Hear the trailer for the Nashville Retrospect podcast, a new podcast covering historical stories about Nashville, Tenn., hosted by Allen Forkum, editor and publisher of The Nashville Retrospect newspaper.

00 | Trailer for the new Nashville Retrospect podcast

The official podcast of The Nashville Retrospect, the monthly newspaper devoted to stories from Nashville's past. Editor and host Allen Forkum interviews local historians and people who experienced the city’s history firsthand. He also investigates audio artifacts from area archives and relates fascinating articles from old Nashville newspapers.

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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)  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

13 | Larry Brinton | Cash-for-Clemency Scandal, ‘Marie’ Movie | JFK Visit, Janet March Murder | August 2019 Issue

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

12 | Early TV, Hermitage Hotel, WWII Marriage | ‘Near You’ and Music City USA | March 2019 Issue

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

11 | Slavery, Runaways, Fancy Girls | Alex Haley’s ‘Roots’ | African-American Genealogy | February 2019 Issue

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

10 | War of 1812, Andrew Jackson, Creek War | Richard Fulton’s Country Music Record | Sulphur Water | January 2019 Issue

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  

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