Friendsville is a small town with a rich, varied history. It had its beginnings in the late 1790s, when several related families with the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) moved from North Carolina into what is now Blount County and established a Friends meeting about 12 miles from Maryville, the county seat. The families built a gristmill and a sawmill and later sold town lots. The Friendsville Post Office was established in 1850, and the town was incorporated in 1953. Friendsville has played a remarkable role in the history of the United States. The Friends, who did not support war or slavery, operated several stops on the Underground Railroad during the Civil War, helping runaway slaves, freed African Americans, and southern residents who wanted to fight for the North or move north to avoid the war. The area is now noted for its marble production, with Friendsville pink marble gracing such buildings as the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.
Blount County is the 10th county formed in the state of Tennessee. It was carved out of Knox County in 1795 and named for William Blount, the governor of the Territory South of the River Ohio. Maryville is the county seat and was named for Blount's wife, Mary Grainger Blount. The abundance of natural resources that once drew hardy settlers now attracts tourists from all over the world, especially to Cades Cove, a pioneer settlement in the Blount County section of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Blount County has been home to the legendary Sam Houston; U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander, who also served as Tennessee's governor; and Bessie Harvey, a world-renowned folk artist.
Maryville was incorporated as a city on July 11, 1795, by a single territorial legislative act that also created Blount County. Maryville, the Blount County seat, was named for Mary Grainger Blount, wife of territorial governor William Blount. The 50-acre site adjoining Capt. John Craig's fort was donated by Craig for the founding of the town, and a seven-man commission laid out 120 lots to be sold to raise funds for building a courthouse, prison, and stocks for the county. This book shares Maryville's rich history from its humble beginnings in the shadow of the Great Smoky Mountains to the turmoil of the Civil War and the changing face of the landscape throughout the 20th century. The images, many of them previously unpublished, were provided by local individuals, Maryville city government and schools, Maryville College, the Blount County Public Library, and the Daily Times newspaper.
Biographical reference providing information on individuals active in the theatre, film, and television industries. Covers not only performers, directors, writers, and producers, but also behind-the-scenes specialists such as designers, managers, choreographers, technicians, composers, executives, dancers, and critics from the United States and Great Britain.
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