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feature articles Knoxville in 1910 | Knoxville in 1910 |
| Written by Shannon Cournoyer | |||||
| Thursday, 01 May 2008 | |||||
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It wasn't until a 1917 Tennessee state bill passed which covered every aspect of prohibition, much like drug laws today, that prohibition became a reality. Nationwide prohibition went into effect in 1919 with the ratification of the 18th Amendment. New Year's Day was viewed differently on January 1, 1910 than we see it today. Public offices closed early that day but were open in the morning; the day was not yet a holiday. The 1910 Appalachian Exposition was a major event lasting from September 12 to October 12. Held in Exposition Park, called Chilhowee Park after the event, this was a huge undertaking, much like the 1982 World's Fair, and the first of its kind in this region. The Journal and Tribune on September 1, 1910 said that the exposition's organizers "...believe this great display of resources and manufactured products will put before the world in unmistakable terms, the unlimited advantages of the section in which Knoxville is located." It was hoped at this time that Knoxville would become a major city much like Atlanta did become.
A major fireworks display fired into the sky on opening night and after that smaller fireworks launched each night. Airplanes and dirigibles, both new technologies at the time, came to the exposition, giving people of East Tennessee their first glimpses of them. Horses were housed inside a large building for the first week with horse races at a nearby track every day that week. During the exposition, art from southern artists was displayed, bands played and notable persons stopped by. Teddy Roosevelt visited the fair, then a former president, with rumors of another run for the office, which he made in 1912. There was a major environmental theme to the exposition but not quite the complete conservation message it might be today. The Journal and Tribune explains, "The Exposition was formed with the idea of affording protection to the forests and the watersheds of the great Appalachian territory and for the purpose of exploiting and developing the resources of one of the greatest and richest sections of the southland." The exposition was so successful that another was held in 1911 followed by the 1913 National Conservation Exposition. All of the beautiful buildings were destroyed by fire long ago and today the only remnant of the Appalachian Exposition in Chilhowee Park is a marble bandstand which is still used.
The Boy Scouts were formed nationally this year and Knoxville's "Buck" Toms, the last owner of historic house Crescent Bend, formed a troop here, the first in East Tennessee and also one of the first in the country. Crime dropped in 1910 from the previous year and there were 3,729 arrests by the Knoxville Police.           
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When the bell rang at midnight on December 31, 1909, a new Tennessee state law went into effect which prohibited the manufacturing of liquor. All distilleries and breweries in the state were closed including the Bishop Distillery in Knoxville. Various attempts at limiting the sale and consumption of liquor had been attempted for years and failed and this new law was no exception.
A giant arch with "AE" and "1910" on it greeted people to the event and welcomed them to the many buildings created just for the Appalachian Exposition. The Administration or main building alone was a massive 80,000 square feet of exhibits. Many businesses including the area's largest railroads, the Southern Railway and the Louisville & Nashville, had exhibits in the Administration building. The other exposition buildings were a Minerals and Forestry building, a Live Stock building, a Poultry and Pet Stock building (remember, this was a very agricultural area at the time), the Knox County building and then there were special buildings for both women and African-Americans.
A new hotel opened on September 1, most likely wanting to be open for the Appalachian Exposition. The Hotel Atkin occupied the corner of Gay and Depot Streets, across from the Southern Railway Passenger Station, and offered rooms with a shared bath for $1.00 a night and rooms with a private bath for $1.50-$3.00.
