The Lenoir Museum contains artifacts from Early Americana which were collected for over 60 years by Will G. Lenoir and his wife Helen and donated by the Lenoirs to the State of Tennessee. The Lenoirs strongly desired that the rapidly, changing times not wipe out an appreciation of the hard work and ingenuity that were a part of everyday life. They searched for, bought and stored away artifacts to preserve an understanding of that life. It was not just the artifacts they collected, but also the stories of the people behind them and their use.