I thought it was about time to bring you all up to date on what's been going on down at the Oliver Springs Historical Society. We now have a new editor for "Legacy", the official newsletter for the Oliver Springs Historical Society. Her name is Audrey Murphy, but you may call her "Cookie"; that's what folks around here call her. Cookie takes hold of the torch that has been carried so ably by Betty Borum. Betty felt the need to step aside partly due to the serious health problems her husband Buster has been beset with. Thanks, Betty, for a job so well done. May God's refreshing fall upon you and yours.
Good news for all you lovers of Oliver Springs history: The glorious "History of Oliver Springs, Tennessee, and Its People" , volumes 1 and 2, are once again in print. Now you can order all 4 volumes from the Oliver Springs Historical Society. Not only are they back in print, but just chock full of pictures reprinted from the original prints and negatives. I have seen the reprints, and in many respects volumes 1 and 2 are even superior to the original printings. Precisely written and painstakingly researched by the late historian Snyder Roberts, these works are a "must-have" for those with more than a passing interest in our rich history. Not only can you see Oliver Springs as it was in the "glory days", but Snyder Robert's skillful weaving of fact and anecdote, of legend and truth, results in a colorful tapestry of our history that makes the reader feel like they were actually there.
Those of you who follow the saga of the 62 year old Richards murder mystery, as well as the rich legacy of the Richards family in general, should be pleased to know that we were graced here in town the other day by three descendants of the Richards family. Betty Shelton, Hannah DeToma, and Heather Francis all dropped by to say hello. We toured the old town, stopping to dine and share many stories of the Richards family. They had brought many precious old photos to share with the Society and boy, did we ever take them up on it! I found all three to be most gracious and engaging, and have been keeping in touch since then. By the way, many of you are anxious to hear an update on the mystery that has refused to die after 62 years. So are we, and in fact a lot of attention has been focused recently on the investigation, of facts and surmisings both new and old. One thing we want to be sure and do is to be fair to those both dead and living. It's one thing to speculate, quite another to convict in the court of opinion. So when we update this story, it will be with those criteria in mind. To do less (or more) would be irresponsible and unfair. One thing is beyond dispute; SOMEBODY crept into that mansion on that cold February day in 1940 with ill intent. Stay tuned.......
We have had some great meetings since the last installment of "What's New". Our monthly meetings are held the first Monday of each month at the old historic Depot. One of the things that was announced last month is that the old historic Sienknecht Building is being renovated. I meandered down to the Sienknecht Building the next day to snoop around and see if this could in fact be true. I talked to Maurice Phillips, who, along with a partner, has embarked on a mission to not only save the building, but to return it to its glory. Maurice has done a lot of research on things such as regrouting old brickwork, and informed me that one mistake many make in taking on such a task is just applying a modern mortar, which Maurice said is much harder and stronger than the original mortars used in Victorian and later brickwork. The result of such an application is that the softer brick will end up being damaged by such an ill-advised "fix". Sounds like another case where a little education can go a long way in restoration.
Speaking of restoration, I had the pleasure of
touring the old John Keebler mansion the other day. (Many of us know it as the Faith
Taylor Evans home, but it goes back farther than that)
This house was built in the 1890's by wealthy
Oliver Springs merchant John Keebler. It eventually passed from the Keebler family to
Frank Ladd, father of renowned attorney Leonard Ladd. Now owned by Terry Holland,
one of our more active
members, this fine old house is being methodically and meticulously restored to its former
glory by Terry. The proud old house had fallen on somewhat hard times, but thanks to
Terry's handiwork and diligence in exactly recreating missing moldings, etc., the house
will once again possess the charm and grace it had for many a generation. Many of you will
remember that this was the primary house used in filming of the movie "October
Sky". The herringbone hardwood floors shine once more....
The April meeting featured an interesting success story from the old city.
Mr. Ed Stockton
was our guest, and told us about the Country Fresh Fudge Company, from
its humble beginnings to the spectacular success it currently enjoys. This is the business
located downtown right next to the historic Rose Terrace house. Many of us locals call it
simply "the fudge factory". Ed and his family have been friends of mine for many
years, and so I have had the good fortune to taste his scrumptious candy before, no small
feat since they are not currently set up to sell retail. This may change in the near
future, according to Ed. This bodes well for local fudge lovers. Another little-known
detail: Ed and Pam's company also manufactures a line of gourmet foods and sauces,
including the finest barbeque sauce to be found anywhere. Looks like we have another
"Rags-to-riches" story to add to those of the Richards, Parnells, Wileys,
Keeblers, Gerdings, etc.
Oh, by the way... Ed brought plenty of wondrous fine samples, too... sorry if you missed it.....
More to come.......
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