About Us 
I'm
Margie Thessin, Franklin on Foot's
owner. I earned a BA in history and a JD. I began my career as a lawyer
followed by a few years as a stay-at-home mom. In 1995 I began to
volunteer leading walking tours for Franklin's Heritage Foundation
classroom program. Three years later, I became the Heritage Foundation
classroom teacher, and in 2003 founded Franklin on Foot. I later spent
three years as director of group tours, special events and weddings at
Historic Carnton Plantation, and in 2008-09, served as Carnton's interim
Executive Director. I wrote Ghosts of Franklin, Tennessee's Most
Haunted Town in 2008. The motto I live by is that the worst day
giving a walking tour is still better than the best day practicing law
(by the way, there are no bad days giving walking tours). I'm married to
Mark and have three children, Anne, Tyler and Molly, and a son-in-law
Ryan.
Meet FOF's Tour Guides:
On
th e
heels of one nationally recognized book and with another on the
way in
September, celeb rated
local author
Lisa Patton
recently joined Franklin on Foot as
a tour guide. Lisa attended the University of Alabama and earned a B.A.
in communications. She has worked in theater and radio promotions,
and spent eight years as production
manager for Michael McDonald. She also served as Carnton
Plantation's special events director. But it was her stint as an
innkeeper in Vermont that provided the inspiration for Whistlin’
Dixie In a Nor’Easter, the 2009 best-seller from St. Martin’s Press
that received critical acclaim and
landed Patton on Target’s Emerging
Author list and in all 1,750 of their stores. Patton’s second book with
St. Martin’s, the sequel Yankee
Doodle Dixie, is due in stores in September.
Franklin
native Anna Gregg Anderson is
Franklin on Foot's newest tour guide. Anna and Margie are old friends
who met as members of Franklin Junior Auxiliary, a women's service
organization, back in the mid-90s. Both volunteered with the Heritage
Classroom program, giving walking tours for the schools. Anna, who also
directs the pre-school program at Walker Memorial Baptist Church, has
always enjoyed Franklin's history and the telling of personal stories
from her hometown. Anderson is an alumna of Battle Ground Academy and
Middle Tennessee State University, where she earned a degree in
elementary education. She and her husband, Jeb, live in Franklin with
their three children.

Man-about-town, bon
vivant, storyteller extraordinaire, fresh from his long-time gig
dazzling audiences at the Tennessee state legislature is tour guide
Mike Williams. Mike will entertain and thrill our guests on
Franklin on Foot's ghost and crime tours. You'll relish his stories,
you'll adore his delivery, you'll really like Mike. Be sure and ask him
if he's ever experienced a ghost! He is also a big fan of Andrew Jackson
and has conducted tours based on Jackson's numerous visits to and
connection to Franklin. Mike owns
Collier and McKeel,
maker of Tennessee small batch whiskey, available at stores everywhere.
Ever
since she can remember, Emily Palmer
has loved to dress up, and has always counted the days to Halloween
(since it affords her an excuse to do so). Every year her mom would
wonder when she was going to realize that she was too old to be dressing
up, and now--thanks to Franklin on Foot-- she still has an excuse! Emily
also has a passion for history, which she plans to make her major in
college. It must also be said that she loves to scare herself, and
others, by the telling of ghost stories. She had often wondered how on
earth she could incorporate all of these interests into one... and then
she found Franklin on Foot! She is so very thankful and excited for the
opportunity to work with them. In her spare time, Emily loves to act and
sing, and has performed in many community theater productions.

Martha Thuma
entered the realm of Franklin storytelling when Margie invited her to be
a volunteer docent at Carnton Plantation a few years ago. She
recently joined the FOF group and feels her storytelling skills have
been perfected from reading to her six grandchildren. She lives in
downtown Franklin and is the newest addition on the board of the
Downtown Neighborhood Association. In addition to being part of the
Face of Franklin (as her husband likes to say) she is an active
volunteer in other community non-profit efforts.

If
Kevin Palmer's name and face seem
familiar it's because he's Emily Palmer's big brother. And he's every
bit the storyteller she is. I keep waiting for him to provide a bio but
I guess he's just too busy. So I'll just have to tell you he's a great
addition to the Franklin on Foot crew.
Media
Appearances:
We have been featured on numerous
television shows, including Southern Haunts (seen by over 1.4 million
PBS viewers), Tennessee Crossroads, Turner South Blue Ribbon, Best
Haunted Houses, Talk of the Town, Channel 50, Sonic Hometown Tour (WAKM)
and many others. We have appeared in the New York Times, the
Tennessean, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the
Arkansas Democrat Gazette, Williamson A.M., the
Williamson Herald, The Review Appeal, OnePaper, Franklin
Life, The Nashville City Paper, and a bunch of websites,
such as the one below, found
here.
"For the best possible tour of the
town, call up Franklin on Foot and
take the Classic Frankl in
Tour. This 90-minute stroll touches on architecture, Civil War tales,
and other history. Franklin on Foot
is one of the few walking tour places that offers excursions for
children. I Spy Downtown Franklin is aimed at kids 5-12, lasts about one
hour, and involves a hands-on approach that combines fun and learning.
Kids are not recommended for the Ghosts and Gore Tour, which
features the best of downtown Franklin's ghost stories and explores some
of the crime from Franklin's past--from rape, murder and prostitution to
abortion, bootlegging and murder for hire.
Daytime tours usually depart from
Landmark Booksellers, 114 E. Main St." pictured at right.
Here's
an interesting website, where we are listed as the best haunted tour in
the Nashville/Franklin area.
Click
here
for quotes from some of the newspaper articles we've appeared in.
Franklin on
Foot offers more than walking tours. We also provide step-on
guides for tour buses and local history programs for community, business
and civic groups. If you need a tour guide or someone to speak
about local history, give us a call at 615-400-3808 or email
themargie@comcast.net.
Call 615-400-3808
for tour information or reservations.
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