The stories behind the history
we discover.

Before the Relic Room, Chase imagined becoming a college history professor. Fate chose a different classroom. As the collection expanded into new eras—and as he began digging history in the field with his son—he found himself surrounded by brilliant people who shared his passion for education.

When YouTube was still new, Chase scraped together enough money for a used camera. With his five-year-old son helping film, he began sharing the stories behind the history they were discovering. The freedom to teach beyond one classroom, one syllabus, or one period of history changed everything.

Kris Kauffman, who created Chasing History alongside Chase and filmed and edited its earliest episodes, kept the flag raised through the difficult years. As the possibilities became clear, profits from the Smoky Mountain Relic Room were invested directly into better equipment, stronger editing, and more ambitious storytelling.

Today, Chasing History is the educational arm of the Relic Room—but it is not limited to the store’s work. Field research, remarkable collections, overlooked discoveries, and projects still to come all serve the same mission: tell the stories we want to hear and invite everyone along for the adventure.