Tall Betsy is a cultural Halloween icon originating in Bradley County, Tennessee, United States. Tall Betsy was declared the "Official Halloween Goblin" of Bradley County in 1989.
Tall Betsy is a cultural Halloween icon originating in Bradley County, Tennessee, United States. Tall Betsy was declared the "Official Halloween Goblin" of Bradley County in 1989.
Allan Jones, a Cleveland, Tennessee entrepreneur and philanthropist best known as the founder of national payday lender Check Into Cash, capitalized on the Tall Betsy character in 1980. [1]
Jones based the character on stories (local folklore) that were told to his mother, Virginia Slaughter Jones, by her mother, Marie Schultz Slaughter. Virginia and other Cleveland children being raised during the 1930s were told by their parents that if they failed to come home before dark they would likely encounter Tall Betsy, sometimes called Black Betsy or simply "The Lady in Black." [2]
Tall Betsy last appeared in 1998 after drawing a Halloween crowd of 25,000, although no explanation was ever given for the goblin's disappearance. Jones later told a reporter that while the goblin may have vanished, her spirit is embedded in the hearts and minds of the Cleveland residents who saw Tall Betsy during the eighteen years from 1980 to 1998.[ citation needed ]
The 2005 Block Party was dedicated in honor of Tall Betsy's 25th anniversary. The Block Party drew the largest crowd in the event's history. Jones arranged for nationally recognized celebrities such as the cast of "Leave It To Beaver" and Little Richard to entertain the more than 30,000 attendees.[ citation needed ] In 2014, Jones' son, Bailey, assumed the identity of Tall Betsy and has appeared as the goblin each year since at the Halloween Block Party. [3]
On May 24, 1989, the Tennessee legislature declared Tall Betsy as "the official Halloween goblin of Bradley County". [1]
In 2011 Tall Betsy was the subject of a documentary by Zac Adams. It was narrated by Lynn Hoffman, host of A&E's popular "Private Sessions." [2]
The 1888 United States presidential election was the 26th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 6, 1888. Republican nominee Benjamin Harrison, a former Senator from Indiana, defeated incumbent Democratic President Grover Cleveland of New York. It was the third of five U.S. presidential elections in which the winner did not win the national popular vote, which would not occur again until the 2000 US presidential election.
Bradley County is a county located in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 108,620, making it the thirteenth most populous county in Tennessee. Its county seat is Cleveland. It is named for Colonel Edward Bradley of Shelby County, Tennessee, who was colonel of Hale's Regiment in the American Revolution and the 15th Regiment of the Tennessee Volunteers in the War of 1812. Bradley County is included in the Cleveland, Tennessee Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Chattanooga-Cleveland-Dalton, TN-GA-AL Combined Statistical Area.
Charleston is a city in Bradley County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 664 at the 2020 census. It is included in the Cleveland Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Cleveland is the county seat of and largest city in Bradley County, Tennessee. The population was 47,356 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Cleveland metropolitan area, Tennessee, which is included in the Chattanooga–Cleveland–Dalton, TN–GA–AL Combined Statistical Area.
Friday the 13th is a 1980 American independent slasher film produced and directed by Sean S. Cunningham, written by Victor Miller, and starring Betsy Palmer, Adrienne King, Harry Crosby, Laurie Bartram, Mark Nelson, Jeannine Taylor, Robbi Morgan, and Kevin Bacon. Its plot follows a group of teenage camp counselors who are murdered one by one by an unknown killer while they are attempting to re-open an abandoned summer camp with a tragic past.
Melungeons are a group of people from Appalachia who predominantly descend from Northern or Central European women and sub-Saharan African men. Their ancestors were likely brought to Virginia as indentured servants in the mid-17th century.
The Virginian was an American Western television series starring James Drury in the title role, along with Doug McClure, Lee J. Cobb, and others. It originally aired on NBC from 1962 to 1971, for a total of 249 episodes. Drury had played the same role in 1958 in an unsuccessful pilot that became an episode of the NBC summer series Decision. Filmed in color, The Virginian became television's first 90-minute Western series. Cobb left the series after four seasons, and was replaced over the years by mature character actors John Dehner, Charles Bickford, John McIntire, and Stewart Granger, all portraying different characters. It was set before Wyoming became a state in 1890, as mentioned several times as Wyoming Territory, although other references set it later, around 1898.
Betsy Palmer was an American actress known for her many film and Broadway roles, television guest-starring appearances, as a panelist on the game show I've Got a Secret, and later for playing the antagonist and mother of Jason Voorhees, Pamela Voorhees, in the first Friday the 13th film (1980).
Cherry Jones is an American actress. She started her career in theater as a founding member of the American Repertory Theater in 1980 before transitioning into film and television. Celebrated for her dynamic roles on stage and screen, she has received various accolades, including three Primetime Emmy Awards and two Tony Awards, as well as nominations for an Olivier Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award.
Mabel "Madea" Earlene Simmons is a character created and portrayed by Tyler Perry. She is portrayed as a tough, street-smart elderly African-American woman.
Edward Lee Jones, commonly known as Ed "Too Tall" Jones due to his height, is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end for 15 seasons for the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League (NFL). In 1979, he left football to attempt a career in professional boxing.
Lucille Benson was an American character actress.
John Carroll Dye was an American film and television actor known for his role as Andrew in the spiritual television drama series Touched by an Angel.
Cleveland High School (CHS) is a public high school in the Cleveland City Schools system located in Cleveland, Tennessee. The school was founded in 1967 and serves 1,662 students in grades 9 to 12. The school's mascot is the Blue Raider, and its school colors are blue, white, and red. The principal is Bob Pritchard. The school maintains a rivalry with the crosstown Bradley Central High School, as with their other crosstown rival Walker Valley High School.
Jareth is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the 1986 fantasy film Labyrinth. Portrayed by David Bowie, Jareth is the powerful and enigmatic king of the goblins to whom protagonist Sarah Williams wishes away her baby brother Toby. Jareth gives Sarah thirteen hours to retrieve the baby from his castle at the centre of an enormous labyrinth, during which time he sets obstacles in her path and tries to entice her away from her quest.
Bradley Central High School is a public high school located in Cleveland, Tennessee that serves approximately 1,700 students from grades 9-12. It was founded in 1916, and is part of the Bradley County Schools system. The school maintains a crosstown rivalry with Cleveland High School, as well as fellow county rival Walker Valley High School.
William Allan Jones Jr. is an American businessman from Cleveland, Tennessee. He is the founder, chairman, and CEO of Check Into Cash, Creditcorp, Jones Management Services, and the Community Financial Services Association, as well as several other local lending agencies. He has been called the "father of the payday loan industry" for founding and building the first major payday loan chain.
Hardwick Clothes is an American clothing manufacturer headquartered in Cleveland, Tennessee specializing in tailor-made suits for men and women. Founded on July 28, 1880, Hardwick Clothes is the oldest maker of tailored clothing in America, and the second-oldest company in Bradley County, Tennessee.
The Centenary Avenue is one of the oldest historic districts in Cleveland, Tennessee. It is bounded by Eighteenth, Harle, Thirteenth and Ocoee Streets, is located adjacent to the Ocoee Street Historic District, and is regarded as one of the widest streets in Cleveland. The homes there were built from 1850-1949.
The murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, triggered a wave of protests throughout Tennessee in late May and early June 2020. These protests continued throughout the year.
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