Tennessee History: The days of daredevils and Model T’s at the State Capitol

In front of thousands of onlookers, Harlan Major drives a Model T up the stairs of the Tennessee State Capitol on Aug. 5, 1911. / Tennessee State Library and Archives photo

By Bill Carey September 4, 2023 4 min read

On Sept. 18, 1915, a man named H.H. Gardner scaled the walls and columns of the Tennessee State Capitol while an estimated 8,000 people looked on. He climbed all the way to the top of the flagpole, stopping every so often to yell three words to the large crowd:

“Don’t forget Satan-Et!”

Today, most of us treat the Capitol building with respect, if not reverence. When people are there, they (usually) act in a respectful manner. If they trash the place or do something unsafe, untoward or do damage to the building, they will (theoretically, at least) be arrested, or at least escorted out of the building by state troopers.

There was a time when we didn’t treat the Capitol so well. The notion that the building “belongs to us all” took on a different meaning in the late 1800s and early 1900s, when it was the largest indoor gathering spot in Nashville.