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Host City

It wasn’t until I agreed to host this year’s conference that I realized how proud I am of my city—Nashville, Tennessee. There really is a ton to see and do, and it isn’t only about country music!

The music industry in Nashville is decades old, yet it remains vital and alive by adding new talent, alternate genres and fresh looks at the past with each passing year. Live music is a staple in every corner of the city. One of the best-known venues for songwriters is the Bluebird Café, where every night you hear the heart of the song as its barest soul is revealed in front of you regardless of the fame or fortune of the writer/performer. Every kind of music you can imagine is represented and performed here, yet country music is our principle export. The Tin Roof, Exit Inn, Mercy Lounge and City Hall are all hot venues for cool music and cold beer. And of course, Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge, Robert’s, Legends Corner, and Second Fiddle are all part of Lower Broad (short for lower Broadway) and the honky-tonk district.

Nashville appreciates and commemorates culture, couture, and civil disobedience as well. The city has its own full-scale replicas of both the Parthenon and Athena at Centennial Park. Our Frist Museum bursts with art, furniture, and historic collections from around Tennessee and the world. The Nashville Symphony boasts a world-class performance facility in its brand new home—the Schermerhorn Symphony Center. Manuel is the designer of some of the greatest western wear ever to grace the stage; his shop on Broadway is definitely worth the trip, even if you can’t afford the merchandise. The Main Library downtown maintains a Civil Rights collection in its Nashville room, including a sculptural tribute to the students active in the sit-ins of 1960.

Although Nashville and Franklin have a wealth of man-made entertainment, dining and leisure offerings, the land itself is an absolutely gorgeous foundation upon which all things flourish. Rolling hills, lush foliage, and tons of green space keep nature in the mix of everyday living here. Pristine fields, dotted with houses and barns, make sprawling homes for horses or cattle and conjure memories of simpler times. The Natchez Trace Parkway, a 444-mile Scenic Highway stretching from Franklin, Tennessee, to Natchez, Mississippi, was constructed on or near the original Natchez Trace trade trail—one of our nation’s first major trade corridors. It teems with wildlife, is lined with loads of picnic areas and scenic vistas, and is perfect for cycling or motorcycling.

Our abundant and fruitful land lent itself to farming and thus created a need for many farm workers. Out of this need, the slave trade developed and grew. In the 1860s, the Civil War nearly destroyed the area as Union troops made some of their greatest strikes against the Confederacy in the Battles of Franklin and Nashville. Much of our pristine farmland was bathed in blood and covered with shrapnel, and the plantation lifestyle as it had been known came to an end. Franklin was the site of an especially swift and bloody battle with 9,200 casualties in five hours of fighting. This was a crucial turning point toward ending the Civil War. The Carnton Plantation and the Carter House, homes near the scene of that battle, are now Civil War museums and stand as stark reminders of a dark and turbid chapter in our nation’s history. Bloodstained floors, bricks peppered with bullets, and fields full of soldiers’ graves hint at the horror of battle. It is said that the spirits of soldiers are active in both locations and appear as wispy figures in the evenings.

Historic Franklin is charming with its decorated storefronts, shady sidewalks, casual restaurants, and classic architecture. The spirit of restoration and renovation is vibrant and alive throughout the city, most noticeably at The Factory in Franklin—an abandoned stove-manufacturing plant converted into shops, restaurants, performance venues, and art studios.

The Franklin/Cool Springs area is teaming with restaurants, movie theaters, shopping malls, live music venues and commercial buildings. Our host hotel sits in the midst of this ever-burgeoning area, although it feels tucked away and protected from traffic and noise. The land upon which much of the Cool Springs Complex is built was formerly a horse farm owned by the Carothers family. In fact, their family cemetery is located on the hotel grounds. Conveniently, our hotel is one of the stops for the Franklin Transit Authority Trolleys on Monday through Saturday. The trolley travels into Cool Springs and historic Franklin many times a day for a fare of just $1!

I encourage you to explore all the Local Hot Spots that Nashville and Franklin have to offer!

Jane Baxter
Conference Program Chair