WBIR-TV Channel 10 interviewed Ernest Freeberg, professor and head of the Department of History, and doctoral student Josh Hodge about an initiative they are spearheading: The Cas Walker Stories Project, which seeks to tell stories of Cas Walker through Knoxville residents. Walker was a politician, businessman, and legend in East Tennessee.
The idea for the project came about when Freeberg bought Walker’s former North Hills house in 2003. After toying with the idea for a decade, he finally started it in April with Hodge’s help.
“When they learn that you live in Cas Walker’s house they all have a Cas Walker story to tell,” Freeberg said. “Often it is the same story so you hear it from a lot of different people and you come to realize that this is kind of the urban folklore that has united Knoxvillians for a very long time.”
Freeberg said the project has made him realize how important Walker is to the city’s sense of self. He and Hodge hope to sort through the stories and finish the Cas Walker Stories Project next spring with a website, a book and a digital archive.