Well, here we are at the beginning of another new year. God has blessed us well in 2001. What an eventful year it was for the Oliver Springs Historical Society! New finds of precious artifacts; priceless pictures both found and donated; interesting speakers, good food and fellowship, the debut of the Historical Society's 2002 Calendar, a hugely successful Fall Festival; indeed, what a good year it was.....

      On a sadder note, the Society experienced loss this year as well as gain. We were saddened to see the passing of Grady Cox, who had been such a wonderful contributor to and supporter of the Society. Visitors to the Historic Depot can witness his caring by the invaluable collection of railroad lanterns he gave us; such an exquisite collection! Mr. Grady Cox was O.S. High School class of '48, serving as class president and graduating with several of our active members. 

January 2002 Meeting

The January 2002 meeting was a good one, held on Monday evening, Jan. 8, hosted by Mr. Sonny Harvey, (at left of picture)and featuring Professor Hensley                 (at right of picture) from Lincoln Memorial University, who gave a talk on the humor of Abraham Lincoln.

Also gracing the January meeting were Mr. and Mrs. Roy Brown of Harriman who brought a fascinating collection of handmade marbles, reputed to have been fired in the kilns of the old Brick Plant that was located just heading out of town toward Coalfield.

 Homemade refreshments were also the order of the evening, with the ladies outdoing themselves once again with the finest cakes, pies, and all sorts of delectable fingerfoods.

Looking into the crystal ball, what do we see for 2002? Well, for one thing, I can report that the 2002 Calendar has already been a huge success, with demand outpacing supply, and orders still pouring in. This is good news indeed, as it makes the design and release of the 2003 calendar all the more anticipated. We have so very many historic photographs from which to draw, not only beautiful buildings and scenic panoramas, but also compelling photographic records of the very people who shaped and forged the last 150 years of Oliver Springs history. Membership is up and still climbing, and many of our guests who belong to various other historical societies report that our Society is one of the most active historical societies to be found anywhere.