March 2002 August 2002
The Oliver Springs Historical Society's Fall Festival has come and gone... oh, but what a time it was!! Singers, vendors, crafts, Fort Southwest Point soldiers. We have pictures.. we just haven't drawn them yet.
No, seriously, folks, we do have pictures to show you, and as soon as I can get them rendered suitable for internet use, you can see them too. (involves lessening the resolution of the pictures so that you can log on and see them all in one day, as opposed to how incredibly long it would take if I put them up there in the high resolution condition they are in right now. An appropriate adage about patience would be in order right about here, but I was always in too much of a hurry to memorize any such truck, as Huck Finn might say. So, you may insert one of your own liking...
While we're talking about pictures, here are
some for you to chew on. Astute readers will remember that we told you about the story of
the Pine Hill Murders awhile back,even mentioning that preparations were seriously
underway to produce a docudrama on the very same story. Well, I am happy to report that
shooting has begun... (not the real shooting.. that happened in 1890, so pay attention)
Shooting of the dramatic story has been underway for about three weeks, and the footage
looks really good from what I have seen. 
I pulled some stills from the footage to give
you just a glimpse of what is going on. Thanks again 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 much shooting remains, but the project is roughly halfway home, and the buzz around our fair town is growing with each passing day. Mrs. Rice, the wonderfully talented director of drama at Oliver Springs High School, has been helping us greatly with casting issues, sometimes on short notice.
Our own Mimi Brock, (seen above upbraiding Sheriff Kesterson with Sheila Hudson at her side) who many will remember from her days as librarian for the Oliver Springs Elementary School, simply astounded all those on the set with her immense skills in the performing arts, eliciting applause from cast and crew alike after takes.
The grieving couple above (well, actually only one is grieving.. the other one appears to be grieved out for the moment) are none other than Chad Wilson and Natasha West, two of the finer actors that this area has ever seen. I have had the privilege of working with them on various projects in the past, and both jumped at the opportunity to give it up for the cameras. By the way, the coloration and grain on this frame are probably close to what will be used in the final post edit. A lot of work has gone into trials and testing to get the right look for this project. There's music to be written, sound and visual mastering to be done..... but we think we can see the baby's head, so to speak.
Any movie or stage drama has logistical hurdles: things 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.
One person who has been a huge asset to our project is Marshall Andy of television renown. Marshal Andy portrays Anderson County Sheriff Dick Kesterson, who comes riding in to try and sort out the carnage. Got carnage to be sorted out? Marshal Andy's definitely your man.... Actually, Marshal Andy lent a dignity to the role that seemed quite tangible.
We have had the most amazing effort going on by some of our ladies regarding period costumes for this project. It was determined early on that we wanted to be as authentic to the era as possible, and so our ladies went to work. All the Goodwill, et al, store clerks know them by their first names now, after having been raided for weeks on end. Seamstresses, crafters, horse handlers; the list goes on of those to whom we are obliged.
More on the Movie project later.....
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 according
to written accounts 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.
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....
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