Stop Two: First Presbyterian Graveyard

As Knoxville was being surveyed, James White wanted two of the lots to be set aside for a cemetery. Legend has it that the cemetery was once his turnip patch. It was the cemetery for the citizens of Knoxville for 79 years. James White himself is buried here, next to his wife, Mary Lawson White. They had seven children. William Blount, the first territorial governor of Tennessee, is also buried here. His is the oldest grave dating 1800. James White outlived William Blount by 12 years. The most graves are from a 1838 cholera, or possibly malaria, epidemic that swept through Knoxville. Hundreds of Knoxvillians died. Cholera is a bacterial disease usually spread through contaminated water. Cholera causes severe diarrhea and dehydration. Left untreated, cholera can be fatal within hours, even in previously healthy people. Modern sewage and water treatment have virtually eliminated cholera in industrialized countries. The risk of a cholera epidemic is highest when people live in crowded conditions without adequate sanitation.

Standard tour mission:

Find James White's grave and take a photo of his tombstone from the sidewalk. You do not need to go into the cemetery. Find William Blount’s tombstone and take a photo of his tombstone as well.

Virtual tour trivia questions:

The first president of Blount College (which later became the University of Tennessee) is also buried in this cemetery. What was his name?

In 1870, an 11 year old typesetter’s apprentice for the Knoxville Chronicle newspaper feared walking by this cemetery at night because he thought it was haunted. He would spend many nights at the newspaper building instead of going home. What newspapers did Adolph Ochs eventually own?