Breakfast speaker shares ‘History Beneath Our Feet’
The series featured local historian and retired history teacher Frank Galbraith, who grew up in historic Concord, and David Stinton, a Pleasant Forest Cemetery board member.
“We try to do about three or four of these programs every single year,” FWKCC president/CEO Julie Blaylock said. “We do a lot of different topics. We spend a lot of our time on critical issues that affect our region, like infrastructure, housing, some of our candidate races that come up.
“But we like to sprinkle in some more community-focused events that deal with history in our area and just getting to better know the place that we live,” she said.
Making it possible were Simply Magical Vacations by Amy, which sponsored the event; Speaker Series Committee; Chamber board of directors and members.
Galbraith focused on the Town’s early past and its connection to Adm. David Glasgow Farragut, whose father, Jorge (George) Farragut, was a ferryman in old Concord and who came to America from Minorica, part of the Balearic Islands.
“He heard about the conflicts going on or about to go on in the Colonies and crossed the Atlantic (Ocean),” Galbraith related. “He fought for us, the Colonies, was captured then released in a prisoner exchange and fought some more. Eventually, he came to the Knox County area.
“In July 1801, they had a baby boy, whose name was James Glasgow Farragut,” the historian said.
Eventually, the Farragut family moved to Vicksburg, where George’s wife died and James was taken in by the Porters. He later would take the name David Porter after his adopted father.
He would have a military career starting when he was 9 years old and continue through his life. The highlight of that career was when he was on a ship in Mobile Bay, when he had himself tied to the ship’s mast and he declared, “Damn the torpedoes, full steam ahead.”
The Town’s historic highlights do not end there, as Stinton can show at Pleasant Forest Cemetery.
“Lots of people drive up and down Concord Road and never really pay attention to the (cemetery) sign or think about it,” Stinton said “Pleasant Forest was established in 1796, the same year that Tennessee became a state.
“A lot of history has happened over there,” he said. At the Town Hall and cemetery, Stinton described some of the veterans and other people interred in the cemetery, such as Archibald Roane, the second governor of Tennessee; Jimmy Campbell, who served in the War of 1812; Lt. David Boyd, a Revolutionary War veteran; Abraham Lowell (or Low), founder of Lowell’s Ferry; the late Bob and Marie Leonard; and the late Mayor Ralph McGill.
“In 1796, the elder David Campbell of Campbell Station Road donated 2 acres of property to the local Grassy Valley Church, and it was given to Pleasant Forest for the cemetery,” Stinton said.
Following the two speakers, attendees had a chance to tour Farragut Museum, where they could learn about the admiral and other historic figures, and Pleasant Forest Cemetery, where noted people were laid to rest.
