Whether you’re a history buff or not, you’ll no doubt be impressed by these: we came across some of the oldest photographs taken in the Volunteer State and they had our jaw on the floor. It’s amazing to have a snapshot, a peek into the past, a way to experience the way the world was so many years ago. We found a few from across the state, and included a few videos below that examine some of our most prolific cities, so many years ago. Take a look!

TEVA This photograph was taken on the Fourth of July in 1861, and depicts a rendering of the soldiers of Rutledge’s Battery.

TSLA Files May we never forget the ladies. This is a photograph of a Tennessee woman named Nannie Haskins with a handful of her friends, taken in 1862.

TEVA This undated photograph of the Grand Ole Opry was taken smack dab in the middle of the twentieth century, but we still find it to be nostalgic and historic.

TEVA Here you can see Benjamin Franklin Ammons and Raiford Franklin Ammons, two soldiers of the 1st Tennessee Heavy Artillery who served in the Civil War. This photograph was taken in 1861 or 1862.

TEVA This is a lithograph of Mossy Creek Farm in the 1840s, located in Jefferson County.

TEVA Taken in 1939, this photo shows a Tennessee farmer holding a threshing cradle. Photographs like this are important because they help us understand the reality of daily life, so many years ago.

TEVA The Scopes Monkey Trial was a huge event in the state of Tennessee, and you can see here the crowd that gathered in 1925.

TEVA Here you can see four women and four men at the grave of D. Rugeley, paying their respects during the 1860s.

Still curious? You can check out the oldest photos from Nashville…

TEVA

This photograph was taken on the Fourth of July in 1861, and depicts a rendering of the soldiers of Rutledge’s Battery.

TSLA Files

May we never forget the ladies. This is a photograph of a Tennessee woman named Nannie Haskins with a handful of her friends, taken in 1862.

TEVA

This undated photograph of the Grand Ole Opry was taken smack dab in the middle of the twentieth century, but we still find it to be nostalgic and historic.

Here you can see Benjamin Franklin Ammons and Raiford Franklin Ammons, two soldiers of the 1st Tennessee Heavy Artillery who served in the Civil War. This photograph was taken in 1861 or 1862.

This is a lithograph of Mossy Creek Farm in the 1840s, located in Jefferson County.

Taken in 1939, this photo shows a Tennessee farmer holding a threshing cradle. Photographs like this are important because they help us understand the reality of daily life, so many years ago.

The Scopes Monkey Trial was a huge event in the state of Tennessee, and you can see here the crowd that gathered in 1925.

Here you can see four women and four men at the grave of D. Rugeley, paying their respects during the 1860s.

AND Memphis…

And you can even walk through historic Gatlinburg.

Pretty amazing, wouldn’t you say? Continue exploring your state with the strange story behind this Tennessee library…

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