Musings From the Recently Otherwise Disposed

I fear that I have been absent for sometime. Apologies all around - I've been leading Maryville College (Tennessee) students around New York and dealing with the death of a great man, a legend among those familiar with Emory & Henry College - Arthur Lloyd "Big A.L." Mitchell. Mr. Mitchell was like a grandfather to my peers and me in my old fraternity (including several of this blog's contributors), not to mention half the rest of Emory. We miss you, sir.

Sigh.

Okay, that said, I wanted to share some things I have read, or been sent, or have stumbled upon since my last post . . . you know, spread the love. Consider, if you will:

White's Mill in Abingdon, Virginia
(Image from History of Washington County, Virginia Mills)

Mills of Washington County - Washington County, Virginia is one of the older populated counties of Appalachia west of the Blue Ridge line and as such it has a reputation for being Williamsburg-esque, not unlike Rockbridge County, Virginia or Berkeley County, West Virginia, you know, an inland county that attracts East Coast archaeologists. Well, on the advice of an e-mail from Ms. Kalli Lucas, I have a new site to share with you that hits on the history and architecture of the county - History of Washington County Mills. The site is a young one, but it is well worth a look, if for no other reason than it has the makings of a tour, you know, you have a free Saturday, you have a car, a map, two RC Colas, and a bagful of Funyuns, and well, bam, great day.

KTB's Header - It's Downtown Knoxvilletastic

Knoxville Tennessee Blog - We here at the ol' HS were alerted to the magic of KTB by one of their writers, Mr. Brian Zalk, and, well, their about section tells the story better than I could. For your approval:

Welcome to a Knoxville Tennessee Blog. The blog you are currently viewing is maintained by several Tennessee natives, as a hobby, with the intent of providing you with information that you may find helpful about Knoxville and the surrounding areas.

You are also likely find a variety of topics posted on this blog related to technology, sports, or (insert topic here). Topics that may come up from time to time which are related to Knoxville might include land planning, zoning, and community organizations, revitalization of areas, traffic reports (Smart-Fix Forty), government agendas, real estate, local job information and of course, U.T. sports.

Additionally, we developed the Interative Map (IMap) which can be used to quickly locate local hot spots provided by the community. If you would like to see a new place pinned on the map feel free to leave a comment or use the contact form to notify us. Also feel free to contact us anytime with suggestions for the blog or topics you would like to see posted.

Again, this one is a young'un, but it is put together incredibly well and I foresee it going apelicious. I say link'm up and keep watching - the Interactive Map, in particular, is worth a look-see and it shows signs of being a great introductory guide, in correlation with the blog, to Knoxvegas - - - keep growing your site, folks, and we'll keep watching.

Hoskins Library on the the Campus of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville -
Home to the Special Collections and Host of the Appalachian Removals and Relocations Lecture
(Image from the UTK Special Collections page)

Appalachian Removals and Relocations - The Special Collections Lecture Series at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville is sponsoring an intriguing series on, well, Let me just quote the site for you:

Appalachia is a region of great transformations and intersections. Humans have fought over its natural resources, land, and legacy for centuries. Removals and relocations across this vast territory resulted in regional diversity, cultural isolation, and conflicting identities. As a result, the image of Appalachia and its inhabitants is ever-changing.

Appalachian removals and relocations, both forced and voluntary, are most apparent in the 19th and 20th centuries. The hand of the federal government brought change to Appalachia in the 1830s with forced removal of the Cherokees. Homesteaders then occupied the emptied lands and turned the region's fertile bottomland into productive farms or staked claims on mountainsides and in the valleys of East Tennessee. The high dams of TVA and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park displaced the descendants of those first settlers a century later. Cheap land, opportunity, and dreams for a perfect society also led many immigrant groups to East Tennessee, with the British settlement of Rugby being perhaps the best example of this 19th century utopian influence upon the Appalachian character.

This exhibit explores the theme of Appalachian removals and relocations, using original material held by the Special Collections Library. It anchors the spring 2007 Special Collections Lecture Series and supports the University of Tennessee's Appalachian Semester. The exhibit will be open from March to October 2007, Monday-Friday 9:00 am - 5:30 pm.

Fascinating, eh? And for those of us who either don't live in K-town or don't have time in our schedules to hit the series live, the UTK Library will be podcasting the lectures as well. A must see (or hear) for history buffs.

The Jedi Jawa (Photo taken in Charleston at the Capital complex)

West Virginia Bloggers Message Board - Are you a blogger from West Virginia or a fan of West Virginia Blogging? Well, the Jedi Jawa is, and by god, he (do Jawa have genders? - - - or souls?) isn't a ashamed of it. And, in addition to running a plethora (er, okay, three) of blogs, he has a pretty darn comprehensive list of WV Blogs (hope you don't mind J-J if we add several of those to our link lists in the near future). My guess is that this Ohioian headed to Charleston, WV came across several of these folks came across several of them on a site the samurai-like sand denizen recommended to us, the West Virginia Bloggers Message Board.

Well, there is something to chew on . . . . enjoy.