Tales at Williamson Chamber Lunch

The tough and savvy women who populated Williamson’s past will be the focus when Franklin on Foot’s Margie Thessin speaks at the March Williamson Chamber Women in Business (WIB) luncheon.

Thessin – a former attorney – gave up the law for murder, mayhem and other tales she tells as a small-business entrepreneur providing tours centered on Franklin. She will share her story and that of local ladies from the 19th Century at the March 24 meeting at the Brentwood United Methodist Church, 309 Franklin Road.

Thessin first led walking tours of Franklin as a volunteer with the Heritage Foundation. In 2003 she founded her company, which today offers a range of walking and biking options, including the most popular tour – Haunted Franklin — that features local ghost stories. Other tours focus on Civil War tales, local food, cemeteries where historic figures are laid to rest and more.

Franklin on Foot has been featured in numerous print and broadcast stories and has more than 200 reviews on TripAdvisor, most of them glowing. Thessin created the I Spy Downtown Franklin tours for children 6 to 12, then added an adventure aimed at preschoolers.

Thessin’s children’s novel, Lizzie’s War, explores life in Franklin during the Civil War era from a young person’s perspective. She also wrote Ghosts of Franklin, Tennessee’s Most Haunted Town in response to the public’s interest in the spooky tales. With many supported by eyewitness accounts, the stories detail chilling encounters at historic locations all over bucolic Franklin, from the Lotz House to the Carnton Plantation.

The cost for the WIB luncheon is $22 for Chamber members and $30 for non-members, who may register as guests. Networking and late registration are from 11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., when the program will begin. The meeting is being presented by CareCore-MedSolutions.

Sign up at williamsonchamber.com before noon on Friday, March 20, to avoid the $5 late fee. All community members are welcomed.