Articles

“The Natchez Trace in the War of 1812” - The Journal of Mississippi History

“The Man Who Abandoned Meriwether Lewis”- We Proceeded On, The Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation

“Nashville’s Vine Street”- Tennessee Historical Quarterly

Southern author Tony L. Turnbow has studied the history of the Natchez Trace for more than 35 years. His grandparents lived on his ancestors' early 1800's farm along the historic Natchez Trace Chickasaw trail.

Mr. Turnbow speaks frequently to groups about stories he has learned from his historical research. He credits his high school history teacher for inspiring him to study history and to bring it to life for others.

In April 2021, he released The Shadow of E. Z.'s Fear, the first book in his young adult historical fiction trilogy "Fighting Devil's Backbone,” set on the Natchez Trace in the early 1800s. The old Trace earned that name as one of the bloodiest roads in American history. Book 2, E. Z. and the Chikasha Warrior, was released on October 21, 2021. The third book E. Z. in the Den of Thieves” has just been released. The mystery and adventure series encourages younger readers to explore history to gain a better foundation to understand current events.

Mr. Turnbow is the author of Hardened to Hickory: The Missing Chapter in Andrew Jackson's Life. The nonfiction is based on unpublished documents that describe Jackson's first military command expedition. It reveals Jackson's fight with the general in command of the U. S Army, a general who was also a spy for an enemy power.

Mr. Turnbow practices law in Franklin, Tennessee. With a Bachelor of Arts and a concentration in southern U.S. history from Vanderbilt University and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Tennessee College of Law, he has continued to use his training to explore unpublished primary sources about the Natchez Trace.

He serves on the Board of Trustees of the Lewis and Clark Trust. He is the past president of the Natchez Trace Parkway Association, and he represented the association on the Tennessee War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission. The Tennessee Society U. S. Daughters of 1812 awarded him their Spirit of 1812 award. He is a member of the Alamo Society and the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation, where he has served on the Governance Committee.

He enjoys telling the stories of the old Natchez Trace.