Ghost Walking the Streets of Knoxville: Market Square

There are ghost walks and then there is “ghost walking.” Ghost Walking the Streets of Knoxville takes a look at life on the city’s downtown streets in bygone times; how these streets and their buildings have changed throughout the decades, and how through old pictures and stories we can glimpse the echoes of people’s past lives and particular events.In this episode, historian Paul James reads the first of his own Ghost Walking columns that he wrote for InsideofKnoxville.com, taking us through Knoxville’s iconic Market Square, a space specifically designed to attract people and commerce.Established in 1853 by two entrepreneurs who hoped their property holdings would increase in value if they donated the middle part to the City of Knoxville to serve as a market space, this place has changed much over the years with its various market houses, city hall, fire hall, jail and numerous stores and saloons. Yet in some ways, since Farmer's Markets still happen here, its central function has hardly changed at all. The series is produced by Pete Carty.Knoxville Chronicles is brought to you by the nonprofit Knoxville History Project. Learn more at KnoxvilleHistoryProject.org   Funding for this episode has been kindly provided by the City of Knoxville and Friends of the Knoxville History Project.