North of Knoxville in Clinton, Tennessee is the Museum of Appalachia, a living history museum that interprets the pioneer and early 20th-century period of the Southern Appalachian region. There is a collection of more than 30 historic buildings rescued from neglect and decay and gathered together, including cabins owned by the families of Mark Twain and Daniel Boone.
The Display Barn has one of the largest collections of pioneer frontier relics, along with a fully stocked general store and rural post office, as well as an exhibit on Appalachian folk art, created by a number of colorful mountain characters like Minnie Black, who made instruments and sculptures from gourds. I’m not saying Minnie didn’t do a good job (hey, I don’t even know what a gourd is) but I kind of want to smash them all into little pieces before they escape the museum and try to kill me. They’re just that creepy.
Besides some other creepy folk art pieces, the museum also includes the devil (the first thing you see when you enter and…oh boy…what an image) and a painting of Cas Walker’s Coon Dog Cemetary (yes, it’s misspelled). The three dogs who saved Walker’s life were Junior, Tug, and Blackie…and don’t you forget! That is important information. For those who don’t know, Cas Walker is the man who discovered both Dolly Parton and the Everly Brothers so we have to send a big thank you to those dogs out in the Coon Dog Cemetary, wherever that may be. Rest in peace, ol’ doggies!
