About the Collection

Jesse has spent years carefully building a multi-disciplinary collection with the goal of educating and inspiring audiences of all ages. His work goes beyond simply preserving objects—he strives to create opportunities for people to see themselves reflected in history. Too often, young people and members of minority communities struggle to find a connection to the past through conventional narratives that focus only on certain voices or experiences.

By sharing his collection through his YouTube channel and public displays, Jesse hopes to spark curiosity, nurture understanding, and provide a safe space where everyone can participate in the story of our shared past. His vision is one in which history becomes a tool for empathy, belonging, and community building.

Mission

The mission of Jesse’s collection is to preserve and interpret the history and culture of East Tennessee, fostering a deeper understanding of the region’s past and highlighting its ongoing significance for the present and future.

At its heart, this mission emphasizes inclusivity: ensuring that people who have traditionally been excluded from historical narratives—whether due to race, class, gender, sexual orientation, or age—can find their place in the story. By centering community participation, the collection becomes not just a set of artifacts, but a living resource for dialogue, learning, and inspiration.

Scope

The collection offers a broad and dynamic window into life in East Tennessee and beyond:

• Time Period: Spanning from the early 1800s to the mid-1900s, capturing the region’s transformation over more than a century.

• Focus Areas:

  • Settlement Era: Items reflecting the lives of early Tennesseans, including tools, domestic objects, and cultural artifacts.

  • Industrial Growth: Materials highlighting how modernization and industrialization shaped local communities.

  • Atomic Age: Pieces connected to the mid-20th century, particularly the impact of Oak Ridge and the Manhattan Project on Tennessee and the world.

• Content: Everyday objects, rare finds, and community-donated items that represent not only the well-known figures of history but also the daily lives of ordinary people.

This wide scope ensures that visitors and viewers can appreciate both the “big picture” of Tennessee’s role in American history and the smaller, more personal stories that make history come alive.

Purpose

What began as a personal passion for collecting has transformed into something much greater.

• Origins: Jesse’s interest in history and material culture led him to begin acquiring artifacts for his own enjoyment and study.

• Community Growth: As word spread, neighbors and community members began contributing their own family treasures and stories, helping to expand both the scope and meaning of the collection.

• Current Role: The collection now serves as an educational and cultural resource. Its purpose is to both educate—by deepening understanding of the past—and entertain—by engaging audiences in creative, interactive ways.

Ultimately, the purpose of the collection is to connect people to history in ways that are personal, relevant, and inclusive.

Accessibility

A core value of the collection is accessibility. History should not be locked away in archives or restricted to specialists—it should be open and engaging for all.

• Exhibits & Displays: The collection is made available through curated exhibits in public spaces, where people can see, touch, and interact with history.

• Digital Access: Through YouTube and other platforms, Jesse shares stories and artifacts with a broader audience, breaking down barriers of geography and access.

• Community Participation: Everyone is welcome to explore, learn, and contribute. Whether by donating an item, sharing a story, or simply engaging with the displays, all voices are valued and included.

This commitment ensures that the collection is not a private archive, but a shared cultural resource—one that belongs to the community as much as to its collector.