| Sources |
- [S27] The Daily Times, http://www.thedailytimes.com/, (Blount County, Tennessee), 18 Jul 2005.
Historian honored - Inez Burns memorial marker dedicated
2005-07-18
by Linda Braden Albert
of The Daily Times Staff
She was a remarkable woman whose love of education, history and heritage impacted the lives of countless Blount Countians.
The late Inez Elizabeth Burns, beloved educator in the Blount County School system and an icon in the county's historic community, was remembered fondly at the dedication of a memorial marker in her honor Thursday at Historic Sam Houston Schoolhouse. Her nephews, Dr. Ralph Burns of Clarendon Hills, Ill., and Gerald Burns of Nashville, attended the dedication ceremony.
``I know that Inez was a big part of lots of y'all's lives,'' said Ralph Burns, addressing the crowd of more than 40 of his late aunt's friends and former students. ``Particularly in the Big Gully part of the county, every other person was a student of hers at one time or another. And everybody knows what her part was in making everybody aware of the significance of local history.''
Inez Burns was born April 14, 1907, in the Tuckaleechee Cove area of Blount County. She was a 1929 graduate of Maryville College and taught in Blount County schools until 1972. During that time, she authored numerous articles about Blount County and East Tennessee and insisted that her students delve into their own family history and submit written reports as part of their course work.
Burns, who served as the official Blount County historian for many years, belonged to all the area historical societies and volunteered numerous hours of time to Fort Loudoun Historical Society, John Sevier Homesite and Historic Sam Houston Schoolhouse, which is located off Old Sam Houston School Road near Eagleton Elementary School. The marker in her memory is to recognize the more than 40 years she spent working for the preservation of the Houston Schoolhouse site, where the legendary Sam Houston educated students in the early 1800's. It was made possible by donations from former students, friends and board members of the Sam Houston Memorial Association.
Gerald Burns recalled his aunt's dedication to Sam Houston Schoolhouse.
``I remember when she conned the sheriff into bringing the prisoners out here,'' he said with a laugh. ``And she would bring her students up here on class outing days and they would do manual labor. Now, what we've got here is just wonderful.''
Former students Max Hill, Leroy Rogers and Betty Best shared their memories of Inez Burns, as did Jim Shuler, a distant relative and editor of the Smoky Mountain Historical Society newsletter. Best, Pete Prince and Lorene Smith, members of Blount County's historical community, spoke about Burns' contributions to the preservation of area history. Her book, ``History of Blount County, Tennessee: From War Trail to Landing Strip, 1795 to 1955,'' has been recognized as one of the most thorough and definitive histories in the state of Tennessee.
Following the dedication, Ralph Burns said, ``(Inez) was really a remarkable lady and devoted so much of her time and effort and resources to this site. It's entirely fitting to have this recognition, I think, and I'm very, very glad to see it.''
Board members elected; visitation down
The annual meeting of the Sam Houston Memorial Association followed the dedication ceremony. Association President Enoch Simerly called the meeting to order. Highlights of the meeting:
* Six board members were elected. These include new members Rick Whaley, Ron Blow and Phyllis Morelock, and returning members Betty Best, Kim Mitchell and Gene Russell.
* Max Hill announced that the Blount County Commission had granted the association's request for $2,000 to be used at the site.
* Resident Manager Ralph Grindstaff announced that funds and visitation to Historic Sam Houston Schoolhouse are both down in 2005 as compared with the same time frame, January through July 14, of the previous two years.
``This is taking place not just at this site, but at all sites,'' Grindstaff said. ``Right now we are running about $3,500 less than what we did last year, we are running a little over $1,800 less than what we did year before last. In attendance, we are running a total of 896 people less this year that what we did last year, and in comparison to year before last, we are running about 549 people less. It has slacked off, as far as the amount of people coming through.''
The greatest drop in attendance was seen in the local population, with a less dramatic drop in visitors from outside Blount County but within Tennessee. Surprisingly, the number of visitors from outside the state has not seen that much change, Grindstaff reported. In addition, Grindstaff said people are not spending their money in the museum gift shop.
``Not even the little stuff,'' he said. ``They are just not buying right now.''
* The association membership drive is currently underway. For information about membership or to make a donation to Historic Sam Houston Schoolhouse, call Grindstaff at 982-1550.
- [S9] Smoky Mountain Historical Society Newsletter, Smoky Mountain Historical Society, Vol. XXVI, Issue 1, page 16, 2000.
- [S112] Census, 1920.
Name: Inez Burns
Residence: , Blount, Tennessee
Estimated Birth Year: 1908
Age: 12
Birthplace: Tennessee
Relationship to Head of Household: Daughter
Gender: Female
Race: White
Marital Status: Single
Father's Birthplace: Tennessee
Mother's Birthplace: Tennessee
Film Number: 1821729
Digital Folder Number: 4390801
Image Number: 01082
Sheet Number: 17
Household Gender Age Birthplace
SELF Nancy Burns F 41y Tennessee
DAU Inez Burns F 12y Tennessee
DAU Edith Burns F 11y Tennessee
SON Theadore Burns M 10y Tennessee
SON Herbert Burns M 8y Tennessee
SON Ralph Burns M 5y Tennessee
MOTH Susana Brickey F 80y Tennessee
Daniel Caylor M 84y Tennessee
- [S112] Census, 1930.
Name: Inez E Burns
Event: Census
Event Date: 1930
Event Place: Maryville, Blount, Tennessee
Gender: Female
Age: 23
Marital Status: Single
Race: White
Birthplace: Tennessee
Estimated Birth Year: 1907
Immigration Year:
Relationship to Head of Household: Daughter
Father's Birthplace: Tennessee
Mother's Birthplace: Tennessee
Enumeration District Number: 0012
Family Number: 36
Sheet Number and Letter: 2A
Line Number: 26
NARA Publication: T626, roll 2234
Film Number: 2341968
Digital Folder Number: 4548148
Image Number: 00386
Household Gender Age Birthplace
Head Nancy B Burns F 51 Tennessee
Daughter Inez E Burns F 23 Tennessee
Daughter Edith R Burns F 21 Tennessee
Son J Thedore Burns M 19 Tennessee
Son Hubert B Burns M 18 Tennessee
Son Ralph V Burns M 15 Tennessee
- [S27] The Daily Times, http://www.thedailytimes.com/, (Blount County, Tennessee), 23 Mar 2004.
Historian Burns dies
2004-03-23
by Linda Albert
of The Daily Times Staff
In the years that she walked the genealogical trails of Blount County, Inez Burns was recognized as a ``Preserver of Tennessee Heritage'' and ``First Historian of Tennessee.'' On Sunday, she became a part of that history, dying at the age of 96.
She was born April 12, 1907, and grew up in the Tuckaleechee Cove area of Blount County. She taught in several Blount County schools from 1930 through 1972, when she retired. Friend, colleague and former student, Betty Best, said one of the subjects Burns taught over those four decades was history and she often required students to research their family trees. In the process, Burns also was learning more about the people of Blount County.
Over the years, Burns amassed a great deal of information about the county and in 1955 she wrote the book ``History of Blount County, Tennessee, from War Trail to Landing Strip.'' This book is recognized as one of the most thorough county histories in the state of Tennessee and contains both factual history and human interest stories.
Burns' knowledge of history resulted in the Blount County Commission appointing her as Blount County Historian in 1971. Also, in a joint resolution by the 94th General Assembly of the Tennessee House of Representatives, she was named ``Preserver of Tennessee Heritage'' and ``First Historian of Tennessee.''
In addition to authoring numerous articles for the several historical societies to which she belonged, Burns volunteered her time to educate others and preserve the historical heritage of the county. Historic Sam Houston Schoolhouse in particular was a concern of hers for more than 50 years, Best said.
Burns' interest in the preservation of the historic building where Sam Houston taught school around 1812 began many years before the advent of the Historic Sam Houston Schoolhouse Association. Best said on several occasions, Burns would bring her students to the site with her as she mowed grass and cut briars around the old log structure. Later, Burns volunteered her time on the Board of Directors and also worked at the school to interpret its history for visitors.
To acknowledge her tireless efforts on behalf of the school, Inez Burns Appreciation Day was held March 2, 1996, the 203rd anniversary of Sam Houston's birth.
Burns received numerous awards and honors for her contributions in the preservation and interpretation of local history. One of these honors includes the naming of the road in front of her birthplace on Wear's Cove Road as ``The Inez Burns Parkway.'' The cabin where she was born is listed on the National Register of Historic Sites, Best said.
Burns was presented the prestigious Ramsey Award for Lifetime Achievement from East Tennessee Historical Society at its annual meeting May 7, 2002, at the University Club in Knoxville. Burns was one of only eight people who had received the award at that time, the highest honor offered by the society.
At the awards dinner, Burns said she was first introduced to the study of history by her grandmother.
``My grandmother lived with us, and I got interested in family history and all that,'' Burns said. ``I became indoctrinated in the history of Tuckaleechee Cove,'' now Townsend, and ``I have worked in history, lo these many years.''
Burns was preceded in death by her parents, John Gamble and Nancy Brickey Burns; brothers, Herbert V. Burns, Ralph Burns and John Theodore Burns; and sisters Edith Little and Flora Headrick.
She is survived by nephews and nieces Gerald and Sherry Burns and children, Steven, Kenneth and Bonnie Lachowicz, Ralph and Ann Burns and daughter Kathryn Black, John T. Burns, William Fredrick ``Rick'' Burns, David L. Burns, Jane Burns Firestone; numerous great-nieces and nephews; great-great-nieces and nephews; and a host of friends and former students.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Smith Mortuary with interment to follow at Brickey Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 1 to 2 p.m. Wednesday at Smith Mortuary.
- [S58] Marriage Certificate.
Name: John G. Burns
Titles & Terms:
Event: Marriage
Event Date: 18 Apr 1903
Event Place: Blount, Tennessee
Age:
Estimated Birth Year:
Father:
Father's Titles & Terms:
Mother:
Mother's Titles & Terms:
Spouse: Nancy Brickey
Spouse's Titles & Terms:
Spouse's Age:
Spouse's Estimated Birth Year:
Spouse's Father:
Spouse's Father's Titles & Terms:
Spouse's Mother:
Spouse's Mother's Titles & Terms:
Reference Number:
Film Number: 2073553
Digital Folder Number: 004646462
Image Number: 00476
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