Anyone who lived in Knoxville in 1982 was aware that World’s Fair was being held for six months in what was previously known as the Second Creek Valley.

The Valley was a non-descript railroad area between downtown and the University of Tennessee campus, tailor-made for an urban renewal project.

A Wall Street Journal writer, obviously not from East Tennessee, referred to Knoxville as a “scruffy little city” with the implication that Knoxville couldn’t pull off an urban renewal project like a World’s Fair.

The signature monument of the energy-themed expo was a gold ball placed on a steel tee that towered above the Tennessee Valley but not much else. Emphasizing the energy theme of the Fair, the 266-foot-high structure was named the Sunsphere.

Knoxville overcame the naysayers by welcoming 11 million visitors and 22 countries to the Fair. The still-standing Sunsphere continues to represent what the Scruffy City could and did achieve.

For photographers, the Sunsphere has been a beacon for lenses for 42 years. Badger still enjoys photographing the Sunsphere today, especially from the walkway over Henley Street – that was also built for the Fair.

Thomas Mabry – Honey Badger Images  Many of the HoneyBadgerImages are on display at instagram.com/honeybadgerimages.