BSHS Newsletter June 2007

vol 27 #2

download a printable version here

correction

Joan Almon is sole acting president

old business:

treasurers report

Things are basically unchanged. We have cash on hand for new and old programs, and we administer the Earthman Education Fund and the Hunnerwadel Musuem Fund.

Please note both the Earthman and the Hunnerwadel funds need donations of cash for them to operate. We haven't had donations to either for a couple of years (Museum collection not withstanding). We are required to continually seek donations to keep them operating. Please email, or speak with any board member or officer of the Society about donations.

museum report

We're proud to report 205 visitors at the Museum during 2006 (May-November). Our gracious hosts are: Brittany McDaniel, Renee Hobbs and Sharon Whitman. We are extremely lucky to have them all returning to host for us in 2007. Funding for this season was approved unanimously. We still need volunteers to help organize papers and to catalog and photograph the Museum Collection.

Brown Family Presentation

BSHS is proud to introduce a lecture and discussion series dedicated to the Family Histories of Beersheba. Our inaugural season features the Brown Family. In conjunction there are a number of items on loan and on display at the Museum for the 2007 season. Stop by and see the first telephone in Beersheba, among other amazing items from the old Brown family store. Thank you again to the Brown family for their time, and loan of items to the Museum.

museum wish list

Of course there is a wish list of items that we would love to have to fill our our displays. On our wish list of permanent items are: Antique Phone, Arrow Heads, Woven Baskets, Antique Ice Box (the real thing - and maybe some Ice Tongs to go with it), and some pillow shams to display with our collection of quilts.

walking tour

The day after our meeting (Sunday 6/24) BSHS will be sponsoring a Walking Tour of Beersheba for members of the Monteagle Assembly.

Additionally Elizabeth Papel has put together an updated Walking Tour pamphlet for Musuem and Craft Fair visitors. BSHS will offer the Walking Tour long-term, volunteers being avalable. Please take a look at the booklet and let Elizabeth know if there are any changes to your homes listing. We hope to have copies available at the Fair this year.

new business:

programing chair

There is a motion on the table, pending a volunteer that is, to create a 'Programming Chair' to organize events for the Historical Society. These will largely take place at the Museum. Ideas for programs include: Kids days, like - Olde Time Work Days and Cooking Lessons from scratch, Lectures, possibly story telling and more.

BSHS art program

Another motion on the table is creating and funding an arts program through the Earthman fund. It makes more sense to fund this program locally than to send the kids to other programs. This way more of our funding goes to the kids and their projects. Phil Mayhew is lining up the teachers. The total proposed budget for the program is $1000 dollars for this year.

BeershebaSpringsHistoricalSociety.org

The cutting edge technology on these pages represent some of the most modern accommodations available in Beersheba in their day. A telephone (sans ringer bells), a cistern pump and wood burning stove, et al. (These items are on display in the musuem; the phone is just one of the items on loan from the Brown family.)

To juxtapose these items, we are please to announce the launch of our official web site: BeersheabSpringsHistoricalSociety.org. As proposed at last August's meeting the site will be a resource for members to have the latest updates regarding meetings and events. To make it easier on members, you can update email and mailing addresses to keep them current right on the site. You can also find archived (and current) versions of the newsletter, contact info, and useful links.

Our online photo gallery is always expanding as we discover new old photography - like the 1857 view of the hotel on our welcome page. If you have unique and/or historical photos of Beerhseba please contact Matt Chenoweth (matthew@theadmat.com) for scanning and archiving. We'd love to display your images online to share with other's who love Beerhseba and its environs. All materials will be returned to owners in original condition.

museum images

At the bottom of this page is a wide angle view of the 'Kitchen' display in the Museum. Donations lead the way in this installment, beginning with the Hunnerwadel 'pie safe' and utensils. Other loans and donations include a wood-burning stove, place settings and chairs from the old Hotel, a cistern pump and a well pump. Great work to Joan and Susan who pulled these donations together and created a room with a view into our Beerhseba past. The experience of being in the room is as close to time travel as we may yet come in our lifetimes.

Since I've already mentioned it, the image to the right is the old phone from the Brown Family store. There are many more interesting and amazing items on loan and currently on display. It is a must see at the Museum.

don't fret, however, if you can't make it to beersheba. all the items, and a report on the brown family presentation will be forthcoming, so we can all take part in the experience. you'll also find them online at our new web site. stop in, either in reality, or virtual reality. we'll be glad to see you.