Lecture Series
ALL PROGRAMS WILL BE HELD FROM 5:30 TO 6:30 P.M. AT THE FORT NEGLEY VISITOR CENTER,
1100 FORT NEGLEY BOULEVARD, NASHVILLE 37203, UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.
NASHVILLE’S STREETCARS AND INTERURBAN RAILWAYS
Wednesday, March 22, 2017
Ralcon Wagner, author
Nashville’s public transportation heritage began in 1866 when two private companies commenced operation. The first cars were mule-powered, but, as streetcar routes became longer, steam dummy lines were introduced. In 1889, Nashville became one of the earliest cities served by electric street railways, developing a 70-mile system by 1915. Nashville was also served by two interurban railway systems. Over time, improved roads and affordable cars caused ridership to drop rapidly. By February 1941, buses replaced the last of the streetcars.
RUSH TO JUSTICE: TENNESSEE’S FORGOTTEN TRIAL OF THE CENTURY, SCHOOLFIELD 1958
Wednesday, April 12, 2017
Jerry H. Summers, attorney and author
Raulston Schoolfield, a lightning-rod Hamilton County Criminal Court judge, ran a “people’s court” before television popularized the concept. Seeking the Democratic nomination for governor in 1954, Schoolfield challenged Frank Clement. Later, Clement tapped John Jay Hooker to aid investigation of the judge. The Tennessee Senate brought twenty-two articles of impeachment against Schoolfield. Jerry Summers recreates Schoolfield’s mid-century impeachment and his subsequent disbarment, tracing Schoolfield’s life from his early days as a rebellious teenager to his apparent political demise in 1958.
ENCOUNTERING HISTORY: STATE V JANE, A SLAVE
Wednesday, May 3, 2017
Dr. Abigail R. Gautreau, THS Content Specialist
Come explore a historical mystery. Some historical documents ask more questions than they answer, and this document in the Tennessee Historical Society collection is no exception. Written in a neat, compact script, a juror from Carthage, Tennessee, details the case of the State vs. Jane, a Slave in 1841. Jane, 15, was on trial as an accomplice in the murder of her master William Ballinger. The account contains what seems like convincing circumstantial evidence for Jane’s involvement in the cover up, if not the murder, but the jury finds her not guilty. We will go over the testimony and come to our own conclusions.
