Filled with facts, personal accounts, and many photographs, this history encompasses a plethora of information about Erwin and its beginnings. Drawing upon records, newspaper articles, and many other sources, the book presents a compelling chronicle of the town.

In the early days of World War II, nine young men from the small town of Erwin, Tennessee (population 3,350), volunteered for service in the United States Army Air Corps, proud to defend their nation and democracy. None of them served together, and all were shot down at different times in different places. Yet, incredibly, with more than 50 prison camps scattered throughout Nazi Germany, all nine captured airmen were sent to the same one—Stalag Luft IV.

When someone buys the old Honeycutt house, Nora Bonesteel is glad to see some life brought back to the old mansion, even if it is by summer people. But when they decide to stay through Christmas, they find more than old memories in the walls. On Christmas Eve, Sheriff Spencer Arrowood and Deputy Joe LeDonne find themselves on an unwelcome call to arrest an elderly man for a minor offense. As they attempt to do their duty, while doing the right thing for a neighbor, it begins to look like they may all spend Christmas away from home. In a story of spirits, memories, and angels unaware, Sharyn McCrumb revisits her most loved characters who know there is more to this world than the eye can see, especially at Christmastime.

Combining folklore and bits of history, this delightful book is a unique collection of information about Unicoi County. Historical facts include interesting sketches of people and places, with a nostalgic look back at the simple life. For the adventuresome gourmet, there is a tasty selection of mountain recipes from the period.

A Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist exposes the secret history of racial cleansing in America

There is no doubt that in 1916 a five-ton circus elephant was lynched from a 100-ton Clinchfield railroad crane car in the little town of Erwin, Tennessee. The details of the execution and the tragic events leading up to it, however, are clouded in nearly a century of oral tradition. From one retelling to the next, facts are distorted and embellished; legend, instead of truth, is often accepted as fact. This book is an attempt to bring together all the known facts about the hanging and to fill in with educated guesses the missing parts of the puzzle.