First things first. What is a “hootenanny”? East TN History Center (ETHC) did the work for me to define it on their website.
Hootenanny (n.): 1. An informal gathering where folk music is played in a party-like atmosphere (1950-60s) 2. An Appalachian colloquialism used as a placeholder name to refer to things whose names were forgotten or unknown (1930s. See doohickey, thingamajig, whatchamacallit) 3. A variation of the Scottish Gaelic word for New Year’s celebrations (15th century Gaelic. See Hogmanay)
Last Saturday was the 2nd annual History Hootenanny at ETHC. It was a full day of history, entertainment, genealogy, fun, and learning. I took the husband and two youngest Ryerson’s to check it out. Despite some pre-adolescent whining before we got there, we all had a great time.
We arrived just as the free event was getting started. Since we had a little time before the first-timed event I wanted to do, we toured the museum and headed to the children’s area in History Headquarters. It was adorable. I was embarrassed that I had never checked it out before now. They have a performance area, tables with various activities to do, books, puppets, a giant mirror that lets you glimpse the past, and our favorite, a stop-motion movie maker.
History Hootenanny 2023, East Tennessee History Center, 601 South Gay St., August 2023
I’m always amazed walking into ETHC. The exhibits they have curated are both visually appealing and informative. The trolley exhibit makes me want to go out to Gay St and jump on one myself. (I’m mourning the potential loss of the trolleys downtown.) The Native American history in East TN and the history of movies and entertainers from the area round out the main floor exhibits. The 3rd-floor genealogy studies host workshops for beginners and advanced historians.
History Hootenanny 2023, East Tennessee History Center, 601 South Gay St., August 2023
While the girls and Matt created characters for their stop-motion videos, I wandered around to check out the rest of the day’s events. The History Express was available to take guests to five historical locations in and around downtown. Route 1 visited Blount Mansion, James White’s Fort, and Mabry-Hazen House. Route 2 visited Historic Westwood and Cresent Bend House and Gardens.
Throughout the day, guided walking tours were provided in partnership with Laura Still and Knoxville Walking Tours and Jack Neely with the Knoxville History Project. The Tennessee Theatre opened for self-guided tours. The theatre also hosted the Clarence Brown Film Festival Aug 16-20, and during the Hootenanny, showed The Yearling, Anna Karenina, and The Signal Tower.
Live music graced the streets at 11 and 1 featuring the Lawnmower Bluegrass. The auditorium held multiple booths. Friends of the Knox County Public Library hosted a used history book sale. Other booths were geared toward learning more about history in Knoxville, Black in Appalachia, Sons of Confederate Veterans, and your family history search.
Upstairs in the Calvin M. McClung Historical Collection, visitors were greeted by Dr. George Schweitzer, Professor of Chemistry at UT since 1948 and avid genealogical fan. Dr. Schweitzer pointed us to a free website, Family Search, to begin our family exploration. Eric Head, who leads the Archives for Knox County, also led a tour of the building, allowing visitors to see areas that may be overlooked in a typical visit. I took a few minutes to search for my great-grandfather, who lived in Cumberland County, and was able to trace back several generations of my family that I had never seen before. It was fascinating. I can understand how these searches could become an addictive hobby!
Overall, it was an exciting event, and it is an excellent addition to the Knoxville history efforts of the museum and so many others. If you want to stay current on what is happening at ETHC or become a member, click HERE.
History Hootenanny 2023, East Tennessee History Center, 601 South Gay St., August 2023