Primary and Secondary Source Documents
Download the several primary and secondary source documents from our extensive BoA collection.
COLLEGE THESES
"The McMinn County, Tennessee Election of 1946"
by George F. Brasington, Jr.
"Machine Politics in McMinn County From 1936 to 1946"
by Everett H. Johnson
"Political Violence in Tennessee: The Battle of Athens, 1946"
by Thomas J. Baker Jr.
"A Study in County Government: The Battle of Athens, Tennessee 1946 and its Ramifications"
by Linda Hampton Higdon
FBI RECORDS
F.B.I. Report on break-in of federal armory in Athens, TN
INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS
Interview with Bill White conducted by University of Tennessee History Department - Center for the Study of War and Society - July 20, 2000
JOURNALIST NOTES
Journalist Bill Downs' notes on Battle of Athens - the morning after
LAWSUITS
Taylor v. Cantrell - election contest in 1940
STATE LEGISLATION
1941 "Ripper Bill" by State Rep. George Woods - this bill reduced number of voting precincts in the county and replaced duly-elected Republican JPs with hand-picked Democrats on the County Court, giving the Cantrell Machine control.
1945 Congressional Redistricting bills by State Senators J.E. Arnold and Paul Cantrell – these bills swapped McMinn and Monroe Counties with Scott and Morgan Counties in the Knoxville-based Second Congressional District. This was done to remove McMinn and Monroe Counties from the jurisdiction of Republican Congressman John J. Jennings, an outspoken opponent of the Cantrell and Biggs Machines. McMinn and Monroe Counties were moved to the Chattanooga-based Third Congressional District. Passing such redistricting bills in the middle of the decade was unheard of, and served as the most brazen Congressional gerrymander in Tennessee until the 2020s.
1945 State Senate Redistricting Bill by State Sen. Paul Cantrell – this bill swapped Anderson and Roane Counties for Monroe and Polk Counties in the Seventh Senatorial District. Anderson and Roane Counties were moved into the Sixth Senatorial District with Loudon County and the western section of Knox County, while Monroe and Polk Counties were moved into the Seventh Senatorial District with McMinn and Bradley Counties. This was done to remove the staunchly Republican Loudon and Knox Counties from the same district as Monroe and Polk Counties. With this mid-decade gerrymander, Cantrell (McMinn) and Biggs (Polk) were now in the same State Senatorial District, helping the bosses further consolidate power.
1947 County Council bill by State Rep. John Peck - this bill created the McMinn County Council and County Manager system, the first of its kind. This led to a gradual phasing out of the old Quarterly County Court system and eventually morphed into the County Commission system we have today.