Alva Review-Courier -

As a boy growing up in Tennessee, I knew about Davy Crockett, the larger-than-life folk hero who had been born in the state.

A popular folk song about him had become a hit and was often heard on radio stations. At the same time, Crockett’s life was also being portrayed on television.

In doing some research for this article, I discovered that the song mentions that Crockett was a politician, something that escaped my notice at the time. If any of the television shows ever discussed his political career, I don’t remember it.

I do remember that I was surprised when – as a college student majoring...