As the last leaseholder living within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Lem Ownby became a legend, selling his honey and offering pearls of wisdom to hikers, writers, and even the governor. In a Brown Bag Lecture on August 13, author Carroll McMahan will share more about this remarkable man, an embodiment of the mountain image, known for his beekeeping, independence, and for maintaining the old ways. Ownby died in 1984, at the age of 95, and the last leaseholder living in the park.

A native of Sevierville, Carroll McMahan is the Special Projects Coordinator for the Sevierville Chamber of Commerce, serves as Sevier County Historian, and contributes to a weekly newspaper column on mountain heritage. His awards include a Community History Award presented by the East Tennessee Historical Society, the Historic Preservation Recognition Award from the Daughters of the American Revolution, and the 2014 Certificate of Merit Award presented by the Tennessee Historical Commission. Carroll is the author of Images of America: Sevierville and most recently Elkmont’s Uncle Lem Ownby: Sage of the Smokies.

The program is sponsored by 21st Mortgage and is free and open to the public. The lecture will begin at noon at the East Tennessee History Center, 601 S. Gay Street, Knoxville. Guests are invited to bring a “Brown Bag” lunch and enjoy the lecture. Soft drinks will be available. Admission is free. For more information on the lecture, exhibitions, or museum hours, call 865-215-8824 or visit the website at www.EastTNHistory.org.