Explore Your Roots

Find your link to the past though your family's history! A number of resources are available at the East Tennessee History Center to guide your genealogical research.

Freedom Engine

Come view special items on display from the Freedom Engine through September 30

Become a Member

A shared heritage and a sense of history are priceless gifts for ourselves and for generations to come. Join the East Tennessee Historical Society and become part of one of the most active and fastest growing historical organizations in the Southeast.

So much to see at the History Center!

Research Your Past

Attend one of the many free genealogy classes at the East Tennessee History Center!

Learn with Us

Contact our Education Department for information about museum visits and outreach programs

.

September

S	M	T	W	T	F	S
				1	2	3
4	5	6	7	8	9	10
11	12	13	14	15	16	17
18	19	20	21	22	23	24
25	26	27	28	29	30

September

S	M	T	W	T	F	S
				1	2	3
4	5	6	7	8	9	10
11	12	13	14	15	16	17
18	19	20	21	22	23	24
25	26	27	28	29	30

Front Porch to the Region's History

Geography defines East Tennessee as a land of mountains and valleys and with a history and heritage apart from the rest of the state. The East Tennessee Historical Society recognizes this distinctiveness with programs and exhibitions uniquely tailored to the region. Our educational mission is to engage the public with the message that history is important.

This Day In East Tennessee History

September 28, 1862

Philander Priestley Claxton was born on this day in 1862 in a one-room log cabin in Bedford County, TN, during the Civil War. In 1911, Claxton was appointed as the U.S. commissioner of Education. He advocated consolidation of rural schools, summer schools for students, and adult and vocational education.