Front Porch Radio - History's Hook

Commander Matthew Fontaine Maury, although raised in Tennessee in the early 19th century, had a calling for the sea. His scientific approach to the navy led to him earning the nicknames “Pathfinder of the Seas” and the “Father of Oceanography.” Learn all about this important American from an expert, Mr. Russell Hooper, the collector of the Pathfinder Papers.

Elias Polk was born into slavery North Carolina, but grew up in Tennessee. The majority of his life was spent serving James K. Polk who would eventually become the 11th President. His life, however, spanned some eighty years, through emancipation, where Elias became politically active in Tennessee. Join Tom, Barry, and Jo Ann and listen to Elias’ story as told by author and historian Zacharie Kinslow.

Baseball is the quintessential American sport. Its long history dates back to the mid-19th century. But the sport has had a fractious history when it came to race relations. Despite quite a large number of African Americans playing in various leagues along-side white players in the early years of the sport, by the turn of the 20th century, complete segregation took hold. A number of quote, Negro leagues were formed to allow for African Americans to play the sport, but various factors caused most of them to fail. Players faced serious discrimination and some stadiums refused to let black teams play at their facilities.It all changed in 1920, when Rube Foster launched the Negro National League. Reformulated several times with new leagues and owners, Negro League baseball enjoyed periods of success in the early 1920s and again after the Great Depression. However, Jackie Robinson’s integration of baseball in 1947 prompted a slow but irreversible influx of talent to the major leagues, and the remaining Negro League teams mostly folded by the 1960s. Middle Tennessee fielded a number of great African American baseball players and Nashville hosted several Negro League teams. Including the Villians, the Black Vols, the Elite Giants, and the Stars.On December 16, 2020, Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred declared that the seven historic Negro leagues would be recognized as official major leagues, with their players' records and statistics counted in baseball’s record books.Hosts Tom Price and Jo Ann McClellan speak to author Dr. Harriet Kimbro-Hamilton, author of several books and articles on women’s sports and Negro League baseball including “Daddy’s Scrapbook: Henry Kimbro of the Negro Baseball League, A Daughter’s Perspective,” which she published in 2015. In 2017, Dr. Kimbro-Hamilton was inducted into the Fisk University Sports Hall of Fame.

February 25, 1946 was a pivotal day in the history of the country, but no one knew it at the time. Gladys Stephenson and her son James had a disagreement with a local store over their treatment, and an altercation ensued that sparked a serious racial conflict in a community that had a history of strained race relations. The governor called out the National Guard, blood was shed, and people died. More than 100 African Americans were jailed. The subsequent court case featured some of the finest trial lawyers in the country. The incident, remembered as the Columbia Race Riot, was the first such event following World War 2, and marked the first step in the American Civil Rights Movement. Hosts Tom Price and Jo Ann McClellan are joined by historian Dr. Gail O’Brien, author of the book The Color of the Law which talks about his pivotal event in American History.

February 25, 1946 was a pivotal day in the history of the country, but no one knew it at the time. Gladys Stephenson and her son James had a disagreement with a local store over their treatment, and an altercation ensued that sparked a serious racial conflict in a community that had a history of strained race relations. The governor called out the National Guard, blood was shed, and people died. More than 100 African Americans were jailed. The subsequent court case featured some of the finest trial lawyers in the country. The incident, remembered as the Columbia Race Riot, was the first such event following World War 2, and marked the first step in the American Civil Rights Movement. Hosts Tom Price and Jo Ann McClellan are joined by historian Dr. Gail O’Brien, author of the book The Color of the Law which talks about his pivotal event in American History.

History’s Hook hosts Tom Price and Jo Ann McClellan discuss the lives of several African-Americans who started life in Maury County, Tennessee and went on to national acclaim in various pursuits. Included are the stories of renowned chef to the rich and famous, Rufus Estes; Moses McKissack, a brick maker whose descendants include some of the most highly sought-after architects in the world; and Rev. Edmond Kelley, an enslaved man who was able to obtain his own freedom, then that of his wife and children by becoming one of the most influential preachers in the North, all prior to the Civil War.

Starting life off from the humblest beginnings, Andrew Johnson rose from a simple tailor to a statesman. The only Southerner to remain in the Senate following secession, Johnson was chosen by Abraham Lincoln as his vice-president in 1864. Following Lincoln’s assassination a few months later, Johnson found himself hated by many of his fellow Tennesseans and distrusted by the Washington establishment. The first president to be impeached, Johnson was also a brave leader who did his best to heal the nation following the Civil War. Kendra Hinkle, museum specialist at the Andrew Johnson National Historic Site in Greeneville, TN discusses the 17th President.

Tennessee boasts three presidents. Host Tom Price begins his three part presidential series by interviewing the long-time director of the President James K. Polk Home and Museum, John Holtzapple. Polk is one of the least-known presidents in American history, but as you will hear, deserves to be remembered as one of the most successful. His accomplishments include starting the Naval Academy, the modern postal system, and the Independent Treasury System…none of which were his main goals…which he also accomplished in a promised single term of office.

As part of the series on Tennessee’s three presidents, this episode of History’s Hook focuses on the first of them: Andrew Jackson. Old Hickory, the first populist president changed the face of American politics. Join hosts Tom Price and Dr. Barry Gidcomb as they speak with Marsha Mullin, Vice President of Collections and Research, and chief curator at the Hermitage, The Home of Andrew Jackson, just outside of Nashville.

Cemeteries as we know them today came about in the 1830’s. Prior to that, the dead were typically buried in churchyards and backyards. But with this change, the often elaborate planning of cemeteries resembled park settings, where people went to picnic, hunt, have races…and commune with the dead. Cemeteries were filled with benches and in the absence of museums and galleries and botanical gardens, featured beautiful sculptures and horticultural art. Yet during times of pandemic, cemeteries were places where disease and its victims gathered…kept separate from living spaces. These dichotomies both drew people to cemeteries and pushed them away. Join Tom Price and Jo Ann McClellan as they interview Graham Perry, Historic Preservation Specialist with the Tennessee Historical Commission.

From 1861-1865 Tennessee was a battleground during the American Civil War. For the majority of the war, much of Tennessee was occupied by Union troops. What was it like for Tennesseans to live in occupied territory? Conversely, what was it like for Union troops to live in a seceded state? In this episode, hosts Tom Price and Barry Gidcomb are joined by author and historian Dr. Thomas Flagel who discusses the Union occupation of Tennessee during the Civil War.

History's Hook 09-06-2025 Episode 25: Voices of Segregation: Judge Randolph BaxterAs part of a series on life in the segregation era, History’s Hook hosts, Tom Price and Jo Ann McClellan interview Judge Randolph Baxter who graduated from Carver-Smith Highschool in 1963. He attended Tuskegee University and the University of Akron School of Law. While there he was an ROTC student, Mr. Baxter served his country in the Vietnam War from 1968-1971, achieving the rank of Captain. He was awarded the Bronze Star for Valor, among other unit citations while serving with the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment. Upon his return, he completed his Doctor of Jurisprudence at the University of Akron and began a legal career that spanned another forty years. Holding several important positions, he ended his legal career as chief justice of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court. He currently holds the position of President of the AARP in the State of Ohio.

Episode 8: Path to Freedom: Freedmen’s Bureau Schools in TennesseeTo assist the formerly enslaved in their transition to freedom, the federal government inaugurated a program called the Freedmen’s Bureau. Created in March of 1865, its initial purpose was to "direct… provisions, clothing, and fuel, as may be deemed needful for the immediate and temporary shelter and supply of destitute and suffering refugees and freedmen and their wives and children." Over the next several years, the Freedmen’s Bureau’s purpose would greatly expand to serve the needs of the African American community. One of the bureau’s most successful endeavors was in the area of education. Freedmen’s schools cropped up all over the south, allowing African Americans to gain an education for the first time. History’s Hook hosts Tom Price and Jo Ann McClellan, with special guest Dr. Antoinette van Zelm, explore the Freedmen’s Bureau and Freedmen’s Schools in Tennessee.

Elias Polk was born into slavery North Carolina, but grew up in Tennessee. The majority of his life was spent serving James K. Polk who would eventually become the 11th President. His life, however, spanned some eighty years, through emancipation, where Elias became politically active in Tennessee. Join Tom, Barry, and Jo Ann and listen to Elias’ story as told by author and historian Zacharie Kinslow.

Episode 2: The Devil’s Backbone: The History of the Natchez TraceHistory’s Hook’s hosts, Tom Price and Dr. Barry Gidcomb welcome Tony Turnbow, author of “The Natchez Trace in the War of 1812” which was published in The Journal of Mississippi History and most recently, the full length book published by Time Tunnel Media titled, Hardened to Hickory: The Missing Chapter in Andrew Jackson’s Life. The Natchez Trace is a 444 mile route between Nashville, Tennessee and Natchez, Mississippi. The road has been the backdrop to some incredible history including military campaigns, economic expansion in the West, and even the murder of explorer Meriwether Lewis!

In this episode Tom and Jo Ann speak to retired professional boxer Sammy Sparkman. Born and raised in Columbia, TN, Mr. Sparkman began boxing when he was just seven years old. Following some time away from the sport, Mr. Sparkman spent six years in amateur boxing before turning pro in 1997. He fought in the ring all over the United States and the world including Poland, Canada, Denmark, Italy, and elsewhere. He has been in the ring with seven future world champions and numerous world title contenders. Known by the nickname “Silk,” he had a reputation of never turning down a challenge. Like many boxers, however, Sparkman never got the acclaim, or the accompanying reward that he fought for during his career. In 2009, at the age of 39, Sparkman hung up his gloves. His story one of inspiration.

Tennessee boasts three presidents. Host Tom Price begins his three part presidential series by interviewing the long-time director of the President James K. Polk Home and Museum, John Holtzapple. Polk is one of the least-known presidents in American history, but as you will hear, deserves to be remembered as one of the most successful. His accomplishments include starting the Naval Academy, the modern postal system, and the Independent Treasury System…none of which were his main goals…which he also accomplished in a promised single term of office.

The honorable Holly Kirby is a Tennessean that inspires. After earning degrees in engineering and law, she went on to practice law in Memphis before being appointed to the bench in the Tennessee Court of Appeals, the first woman to sit on that Court. After spending nearly 19 years there, she was sworn into the Tennessee Supreme Court in 2014. Join Tom and co-host Judge Chris Sockwell as they learn about the life of Justice Holly Kirby.Episode #49: The Peace and Dignity of the State: Justice Holly KirbyThe honorable Holly Kirby is a Tennessean that inspires. After earning degrees in engineering and law, she went on to practice law in Memphis before being appointed to the bench in the Tennessee Court of Appeals, the first woman to sit on that Court. After spending nearly 19 years there, she was sworn into the Tennessee Supreme Court in 2014. Join Tom and co-host Judge Chris Sockwell as they learn about the life of Justice Holly Kirby.

What does it feel like to be in control of enough firepower to obliterate a continent? Join host Tom Price as he interviews former ballistic missile sub commander Ronald Ladd. After growing up on a farm in rural Maury County, TN, Ron Ladd attended Rice University for math and engineering on a Navy ROTC scholarship. Following his graduation, he was commissioned as an officer in the navy, where after working for the “Father of the Nuclear Navy,” Admiral Hyman Rickover, he joined the submarine service. He deployed aboard the attack submarines USS PUFFER (SSN-652) and USS SEAHORSE (SSN-669). After six years on attack subs, he became the executive officer aboard the ballistic missile sub, USS FRANCIS SCOTT KEY (SSBN-657) before taking command of USS JOHN C. CALHOUN (SSBN-630). After retiring from the navy, Cmdr. Ladd joined Raytheon Corporation, working on multi-branch detection systems. After 21 years with Ratheon, he retired back to his family farm in Maury County, Tennessee. Join host Tom Price, as he speaks with Mr. Ladd about his navy days.