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IN THIS ISSUE
Spoleto
Came to Sequoyah Elementary School and reporter Sara Barrett was there to view the students’ artwork. See Sara’s pictures on page A-10
High style in The District Members of The District in Bearden teamed up to present a fabulous, unique fashion show during Knoxville Fashion Week on March 2 at Bennett Galleries.
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See Shannon’s story on page A-11
‘Your Day’ Bearden-area church leaders developed workshops in nutrition and legal issues for Spanish-speakers, then presented them along with 17 dozen cupcakes at “Tu Dia” or Your Day.
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See Sandra’s pictures on page A-2
A puzzlement Why did Joe Jarret resign as Knox County Law Director after losing the GOP primary to Bud Armstrong? Why did Armstrong turn down the opportunity to be appointed to the position, which would allow him to advise the committee that’s going to recommend changes to the county charter under which he will be operating?
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See Bean’s story on page A-4
Index Coffee Break Wendy Smith Government/Politics Marvin West Jim Tumblin Faith Schools Business Health/Lifestyles
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VOL. 6 NO. 12
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10512 Lexington Dr., Ste. 500 37932 (865) 218-WEST (9378) news@ShopperNewsNow.com ads@ShopperNewsNow.com EDITOR Sandra Clark sclark426@aol.com ADVERTISING SALES Darlene Hacker hackerd@ShopperNewsNow.com Debbie Moss mossd@ShopperNewsNow.com Shopper-News is a member of KNS Media Group, published weekly at 10512 Lexington Drive, Suite 500, Knoxville, TN, and distributed to 24,267 homes in Bearden.
The lost gold of Bearden By Wendy Smith It’s a question that’s intrigued Howard Claiborne since he came across a handwritten history of Bearden. What really happened to Jim Miller’s gold? According to the three-page document, Irish immigrant James Miller came to Knox County from Virginia, where he was a trader. In the late 1700s, he purchased a 1,840-acre tract that ran along the river from Sequoyah Hills to Lyons Bend, and sprawled as far north as Kingston Pike. He was a bachelor,, and according to the brief history, he had a “keg” of gold hidden on his estate, and the he circumstances of his death were ere “mysterious.” Claiborne has hiss own theory. “I say he was murdered.” The written history camee to Claiborne from his aunt, Mild Mildred dred Claiborne, who was the last livl ing member of hiss father’s gen genneration. He had never heard d the story of the lost gold befo before ore his aunt showed him the docudocu ument a few yearss ago. She gott it from her aunt, Edith Johnson, who procured red it while researching the history of Bearden for a school hool project. Claiborne imagines agines i the th treasure was a tightly-held secret. “If you had a keg of gold,, oadcast it,” he h you wouldn’t broadcast ss, he wond ders says. Nonetheless, wonders if thugs learned of the stash and tortured Miller until he turned turneed it over.
There’s no way to know the location of Miller’s house, but the document describes the area’s earliest homes: “Each of these families named are the first settlers here, most of Irish or of Irish descent. They all built two-story log houses, with rock foundations and rock chimneys, large fireplaces where they kept their home warm with good old wood fires.” Claiborne, who is 87, can only remember two such log cabins in the Bearden area. One was near the intersection of Lyons y View Pike and North th hsho ore D rivve,, a nd d Northshore Drive, and the other was o nL onass Dri ivee. on Lonas Drive. While thee document document is is unun nsigned, he thinks th hink s hee kno hin ows who wh ho knows wrote it. Ba ann nnon n Go ore, w ho w as Bannon Gore, who was kno n as a known lo c a l
historian, was a lifelong member of Erin Presbyterian Church, where Claiborne now attends. He never knew Bannon, whose full name was Mary Bannon Reynolds Gore. She was born in 1876 and was the daughter of Maj. Robert Reynolds, who built Knollwood, the home that still stands at the top of Bearden Hill. Bannon would have been a likely source of historical information for Edith Johnson, he thinks. Bannon would have been acquainted with Beatrice Gray, who q a lso o attended atteendeed Erin Pre also Presbyterian. Gra ay wa ay as a relative relative of Ja Gray was James Miller, who ose property pr wa divided whose was am mong g his his heirs heirs after his h mysteamong rio ous demise, demise, and she owned a dem rious homee a crross Kingston Pike P home across from K nollwood until un u Knollwood her death in the 1950s. 119 She was Bearden’s Bearrd first postma as postmaster, says Claiborne, and Claibor rn of a greatt friend f his. He iis a walking encyclopedia a of local history histo ory himself. Because so m ma many of the area’ area’ss original settlers settle ers were Irish, it i was first called Erin, Er E a romantic name n for the Emerald Emerald Isle. The name had to b bee changed when the railroa railroad ad came
Howard Claiborne reads a written history of Bearden that tells the tale of an Irish immigrant who lost a keg of gold. Photo by Wendy Smith
through, along with the first post office, because it was already spoken for by a larger town in upper Middle Tennessee, he says. The area was called Crippen for a time before being named after Marcus DeLafayette Bearden (1830-1885), who served as Knoxville mayor and a Tennessee state legislator. Claiborne’s middle name may be Bearden (he’s named after Marcus’s grandson), but even he can only guess what happened to Bearden’s missing treasure. “That gold was never found.”
Retiring on a high note Little bit of history back in family fold
Principal Martha Hill to leave Sequoyah
By Suzanne Foree Neal
By Anne Hart It’s difficult to imagine anyone more enthusiastic about their life’s work than longtime Knox County educator Martha Hill. The dynamic Hill, who has been principal at Sequoyah Elementary for 13 years, spoke to West Knox Rotarians last week and announced her retirement from the Knox County school system at the same time. Sequoyah School will likely never be the same, and Hill will no doubt be missed throughout the system. “It has been a privilege to lead and to work with the parents, the children and the staff,” Hill said. “It is a truly wonderful school.” Hill is known for personally greeting her students (and their parents) by name every morning as the children are dropped off at school and sending them off in the same manner in the afternoon. She spends little time in her office and a lot of time visiting classrooms and working on projects that benefit the students and the school. “Leadership starts early,” Hill said, “and parents and educators make a huge difference.” She said she learned the importance of education at an early age from the example set by two grandfathers who served on the Campbell County school board. Hill said Sequoyah is extremely fortunate that it has been able to raise $800,000 for its founda-
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Martha Hill tion. “That will let us do things the school system can’t do, like add computers and other technology and additional personnel.” Under Hill’s direction, the school has consistently been recognized for its students’ high academic performance, and Hill was quick to thank the Rotarians for their program which annually donates a dictionary to every 3rd grader in a Knox County school. Hill is a native of Lafollette and noted that she grew up knowing Rotarian Sam Balloff, also a native of Lafollette, and his family. Her brother is Lansden Hill, owner of Lafollette’s Pyro Shows, which stages the fireworks for Knoxville’s annual Boomsday celebration and for major events worldwide. Hill was complimentary of Superintendent Dr. Jim McIntyre, calling him “a visionary and a phenomenal leader.”
Bill Johns likes going to estate sales but never imagined the priceless treasure he would find buried at the bottom of an old tool box bought for $20. An avid collector of old tools and outdoor equipment, Johns is on several email lists for estate sales. “Now they put pictures up online,” he says. “I saw the photos of the old hunting and fishing equipment and tools. I happened to be off and went, not knowing whose estate sale it was.” Seven Seas Estate Sales in Lenoir City conducted the sale that piqued Johns’ interest. Johns bought several tool boxes and some hunting and fishing gear. Once home, he stashed his new treasures in the garage. When most people were thinking about ringing in 2012, Johns was examining his finds. “I pulled out all the treasures and immediately toward the bottom of the box I recognized a dog tag of the World War II generation,” he recalls. “I’ve been around the military all my life. My father was in the military after WWII. I got on the Internet and did some simple research.” He found an obituary for
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Thomas Alexander Graves, the name on the dog tag. That’s when Johns discovered the extensive military career of the owner. “He was of the generation of my grandparents and my wife, Margaret’s, grandparents,” says Johns, 41. “We understand the battles of WWII very much. Mr. Graves was a decorated and very brave soldier.” Finding the dog tag “was a surprise; very honorable and likewise very chilling. You hardly ever see dog tags of this generation. They have already been passed to family.” Graves, born April 4, 1918, was a pharmacist mate 1st Class and participated in the Normandy Invasion at Utah Beach, the Pacific Theater and the liberation of the Philippines. He later worked for the Veterans Administration for 34 years. “He was a remarkable man,” Johns says, “and neighbors said he was also a master vegetable gardener.” With the help of Will Kidd of Seven Seas, Johns tracked down Graves’ grandson, Kenneth Graves of Nashville, and return the tag. Johns says the younger Graves was appreciative and a little puzzled as to why his grandfather left the dog tag in the tool box.
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