Framed or unframed, desk size to sofa size, printed by us in Arizona and Alabama since 2007. Explore now.
Shorpy is funded by you. Patreon contributors get an ad-free experience.
Learn more.
The Knoxville, Tennessee, courthouse circa 1903. With signage advising "Keep Off the Grass," "No Loafing," "Drink Hickman's Coffee" and "Chew Ram's Horn Tobacco." 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
Further on John Sevier - he was the commander at the Battle of King's Mountain in North Carolina, if I'm not mistaken.
I was just a lad at the time, meself.
The trees on the courthouse lawn have been pollarded (more strictly, "polled") to limit their size. The practice is more common in Europe, but can be observed in the U.S. in urban settings and on the lawns of dipsomaniacs.
Not to mention MR Cigars. (Marsh Rose? It's too hard to decipher.) One who follows the advice (expressed as imperatives) to drink, chew and smoke while staying off the grass could hardly be guilty of loafing.
Of what use is a chaw and a cup of joe without a good loaf in the bargain?
The courthouse, Sevier monument, stone wall and iron fence are all still there and and appear to be in great shape.
I'm wondering if that monument was for John Sevier (1745 - 1815). He led quite an interesting life as a politician and soldier. More interesting than being Governor of Tennessee, he was the only Governor of "Franklin" which was to be our 14th State. Now eastern Tennessee, it came from land ceded by North Carolina. There was even a battle of Franklin between people supporting the new state and those opposing.
Some workers obviously got rather carried away with their tree PRUNING assignment - I wonder if there was some type of blight that necessitated this extreme and what type of trees were the victim ?
Maybe they should have fertilized them with the plentitude of road apples !!
One that would warn folks about the danger of tripping and falling on a two foot spiked fence.
should have been subject to pollution "emission tests" .
It's amazing the number of telephone wires in these photos. Looks like room for 70 on that pole. Imagine the maintenance, especially with ice storms like we have had the past week.
On Shorpy:
Today’s Top 5