When: Wednesday, May 15, 2024 at 12 p.m. (and virtually)
Where: East Tennessee History Center, 601 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, Tn. 37902
For almost two decades, Polk County Sheriff Burch E. Biggs reigned supreme in Tennessee's southeasternmost county. His political machine was built upon three pillars?election fraud, police brutality, and graft?and while it is true that Biggs was not the first (or last) American sheriff to permit “fee-grabbing”, take kickbacks, or stuff the ballot box, the duration and brutality of his tenure makes him exceptional. He was finally deposed in 1948 when a bipartisan political party, known as "The Good Government League," defeated him in the violent ... (click for more)