Did you know the Battle of Athens had a sequel in Polk County? Read the never-before-told story!

Sheriff Burch E. Biggs ruled Polk County from 1930 to 1948, building one of the most powerful and brutal political machines in American history. Election fraud, graft, and police brutality were the order of the day. Aligned with Boss Crump in Memphis, he tried to extend his empire into neighboring counties. At the peak of his power during World War II, he was nearly unstoppable.

Inspired by the Battle of Athens, a bipartisan group of veterans formed the Good Government League (GGL) to challenge the Biggs machine. They put out a full ticket for county offices in the 1948 election. But unlike in Athens, there were fatalities on that election day, and the National Guard had be sent in to restore order.

A forbidden topic of discussion in many Polk County households for the past 75 years, it is long past time for this story to be told. With his newest book, The Biggs Machine, McMinn County author Tyler L. Boyd preserves this story in a single source for posterity.

Tyler L. Boyd

Born and raised in McMinn County, Tyler L. Boyd is an author, historian, and educator. He specializes in biographies: Tennessee Statesman Harry T. Burn: Woman Suffrage, Free Elections and a Life of Service; Nellie Kenyon: Trailblazing Tennessee Journalist; The Biggs Machine: Old Time Politics in Polk County, Tennessee. He serves as the McMinn County Archivist, secretary of the McMinn County library board, and as president of the McMinn County Historical Society and Archives. He currently resides in East Tennessee.

“In politics your enemies will do anything to beat you. I knew the only way to win was to be so strong that there could never be any question. And this is what I have done."

- Burch E. Biggs