Magnolia Avenue History

Magnolia Avenue History. . More than a century ago, thousands of Knoxvillians of all races and economic circumstances travelled along Magnolia Avenue regularly, as they rode the streetcar from downtown. Chilhowee Park offered swimming, dancing, drama, bowling, and baseball, with horse racing nearby., Magnolia was the place to behold exotic spectacles. Many Knoxvillians were on Magnolia when they saw their first hot-air balloon, their first aeroplane, or their first football game., The 1910 Appalachian Exposition at Chilhowee Park attracted large crowds and showcased Black achievements at the Negro Pavilion. Following a second Appalachian Exposition in 1911, Chilhowee Park hosted an even bigger event, the National Conservation Exposition which attracted one million visitors during its two-month run in 1913., Captions , Margaret Helen Singleton Carson, she’s the young girl in the center seen here at the 1910 Appalachian Exposition, was born on Park Street (now Magnolia Avenue). She graduated from Knoxville College in 1924 and served as an educator for 40 years, especially at Knoxville Colored High School. She was a founding member of the Beck Cultural Exchange Center, and helped build the historical collection there. The Beck Library is named in her honor. (Beck Cultural Exchange Center / University of Tennessee Libraries), The Liberal Arts Building, seen here across Lake Ottossee, was destroyed by fire in 1938 and replaced by a new building in 1941 – later to be renamed the Jacob Building after Dr. Moses Jacob, a perennial advocate for the Tennessee Valley Fair held at Chilhowee Park in 1916. (Knoxville History Project).