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The 700 Block of Gay Street, West Side - Birthplace of a State - The Gaps of Gay Street Part 8

February 6, 1796, 225 years ago, the Constitutional Convention for the State of Tennessee met in Knoxville to adopt the document that would give birth to the 16th state in the Union: Tennessee. Fifty-five statesmen from the territory gathered in Knoxville to sign the document that would be sent to the United States Congress. These men met at David Henley's headquarters, located on the southwest corner of the intersection of Gay Street and Church Avenue, what was then the northern fringe of Knoxville. Such a monumental event must surely be commemorated by a monument or, more likely, a museum recreating the scene. What if I told you that the birthplace of the State of Tennessee is marked by a couple of Ford F-150's, some Toyotas, a Honda or two, a pretty nice Range Rover, and a small booth with a sign that says "Pay Here in Advance." If you're a longtime reader of this blog, then this comes as no surprise. That's right folks, we the people of Knoxville paved ove
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524 & 1/2 S. Gay Street - Coolato Alley - The Gaps of Gay Street Part 7

In the last installment of the Gaps of Gay Street, we explored the Krutch Park Extension and all of the little retail spots that were once located there. In this installment, we are going to take a quick hop across the street to explore the smallest gap on Gay Street. We're going to look into the alleyway between the building that now houses Coolato Gelato and the Farragut Hotel . Mind the gap between Coolato and Starbucks. Unless you're enjoying a delicious gelato, you've probably never even noticed this spot. It's not a terribly bad place to sit and enjoy a scoop. To the untrained eye, it would appear that this is merely an access way to the emergency exits coming out of the Regal Riviera or a convenient place to situate some cafe tables. One would be forgiven for thinking that, this gap is tiny. Tiny as it is, there is still a story to tell. Looking east, Regal Riviera in background. Note the plaster still on the wall. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the