Front Porch to the Region's History

Geography defines East Tennessee as a land of mountains and valleys and with a history and heritage apart from the rest of the state. The East Tennessee Historical Society recognizes this distinctiveness with programs and exhibitions uniquely tailored to the region. Our educational mission is to engage the public with the message that history is important. 

This Day In East Tennessee History

  • May 15, 1871

    On this day in 1871, Charles Warner Cansler, a prominent Knoxville black educator and civic leader, was born in Maryville. Cansler drafted a bill, which eventually passed, to allow family members of ex-slaves to inherit property in the state of Tennessee.