OPPORTUNITY FOR SOCIAL IMPACT

REDISCOVERING ONE OF THE OLDEST ROADS IN AMERICA: The Natchez Trace is among the most significant yet overlooked historical routes in North America—a 444-mile pathway that connects Nashville, Tennessee, to Natchez, Mississippi. Along this route, Indigenous peoples, European explorers, early pioneers and American soldiers walked a shared road through centuries that shaped our nation’s identity.
 
More recently, the Natchez Trace corridor has been central to the cultural evolution of America, from music and fashion to art and architecture. Today, the Natchez Trace Parkway is a long and narrow National Park that runs through the heart of the American South, begging for deeper exploration.

PRESERVING HERITAGE THROUGH STORY: As America celebrates her 250th birthday in 2026, The Natchez Trace offers a once-in-a-generation opportunity to rekindle our connection to the people, landscapes, icons and stories that helped build our country—while supporting rural communities that line the Trace today.

THE POWER OF PLACE: Each page of this fine-art coffee table book will capture the timeless beauty of the Trace through stunning photography and narrative storytelling, highlighting 18 towns across three states. The project unites artistry, history, and cultural preservation to inspire pride, understanding, and economic renewal in small-town America.

PROJECT MISSION

To celebrate the beauty and heritage of the Natchez Trace through artful storytelling that honors the land and the people who have traveled it for 10,000 years—bridging past and present, and inspiring a renewed sense of wonder for the places that define America’s soul. It’s about uncovering and sharing the untold stories, overlooked history, and hidden gems along the Parkway—a 444-mile-long National Park—by highlighting lesser-known stops, amplifying local voices, and documenting the journeys of those who have explored the Trace in its entirety.

PROJECT OVERVIEW

The Natchez Trace: Discovering America on a 10,000 Year Old Road is a collaborative multimedia project produced by TRACE Multimedia, in partnership with Nashville-based Forefront Books, London-based Unicorn Publishing Group, and Simon & Schuster distribution, with support from Sheridan Public Relations in Franklin, Tennessee. The book will feature breathtaking visuals, vignettes, narrative histories and short stories, accompanied by documentary video content and social storytelling designed to help increase awareness and tourism throughout the region.

With support from Wedgwood Circle, this project seeks to connect art and purpose—transforming history into an invitation for reflection, travel, and shared discovery.

THE TEAM

Jay Sheridan, Author
Author Jay Sheridan has a nose for interesting people and places. He's written for a range of publications, from Field & Stream to Local Palate, from Nashville Lifestyles to the magazine of the Greenbrier Resort. He authored over a dozen books celebrating the unique identities of historic communities, hotels, institutions and universities across America. A lifelong Nashvillian and Ole Miss journalism grad, he operates Sheridan Public Relations and TRACE Multimedia on Main Street in Franklin. Jay, his wife Kayla, and their daughters split their time between downtown Franklin and their farm on the Natchez Trace in Maury County.

Michael Gomez, Project Photographer
A native of England raised in Nashville, Michael Gomez was an aspiring actor who went to a local studio for headshots and never looked back. His work as a photographer has encompassed celebrities, fashion and album cover shoots, live concerts, advertising and architectural photography, even equine, among other subjects. He owns and operates Westlight Studios near The Factory in Franklin.

Eric Adkins, Project Photographer
Originally from Knoxville, Eric Adkins moved to Jackson Hole, Wyoming after high school. He visited a pawn shop to buy some shorter skis and left with a camera, and began shooting the National Elk Refuge outside his back door. After the ski season ended, he moved to Denver to attend the Colorado Institute of Art. Back in Nashville, he jumped into music and architectural photography, working with a range of hotels and artists from Gary Allan and George Strait to Widespread Panic. He is credited with a number of album covers for Universal Records.

Randy Powers, Project Photographer
For 30 years, Nashvillian Randy Powers has been photographing the heart of America. From coffeetable books to national advertising campaigns, his lens has chronicled icons such as the Arizona Biltmore and the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, the Schermerhorn Symphony Center, and the 50-year history of Mike Curb and Curb Records. More recently, through his relationship with Curb, he’s been immersed in motorsports from NASCAR to the IndyCar Series. 

Ami McConnell, Literary Agent
Ami McConnell is founder and President of Ami McConnell Literary Agency and Founder and President of WriterFest Nashville, an annual two-day conference for writers of book, song, and screen. A traditionally published author, ghostwriter, and editor with over 20 years of experience in-house at major trade book publishers, she works with authors of all stripes to create bestselling books. She serves on the board of Women’s National Book Association/Nashville Chapter and lives in the Nashville area with her family.

Kristen Braselton, Staff Associate
As a senior account executive at Sheridan PR specializing in multimedia content creation, Kristen’s work has garnered millions of views on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. After graduating from Indiana University in 2018 with a degree in telecommunications media design and production, she moved to Nashville and dove into creating food and lifestyle content. At SPR, she works with clients such as Visit Franklin, The Harpeth Hotel and The Factory at Franklin to represent their brands on a national level. 

Travis Coopwood, Senior Account Executive
Mississippi Delta native Travis Coopwood interned at SPR while completing her degree in integrated marketing communications at Ole Miss, and worked with Visit Oxford before joining Sheridan as a staff associate in 2024. A multimedia storyteller, she has developed great experience in web design, analytical tracking, content creation and traditional media relations for a range of clients in the hospitality and tourism space.

PROJECT TIMELINE

The Natchez Trace: Discovering America on a 10,000 Year Old Road is slated to hit stores in July 2027, with the documentary and podcast elements beginning Spring 2026. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @AlongTheTrace.

BUDGET
 

Photography: $30,000
Book Design and Production: $50,000
Printing (four-color, 5,000 copies): $90,000
Film Production: $45,000
Marketing: $75,000
Administrative/Travel/Expenses: $15,000

TOTAL: $305,000
 

INDIVIDUAL DONATION LEVELS

$100 - $5000
Multimedia sponsorship and marketing opportunities can be tailored to your business or organizational needs. Please contact Jay Sheridan at [email protected] or by phone at 615-364-5143.

We are excited to serve as the Fiscal Sponsor for Along The Trace.  Please consider making a donation below via credit or debit card.  If you'd prefer to donate via check, you can make your check out to The Wedgwood Circle and write "Along The Trace" in the memo line and mail it to us at:

The Wedgwood Circle | 109 Center Street N. | Suite #102 | Vienna, VA 22180