FYI - CHAPTER ONE / narrated version under STORIES tab 

CHAPTER ONE

Chester was born on May 28, 1890, in Livingston, Overton, Tennessee, United States. His mother was Sarah Ann Allred, who was 25 years old when Chester was born. His father was Anthony Center Looper, who was 25 years old.


EARLY LIFE IN WEST FORK

Chester Looper was born, the middle of five sons, to Anthony Center Looper and Sarah Ann Allred on May 28, 1890. His early years were spent on the family farm in the small community of West Fork, located about ten miles from Livingston, Tennessee. Even as a young boy, Chester was no stranger to tragedy. His older brother Jonathan died the year before he was born, and his two younger brothers, Norman and Cordell, died before he was six. One of the saddest events in his life was the death of his beloved father on Christmas Day, 1896. After a long illness, Center Looper had finally succumbed to consumption or, as we know it today, tuberculosis. This left Chester and his older brother, Bill, too young to run the farm.

The following year their mother married one of Center Looper's cousins. Sarah Ann had four more children by Ike Bowman. Unfortunately, Chester and Ike did not see eye to eye, so he struck out on his own at fifteen.

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Tennessee in 1890

A large state, Tennessee, is covered in rolling hills, flatlands, and rivers. During the 1800s, many immigrants from Europe and elsewhere relocated to Tennessee for religious and economic freedom. After serving in the Revolutionary War, many veterans were awarded land grants in Tennessee and moved there to make their living. The Mississippi River to the west facilitated trade and fishing during this time. Around 1 million Americans were living in Tennessee during the 1800s; communities like Chester's mainly consisted of farmers, plantation owners, and their slaves.

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Chester's future wife, Stella Julia Qualls, was born four years after Chester in 1894.

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Father died in 1896 - Chester's father, Anthony Center Looper, died at 31. Chester was 6.

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Education

Public schools were present throughout Tennessee during Chester's childhood. Still, these school systems were plagued by problems, often not receiving the proper funding to buy basic supplies, let alone repair old facilities. Moreover, following the Civil War, integration in the state's schools was against the law, thus separating white and African-American students from one another, with African-American schools receiving far less funding. By the end of the 19th century, more secondary schools were appearing, providing more education for Tennesseans. However, one of the persistent problems with schools in the region was the lack of attendance, as no laws were in place mandating participation.

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Spanish American War, 1898

During Chester's lifetime, the United States began establishing itself as a world power and intervening in international affairs in places like the Philippines, Hawaii, and Cuba. Unfortunately for U.S. foreign relations, this caused a lot of tension, resulting in several conflicts, including the Spanish-American War of 1898. Americans around Chester were shocked to read the sensational news articles detailing the alleged Spanish attack on the U.S.S. Maine in Cuba. Although only a few thousand Americans died in the war, the U.S. became a major player on the world stage. Many people around Chester learned about the war through "yellow journalism," or newspaper articles that contained exaggerated information to promote the fight and sell copies.

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Recognized and Celebrated Holidays

In addition to the traditional and nationally recognized holidays celebrated by most Americans, including the Fourth of July, Labor Day, and New Year's, many people in Chester's town also recognized the holy days of their religion and some specific regional holidays. Tennessee is one of only twelve states, for example, which celebrates Good Friday as a state holiday, commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death. In addition, Confederate Memorial Day, also known as Confederate Decoration Day, was a holiday unique to the region, honoring those who died fighting in the Confederate Army during the Civil War.

For many Tennesseans, the biggest holiday of the year was Christmas. Like numerous other Americans, they enjoyed decorating Christmas trees, buying presents for their loved ones, and spending quality time with their families. Some Tennesseans chopped down cedar trees to serve as the family Christmas tree. More Christmas-related merchandising, including cartoons, films, and iconic Coca-Cola advertisements, helped create the popular 20th-century perception of Santa Claus and his reindeer, among other holiday characters.

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First Flight with the Wright Brothers, 1903

When Chester was 12, brothers Orville and Wilbur Wright successfully designed and flew the world's first heavier-than-air, human-piloted aircraft. That initial flight in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, lasted less than a minute and didn't gain much public attention. By 1905, though, Chester's local newspaper would follow the Wright Brothers closely as their increasingly sustained flights became a national sensation. Within a few short decades, the modern airplane would completely revolutionize travel for people worldwide.

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Ford Motors, 1903

In June of 1903, when Chester was 13, Henry Ford changed transportation by founding the Ford Motor Company in Dearborn, Michigan. In its early years, the company revolutionized manufacturing with its improved assembly line version, which had been patented by Ransom Olds of the Oldsmobile company a few years prior. Ford's version of the assembly line used an innovative conveyor system in which the car chassis was towed by a rope from station to station, making production quicker and more efficient. Ford also set a precedent by providing a decent wage for his workers—$5 for a 9-hour day. Introducing the Model T a few years later allowed millions of middle-class Americans to access affordable automobiles.

Religion

The religious revival that took place towards the end of the 1800s carried over into the next century. In 1906, a religious census reported that church membership had increased by 150 percent since previous years. Due to the heavy influence of fundamentalist Protestant groups who believed in the word-for-word accuracy of the Bible, Tennessee was recognized as part of the so-called "Bible Belt" in the southern U.S.

In both cities and rural areas, new houses of worship were being built regularly, including some by the region's growing minority faiths, such as the immigrant Jewish population. To increase attendance, modern methods of promoting religion during Chester's time included church advertisements on billboards, lighted signs in front of church buildings, and advertisements in weekly papers. New Christian denominations appeared, including the Church of the Nazarene, which originated in Tennessee, as well as the Church of God, which began along eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina. Many of the newer religions at this time were still extremely opposed to drinking alcohol and using tobacco.

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First Radio Broadcast, 1906

On Christmas Eve of 1906, the Canadian inventor Reginald Fessenden successfully executed the first radio broadcast—a Christmas concert sent out from a radio tower in Massachusetts to crews aboard United Fruit Company ships in the Atlantic Ocean. This was a major milestone in communication and made news around the world. Soon, people like 15-year-old Chester would enjoy this new technology for communication, news, and entertainment.

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Pleasant Hill Academy, 1908

At some point, Chester became interested in furthering his education, and about 1908, began attending Pleasant Hill Academy. Pleasant Hill Academy was created to provide education to rural students on the Cumberland Plateau. The school was established by the American Missionary Association of the Congregational Christian Church and was a boarding school dedicated to liberal arts, sciences, agriculture, and vocational training. The school was also accredited by the University of Tennessee, and all graduates were automatically accepted to UT. Chester received his diploma in 1910 at the age of twenty. 

Not long after graduating, he became romantically interested in his cousin, Stella Qualls. She was good-looking, vivacious, fun-loving, and he immediately found in Stella someone with whom he could share his dreams. 

Stella and Chester made plans to be married at the Qualls home in Hanging Limb. At the time of their marriage on June 14, 1914, Chester was attending barber school in Nashville.

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Chester's mother Sarah Ann Allred, passed away at the age of 42. Chester was 17.

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Titanic Sinks, 1912

On the night of April 14, 1912, when Chester was 21, the RMS Titanic sank into the North Atlantic Ocean. Many people read about this tragic accident in the newspaper in the days and weeks following the crash. The Titanic had been sailing at full speed when the crew saw an iceberg but could not turn before it hit the boat's starboard (right) side. The crash and subsequent sinking killed more than 1,500 people and shocked American and European citizens, who believed the Titanic to be unsinkable. The lack of sufficient lifeboats also angered many people and prompted the establishment of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, which governs maritime safety. It also led to the establishment of the International Ice Patrol, which watches the frigid seas for potentially dangerous icebergs.

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World War I, 1914 - 1918

When Chester was 23 years old, the Great War (later known as World War I) began. The assassination of Austria's Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Serbia on June 28, 1914, sparked the conflict, which would officially begin a month later. Years of nations increasing their military might and building in nationalism while engaging in alliances and imperialism quickly drew in combatants from around the globe. In battle were the Central Powers (consisting of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire) and the Allied forces of Great Britain, France, Russia, Italy, Japan, and the United States. The combination of old military battle tactics and new elements like machine guns and chemical weapons led to fierce battles and death tolls the world had never seen. By the time the war ended in 1918, 21 million were wounded, and more than 9 million combatants and 7 million civilians had died as a direct result of the conflict.

While the war was raging overseas, many Americans were concerned with German U-boat attacks on ships crossing the Atlantic carrying American passengers, especially after the sinking of the Lusitania. Moreover, they worried that Germany would further incite the struggles involving the Texas/Mexico border. The Zimmerman Telegram, intercepted by British cryptographers, revealed a possible German-Mexican alliance was forthcoming, prompting the United States to enter the war in 1917. Many in Chester's community were outraged at the possibility, believing America's involvement was inappropriate and unnecessary, as the conflict began in Europe and concerning European problems; President Woodrow Wilson was propelled to a second term because he had kept the nation out of the conflict. Once American soldiers finally did enter the fray, patriotism and anti-German sentiments ruled the day.

America mobilized over 4,000,000 military personnel through voluntary enlistment and the passage of the Selective Service Act; 110,000 of these combatants were killed. Military training camps opened up across the country, and Chester and members of his family and community may have seen military personnel, wagons, and trucks passing through on their way to set up camps.

Many helped the war efforts on the home front by buying Liberty Bonds, war savings stamps, and contributing to other wartime organizations. Some farmers sectioned new space of their farms for food crops to aid in feeding soldiers. Others took part in food-conservation programs where citizens abstained from certain foods based on the day, such as wheatless Mondays and Wednesdays, to help conserve for the war effort.

An Allied victory was reached with an armistice on November 11, 1918, but as soldiers returned home with both visible and unseen battle wounds, the world would never be the same.

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Flu Pandemic, 1918

A terrible flu pandemic struck the United States and the entire world when Chester was 27. The Spanish Flu of 1918 infected over a third of the world's population and killed more than 650,000 Americans alone, as the medical community desperately searched for better treatments or a vaccine. Many public gathering spots like theaters, saloons, sports arenas, and shops were temporarily closed, and some people in Chester's community resorted to wearing masks any time they went into town. Hospitals and funeral parlors were overwhelmed, leaving many poor Americans to bury their own loved ones. With World War I raging at the same time, it made for a very challenging year for just about everyone.

Chester & Stella build their first home.

Houses were built out of traditional timber, but shingled roofs were replacing thatch or tiles. These houses were generally larger than before, with separate kitchens, bedrooms, living spaces, and bathrooms.

Electricity was widely introduced in the early decades of the 20th century, illuminating homes all over Chester's neighborhood. Coal-burning stoves were still prevalent across America, but central heating furnaces gained popularity among those who could afford them. Carpeting became common as well, helping homes stay warmer in winter.

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First Public Radio Broadcast, 1920

In 1920, the Pittsburgh company Westinghouse (one of the largest radio manufacturers in the nation) devised a plan to sell more radios. They decided to make a broadcasting transmitter that would allow radio owners throughout the region to tune in for different programs. 

November 2, 1920, the day of the presidential election, was the first day of programming. Listeners in the area who tuned in that day heard a reading of the results of the presidential election, where Harding decisively defeated Cox. The broadcast, although heard by only a small group of people, was a stunning success and caused radio mania to grip the nation. Radio sales soon exploded throughout America, and there was a rush to open up and register commercial radio stations in most major cities. The Age of Radio had truly begun.

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Transportation

Over the course of Chester's lifetime, long-distance transportation became more affordable for the average Tennessean. In response to the growing use of automobiles in the state and across the nation, Tennessee commenced construction of new roads and highways to accommodate this popular mode of travel. At the start of the 20th century, automobiles were luxury items, but Henry Ford's assembly line production made cars accessible for many Americans, especially the middle-class.

Water and railway transportation also remained practical ways of getting goods and people to where they needed to be. During wartime, trains were responsible for carrying 90 percent of passengers and the vast majority of freight across the country. 

Meanwhile, the era of airplane travel—which was famously jump-started by the Wright brothers in 1903—literally took off during Chester's life. By the 1920s, facilities like the Sky Harbor Airport near Murfreesboro offered domestic flights to those lucky few who could pay the cost. 

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On 22 May 1925, Chester's daughter, Chesterlyn, was born when Chester was 34 years old.

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Communication

Technology rapidly evolved during the early 20th century, allowing Chester access to more information than ever before. The first great wave of change came with the telephone, an 1870s invention that only became affordable for home use in Tennessee during the early 1900s. While some homes had private telephone lines installed, many families in Chester's community relied on "party lines" up through the 1950s and 1960s. 

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On 29 April 1927, Chester's daughter, Jessie Rhea, was born when Chester was 36 years old.

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Penicillin, 1928

In 1928, when Chester was 37, scientist Alexander Fleming's petri dish started to grow mold. A fortuitous lack of cleanliness led to the accidental discovery of the bacteria that facilitated the invention of Penicillin. Penicillin revolutionized the medical world by saving lives and reducing the number of amputations during World War II by halting infections. Fleming's invention meant that many of Chester's friends and neighbors, who would have otherwise died of infection, came home alive from World War II. During the first five months of 1943, citizens only had access to 400 million units of penicillin, but by the end of World War II, U.S. companies made 650 billion units a month.

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Great Depression, 1930 - 1942

When Chester was 39 years old, the collapse of the stock market began a decade-long period of economic hardships in America known as the Great Depression. The unemployment rate for much of the 1930s reached above 25% across the U.S., as millions were forced out of their homes and into makeshift shanty towns dubbed "Hoovervilles." The hard times and bread lines continued into the early 1940s when the outbreak of World War II and new policies instituted by President Franklin Roosevelt helped stimulate job growth and turn the economic tide.

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Tragedy Strikes Looper Department Store, 1930  

Looper's Department Store burned to the ground, along with years of hard work and sacrifice. Undaunted, Chester and Stella rebuilt their store on the town square. By 1938 Chester was elected mayor of Jamestown.

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Commerce

During the early 20th century, many of Chester's neighbors purchased the bulk of the goods they needed at small, locally-owned shops like Looper's Department Store. As the years passed, larger regional department stores like Miller Brothers offered a wide variety of goods all under one roof. National chain stores and restaurants soon began buying up local institutions. Coins and paper money were still commonly used, but personal checks were becoming more widely accepted than they had been in the past. Credit cards wouldn't come into common use until the 1950s and '60s. Like most Americans, people in Tennessee paid sales tax on many goods, as well as federal income taxes.

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New Deal, 1933 - 1938

When Chester was 42 years old, America was in the depths of the Great Depression. In an attempt to alleviate the deep economic turmoil, President Franklin D. Roosevelt passed a series of acts and federal programs that came to be known as the New Deal. The New Deal included projects aimed at providing jobs and improving the economy while adding bridges, power plants, and other infrastructure to communities across the United States.

The New Deal soon found its way to Tennessee, improving the lives of many of Chester's neighbors. One of the programs that had the most significance for the state was the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). This initiative worked to control frequent flooding, improve navigation, assist farmers, and provide electricity to the Tennessee River basin. The Public Works Administration (PWA) also employed thousands of workers in Tennessee, who built bridges, rail crossings, paved streets, public buildings, courthouses, schools, and over two hundred miles of roads. 

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Tennessee Valley Authority, 1933

On the 18th of May, 1933, when Chester was 42, Congress authorized the creation of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). The Wilson Dam had been built as a part of the wartime effort during WWI, and it shifted to domestic production in the aftermath. The hydroelectric dam became the centerpiece of the TVA and was granted the authority to regulate the flow of the Tennessee River, build dams in the Tennessee and Lower Mississippi River Valleys, provide cheap electricity, reforest the land, and provide for agriculture and industrial development. It was also charged with conserving the natural resources of the valley.

Before the TVA, only three percent of farms in the Tennessee River Valley had electricity; half the residents were on public relief, and the annual GDP was half the national average. The region's soil had been depleted and eroded by poor farming practices, and the local forests had nearly all been cut down. In 1936, the TVA settled on creating nine major river locks and dams to control flooding and create navigable rivers. The dams would also produce cheap electricity that could be sold to residents and businesses. In Alabama alone, only one in thirty farms had electricity in 1934 — by 1939, that number had increased to one in nine. Moreover, the construction of the dams and other projects created jobs for local workers during the Great Depression and beyond. The TVA helped modernize the Tennessee Valley region and be an important source of power and development today.