TTHN Ep 12 -  A Pearl of a Story

Long before cultured pearls became common in jewelry stores, rivers across Tennessee produced natural freshwater pearls inside native mussels. By the late 1800s, the state found itself in the middle of a full-blown “Pearl Rush,” especially along the Clinch River near Clinton, Tennessee. Pearl hunters waded the rivers barefoot searching for mussels, brail boats dragged the river bottoms, and buyers traveled from New York City to East Tennessee to purchase pearls for the jewelry trade.

The shells themselves became enormously valuable for the manufacture of mother-of-pearl buttons before plastics transformed the industry after World War II. Eventually, Tennessee mussel shells became even more important internationally as the primary source of nuclei used in cultured pearls around the world.

Today, the Tennessee River Freshwater Pearl Museum and Farm near Camden preserves the legacy of this unusual industry while continuing the only freshwater pearl culturing operation in North America.

This is the story of rivers, mussels, pearls, aquaculture, environmental change, and one of Tennessee’s most surprising hidden industries.

TTHN Ep 11 -  Red Stick Ruination

The Red Stick village of Tohopeka...known today as Horseshoe Bend.

There, in March of 1814, roughly 1,000 Red Stick warriors fortified themselves behind a massive barricade alongside hundreds of women and children. Facing them was an army under Andrew Jackson made up of Tennessee militia, United States Regulars, Cherokee warriors, and Lower Creek allies.

What followed was brutal.

In this episode, we examine the divisions within the Creek Nation, Tecumseh’s influence, the rise of the Red Sticks, the Creek War campaign, the battle itself, and the devastating aftermath that followed.

Because Horseshoe Bend did more than end a war...it redrew the map of the American South.

TTHN Ep 10 -  Horror on the Mississippi:  The Forgotten Inferno

In this episode, we tell the story of the Sultana disaster: how it happened, why so many were aboard, the corruption and negligence surrounding the voyage, the human cost of the disaster, and why one of the deadliest maritime tragedies in American history has so often been forgotten.

Because sometimes history is not lost because it was small.

Sometimes it is lost because the nation was already trying to move on.

TTHN Ep 9 -  Terror in the Night

In the early 1900s, conflict over land, access, ownership, and outside control erupted around Reelfoot Lake. What began as a fight over the future of the lake became one of the darkest and most dramatic chapters in Tennessee history.

In this episode, we trace the story of the Night Riders of Reelfoot Lake: the roots of the conflict, the people caught in it, the violence that shocked Tennessee, and the way this story lived on in memory, history, and even early motion pictures.

Because at Reelfoot Lake, history does not always rise gently from the water.

Sometimes, it comes in the dark.

TTHN Ep 8 -  The Fort That Wasn't

In this episode, we walk through the long story of Old Stone Fort—from early speculation and 19th-century investigation to the archaeological work that reshaped our understanding of the site. Along the way, we explore how this place was built, how it changed over time, and what it may have meant to the people who returned here generation after generation.

We also examine the layers that came later—the mills, the industry, and the transformation of the landscape—before returning to the central question that still lingers:

If it wasn’t a fort…what was it?

TTHN Ep 7a -  The Iron Men - Bonus:  Interview with Norman Jetmundsen

We're making this interview, which previously required a Patreon subscription to be able to access, available to the general public now--no subscription required.

For Ep 7 - The Iron Men, I had the opportunity to sit down with Norman Jetmundsen—author, historian, and co-producer of Sewanee 1899: Unrivaled—whose work served as a primary narrative source for Episode 7 - The Iron Men -- the story of the 1899 University of the South football team: the Iron Men of Sewanee.  

This conversation goes well beyond the story told in the episode.

TTHN Ep 7 -  The Iron Men

The 1899 University of the South (Sewanee) Tigers football team is one of the most remarkable stories in the history of college athletics.

In a single six-day stretch, this team traveled by train across the South and defeated five opponents—shutting out each one—without the benefit of modern substitutions, recovery, or depth. It’s a story of endurance, discipline, and a level of toughness that’s hard to fully appreciate today.  

And that was only part of the season…

TTHN Ep 6 -  Damn the Torpedoes

In this episode, we trace the full arc of Admiral David Glasgow Farragut--from his beginnings along the Tennessee River near Campbell's Station to a childhood marked by loss... to a life forged almost entirely at sea.

By the time the Civil War began, Farragut was not an untested officer looking for opportunity. He was something far more dangerous—experienced, disciplined, and decisive.

TTHN Ep 5 -  The Talking Leaves

Sequoyah, a Cherokee silversmith with no formal education, created a written language for his people—transforming a primarily oral culture into a literate society in less than a generation.

In this episode of The Tennessee History Nerd, we explore the life and legacy of Sequoyah, the development of the Cherokee syllabary, and the lasting impact of one of the most remarkable intellectual achievements in American history.

Because sometimes, the most enduring revolutions don’t come through force…
but through understanding.

TTHN Ep 4 -  Singing for Glory

What began as a desperate effort to raise funds became something far greater. The Fisk Jubilee Singers carried the spirituals of a people—songs born out of suffering, faith, and endurance—across the country and eventually around the world.

In this episode of The Tennessee History Nerd, we tell the story of the Jubilee Singers—how they preserved a musical tradition, helped save their university, and introduced the world to a sound that could not be silenced.

Because sometimes the most powerful voices rise not in comfort—but in hardship.

TTHN Ep 3 - The LOST Resort

Tucked away in Warren County, Nicholson Springs Resort was once a thriving destination. Visitors came for the mineral waters, the scenery, and the promise of restoration. For a season, it flourished.

And then… it was gone.

In this episode of The Tennessee History Nerd, we uncover the story of Nicholson Springs Resort—how it rose, why it mattered, and how something so significant could seemingly disappear from memory.

TTHN Ep 2 - What's in a (Nick) Name?

It’s one of those names everyone recognizes—but not everyone really understands. The answer isn’t just a slogan or a bit of folklore. It’s a story rooted in moments when Tennesseans stepped forward—sometimes unexpectedly—and left a lasting mark on American history. 

Because sometimes a nickname isn’t just a name. It’s a legacy. 

TTHN Ep 1 - Sweet 16

In this first episode of The Tennessee History Nerd, we step back into that world to trace Tennessee’s path to statehood—how it happened, who made it happen, and why it still matters today.

Because Tennessee didn’t just join the Union—it earned its place in it