Carson Brewer
Encyclopedia
Carson Brewer was an American journalist and conservationist, best known for his work documenting the folk life of Knoxville
and the surrounding Appalachia
n communities in East Tennessee
. During his 40-year career as a columnist for the Knoxville News-Sentinel, Brewer was a key voice for the promotion and protection of the region's natural wonders, especially the Great Smoky Mountains
. His historical work included the first extensive history of the Little Tennessee River
valley and one of the first comprehensive histories of the Tennessee Valley Authority
.
Brewer was born in Hancock County, Tennessee in 1920, the son of a local postmaster. He attended Maryville College
for two years before joining the U.S. Army in 1941 at the outbreak of World War II
. After the war, Brewer attended the University of Tennessee
, but due to illness, he never obtained a degree. He joined the staff of the News-Sentinel in 1945, and in 1948 he married pioneering female journalist Alberta Trulock (1917—2007).
Brewer wrote several books on the Great Smoky Mountains, most notably Hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains (1962), which was reprinted several times over three decades. In 1969, the Tennessee Valley Authority— which was planning to flood the Little Tennessee River valley by constructing Tellico Dam
at the river's mouth— hired Brewer and his wife Alberta to compile a history of the valley and its inhabitants. Their work was published by the East Tennessee Historical Society
in 1975 under the title, Valley So Wild: A Folk History. In the early 1980s, Brewer wrote a series of articles documenting the history of the Tennessee Valley Authority and its effects on the inhabitants of East Tennessee. He retired from the News-Sentinel in 1985, but continued writing until his death in 2003.
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
and the surrounding Appalachia
Appalachia
Appalachia is a term used to describe a cultural region in the eastern United States that stretches from the Southern Tier of New York state to northern Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia. While the Appalachian Mountains stretch from Belle Isle in Canada to Cheaha Mountain in the U.S...
n communities in East Tennessee
East Tennessee
East Tennessee is a name given to approximately the eastern third of the U.S. state of Tennessee, one of the three Grand Divisions of Tennessee defined in state law. East Tennessee consists of 33 counties, 30 located within the Eastern Time Zone and three counties in the Central Time Zone, namely...
. During his 40-year career as a columnist for the Knoxville News-Sentinel, Brewer was a key voice for the promotion and protection of the region's natural wonders, especially the Great Smoky Mountains
Great Smoky Mountains
The Great Smoky Mountains are a mountain range rising along the Tennessee–North Carolina border in the southeastern United States. They are a subrange of the Appalachian Mountains, and form part of the Blue Ridge Physiographic Province. The range is sometimes called the Smoky Mountains or the...
. His historical work included the first extensive history of the Little Tennessee River
Little Tennessee River
The Little Tennessee River is a tributary of the Tennessee River, approximately 135 miles long, in the Appalachian Mountains in the southeastern United States.-Geography:...
valley and one of the first comprehensive histories of the Tennessee Valley Authority
Tennessee Valley Authority
The Tennessee Valley Authority is a federally owned corporation in the United States created by congressional charter in May 1933 to provide navigation, flood control, electricity generation, fertilizer manufacturing, and economic development in the Tennessee Valley, a region particularly affected...
.
Brewer was born in Hancock County, Tennessee in 1920, the son of a local postmaster. He attended Maryville College
Maryville College
Maryville College is a private four-year liberal arts college in Maryville, Tennessee, near Knoxville. It was founded in 1819 by Presbyterian minister Isaac L. Anderson for the purpose of furthering education and enlightenment into the West. The College is one of the fifty oldest colleges in the...
for two years before joining the U.S. Army in 1941 at the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. After the war, Brewer attended the University of Tennessee
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
, but due to illness, he never obtained a degree. He joined the staff of the News-Sentinel in 1945, and in 1948 he married pioneering female journalist Alberta Trulock (1917—2007).
Brewer wrote several books on the Great Smoky Mountains, most notably Hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains (1962), which was reprinted several times over three decades. In 1969, the Tennessee Valley Authority— which was planning to flood the Little Tennessee River valley by constructing Tellico Dam
Tellico Dam
Tellico Dam is a dam built by the Tennessee Valley Authority in Loudon County, Tennessee on the Little Tennessee River just above the main stem of the Tennessee River. It impounds the Tellico Reservoir....
at the river's mouth— hired Brewer and his wife Alberta to compile a history of the valley and its inhabitants. Their work was published by the East Tennessee Historical Society
East Tennessee Historical Society
The East Tennessee Historical Society , headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA, is a non-profit organization dedicated to the study of East Tennessee history, the preservation of historically significant artifacts, and educating the citizens of Tennessee...
in 1975 under the title, Valley So Wild: A Folk History. In the early 1980s, Brewer wrote a series of articles documenting the history of the Tennessee Valley Authority and its effects on the inhabitants of East Tennessee. He retired from the News-Sentinel in 1985, but continued writing until his death in 2003.
External links
- Finding Aid for the Carson Brewer Articles, 1985-1992 — University of Tennessee Special Collections