Masters Theses

Ruth Winton

Date of Award

8-1937

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Major

History

Major Professor

S. J. Folmsbee

Abstract

Among the problems which confronted the legislature of Tennessee in 1893 was that of abolishing the convict lease system in the state. The results of the coal miners' insurrections in 1891-1892 made it imperative that the state take complete charge of her convicts. In order to meet this situation, coal lands were purchased in 1894 in Morgan County, and Brushy Mountain Penitentiary was built, at Petros, in 1896, so as to take care of the leased convicts at the expiration of the convict lease system, January 1, 1896. The purpose of this study has been to trace the development of this penitentiary, both from point of view of the problem of management and from that of the problem of production and sale of coal and coke, from its establishment to the present time. In the preparation of this thesis the writer has been greatly aided by the helpful suggestions and valuable criticisms offered by Dr. S. J. Folmsbee of the History Department or the University of Tennessee. For assistance in obtaining the material for this work, grateful acknowledgements are due the staffs of the University of Tennessee Library, the Tennessee State Library, and the Department of Institutions, and Colonel W. M. Nixon, member or the first board of prison commissioners , Mr. A. W. Evans, mining engineer, and Mr. W. H. Nelson, who was connected with the penitentiary for thirty years, and others who generously contributed their time in interviews.

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