March 2002 August 2002
Things have really been hoppin' around here lately... so much so that I hardly know where to start. I guess I'll just go in head first with my "stream of consciousness" approach....
Last Monday's meeting was a very special one, for several reasons. First, it was held, not at the Historic Depot, but down at the precious old Sienknecht Building.
Currently being renovated by business partners Maurice Phillips and Vickie Hill, it is being painstakingly restored to its former glory. Maurice and Vickie were the gracious hosts for the October Historical Society meeting, treating us to a splendid buffet of delicacies: caviar, lamb, all manner of fruits, cheeses, desserts, etc. Maurice and Vickie really know how to stage an event, and we felt very pampered.
They told of their plans for the fine old building, which include a fine dining tea room, as well as the store front which already contains many fine antique and collectible items. The crowd was quite large, with Historical Society members and friends showing up in numbers to see firsthand what Maurice and Vickie have in mind.
Speaking of building renovation I thought I
would show you the Old Oliver Springs Drug Store renovations that are taking place as we
speak.... I was driving through The Old Town the other day, and lo and behold, the ugly
faux facade that had obscured the exquisite brickwork, arches, etc., was being removed,
showing the original front as it was when first built at the turn of the century (1900,
not 2000). Word has it that Mr. Greene, the owner, plans to restore it to original state,
and has been looking at historical photos to assist him in this restoration. Hats off to
you, Mr. Greene!
Well, we did it... we finally finished designing the 2003 calendars. Talk about a job... The first calendars are now printed and bound, ready for the grand debut at the Fall Festival on October 19th. There is a lot of pride and effort that goes into these calendars: researching dates, events, people, and the veracity of said information. The 2002 calendars were an unqualified success, so rather than satisfy ourselves with the status quo, we hunkered down hard to make the 2003 edition even more desirable... more pictures, more informative sidebar articles, better print standards. I really think we succeeded.
One interesting story about the cover photo... to even the casual O.S. history observer it can be seen that the grand old house shown is the Richards Mansion. This photo has a most unusual history. I had a friend mention to me sometime back that the lady living in the old Mamie Lee Diggs house had found an envelope containing a large format negative. She had no idea what it was of, but when she showed it to a mutual friend of ours, it was determined to be a picture of the Richards Mansion. Word got to me through the grapevine, I immediately began beseeching her to allow me to scan it, she properly deferred to Mr. Tom Diggs, owner of the house, who subsequently gave me his blessing to take possession of it for the Historical Society. As far as we can determine, it is a one of a kind photograph. We are proud to have it gracing the cover of our calendar. A most interesting twist to this story is that many of you will remember that a young Tommy Diggs was one of the boys who carried the note from schoolteacher Miss Mary Richards to the house on that ill-fated day in February 1940. This was after Mary Richards had failed on repeated attempts to contact her sisters Ann and Margaret via telephone. Tommy Diggs was subsequently one of the first ones on the scene when Miss Mary went screaming from the house after finding her sisters murdered. Tommy Diggs grew into a fine man who is a great member and supporter of our Historical Society. Thanks, Mr. Diggs.
Speaking of gratitude, I really have to thank Mr. Sonny Harvey for his invaluable help to me in rounding up priceless old photographs. Also here is where I give a heartfelt tip of the hat to Mr. Snyder Roberts, the late great historian and scribe of our fair town. Mr. Roberts, without your diligence in chronicling and preserving pictures, anecdotes, etc., of our past, there would be no calendar, and precious little for the Historical Society to preserve. Though you have passed from this sphere, your work endures. Also to Pat Roberts McDonald for carrying the torch for so long... Thank you, Pat, for making it easier for us.
Fall Festival is this weekend.. don't miss it.
More to come....
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