An old friend is our new state historian...

In May, I reported the sad news that my home state of Tennessee lost its chief historian. Walter Durham served as Tennessee's State Historian since his appointment in 2002 until his death at the age of 88 on May 24, 2013.

Filling Walter Durham's shoes will be a daunting task, but it is one task that I believe the next State Historian can handle. I am thrilled to share the news that Dr. Carroll Van West was recently appointed to the post of Tennessee State Historian. Here's an excerpt of the press release issued by the Governor's Office:

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam today announced the appointment of Dr. Carroll Van West as state historian.

West replaces the late Walter T. Durham, who served 11 years in the honorary position.

"Dr. West's faithful service to his field for many years reflects a commitment to excellence that will serve the citizens of Tennessee very well," Haslam said. "His incredible body of work speaks for itself, and we are fortunate and grateful to have him as our state historian."

West has served as director at the Center for Historic Preservation at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) and the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area since 2002.

He has taught as a professor in the MTSU history department since 1985. He currently serves as a co-chair of the Tennessee Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission and as a Tennessee representative on the National Board of Advisors of National Trust for Historic Preservation. West also sits on the Executive Board of Lewis and Clark Trust, Inc. and on the Advisory Board of Teaching with Primary Sources, Library of Congress.

On a personal note, Dr. West served as thesis advisor for both me and my wife while we studied Public History at Middle Tennessee State University, and he was very instrumental in guiding Traci's work on Onward Southern Soldiers: Religion and the Army of Tennessee in the Civil War. We have continued to maintain contact with Dr. West since that time. In fact, Traci will have the honor of appearing on a panel discussion at the upcoming Tennessee Civil War Sesquicentennial Signature Event in Chattanooga this October, moderated by Dr. West. Naturally, we are both very excited to learn of his appointment to the post of Tennessee State Historian.

Last year, Traci and I joined Dr. Carroll Van West for a lecture and book signing for Onward Southern Soldiers at the Heritage Center of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County. Author photo.

Beyond my own personal excitement about this nomination, I believe Dr. West's appointment signals that officials in state government are keenly aware of the importance of the office of State Historian and its connections to the civic and economic well-being of Tennessee. The growth of heritage tourism in our state is due in no small measure to Dr. West's efforts, and his experience as an academic historian, instructor of public history, and passionate advocate of state and local history throughout Tennessee makes him an ideal candidate for this position.

I believe that Dr. West will serve the citizens of Tennessee with distinction in this new role, and I can think of no other person more deserving of this honor.

Gordon Belt is the Director of Public Services for the Tennessee State Library & Archives, and past president of the Society of Tennessee Archivists. On The Posterity Project, Gordon blogs about archives, local history, genealogy, and social media advocacy for archives and cultural heritage organizations. His forthcoming book, John Sevier: Tennessee's First Hero, examines the life of Tennessee's first governor, John Sevier, through the lens of history and memory.

"Worshipful Master" - John Sevier and Freemasonry on the Frontier

One of the great things about blogging your book is that you get helpful feedback from readers. I never pass up an opportunity to learn from others who have studied the same subject of interest, and I enjoy the feedback and conversation.

A few weeks ago, I wrote a book review inspired by a comment on The Posterity Project, and today I'm following up with a response to a question I recently received from a descendant of John Sevier:

"I notice that Andrew Jackson is listed on the Grand Lodge of Tennessee's website as a "Famous Freemason", but that Sevier is not. Does that mean Sevier was not ever a Freemason, or does it mean that he was but later somehow fell out of favor with that fraternity?"

In addition to being the first Governor of the State of Tennessee, John Sevier held the title of "Worshipful Master" of Tennessee Lodge No. 2, and was among its first charter members.

To be honest, I had not considered this aspect of John Sevier's life in my research, and immediately thought that the answer to this question would make an interesting essay.

On November 30, 1800, Tennessee Lodge No. 2 (No. 41 of North Carolina) was chartered by Grand Master William Polk. Known also as Polk Lodge, Governor John Sevier was among the first charter officers and named "Worshipful Master" by the Lodge.

In his book, The History of Freemasonry in Tennessee, 1789-1943, Charles Albert Snodgrass writes:

"The city of Knoxville played a prominent part in the development of Masonry in Tennessee. It was the seat of government when Tennessee was merely the 'Territory South of the Ohio.' It was the birth place of the State; the Capitol and the home of John Sevier, the first Governor, for several years. It had the second Masonic Lodge in the State, was the birth place of the Grand Lodge and had the oldest Lodge when the Grand Lodge was organized there in 1813. It has always been a Masonic center though its pioneer Lodges failed to survive... Many members of Tennessee Lodge No. 2 were prominent in the service of the State, the Nation and the Fraternity -- among them Governors John Sevier and Archibald Roane..." [256-257]

Snodgrass includes a brief biography of John Sevier within the pages of his book, noting Sevier's accomplishments as the first and only Governor of the State of Franklin, as the first Governor of Tennessee, and highlights his distinguished military and political career.

In another volume published in 1906 entitled, The Beginnings of Freemasonry in North Carolina and Tennessee, Marshall DeLancey Haywood writes of the migration of Freemasonry in the same reverential tones as seen in many of the hagiographic works written during the turn of the twentieth century. Haywood writes:

"Little knows the average Mason of his Craft's transmission from England to America, of its growth in Colonial days, how great soldiers and statesmen of Revolutionary times united with worthy brethren in humbler spheres of life and 'transmitted unimpaired the most excellent tenets of our institution,' how a sturdy race of pioneers carried the Great Lights of Masonry across mountain ranges into Tennessee and there formed another Grand Lodge which in time was to send its chartered off-shoots throughout newer States where the organization still flourishes, and what were the earlier causes in general of the high esteem in which Masonry has ever been held in all enlightened communities..." [1]

Haywood goes on to say that "there are few accessible sources from which information may be obtained as to our State's earlier Masonic history. The Order has printed little." Thus, it was left to future writers, like Haywood and Snodgrass, to fill the scholarly void.

Unfortunately, little more was written about John Sevier's life as the "Worshipful Master" of Tennessee Lodge No. 2, perhaps because of the lack of documented evidence, and perhaps also because Masons have traditionally held private their customs and rituals.

As a public historian, it is helpful to be reminded from time to time that public history necessarily involves the public. You can learn so much from the material culture of our past, but inquiry, inspiration, and analysis can also come from those who share your interests. Thanks to interested readers of my blog, I've learned another fascinating detail about John Sevier's life and have added another chapter to my ongoing research into "Tennessee's First Hero."


Selected Sources:

• Marshall DeLancey Haywood. The Beginnings of Freemasonry in North Carolina and Tennessee. Raleigh, North Carolina: Weaver & Lynch, 1906 (page 25).
• Charles Albert Snodgrass. The History of Freemasonry in Tennessee, 1789-1943. Nashville, Tenn.: Ambrose Printing Co., 1944.

 
Gordon Belt is an information professional, archives advocate, public historian, and author of The History Press book, John Sevier: Tennessee's First Hero, which examines the life of Tennessee's first governor, John Sevier, through the lens of history and memory. On The Posterity Project, Gordon offers reflections on archives, public history, and memory from his home state of Tennessee.