Franklin On Foot

When Franklin On Foot founder and guide Margie Thessin discusses the Civil War’s impact on Franklin, she shuns dry textbook summaries. Instead, she gathers groups before historic homes and battle sites, and she explains, “The war happened here. The people who lived here, this war was their 9/11. This was their Pearl Harbor.” Suddenly, she sees sets of eyes light up, as minds make the leap from musty tomes and texts to the people who lived—and fought and died—where they now stand 150 years ago.

To make history relevant, Thessin humanizes it, honing in on the famous and lesser-known people who shaped Franklin and the struggles they faced to do so. In that spirit, she seeks out guides who are not only passionate about history, but also possess a natural knack for storytelling.

In keeping with her commitment to orchestrate vivid tours, Thessin conducts them by foot or by bike. “You get so much from a place by walking it instead of looking out a window of a bus—you may as well fly at 32,000 feet,” she says.