Tennessee State Library & Archives Explores the Legacy of Tennessee’s State Parks with a Lunchtime Speaker Series

Tennessee State Library & Archives is excited to announce a new lunchtime speaker series as part of The Legacy of Tennessee State Parks exhibit, exploring the history behind one of the best park systems in the country. 

“Our state parks have a rich history of conservation and recreation in communities across the state,” said Secretary of State Tre Hargett. “I encourage anyone interested in Tennessee history and preservation of our parks system to join us for these free speaker series events.” 

The first Lunchtime Speaker Series event, Early Conservation Efforts in Tennessee led by Tennessee State Parks Cultural Resource Manager Hobart Akin, will take place Thursday, March 16, from Noon to 1 p.m. 

The other remaining speaker series events will take place on March 24, April 1 and April 14. Topics for these events include recreating the 1859 Port Royal General Store through records found at the Library & Archives, Tennessee State Parks Folklife Project and archaeology in Tennessee State Parks. 

A noted expert will lead each Lunchtime Speaker Series talk, including Akin, Doctoral Candidate in Residence Amanda McCrary Smith, Justin P. Wilson Cumberland Trail State Park Manager Bob Fulcher and Archaeologist Aaron Dieter-Wolf. 

"We look forward to welcoming previous and new guests to the Library & Archives for this speaker series,” said Jamie Ritter, Tennessee State Librarian and Archivist. “The lineup is full of interesting topics and extremely knowledgeable speakers.” 

This Lunchtime Speaker Series events will be in-person and live-streamed on the Library & Archives' Facebook page. In-person attendees are encouraged to bring their own lunch. This series is free to the public. Seating is limited. To make a reservation to attend the Early Conservation Efforts in Tennessee talk on March 16, visit bit.ly/TSLASS1. 

After each presentation, in-person attendees are invited to view the Library & Archives’ Legacy of Tennessee State Parks exhibit, which is open now until May 13, in the Lobby. 

The Library & Archives is located at 1001 Rep. John Lewis Way North on Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park. Parking is available for guests in the Library & Archives garage on Jackson Street/Junior Gilliam Way. 

To attend The Legacy of Tennessee State Parks Lunchtime Speaker Series, reserve your spot for the March 16 talk at bit.ly/TSLASS1. 

To learn more about the Library & Archives or schedule a research visit, call 615-741-2764, email ask@tsla.libanswers.com or visit sos.tn.gov/tsla/plan-your-visit.

The Tennessee State Library & Archives is a division of the Office of Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett.

Tennessee State Library & Archives Honors Tennessee’s State Parks Legacy with New Exhibit

Considered one of the best park systems in the country, Tennessee has 57 state parks. A new exhibit at the Tennessee State Library & Archives, The Legacy of State Parks, honors the impact of state parks in Tennessee. 

“Tennessee’s state parks offer visitors endless opportunities to explore lakes, waterfalls, hiking trails and much more,” said Secretary of State Tre Hargett. “This new exhibit is a great way to learn about the history of our great state parks and the impact they have had on Tennessee.” 

Guests can view this new exhibit and the permanent interactive exhibits in the Library & Archives lobby from Monday to Saturday between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. CT. 

The Legacy of Tennessee State Parks exhibit is free and open to the public until May 13, 2023. The Legacy of Tennessee State Parks exhibit brings together materials from sixteen collections to highlight the organization’s 86-year history. The Library & Archives has some of the state’s largest collections related to Tennessee State Parks. 

“We are honored that the Tennessee State Library & Archives is recognizing our state parks in such an outstanding way,” said Commissioner David Salyers of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. “Our parks have 86 years of rich history, preserving natural resources, providing recreation for families, and enhancing communities. We’re indebted to the state’s leaders who years ago had the foresight and commitment to give our parks a special role in Tennessee. We’re delighted to see such awareness and appreciation of our parks with this exhibit.” 

Through The Legacy of State Parks exhibit, visitors can learn about early conservation and recreation efforts in state parks and the Tennessee State Parks Folklife Project. This exhibit showcases just a portion of their vast collections related to the history of Tennessee State Parks. 

The mission of the Library & Archives, a division of the Department of State, is to preserve Tennessee's history for current and future generations. They collect and protect books, records and other documents of historical and reference value, focusing on items about Tennessee and Tennesseans. 

The Library & Archives is home to many irreplaceable historical documents, including Tennessee's three constitutions, letters from Tennessee's three presidents, records from 55 former Tennessee governors, a comprehensive collection of Tennessee newspapers dating back to 1791 and original records of the State of Franklin. 

The Library & Archives is located at 1001 Rep. John Lewis Way North on the northeast corner of Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, across from the Tennessee State Museum. Parking is available for guests in the Library & Archives garage on Jackson Street/Junior Gilliam Way. The Library & Archives library, microfilm and manuscripts reading rooms are open for research Tuesday through Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CT. Research appointments are recommended. With an appointment, Library & Archives staff can help visitors build a list of relevant collection items and can often pull some of the items in advance. 

For more information about the Library & Archives or to schedule a research appointment, call 615-741-2764, email ask@tsla.libanswers.com or visit sos.tn.gov/tsla/plan-your-visit.

The Tennessee State Library & Archives is a division of the Office of Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett.

Eight Collections to Celebrate 80 Years of Tennessee State Parks

By Patsy Mitchell

Did you know that 2017 marks the 80th anniversary of the Tennessee state park system? Established in 1937, it now includes 56 parks and 85 natural areas covering about 200,000 acres across the state. In honor of this momentous occasion, here are just a few collections related to our beautiful state parks. Please visit the Tennessee State Library and Archives to learn more about these collections and other resources – then get outside and enjoy those great outdoors!

Department of Conservation Photograph Collection, Record Group 82, 1937-1976:

This record group consists of more than 11,000 photographs and 21,000 negatives produced for publication in the magazine Tennessee Wildlife (later The Tennessee Conservationist) as well as tourism brochures, annual reports, presentations and displays at county fairs. Series 27, State Parks, provides a documentary history of the state parks, including their development by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the 1930s.

Some digital versions are available as part of the Library Photograph Collection in the Tennessee Virtual Archive.

Aerial view of the Negro State Park (now T.O. Fuller State Park) area looking south, taken over the Mississippi River at 1,000 feet, June 8, 1938 (RG 82). The state park system was segregated from its inception in 1937 with two parks established for African-Americans – T.O. Fuller and Booker T. Washington State Parks – before integration in the early 1960s.

Department of Conservation Records, Record Group 266, 1919-1987:

This record group consists of correspondence, photographs, scrapbooks, and subject files relating to the activities of the Department of Conservation for the years 1919 through 1987. In particular, the subject files contain extensive information on the creation and growth of the Tennessee state park system.

See the record group’s finding aid online HERE.

Visitor’s Centre diagram from the Report on the Master Plan for Panther Creek State Park, July 1966. (RG 266)

Tennessee State Parks Folklife Project Records, Record Group 59, 1979-1984:

Started in 1979, the Tennessee State Parks Folklife Project aimed to document and preserve Tennessee culture by engaging local musicians, craftsmen, and storytellers in communities surrounding six state parks. While much of the collection focuses on music, art and other folk traditions, there are some materials on the history and development of the state parks.

The digital collection is available in the Tennessee Virtual Archive.

Soapmakers from Whiteville are pictured demonstrating the making of lye soap in front of Chickasaw State Park program spectators. (RG 59)

Game and Fish Conservation Commission Records, Record Group 16, 1933-1937:

This collection consists of records from the short-lived, independent Game and Fish Department (1933-1935) in addition to those of the Game and Fish Conservation Commission (1935-1937). It includes the correspondence of two State Wardens, reports, meeting minutes and other materials.

The collection’s finding aid is available online HERE.

January 1934 issue of The Open Trails, a periodical produced by the Game and Fish Conservation Commission. It is one of nine in the collection, covering May 1933 to January 1934. (RG 16)

Department of Conservation Records, Record Group 19, 1937-1959:

For more information on the development of wildlife management programs in Tennessee, check out Record Group 19, which consists primarily of correspondence, speeches, financial records and minutes. The bulk of the correspondence belongs to Jim Nance McCord, who served as Commissioner of Conservation from 1953-1959.

The collection’s finding aid is available online HERE.

Pictorial map of Norris Lake Forest and Vicinity, June 1937, by H.R. Franco. (RG 19)

Civilian Conservation Corps in Tennessee Collection, 1933-1942:

As mentioned previously, the Civilian Conservation Corps was greatly involved in the development of the state parks in Tennessee. This collection contains two field reports: Fall Creek Falls Recreational Demonstration Area and Montgomery Bell Project Reclamation Area. There are also maps and photographs of these two parks.

This collection’s finding aid is available online HERE.

Cover for the report on Fall Creek Falls Recreational Demonstration Area. (Civilian Conservation Corps in Tennessee Collection, 1933-1942)

CCC 50th Anniversary Collection, Record Group 93:

The Civilian Conservation Corps 50th Anniversary Collection consists of yearbooks, camp newspapers, photographs, and other records documenting the experience and work of the CCC in Tennessee.

Photograph of unnamed men and women by the lake at Big Ridge State Park, taken by Otto F. Haslbauer Norris, date unknown. (RG 93)

Tennessee State Parks Brochures

Our final collection is part of our library holdings and consists of brochures from our many state parks ranging from 1956 to the present. Some of the brochures provide basic information about the park, while others serve as trail guides and wildlife aids.

Both sides of a brochure for Reelfoot Lake in West Tennessee

The Tennessee State Library and Archives is a division of the Tennessee Department of State and Tre Hargett, Secretary of State