From the day it was finished in 1903, the mortar had hardly dried between the bricks at the Southern Railway Station before people began complaining it wasn’t nearly big enough for the job.
But there was one face that everyone got used to seeing every day–a woman in uniform and a white hat. Her name was Maggie Lattimore. Although she was an African American in a segregated train station, she often seemed to be in charge, catering to passengers of all colors. If there was trouble, she would fix it. She was the station matron.
Written by Jack Neely and read by Dationa Carter Mitchell. Sound design and editing by Pete Carty. Theme song composed by Mike Stallings.
This episode is funded in part by federal award number 21.027 awarded to the City of Knoxville by the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Arts & Culture Alliance.
Knoxville Chronicles is brought to you by the nonprofit Knoxville History Project.
Learn more at KnoxvilleHistoryProject.org