Disver Knoxville Tennsee, the rich history of Gay Street, learn about Knoxville's Theater District, where to go, and live shows to explore on Vis Knoxville.
Contents:
- MORNG GUN BATTLE ON GAY STREET LEFT 3 AD 1882
- GAY STREET
- AFTER ORLANDO SHOOTG, GAY LEARS TRA SIGHTS ON GUNS
- NEW YORK’S OWN ANTI-GAY MASSACRE, NOW BARELY REMEMBERED
- DPE PRR BOMB THREAT, GAY CLUB SHOOTG SPECT EVAD COLORADO RED FLAG GUN LAW
- GAY CLUB SHOOTG SPECT EVAD COLORADO’S RED FLAG GUN LAW
MORNG GUN BATTLE ON GAY STREET LEFT 3 AD 1882
* 1882 gunfight on gay street *
19, 1882, wealthy bsman Thomas O’Conner pulled a shotgun om si his Gay Street bank, stepped outsi and fired across the street at rival Joseph Mabry ls than two mut O’Conner, Mabry and Mabry’s lawyer son Joseph III died the mud and ra of Knoxville’s ma street. Gay.
”As O’Conner watched, Mabry II and pann Robert Steele turned onto the oppose si of Gay, walkg om Market Square and Clch Avenue. Wns at quts ttified Steele walked ahead of Mabry as they reached a spot oppose O'Conner's ’s when O’Conner got the double-barreled shotgun, stepped onto Gay and, the Tribune wrote, “cked the gun, raised to his shoulr, took liberate aim” at Mabry II. No wns knew if “young Joe” realized his father was shot when he ran down Gay.
Standg the middle of Gay, Mabry III pulled a pistol and shot O’Conner the cht. “Before smoke cleared away, Gay Street was thronged wh an exced multu, numberg several hundred … who seemed to re nothg for the drizzlg ra or muddy street, ” reported the, ath and blame"The difficulty which led to the ath of the three men is a fd of long standg, " reported the dispute began when the once-wealthy Mabry II had bts to pay. Learn about the origs of Knoxville's inic Market Square, the bter divisns of the Civil War, the famo 1882 Gunfight on Gay Street, a mounta cy the New South, the sndalo 1934 breach of promise and sctn trial, and much more through the rich, lorful liv of the Mabry and Hazen fai.
GAY STREET
Sce the 1790s, Gay Street has played a primary role Knoxville’s historil and cultural velopment. Gay Street is home to art galleri, historic theaters, the East Tennsee History Center and more – wh many buildgs listed on the Natnal Register of Historic Plac.
AFTER ORLANDO SHOOTG, GAY LEARS TRA SIGHTS ON GUNS
Gay Street was the se of the 1796 Constutnal Conventn that rulted the foundg of the state of Tennsee, and was a fol pot for the early polil activy of both the cy and the state of Tennsee. On the eve of the Civil War, Gay Street was the se of simultaneo Unn and Conferate recg ralli.
NEW YORK’S OWN ANTI-GAY MASSACRE, NOW BARELY REMEMBERED
Durg the Civil War, Gay Street saw some early vlence, a fatal shootg of a Unnist monstrator, days after the firg on Ft. William Sanrs died as the rult of wounds the Lamar Hoe on Gay. After the war, Gay Street saw extensive mercial velopment as railroad nstctn brought an dtrial boom to Knoxville.
By 1850, Gay Street was home to three-fourths of Knoxville's mercial activy. In 1854, Gay Street beme Knoxville's first paved road. Almost all public visors to Knoxville ma an appearance on Gay Street.
Durg the Civil War, Andrew Johnson was shot at when he gave a pro-Unn speech on Gay Street. Others who were seen on Gay Street at one time or another were prohibnist Carrie Natn, Socialist ndidate Eugene V.
DPE PRR BOMB THREAT, GAY CLUB SHOOTG SPECT EVAD COLORADO RED FLAG GUN LAW
One of Knoxville’s olst buildgs, the Lamar Hoe, now the ont portn of the Bijou Theatre, was operatg as a hotel facg Gay Street by 1817, when hosted a receptn for Gen.
Begng 1908, Gay Street beme the lotn of Knoxville’s first skyscrapers, steel-ame buildgs of 10 stor or more, begng wh the Burwell Buildg, followed by the taller Holston Buildg, and some years later the Andrew Johnson Hotel, which was for almost half a century the tallt buildg East Tennsee. From 1960 to 1963, Gay Street was the se of dozens of civil-rights monstratns, first s-s at all-whe lunch unters, then monstratns outsi the still-segregated movie theaters. Gay Street has also been the home of multiple partment stor, cludg Miller’s, which mataed a prence s origal bex-arts brick buildg on Gay for 70 years.
GAY CLUB SHOOTG SPECT EVAD COLORADO’S RED FLAG GUN LAW
It was home to the headquarters of furnure giant Sterchi Brothers, whose logo has bee a signature of the Gay Street skyle, and today is one of downtown’s largt and most popular rintial buildgs. Gay Street has always been home to Knoxville’s ft theatr. In 1872, Swiss immigrant Peter Stb pleted his grand Stb’s Opera Hoe, facg Gay Street.
It was the first of several theaters that kept Gay Street l up at night. Those who have performed shows Gay Street theaters between 1880 and 1940 clu Sarah Bernhardt, Lillie Langtry, Will Rogers, Gee M.
By the 1920s, Gay Street supported several movie theaters at once, the largt of which were the Riviera (1920) and the more extravagantly rated Tennsee (1928). Today, as day turns to night, theatre lights still lure you down Gay Street for a variety of performanc and cematic entertament at some of the regn’s most popular venu.