TSLAFriends Newsletter Archive

Stay connected to Tennessee’s history through the TSLAFriends newsletter. Each issue takes readers inside the work of the Tennessee State Library & Archives with news about upcoming programs, special events, notable collections, research resources and the people helping preserve the state’s documentary heritage. Whether you are a genealogist, historian, educator or simply curious about Tennessee’s past, the newsletter offers fresh discoveries and practical ways to explore, support and participate in the work of the Library & Archives.

April 2025

The April 2025 TSLAFriends newsletter features a member spotlight on Steve Richards and his commitment to preserving Tennessee history. It also explores how artificial intelligence can help researchers decipher difficult historical handwriting. Readers will learn about TSLA’s useful county fact sheets and the Friends’ donation of a historic Concord Baptist Church record book. The issue also previews Dr. Carroll Van West’s planned book on Tennessee’s historic Century Farms.

TSLAFriends Newsletter Archive

January 2025

The January 2025 TSLAFriends newsletter includes a message from President Bill Hickerson about the organization’s role in supporting the Tennessee State Library & Archives and preserving important historical materials. It highlights the Friends’ purchase of a rare photograph showing Ruskin College students at Ruskin Cave around 1910. The issue also celebrates longtime member, artist and quilt historian Bets Ramsey, who recently turned 101. Readers can also learn about the “Looking Back at Tennessee Photographs” collection from Homecoming ’86 and a new Tennessee birth records database available through the Tennessee Virtual Archive.

Fall 2017

The Fall 2017 TSLAFriends newsletter looks back at dramatic weather events in Tennessee history through reports found in historic newspapers held by the Tennessee State Library and Archives. President J. Mark Lowe highlights accounts of flooding in East Tennessee, Memphis and along the Forked Deer River, including a colorful 19th-century description of rising water near Dyersburg. The issue also encourages readers to explore TSLA’s extensive newspaper collections and related online articles about the yellow fever epidemic and Tennessee river history.

Summer 2017

The Summer 2017 TSLAFriends newsletter commemorates Tennessee’s 221st anniversary with President J. Mark Lowe’s overview of the state’s early government, from the Watauga Association and Cumberland Compact to Tennessee’s admission as the 16th state in 1796. It also highlights territorial secretary and surveyor Daniel Smith, Andrew Jackson’s role in suggesting the name “Tennessee” and the creation of the state’s first constitution. The issue features “Over Here, Over There: Tennesseans in the First World War,” a statewide project to digitize and preserve World War I letters, photographs, uniforms, military records and other family-owned materials. Readers also learn how they could contribute their artifacts while retaining the originals and receiving digital copies and preservation guidance.

Spring 2017

The Spring 2017 TSLAFriends newsletter highlights the organization’s role in helping the Tennessee State Library & Archives acquire important historical materials. President J. Mark Lowe reflects on how weather events become part of Tennessee’s recorded history and points readers toward records they can explore from home. The issue’s “My TSLA Favorite” feature examines Confederate pension records through the detailed and sometimes contested application of William Henry Ford, a Haywood County veteran. His file reveals his Civil War service, injuries, family circumstances and argument that he deserved a pension despite being listed as a deserter.

Fall 2017

The Fall 2016 TSLAFriends newsletter highlights several ways the Tennessee State Library & Archives preserves and interprets the state’s history. Judge Andy D. Bennett explains why the original 1834 Tennessee Constitution is one of his favorite archival treasures, noting both its major governmental reforms and the visible edits that reveal the imperfect people who created it. The issue also previews Dr. Susan W. Knowles’ program on using Tennessee Supreme Court case files to study the state’s once-prominent marble industry. Readers are also invited to Family History Day, featuring Deborah Wilbrink’s presentation on writing a personal family history and one-on-one research assistance from staff and volunteers.

Summer 2016

The Summer 2016 TSLAFriends newsletter introduces J. Mark Lowe as president and highlights the Friends’ continued support of public programs and access to the Tennessee State Library & Archives’ collections. Lowe demonstrates the research value of Tennessee Supreme Court and county court records through the 1849 case of Nancy Matthews and her effort to claim rights to her late husband’s estate. The issue also previews Dr. Lisa M. Budreau’s lecture, “Coffins and Gold Stars,” about how Americans commemorated the dead after World War I. A staff spotlight introduces facilities director Brooks Crowell and explains the extensive work required to keep TSLA’s building, collections, security systems and public spaces safe and operational.

Spring 2016

The Spring 2016 TSLAFriends newsletter outlines the year’s upcoming workshops and programs while expressing continued hope for funding a new Tennessee State Library & Archives building. It highlights the “Tennessee Remembers: Korean Veterans” project, which invited Tennesseans to donate or share wartime photographs, letters, artifacts and other materials. The issue also previews J.L. “Bud” Alley’s presentation on the Battle of Ia Drang and his book, The Ghosts of the Green Grass. A staff spotlight introduces archivist Susan Gordon and explains how Archival Technical Services acquires, organizes and describes collections so researchers can use them.

Winter 2016

The Winter 2016 TSLAFriends newsletter highlights how cemetery research and archival records can work together to uncover family history. Past President Virginia Gooch Watson recounts tracing her Gooch ancestors from a family cemetery in Rutherford County to wills and county records preserved on microfilm at the Tennessee State Library & Archives. Her discovery of Nathaniel Gooch’s will open years of additional genealogical research and demonstrated the value of TSLA’s collections. The issue also encourages members to explore newly acquired materials and continue supporting the Friends’ preservation work.

Fall 2015

The Fall 2015 TSLAFriends newsletter encourages readers to explore the Tennessee State Library & Archives’ online resources, including historic maps in the Tennessee Virtual Archives and county tax records available through the Tennessee Electronic Library. It also looks back at the 62nd anniversary of the former Library and Archives building and notes the growing need for a new facility. The issue previews genealogy workshops on 19th-century photography, using small clues to make major discoveries and beginning family-history research. A staff spotlight introduces Tennessee Electronic Library administrator Erin Loree and highlights TEL’s free resources for genealogy, education, career development, language learning and research.

Summer 2015

The Summer 2015 TSLAFriends newsletter reports on continued efforts to secure funding for a new Tennessee State Library & Archives building and encourages readers to use TSLA’s in-person and online resources. It previews free workshops on Tennessee’s digital collections and Victorian-era photography, including hands-on guidance for finding photographs, maps, documents, film and audio online. The issue also highlights the Friends’ annual Staff Appreciation Day honoring TSLA employees. A staff spotlight introduces electronic imaging specialist Kate Williams and explains how careful scanning and digital preservation make historic materials accessible to researchers everywhere.