Degree Name
MA (Master of Arts)
Program
Appalachian Studies
Date of Award
12-2025
Committee Chair or Co-Chairs
Ted Olson
Committee Members
Rebecca Fletcher, Ronald Roach
Abstract
This qualitative paper explores the overlooked history of Telford, Tennessee, a small unincorporated Appalachian community confronting the erosion of its distinctive identity. Drawing from oral history interviews with lifelong elder residents and newly unearthed archival materials, the study complicates the prevailing narrative of 20th-century decline. Instead, it reveals a more nuanced evolution, where diminished local commerce and fading social cohesion were offset by expanded regional access and emergent forms of civic engagement. Among the study’s most significant discoveries is the rediscovery of Franklin Academy--a nearly forgotten 19th-century institution whose advanced debates on Native American rights illuminate an unexpectedly progressive intellectual heritage. The findings place Telford at a critical juncture: it can either assimilate into suburban anonymity or actively reclaim its unique communal character. The paper argues that the true loss lies not only in lost storefronts, but in the fading of the moral imagination and spirit of inquiry. The project concludes with a partnership with the Telford Ruritan Club, launching a local preservation initiative aimed at helping the community navigate this turning point with intention and pride.
Document Type
Applied Project
Copyright
Copyright by the authors.
Recommended Citation
Banks, Jeffrey D., "Telford, Tennessee: The Evolution of an Agrarian Community" (2025). Master of Arts in Appalachian Studies Applied Projects. Paper 1. https://dc.etsu.edu/appalachian-applied-project/1
