March 2002 August 2002
Lotta stuff going on here in Flood City (which is what we called our little town back in high school). Which, by the way, is a natural side effect of living right in the gap of the mighty Cumberland Mountains.... when the monsoons come, all that water picks up a righteous head of steam coming down the mountains and through the Gap. But I digress from my intended topic......
We told you about the story of the Pine Hill Murders awhile back. Now we delight in mentioning that preparations are seriously underway to produce a docudrama on the very same story. Auditions are underway, technical and location issues are being addressed, and script is in hand. We do have a large amount of professional equipment at our disposal, thanks to Mr. Clyde Plemmons, a videographer who also happens to be a close friend of mine. Clyde has bought into the whole project, as have a number of talented actors.
Now don't start holding your breath just yet,
as many issues have to be resolved before this movie becomes a reality. One biggie is the
dilemma of location (or locations). We have figured out some tricks for making 21st
century Oliver Springs transform itself into 19th century Oliver Springs, but a lot still
needs to be worked out to make this magic transformation. Any movie or stage drama has
logistical hurdles: thins like how to get all those actors, cameramen, sound and edit
technicians, grips, flunkies, etc., to do all that work without getting paid for it. Oh
well.... think big thoughts, that's the best philosophy as far as I can see. Time will
tell..... More on this very soon...
Speaking of the Pine Hill story got me to
thinking about our history in general. One thing that strikes me is this: we have some of
the most compelling events in our past that any town or region could boast of. When I
think of accounts of such legends as Wyatt Earp, 
Billy the Kid,
Daniel Boone 
(who almost
certainly drank from our healing springs), I am left with one recurring thought, and that
is that those stories are no more exciting or compelling than the ones from our past. The
main difference as far as I can tell is that their legendary status was bolstered by the
publicity garnered from the printed page. Newspaper accounts, dime store books, etc., all
helped them to rise to the cult status they attained. In a word, good press is vital to
any superhero OR supervillain. That’s
where we come in, seeking to inform and entertain with heroes and cutthroats straight out
of our past. After all, there was a time when Oliver Springs WAS the wild frontier. Take
the story of “Bad Bill” Potter:
when he was sworn in as town marshal, the
blood of Pony Cash, our FIRST town marshal, was still fresh on the ground where the
Southern tracks intersect with Main Street. Potter was hired in part due to his fearless
reputation, the fact that he weighed no more than 135 pounds notwithstanding.
A lot of folks around here are thinking Fall
Festival. Last year’s festival was a huge success by any unit of measure. Food,
singing, fellowship.. we had it all. This year’s looks to be even bigger and better.
Of course, a lot of work remains to be done. If you can pitch in and help make the
festival better, I can guarantee you this: we have work for you to do.
We continue to have the most wonderful old
artifacts donated to us. If you have any pictures of our past, whether they be people,
places, or events, please share them with us. Got a picture of great-grandmother Dicey’s
cow? We really want to see it. Each and every picture helps to build a more complete
mosaic of who and what we were back then.
More to come……
Robbie
Underwood
Oh, by the way... if you're not currently a member of The Oliver Springs Historical Society, you're missing the chance to be a part of one of the most dynamic groups of its kind anywhere. Click on the Historic hotel for info on joining...
Coming to Oliver Springs? Be sure and
stop by the Historic Depot. Inside you will find a splendid array of pictures, artifacts,
displays, etc., from our proud past. Bringing a group? Let us know and we might be able to
arrange for someone to guide you in your sightseeing. 
contact robbieu41@comcast.net
More to come....
Home what's new archive fall 01 what's new archive spring 2002 what's new archive summer 2002
What's newquarter3a 2002 What's New archive fall 3b 2002
whatsnew Quarter 4 2002 What's New summer 2003