotton to the area, the riches of the Hatchie River, Sleepy John Estes and the riverboat queen herself, Tina Turner. She also discusses the beginnings of the center and how they acquired the home of bluesman “Sleepy” John Estes, a one-room schoolhouse and the Tina Turner museum.

Later, Andrew “drives” the conversation with classic car enthusiast and docent in the Transportation Gallery at Discovery Park of America, Jeff Davis. They talk about the beginnings of DPA’s transportation committee, as well as which cars are favorites among staff and guests.

The history of the “Minglewood Blues” is as long and complex as the difficult-to-locate Menglewood, the West Tennessee river town it was named after. Danny Walden, president of the Dyer County Historical Society, shares the origin, location and details of the town that was the site of the Mengel Box Company.

Walden also sheds light on the history of the song written by Noah Lewis then first recorded in 1928 in Memphis by Cannon’s Jug Stompers. A version titled “New, New Minglewood Blues,” was recorded by the Grateful Dead in 1967 for their first album and both the song and the Tennessee town became part of the heritage of rock ‘n’ roll.

Later, Andrew talks with Amanda Mayo about the woolly mammoth that is on display in the Regional Gallery at Discovery Park of America. Amanda tells us the history of the fossils, how early humans hunted and used woolly mammoths to survive the harsh winters, and the similarities found between woolly mammoths and Asian and Indian elephants today.

Take a step back in time as Scott talks with Marti Doss, who was in on the action when the first conversations were had about the wild idea to build a 100,000SF museum in the middle of a cornfield in Union City, Tennessee. Marti lets us in on how the Obion County Museum played a big role in the development of Discovery Park of America. She is now a volunteer artist at the park, and talks about the importance of art in the lives of children.

Later, Andrew has a conversation with David Heathcott that will surely “spark” your imagination. They discuss direct and alternating electrical currents, and also talk about who really was the inventor of electricity – Thomas Edison or Nikola Tesla. You can learn more about these currents in our Energy Gallery located on the third level inside Discovery Center.

If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to quit your job in the city and create a whole new world in a friendly rural community, you’ll love hearing Kathy Dumont’s story. After searching for a place that would offer a simpler, more peaceful life, she and husband, Michael, found what they call “paradise.”

In addition to their 400-acre hobby farm, complete with restored farmhouse, where they raise baby doll sheep, Australian shepherds and rescue horses, they’ve acquired and restored many properties in Linden, Tennessee. Their renovations, including an inn built in 1939 now named the Commodore Hotel, have been so successful, they inspired the creation of the Blooming Arts Festival that takes place in Linden each March.

When they first arrived in town in 2007, there were 14 vacant storefronts. Today, there are none and the town is booming. Kathy shares some tips on attracting visitors, using social media, the role of music in Middle and West Tennessee and more.

Later, discover how the actual dinosaur eggs at Discovery Park of America are used to tell the sad story of how the oviraptor became the misunderstood mother of the dinosaur world.

Jiréh Breon Holder, born and raised in Memphis, Tenn., is currently a writer on NBC's hit show “New Amsterdam.” Holder talks about how he made it from Memphis to the Yale School of Drama, then on to Hollywood and New York and how his grandmother helped him come up with the idea for his award-winning off-Broadway play, "Too Heavy for Your Pocket." In the play, Holder takes us back to Nashville in the summer of 1961 as the Freedom Riders are embarking on a courageous journey into the Deep South. In the episode, Holder shares his own thoughts about choosing to—or not to—publicly take a stand on important issues of the day, his writing habits and the impact of his West Tennessee heritage on his work.

Afterward, hear the story of Verne and Nonie Sabin who together photographed Union City and Reelfoot Lake from 1919 to 1924. Their collection of photos has been praised throughout the country for its ability to create a window through which we can experience the lives of those living in the Reelfoot Lake region during that time.