Museum News
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July 11, 2024
The Hart County Historical Society would like to say a heart-felt word of appreciation for a recent grant award of $2,225 from the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels (HOKC) to purchase archival quality storage materials for our historic photographs. These clear envelopes will protect the photographs while making each one clearly visible in our files. This is the second year that the Colonels have donated storage materials to the Historical Society. Last year, we received archival storage boxes and inter-leaving papers that we use to protect important papers, including newspapers and other items that are especially challenging to store. Archival storage materials are costly, but essential to properly protect the many valuable records and photographs in our files. The Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels is a wonderful organization whose members donate to support numerous grant awards. In 2024, the Colonels awarded $2.5 million in grants supporting 325 non-profits, impacting more than 3.9 million Kentuckians. In addition, they are contributing funds to areas of Kentucky suffering from storm damage or flooding. Their generosity to us is helping the Historical Society to preserve Hart County's history for future generations. If you know a Colonel, please take a moment to thank them for their support. March 12, 2024 Spring is showing signs of arrival! At least we hope so at the Museum and the Genealogy Library. We had KY visitors from Elizabethtown, Utica, Greensburg, Munfordville, Park City, Glasgow and out of state visitors from Indiana, Iowa, and North Dakota. Researchers are looking for information about their ancestors including the following names: Polly Clark, Weldon Wilson, Elenora Wilson Hays, James Hays, Frank Hill, Frank Smith, Lottie Cardin Hill, Lillie Bell Smith, Virginia Lee Page, James Daryl Rucker, Joe Dillard Murphy and more! It is best to call the Genealogy Library to schedule research time at 270-524-0101. Our 3rd Annual Easter Egg Hunt will take place in Munfordville in the Courthouse Square on Saturday March 30th at 10 AM. We welcome you to the great community event. We will gather at The Woodson House on April 6th for Park Day where volunteers will work to get the grounds and house ready for the summer season of visitors. We are grateful to the many donors who share artifacts with The Historical Society. Recently we received a 1936 Tatler (Memorial Consolidated School yearbook) along with a diploma and commencement information. It is on display in the museum. Come and see us soon at 109 Main Street in Munfordville. See you next week. Marcia Hays Lenz February 8, 2024 Greetings from Hart County Historical Society! Researchers this past week at the Genealogy Library included folks from KY and Alabama. Please remember us when you are compiling your family tree information and consider sending that to us to file for future researchers. Our goal is to gather information and keep good records of our Hart Countians. It is so important to document our history. If you need help with family group sheets in order to organize your information, please contact us at 270-524-0101 or stop by the museum at 109 Main Street or the genealogy library at 105 Main Street in Munfordville. Check out our Facebook page for the museum this month as we continue to Celebrate Black History Month. We are highlighting authors who are from Hart County or have family in Hart County. You can find our Facebook page by searching Hart County Historical Museum. We will post information about any upcoming events on that page and on our website as well. You can find our website at hartcountymuseum.org We appreciate board member, Mary Mills-Turner and her committee for all of the hard work coordinating our Black History Month program held on February 9th. We will have more information about that in a future post. It takes many people to help with events and we are so appreciative of the many volunteers throughout the year who support our endeavors. We hope to see you at the museum and the genealogy library soon. See you next week. Marcia Hays Lenz January 18, 2024 Often, we overlook our hard-working postal employees. After all, they are only doing their jobs when we receive bills in our box. Imagine my surprise upon receiving a package, "I wonder what that can be?" Upon opening the package and finding a plaque for the Society from the Kentucky Colonels was a treat! Due to Mary Margaret Villines' hard work, the Society was given a "Good Works Program Grant Recipient" plaque for display. We were pleased to get a grant earlier this year for supplies to protect our pictures, but this recognition was totally unexpected. A huge thank you goes to Kate and Marty Kenny for donating and placing our name on our museum and genealogy building. They also acquired US and KY flags to place on the Genealogy Library. The addresses and building names have been a wish as they will make locating our business so much easier for out-of-towners. Do you know of friends or family members who were in the Korean War? We have very few veterans in our binders for the years 1950-1955, The Barren County Cultural Center also needs this information for a display they are planning. If you have information to send to us please give us a phone call at the museum at 270-524-0101. See you next week. Carolyn Short HAPPY NEW YEAR! We look forward to seeing you this year at the museum, genealogy library or one of our events! Don't miss out on our Quarterly coming in January! Secure your membership here today! www.hartcountymuseum.org/membership.html December 14, 2023 The Mary Willia Branstetter Genealogy Library was busy last Wednesday, the busiest it has been for one day since it was moved next door. It is refreshing to see people are learning about our move and are eager to see it. Marvin and Sandy Claywell came from Barren County, South Central KY Cultural Center. They were generous with their observations and comments, although I see where I still need to make improvements. (A bit more time to work with the files and shelves will help.) Here at Hart County, we are always glad to trade insights with our neighboring historical societies and invite all of them to visit. Mike Burd guided three Edmonson County men to the Battle for the Bridge Preserve and other railroad related places. Jeffrey A. Collins, Wendell Vincent, and Alex Saling then came to view pictures of Munfordville Depot and area. Mr. Saling is also an avid genealogy researcher who wants to gather his thoughts into a written format for family. Thanks, Mike. Harlan L. Highbaugh brought information to share with the Society. Steven Reed visited recently to research his family tree. We think he found some insight while here, and truly hope he will present his findings for inclusion in our quarterly. Kenny Copelin also visited as did Daniel Bowman. Members, your 2023 memberships to the Historical Society are about to expire. Please drop off, mail, or renew online. Please renew by the first of the year so records can be updated in a timely manner for our January quarterly mailing. When we mail quarterlies individually, instead in a regular bulk mailing, the cost is astronomical in comparison. You may call 270-524-0101 for details. See you next week, Carolyn Short December 8, 2023 Have you visited the Society Genealogical Library yet? Remember, it is located at 105 Main Street, Munfordville, Kentucky next door to the Museum and is open on Wednesdays. We have more space at the genealogy building than we did at the Museum for all our records. Resources are spread out allowing researchers better flow. If you cannot visit on Wednesday, call for an appointment at least a week in advance. We will try our best to accommodate you. Mary Mills-Turner is working on a Black History section at the Genealogy Library. Mrs. Turner has worked many hours getting this information together. We look forward to expanding it with information of local families. Please bring or send us your family tree to place in this growing section. Do you need a last-minute gift for someone? At the Museum you will find books on Munfordville history, Green River, booklets on the local Civil War battles, and more. The Linwood print is still available. This nostalgic, 16"x20", historic depiction of small community life would make a good gift for any history lover. Thanks to Gary West, Kentucky for donating West family genealogy. It will be soon placed on the research shelf. Ray, Doris, and Bev Wilson visited as did Chuck Love and others. Good to see you, Doris. See you next week. Carolyn Short November 15, 2023 Happy Thanksgiving! We at the Society hope you have a blessed day with family and/or friends. If visiting next week, call ahead to be sure we are open. You should see the new canvas print we are offering at the Museum. It would be a cool Christmas gift idea for our Kentucky friends. Our exclusive Linwood, Kentucky, 16x20 inch, raised canvas print is a unique and meaningful present. Look no further. Our high-quality print is available for just $49 and would make a perfect Christmas gift for history enthusiasts, local art collectors, or anyone who appreciates the beauty of a bygone era. For more information or to reserve your print, call us at 270-524-0101. Christmas activities are popping up everywhere. The Society Chili Luncheon will be on the first Saturday in December. Visit us at the Museum from 11 to 1 for your meal. For $10 you get a bowl of homemade chili, hot dog, dessert, and drink. See you then. Carolyn Short November 9, 2023 The Hart County Chamber of Commerce Trick or Treat event around the courthouse square seemed to be a success. Ghouls and Goblins of all sizes kept coming and coming. At first, little ones were a bit scared of the humongous doll, squawking raven, and meowing black cat. They kept their eyes on the raven's moving head as they reached into the nearby candy bowl. Watching them was so much fun. Thanks to all who brought candy, toys, set up, and decorated. Special thanks to Amber Ard for dressing up. We heard several positive remarks about the effort put into decorating the Society's table area. The historic Woodson House is back open for Christmas on Saturday, November 11, 2023, from 11 AM to 5 PM. Shop vendors outside for Christmas gifts or something for your house. Try the chili cooked over an open fire and roast a hot dog. Come inside for something sweet, cookies and hot apple cider. Don't forget Cookies with Santa at the Woodson House the same Saturday, from 5 to 7. Bring your children for cookies, crafts, and one on one time with Santa and Mrs. Claus. The cost is $5 per child. The address is 1309 S Dixie Hwy, Munfordville, KY. See you next week. Carolyn Short November 2, 2023 Have you heard? The Society's 2nd Roy A. Cann Awards Dinner was a success. All attending seemed to enjoy the evening and the delicious meal served by Murray's Restaurant. Janet and Steve Kistler provided beautiful, soothing music for the occasion. The Memorial Award went to Dorothy Poore, the first president of the Society, and was accepted by family member, Doris Cloar. The Lifetime Achievement Award went to Jorene McCubbins for her 40 plus years of service including many years as president and vice president.. Preservation Awards were given to Kaye Amos, Judy Lawler, Herb Key, Sandra O'Banion, Brenda Bruton, and Amber Ard. The Roy A. Cann Award had co-recipients, Charles Dowling Williams and Gerry and Ann Matera. The Matera award was accepted by their daughter, Elizabeth Matera. Thanks to all of the presenters and speakers. There is more good news. This week the Society received furniture once belonging to the T.J. Wood family. Yes, the Civil War general. We are the fifth owners of a beautiful bed and dresser that he had while he was living in Dayton, Ohio. The set passed to his son, George, then was sold out of the family. This purchaser left it to her daughter who actually used the bed as a child. Wanting to find a permanent home for the furniture, she began searching the internet as she did not want to sell it on the open antique market. Now the Society is its proud owner. Give us some time to work this new acquisition into our museum, then be sure and visit. We are planning new exhibits in the space left by moving our genealogy next door. Merl Logsdon from Shepherdsville, Kentucky is researching the Logsdon and Dennis families. Jenny Drone, Pennsylvania, is researching the Walton and Riggs lines. Kentucky visitors have come from Louisville, Horse Cave, Sonora, Richmond, Leitchfield, Lebanon Junction, Cox's Creek, Bowling Green, Munfordville, and Priceville. Out-of-state visitors came from Kansas, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Indiana, North Carolina, and Florida. To top it off, we also had a Canadian visitor who stayed for about 30 minutes chatting about our culture. (She only had good things to say.) See you next week. Carolyn Short October 26, 2023 What a joy to greet visitors who are truly history lovers! Macy Rae McDowell, who was working Monday, said she had visitors who wanted to learn about everything on display. Their children were with them, and they too, were deeply interested in the exhibits and stories. People like these make working at the Museum very worthwhile, especially when children are so interested and well behaved. It was a pleasure visiting with a classmate from Munfordville High School and some of her family. Regina Meredith Bruck, her husband William, and Laura Bruck are visiting Jorene McCubbins and took a tour through the Museum. They are from Arizona. The society is raffling a 4 1/2 foot, heavily decorated, pre-lit Christmas tree. The proceeds will go toward the upkeep of the Woodson House and grounds. The Woodson House will hold an Open House on November 11 from 11-5 PM. There will be vendors selling a variety of arts and crafts. On the same day, from 5-7, drop by to have cookies with Santa. See you next week. Carolyn Short October 6, 2023 Today the news is going to be short and to the point. It has been a very busy week, and my deadline is looming. Yet, I want to remind you that the 2023 Roy A. Cann Award Dinner is almost here. I know it will be as enjoyable as last year discovering who the winners are. We will see you Saturday. This week our Kentucky visitors were: Herb Key, Betty Bandy, Dylan Heid, and Dylan Weiser. Rose and Thomas Peters came from Indiana. Skip and Susan Lamb visited from Georgia. Brian and Jenny loved the museum as they traveled from Texas. Rene Morris came from Indiana. All of them were interested in the Civil War displays and history. Most of them went on to visit the Battle for the Bridge Preserve. Cynthia Hodges Burns and husband, Arizona, came to research the Hodges family. Betty Miller Bandy, Kentucky, donated a side saddle and a Civil War ammunition box. They came from a farm on Powder Mills Road close to Lynn Camp Creek where ammunition was manufactured during the war. her dad saved the box and instructed her "not to misplace it." Many thank, Betty. These should make good additions to our displays. See you next week. Carolyn Short October 2, 2023 If you wish to do "IN PERSON RESEARCH" in the Genealogy Library please make an appointment at 270-524-0101. October 1, 2023 The Hart County Historical Society wants to respectfully remind everyone that there is no relic hunting of any kind on the Battles for the Bridge Preserve. Likewise, no game hunting is allowed. Preserve lands are protected areas. They are protected because of their ecological, natural, or cultural values. Everyone is free to visit the Preserve but are expected to follow rules. Many thanks go to Charlie Williams. He recently donated the first Hart County Circuit Judges’ bench to the Museum. It was first used around 1820 in the county’s first court house. What a gift! Now, how do we display and tell its story? Last week, the Museum had a couple from New Zealand. Never has the Museum had such a string of visitors from other countries as this year. Gordon Harnes and Glenda Pringer were traveling across country and stopped here. Tourism is doing a good job of promoting our area, along with the Society webpage getting our information out there. Researchers last week were Mary Downey and Anna C. Johnson who were researching the Crump and Bumgardner families. Peter Hart visited to look into his Hart line, but the county is named after a military hero who was from the Lexington, Kentucky area. See you next week, Carolyn Short September 17, 2023 What a weekend! Have you seen the pictures of all the Civil War Days activities on our Facebook page? They are good but not as good as being there in person. The Hart County Historical Society were so pleased with the events on the court house lawn, at the Battles for the Bridge Preserve, and everyone who helped in any capacity. It had been several years since the Museum had so many visitors at one time; over 30. Everyone was polite, a good role model for their children, and was genuinely interested in the displays. Many other tourists made their way in and out throughout the day. We especially enjoyed the home schoolers. Then in the afternoon, another run of visitors, about 25 in number when I quit counting. Next came Mr. Lincoln. Mr. Lincoln’s visit was such a surprise. He must have brought several fans with him to the Museum, then corralled more while here. We seated all of them we could and enjoyed his show. A big “thanks” go to the men who helped carry chairs from the storage area and return them after the show. Local visitors are too numerous to individually list, but they came from Bowling Green, Canmer, Upton, Horse Cave, Bonnieville, Cox’s Creek, Columbia, Cave City, Woodsonville, Leitchfield, Munfordville, and more. Out of state visitors were from Texas, Illinois, Tennessee, Indiana, Missouri, Ohio, and Alabama. And to continue last week’s story of visitors from other countries, on Saturday we had visitors from Lima, Peru, and Brazil! Kendall Lasley, Tennessee, came to research the Lasley/Puckett families. Jenifer and William Clifford researched the Devores. See you next week. Carolyn Short September 6, 2023 Recently, I mentioned that the Society had a visitor from South Africa. Well, this week it was Australia! Marcia Hays and Harold Cottrell were at the Museum to give Nancy Cummane, Australia, and her father, Richard G. Wendell, Ohio, a tour. Previously, Ms. Cummane had sent us a copy of her ancestor’s diary when he was stationed at Munfordville during the Civil War. It is seldom that we meet donors who live so far away. I am sure conversation flowed, especially about the diary and war. Thanks to Shannon Aubrey, Kentucky, for donating several yearbooks from Memorial and Legrande. They were given in memory of Donnie Nunn. Some of the yearbooks were accessioned to fill missing years in our collection. Linda Foreman, Arkansas, visited to research Hodges. We also communicated by email to give her directions to a cemetery she needed to visit. Judith Lang Watkins needed information on the Lang surname. I hope Macy McDowell and she were successful in locating what she needed. Gene Culver, Kentucky, returned to obtain information we researched on B. Pennell whose headstone was recently reported to the Society. Alana Snavely and husband, California, looked for a picture of Woodson Ferry. Her sister is to visit soon to research the Woodson family. Other visitors were: Brad Henderson and father, Pennsylvania; Sarah Jayodniv, Florida; Indiana couple; and an Ohio couple. These visitors were interested in the Battles for the Bridge Preserve and museum exhibits. Visitors from Kentucky were: Billy Wilson, Elvis and Theresa Scruggs, Todd Powell, Jean Hedgepeth and Sandy Ladd-Russell, Willie and Judy Hart, Bruce and Debra Jensik, James Turner, and Bernie and Kathi Riggs. See you next week, Carolyn Short August 25, 2023 Many people think that there is not much work to do at the Historical Society, but they are wrong. I was out for four days and it took two whole days to catch up even with the help of Jorene McCubbins, Macy McDowell, and Marcia Hays. Research is finally finished for now and all correspondence done; until I check email later today. Come by the Museum on Main Street, Munfordville to get your schedule of Civil War Days events for both the courthouse lawn and the Battle for the Bridge Preserve. A new event has been added on Saturday after the reenactment, an 1860’s period baseball game. Players will dress in period uniforms and play by period rules. Sounds like fun. Also visit our Facebook page for information. Over the past 18 years, the Museum has seen visitors from all 50 states of the United States; yes, even Hawaii. Many visitors from other countries also visit, but Marcia had a visitor from a new country – South Africa. We often wonder how these visitors find us. In this instance, Yvonne Sigman came with her friend Annelize Botha, Tennessee. The Historical Society is thankful for the I-65, Horse Cave, Munfordville, and Mammoth Cave visitor centers for sending people our way. It is amazing how many travelers visit Civil War sites. The Chudyk family, Wisconsin, was a thrill. Their teenagers were actually interested in our exhibits and history. John Sherman, Ohio, appreciated our preservation efforts especially of the battlefield. Kentucky visitors were: Daniel Vichit Sandha, Janeen Grahsmeyer, Brenda Dudderar, Gene and Bonnie Culver, and others. Gene and Bonnie came looking for information on an individual buried on their Hart County land, Thanks to them, we have now added this information to our cemetery records. See you next week. Carolyn Short August 18, 2023 What a fun chat about her mother, Mrs. Mary B. Roop, we had with Cindy Beth Roop, Kentucky. The story had to do with a mouse that was brought to school in a paper bag and placed in a locker in Mrs. Roop's fifth grade room at Munfordville Elementary. I was fortunate enough to be assigned the room across the hall from Mrs. Roop and had a front row seat for the event! Good memories to share with a daughter who had never heard the story. The genealogy library is now open by appointment. Call us at 270-524-0101 to arrange your research time, preferably on Wednesdays, but other days can be arranged if given enough time. We will adjust our schedule for the remainder of the year as public demand requires. Margaret and Leight Wilson, Kentucky, were the first official researchers to use the new facility. They were impressed with the setup. Chatting with them was a pleasure. Other Kentucky visitors were Mike Rust, Reva Thompson, Lora Lindsay, Sharon DeGiovanni, Sue Steelman, Amber Dean, Terry Turner, Willie Cyphers, Tommie and Paul Baskis, and Calvin Childress. Other visitors were: Deborah Hanner, Ohio; Joann Stone, Ohio;, Jim Serfass, Virginia, one from Pennsylvania; Allan Bridgewater, Alabama; Linda Durst, Ohio; two from Pennsylvania; Richard and Kay Togg, New Jersey; and Jim and Geri Cheesman, New Jersey. Check our web page or drop in to get the Civil War Days schedule for September 8-10. See you next week. Carolyn Short August 13, 2023 Hart County Civil War Days - Battles for the Bridge 2023 event is coming up the 2nd weekend of September. Join us September 8, 9, 10 for many events including music and vendors in the Courthouse Square, a parade down main street, Ladies Tea at the Battlefield, Reenactment battles and an 1860's era baseball game complete with period clothing and rules. Watch out President Lincoln sightings! Check out the event list and come on out for an interesting weekend. July 27, 2023 I don’t blame you! I am staying inside also, out of this heat. Yet, a few visitors have stopped, many of them taking breaks from travel on I 65. They were from Princeton, Indiana, Woodlawn, Texas, Sparta, Michigan,, Edinburgh, Indiana, and Florida. The Ramsey family from Atlanta, Georgia were vacationing in Kentucky with their 16 year old grandson who was enjoying the “senior shuffle,” driving the back roads, and teaching Grandma about the ultra-modern automobile they rented. They enjoyed all the old artifacts displayed in the Museum and spent 45 minutes talking about them. Kentucky visitors came from Sunfish, Larue County, Louisville, and Columbia. Mike Harper, Tennessee, researched the Harper family. David Krueger, who visited several years ago, check to see what we have on Hogans and Shorts. Research for me to do as soon as the Mary Willia Branstatter Genealogy Library is fully set up. The Roaring Twenties Automobile Show and Music Festival was a big success. We appreciate everyone who supported us. Now, on to a larger one next year. Have you registered for Civil War Days booth or reenactment? We are taking applications and payment now at the Museum or online. See you next week. Carolyn Short July 15, 2023 Remember THE ROARING TWENTIES ANTIQUE CAR DRIVE AND BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL at the Woodson House grounds on July 22, 2023 from 5-10 PM. Pre 1940’s automobiles, no hot rods please, will be there for view as well as food and other vendors. Dress in period clothing and possibly win the costume contest! See you there. Visitors this week were from Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Georgia, several from California, and lots from Kentucky. The Stravah family from Pennsylvania came to research the Miles, Jaggers, Dawson, and Gibson families. See you next week. Carolyn Short July 11, 2023 For me, the basket making class was a success. The other participants and I are now each the proud owners of an apple basket, a school basket, and a re-caned chair or stool. Thanks to the Hart County Public Library staff for providing delicious lunches and the space for the classes. We hope we did not create too many messes. Mary Margaret Vilines, board member, does wonderful work in acquiring grants for these classes. What a good morning! The Museum had visitors from Dallas, Texas. Charles and Mary Ann Ayers visited Munfordville because Charles used to visit the Rose family in the 50’s and 60’s. They spent a lot of time viewing the displays, especially ones on the Civil War and Buckner. We not only discussed Buckner and his log house but also our new genealogy library, and the upcoming Picking on the Porch Bluegrass Festival and antique car show. Mrs. Ayers said, “I have been saving this for a special occasion and the Society seems to be a perfect place for it.” Imagine my surprise when she handed me a $100 bill to help with the library move. We are so thankful for those who see the value in the Society’s work. We recently had Boss and Fannie Wilson descendants visiting. It was good to see an “old” classmate. Kentucky visitors were from: Louisville, Shepherdsville, Munfordville, Elizabethtown, Brandenburg, Richmond, Bonnieville, and Cecilia. Others came from Illinois, Indiana, Georgia, Texas, Ohio, and North Carolina. Remember THE ROARING TWENTIES antique car drive and show (pre 1940’s period correct autos, no hot rods) and Picking on the Porch Bluegrass Festival. Dress in your finest 1920’s outfit for the dress-up contest. See you at the Woodson House, July 22, 2023 from 5 PM to 10 PM. See you next week. Carolyn Short July 5, 2023 We have BIG NEWS! The Mary Willia Branstetter Genealogy Library, currently housed in The Hart County Historical Museum, is moving next door to 105 Main Street, Munfordville, KY. In person research will resume after July 24th. Contact us on email ([email protected]) or by phone (270-524-0101) if you have research needs before we reopen our research files to the public. Please note! The Museum, located at 109 Main Street is OPEN! July 1, 2023 The Museum will be closed Monday July 3rd and Tuesday July 4th. We will be open on July 5th. Happy Independence Day! June 15, 2023 Since I last told about the Museum’s visitors, we have had tourists from Washington, Florida, Missouri, Illinois, and multiple groups from Arizona, Texas, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Indiana. Numerous locals and others from Kentucky also visited. Will and Tami Page from Canada enjoyed their stop. There has been an uptick in researchers as well. Holly Yancey, Tennessee, came to research the Cox family. James and Cherie Engle, Texas, researched the Skaggs and Hudgins lines. Natalie Rador, Texas, looked into the Hanks, Owen, and Hensley families. Alta Louise Greer, Kentucky, researched the Logsdons. The Morris and Hornback families were the objects for Barbara Love’s research. Joe and Debbie Dink came to reinforce their previous research on Solomon Kessinger I. Locals came to get information on the Bowling children’s murders, while Cynthia and William Horton, Kentucky, looked at our stash of yearbooks. This week has been filled with greeting visitors including a video team that filmed for Munfordville Tourism. With all the acquisitions lately, much of my time has been spent accessioning artifacts. Always busy, busy. See you next week. Carolyn Short June 9, 2023 Have you heard? Congratulations go to Todd Johnston, editor of the Hart County Historical Society Quarterly. Todd leads the effort to get a quality quarterly published for the Society and does much of the research himself. The quarterly is a collaborative effort between our board, local historians, and genealogists such as Lucille Harp. Todd attended the award program at the Kentucky Historical Society in Frankfort to accept the award in newsletter publication and a beautiful julip cup now displayed at the Museum. Accompanying Todd were Marcia Hays, Harold Cottrell, and Gary McDowell. Way to go, Todd. We are proud of you. The Museum has been bustling with activity this week. Some of the ladies have been cleaning – heavy duty cleaning. After disturbances during spring storms, we had to move some artifacts for safe keeping. We also acquired other items for which we had to find display space. Major organization had to be finished. Thanks to Macy and Gary McDowell, the upstairs is now presentable. Motivation from Marcia Hays and her work cleaning and organizing has kept up the energy to finish the project. The Society was pleased to host Cub Run School summer school students and chaperones. Students were very well behaved and attentive to information about life during the Civil War in Hart County. I believe the hit of the presentation was tasting hard tack, a hard type of cracker distributed to soldiers. Thank you is in order for those who have donated items lately. Charlie Williams donated copies of OUT OF GREEN RIVER KITCHENS, a compilation of his family’s recipes. These cookbooks are now for sale at the Museum. Kaye Amos gave a vintage baby carriage and a vintage buggy. They look great occupying the museum window. Kaye also donated five infant feeders. They are beautifully decorated and “show off” in the three-cornered cabinet. The feeders were used to feed babies who could not nurse or to give them medication. A couple of the feeders/cups may have been used with older children or adults who were bedfast and not able to sit up. David Srygler donated an acetylene generator. Its permanent home will probably be the Woodson House property. Thanks everyone for helping save Hart County history. See you next week. Carolyn Short June 1, 2023 If you like the Hart County and South Central Kentucky basket making tradition, the Society has what you need. Six classes will be offered by the Society with expert Beth Hester teaching. Beth will guide participants in creating a chair seat and two baskets, an apple basket and school basket. Both baskets will employ local basketry techniques. The school basket is based on the lunch baskets family members made for children to use in taking their lunches to school. Participants will also weave a twill chair seat for a ladder back chair on June 22. For photographs of these projects see our web site: hartcountymuseum.org. On June 28 Scott Gilbert will cut and process a white oak tree from the Knox’s Creek area of Hart County and show students the traditional process of obtaining traditional basket making materials. Classes begin at 9:00 A.M., CDT and run until 2:30 on Monday, June 19, Wednesday, June 21, and Thursday, June 22. The next week, classes will be at the same times on Tuesday, June 27, Wednesday, June 28, and Thursday, June 29. The Hart County Library is generous to partner with us to support this class series. All classes will meet in the lower level of the library in the Mary Elizabeth Carden Community Room. The library is also providing a light lunch daily. The society is proud to work with the library in support of this activity. The society received a grant from the Kentucky Arts Council’s Organization Relief and Disaster Recovery with support from the National Endowment for the Arts. We are so grateful for their support of the classes. Their gift allows classes to be free for everyone. However, we are requesting a $20 deposit from each participant as a place holder. It will be refunded on the first day of classes. Registration begins on May 29. Each individual should put either cash or a check for $20 in an envelope. On the outside of the envelope, list the participant’s name and return mailing address. Inside, also include telephone number(s) and an e-mail address, if an active one is available. The e-mail address helps notify participants in case of schedule changes. Mail or hand deliver to the Hart County Historical Society located at 109 Main Street, Munfordville. Our mailing address is P.O. Box 606, Munfordville, KY 42765. Classes are likely to fill, so after June 9th, it would be wise to call the Museum at 270-524-0101 to check for availability before sending a deposit. To allow for individual attention during classes, only 12 places are available. See you next week. Carolyn Short May 30, 2023 Hart County Historical Society is accepting registrations for basketry classes taught by basketry expert Beth Hester. The Society is the recipient of a grant from the Kentucky Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts to sponsor a series of classes in basket making that will feature traditional techniques distinctive to this area. Beginning in the 1790’s, some of the earliest European settlers migrated into the what is now the Hart County area bringing with them basket-making skills. Most of these settlers came from the British Isles; a few from Germany. Lacking the materials from their native country, they adapted their techniques to the locally available white oak tree. Thus, Hart County’s white oak basket tradition was born. Today, local basket makers still use those original techniques to create baskets that are distinctive to this area. These classes will reflect those traditions. Classes will begin at 9:00 A.M., CDT and run until 2:30 on Monday, June 19, Wednesday, June 21, and Thursday, June 22. The next week, classes will be at the same times on Tuesday, June 27, Wednesday, June 28, and Thursday, June 29. Classes will be held at Hart County Public Library and will provide a light lunch daily. In this series of classes, Beth Hester will guide participants in creating a chair seat and two baskets. (More about that next week.) For photographs of these projects see our web site: hartcountymuseum.org. The Hart County Historical Society is very grateful to the Kentucky Arts Council’s Organization Relief and Disaster Recovery Grant for supporting basketry in Hart County. Classes are free to everyone. However, we are requesting a $20 deposit from each participant as a place holder, an amount to be refunded on the first day of classes. In order to give individual attention, participation will be limited to 12 persons. Registration will be complete upon receipt of your deposit. Please register as soon as possible. All previous classes have filled within a few days of being announced. After June 9, call 270-524-0101 to check for availability of classes. Registration begins May 29. Send or bring the registration deposit of $20 in an envelope to Hart County Historical Society, P O Box 606, Munfordville, KY 42765. Be sure to place your name and return address on the envelope. Inside, include your telephone number(s) and e-mail address in case of schedule changes. May 18, 2023 Travel is picking up. Munfordville and Horse Cave are good places to stop while traveling I-65 or vacationing in the area. After all, Hart County has much to see: caves, antique stores, a petting zoo, museums, fresh-grown produce, Kentucky Stonehenge, genealogy resources, Amish businesses, Civil War sites, trails, beautiful Green River, and just natural, beautiful scenes. Researchers and tourists this week were from a variety of states. Jim and Marilynn Kujowa, Michigan, stopped to see our exhibits. They said that Jorene McCubbins was a very friendly host and informative. Margo Zamora and guests were from Texas. Trevor Johnson and wife, Minnesota headed a large group of visitors. An Illinois couple and another Michigan couple also visited, as did Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Palmer, North Carolina. Most all of these out-of-state visitors wanted information on our Civil War history and to see the exhibits. Researchers made use of our Mary Willia Branstetter Genealogy Library. Barbara Love, Kentucky, researched her illusive Riggs, Hornback, and related families. Barbara was pleased with the information we found. Jody Fifer Barr and guest, Tennessee, wanted information on Benjamin Fifer and the 89th Indiana Infantry. We were not able to help him very much. Mike Farris and Susan McNair, Tennessee, looked into the Farris, Mercer, and Stovall families. David Crain, Kentucky, wanted a map of local Civil War battles. Patricia J Andrews, Mary McCormick and group, and Kim and Walter Gomolyan, all from Kentucky, enjoyed Hart County’s Civil War history and our exhibits. Sherry Cross, a Kentucky Colonel representative, visited. She was interested in how we are organized and what some of our policies are such as accession procedures. See you next week. Carolyn Short May 11, 2023 This week has been filled with curating the Rowlett Sisters estate papers donation. We loved finding invoices from Hart County businesses and exploring how the needs of Hart County citizens are still so similar to those of years ago. Comparing the cost of services to today was eye-opening. Also, comparing the salary paid to workers during that time was revealing. Some fellows who were loading and unloading hay were paid around two to three dollars per day. That was hot, hard, dirty work. A thank you goes to Martha Rogers and the Rogers family for donating a lovely framed print of the Munfordville L & N Railroad Station. It was given in memory of Larry Rogers. Erin Smith, Utah, came for genealogy research. Stephen S. Reed, Kentucky, researched the Wood family. Barry and Joan Howard were looking onto the Dye, Bright, and Howard families. A Georgia couple visited the Museum for Civil War history and exhibits. Wilma Gribble and guest, Kentucky, also were interested in museum exhibits. Cindy Truitt and guest, Texas, need a break from driving and then really got into our history. Susan Lafferty visited for a few minutes as did Bobby -?-. See you next week. Carolyn Short May 4, 2023 A call for help Bonnieville people! A fellow called the Historical society who has purchased a camper made at Bonnieville. He wants information on the factory (and so does the Historical Society) and the camper “Little Colonel.” He wants to restore it. Does anyone have a pamphlet that shows what the camper looked like when it was manufactured? Was the factory in operation during the 1960’s, closing in the early 1970’s? If you remember something or remember remnants of conversations, please call us at 270-524-0101 or come to the Museum on Main Street, Munfordville beside City Hall. The Society is thankful for the citizens who remember us before they throw away artifacts that can add to Hart County’s history. This week we received items from the Rowlett Sisters Estate from Luke England, brought in by his dad Doug. These items had traveled out of state and back again, finally making it to the Museum. After all, “Who would want these things other than the Hart County Historical Society?” (I had to laugh.) What fun to open the first twine-tied package and locate a check on National Bank of Munfordville for stock in the Munfordville Bridge Company! Attorney Charles Williams recently donated Bridge Company memorabilia, and here was an extension of the Bridge story. Going through 50 to 80 year old papers is interesting at least. Most of the papers are finance related, and sometimes I feel that I am intruding on personal information, but then the historian/curator mind-set takes over. After all, Miss Mildred Rowlett, math teacher, once stated as she was calling the roll, “Carolyn, you might not want your classmates to know this, but we are related.” Many promising packets remain to be explored. Thanks to the Englands, the Museum committee is to decide what is to be curated as we don’t need 50 of one type of item. Readers, please remember us if you have an item that might add to Hart County history. Call first if you wish. Otherwise, if we cannot use the item we will call you to pick it up if you want it returned. All we ask is that the artifact is in relatively good shape and somewhat clean - not insect infested, covered with mildew or dirt, or full of rodent fur and excrement. Together, we can save our history for generations to come. See you next week. Carolyn Short April 20, 2023 The Society has had a continuation of artifact donations this week. We are so glad that many Hart County citizens realize that we do value their historical items and want to be the home of those items. Melody Chaney and Brenda Dudderar donated items from Canmer Baptist Church – hymnals, 100th year anniversary bulletin, and a 1893 Bible thought to have been used at the dedication of the building. Carla Williams, Indiana, donated some of her father’s military and personal items. He was Carl Dempsey Williams who graduated from Horse Cave High School in 1939. She gave the diploma, flight jacket, dog tags, medals, etc. Bob and Beckie Graham visited from Michigan. They were interested in our Civil War displays and history. Mr. D. Smith, Tennessee, was also interested in exhibits and the Civil War Battlefield Preserve. A lady, whose name we did not get, came to ask about the Mills Brothers singing group. I was not here, so probably am confused about this, but we can locate no connection to a local Mills Brothers group. However, many of us remember hearing some of the 2,000 recordings of the Four Mills Brothers from Ohio who were proficient in American jazz and traditional pop beginning in the 1930’s. If you failed to make it to our April public meeting, you missed a good program. Sam Terry, historian, presented many interesting facts about the community of Bearwallow, originally Bear Wallow. He also entertained us with stories from the historical fiction BELLS OF BEAR WALLOW which is sold online. Check him out at his webpage. The Society wants to thank the Hart County Public Library for hosting the program and providing refreshments. See you next week. Carolyn Short April 13, 2023 A hearty thank you goes to Belinda Veluzat for the donation of a beautiful, antique cradle. The cradle was purchased from Hart Countian Louis G. Johnson before his death. Mr. Johnson told Ms. Veluzat that the cradle was used by his father, Louis G. Johnson Sr. when he was a baby. To show its age, Louis added that his father was a Civil War soldier. Trying to more accurately date the cradle, I did a bit of research on Louis Johnson Sr. and found he was born in 1843. So, the Society is now the owner of an one hundred eighty year old (at least) cradle that is in wonderful condition. We are so glad that people like Ms. Veluzat believe that Hart County artifacts need to stay in Hart County to help tell its history. Ms. Veluzat also donated a book of matches promoting Louis G. Johnson Jr.’s 1939 re-election campaign for Hart County Clerk on the Republican ticket. Much of my time is spent accessioning, displaying, or storing artifacts that have been given to the Society. Finally, I have Dr. Vincent Corrao’s donated papers organized and placed in a binder. They were given by Mr. Botts who purchased them from an estate sale in Glasgow, Kentucky. There is nothing earth-shattering in the papers, but they do give a glimpse into Dr. Corrao’s life and life in Munfordville in the 1930’s and 40’s. Drop in to look at some of the bills which show the cost of services at local gas stations. Thanks Mr. Botts. A few of our recent visitors are Cristy B, Kentucky; Mr. Lyle, Kentucky; Howard and Donns Waltz, Arizona; and the Crafts, Indiana. All were interested in the displays we have. Margaret Hunter came by to research Ward’s Store in Munfordville. Amanda Moblay wanted information on the Matera/Walthal House in Horse Cave. How fun to watch little ones hunt Easter eggs! We are glad the weather cooperated Saturday for the 2nd annual hunt sponsored by the Hart County Historical Society. See you next week. Carolyn Short March 30, 2023 Remember the Historical Society’s Easter Egg Hunt to be held on the courthouse lawn on April 8. It will begin at 10 AM CST. Four age categories will allow for children of all ages to have a fair shot at collecting eggs. The age categories are 0-3, 4-6, 7-9, and 10-12. Find the prize egg and receive an Easter basket. On Monday morning, Jorene McCubbins entertained a South Dakota couple. They enjoyed all aspects of the Museum and wrote a very nice note of appreciation. Actually, several visitors have expresses thanks for our docents’ enthusiasm and energy. We do love to tell about Hart County history. Tours have been given to several tourists from Kentucky, as well as Wyoming, Ohio, South Dakota, Michigan, and Illinois. One couple stated that they loved Munfordville and its friendly people. Roger Grimes, Kentucky, came to research his Jeffries family. Rick and Barb Phillips researched the Phillips. Thank you to everyone who helped clean the Woodson House and Museum on Park Day. The Museum’s china has finally been returned to our 1830’s china cabinet. Fearing the whole china cabinet might need to be moved during our leak and reroofing, the china was safely stored. However, the leak wasn’t that bad. Some more cleaning and repositioning of artifacts need to be done upstairs before it can be fully reopened. See you next week. Carolyn Short March 22, 2023 Wind – air in natural motion as along the earth’s surface, a gale, or storm. This winter Society buildings and property have had several experiences with wind. From damage to the Museum roof and chimneys, to tree tops breaking and fence damage at the Woodson House, to trees and stockade down on the Rush Island Bend Road portion of the Preserve, the Society has seen its share of wind. The Museum is doing well with a new roof and two downed chimneys replaced after consultation with the National Register of Historic Places. We could, however, use your help on March 25, Park Day, to help clear debris at the Woodson House and battlefield on Rush Island Bend. Work gloves, rakes, and small tools will serve volunteers well. Remember our other events this spring. On April 8 there is an Easter Egg hunt on the courthouse lawn with baskets for those finding the prize eggs. There are four age groups. On April 18 Sam Terry, creator of Sam Terry’s Kentucky, will speak about Bear Wallow for us. Join us at the Hart County Public Library from 6 to 8 pm for this free event. Light refreshments will be served. Our annual 5K Run will be June 3. Visitors this week were Karen Daniels, Indiana, who researched her Cain and Ballard families. Connie Shank, Illinois, after several emails visited to learn about the Oldhan, Riggs, and Hornback lines. Linwood visitors needed information on Linwood and Knox’s Creek Church. Mr. Ralston, Kentucky, also visited, as did several who did not sign the register We want to encourage those of you who live in Hart County or have Hart County roots to fill out a family tree chart and send it to the Museum. Free charts can be found online, or you may drop by to pick one up. We want to expand our family files. See you next week. Carolyn Short March 9, 2023 Mother Nature does not always cooperate, as our area experienced beginning Friday afternoon, March 3, 2023. The Society lost a few trees, privacy fencing and sign at the Woodson House, and the stockade on our Rush Island Bend Road section of the Battlefield Preserve. Much work looms in our future. We still have tourists visiting daily, especially those taking a break from I-65 travels. We wish that everything was perfect for their stops, but it will take a bit of time to get all areas cleaned. Tourists have been very understanding with the situation. Amy L. Glass, Kentucky, researched her Brooks family, while others looked into their Logsdon and Hazelip lines. Meranda Caswell needs information on Caswell and Lush. She also donated three IMAGES OF AMERICA books from Hardin County and Elizabethtown. Thanks, Meranda. Jim and Nancy Bloomfield used our genealogy materials, but did not leave names of the families interested in. Belinda Veluzat and Shanna Veluzat Letner were in to see if the Museum could use a Civil War era cradle. She is supposed to bring it later in the week. Thanks for remembering the Society with this wonderful gift. (More information on it later.) Other visitors were from Minnesota, Washington, Wisconsin, and of course, several from Kentucky. See you next week. Carolyn Short February 25, 2023 This week, thank you goes out Paul Sturgeon for donating a “chunk” of residue from sand left over from the manufacture of pig iron at Aetna Furnace. The chunk is rock like, black, and glass smooth in places. Calvin Childress was instrumental in obtaining this for the museum. Geri Guerin gifted us with a sterling silver, commemorative Old Munford Hotel spoon. It appears to be something offered to tourists or possibly as a fundraiser for the building. There is no date or recognition of a maker on the spoon. Does anyone know about when or why it was made? Gary West brought a newspaper picture of the New Munfordville Inn. Thank you to everyone who remembers us with artifacts, memberships, donations, and visits. Spring is teasing often enough for tourists to begin their outings. Locals, E Key Reynolds and grandson Memphis, visited to view and discuss Civil War and Native American artifacts. It is heartwarming to see families share their interests in history. Other locals were from Bonnieville, Magnolia, and Munfordville. Owensboro, Bardstown, and Elizabethtown were the homes of other visitors. Out-of-state visitors represented North Dakota, Alabama, and Ohio. See you next week. Carolyn Short February 17, 2023 The Society’s Black History Month program on February 10 was outstanding. A large crowd came to hear Tick Rogers, Cornelius Faulkner, Coach Ricky Line, and Todd Johnston tell interesting and funny stories from their days as basketball players and coach at Hart County High School. Thanks go to all who helped put on this event: Hart County High for the use of the auditorium, Mary Mills-Turner for organizing the event, Amber Ard and Marcia Lenz for the delicious food, all the attendees who came especially the ones who asked questions, Rev. Chris Curry for the songs, Rev. Turner for the prayer, Mary Bradley for the program introduction, and the former Mills ladies for the conclusion. Plus, we are very grateful for the $500 anonymous donation made to establish a Black History section at the Historical Museum. If I missed anyone, please forgive me. It is unintentional. With spring right around the corner, plans for activities are being discussed by the Society. Park Day is scheduled for March 25, the last Saturday in March with a rain date of April 1. This day is set aside for clean-up of our grounds and the Woodson House. Our April 18 meeting, open and free to the public, will feature deep-rooted area personality and historian Sam Terry. On April 8 the Society will sponsor an Easter Egg Hunt with prizes on the courthouse lawn. Last year the hunt was a blast with the Easter Bunny and four different age groups. For the runners across the state, June 3 is our 5K which snakes through Munfordville. Mark your calendars now for these events. See you next week. Carolyn Short January 20, 2023 The Society’s January meeting featured speaker Gary Gardner, a native of Hodgenville and a descendant of several old Hart County families. Mr. Gardner began researching Kentucky crop and farming history as a challenge to find out more about the story of Sorghum. He spent many years researching the lives and creations of early Kentucky cabinetmakers and has documented the work of Thomas Lincoln. The audience enjoyed his presentation about Hart County farming in the 1850’s and the facts on tobacco growing. It was not always the large landowners who grew Hart County’s prize winning crops. The Hart County Library is so appreciated for hosting our meeting. Our Museum is so full of displays and research materials that we would have had difficulty seating 30 plus attendees. This was the largest audience we have had at a quarterly meeting since before Covid. As usual, the snacks were also enjoyed. We value those members who have paid their 2023 dues. The January Quarterly is near completion and will soon be mailed. Our cost remains at $25 for individual membership, $40 for family membership. Our visitors this week were all from Kentucky: Verl Logsdon, Abigail Mosley, Brittany Smith, Civil War Round Table member, and Horace H. Thompson among others. Henry Williams, Kentucky, came to get information on Custer Gardner, the last man hanged in Hart County. Billy Craddock, Kentucky, wanted information on Manson Wells who lived near Horse Cave in the 1950’s on 31-W near but across the road from where Caverna Hospital is now. Call us at 270-524-0101 if you have memories of Mr. Wells and his ‘Museum.’ The Society will celebrate Black History Month in February again this year. Mark your calendars to join us at Hart County High School Auditorium on February 10 at 6:00 PM. Tick Rogers will be the featured guest, along with others from Tick’s time playing basketball here at the high school. The event is free of charge and all are welcome. See you next week. Carolyn Short January 19, 2023 Have you renewed your membership for hart County Historical Society? It is about time to mail the January Quarterly, and we need to get yours in our bulk mailing which saves us much money compared to mailing individually. We think you will enjoy the stories included in the January Quarterly. I have proofed them and know. The Society values our members greatly and hope we have carried out our responsibilities to your satisfaction. Besides operating the Museum and Mary Willia Branstetter Genealogy Library (which also contains local history files and books) and publishing the quarterly, we oversee the Woodson House and Rush Island Bend Battlefield. Work is slowly progressing at the Woodson House with construction of walking trails. Public restrooms will also be built. The grounds for all these sites must be maintained. You see, we do need your support to continue our educational and preservation programs. So please mail your dues of $25/year to PO Box 606, Munfordville, KY 42765, visit the Museum on Main Street across from the sheriff’s office to drop off a check or pay in cash, or pay online at www.hartcountymuseum.org/membership.html Donations are also accepted and appreciated. Donation link here - DONATION As we expand our upcoming programs, we see the need for volunteers. No volunteer schedules have been made yet, but are definitely in the works. Call the Museum at 270-524-0101 to ask questions or get your name on the volunteer list. If your volunteer job requires training, you will get it. We want you to be successful. Thank you to the Hart County Public Library for hosting our meeting at their lovely, modern facility at 500 E Union Street in Munfordville. Check out their web page for all the adventures you can have there. See you next week. Carolyn Short January 12, 2023 Happy New Year! Maybe the weather will continue to cooperate and not try to do us in again. Here at Hart County Historical Society and Museum we are beginning to plan new exhibits for the coming spring after we move our Mary Willia Branstetter Genealogy Library next door tot he former Solid Waste Building. What a job that move will be! Yet, we are looking forward to more room for our crowded resources. This brings to mind a concern, bookcases. We need double the shelving we now have. Do you have bookcases you no longer need? They must be very sturdy and strong. Imperfections do not matter so much; we know how to paint. Some days at the Museum are quite peaceful, then a research question presents itself, such as where exactly was Blue Spring Grove? Lucille Harp studies and searched for a whole day before locating the information. She hopes she found what the Cyphers needed. Visitors were mostly from Kentucky lately with many locals. Jeromy Lively from North Carolina visited while in the area. Thanks to Doug Smith for donating Dr. Crandon's account book. This book was transferred to Dr. C.J. Walton in December 1876 when Dr. Crandon left Hart County for Kansas. Doug's family used this account book to check/locate births of several family members. And you should note the prices charged for house calls! Calvin Childress brought in several baskets to see if they could be used in the Basket Room. If you have old, handwoven baskets please consider donating them. They do not have to be in perfect condition. If we cannot use them, we will return them. We get by with a little help from our friends, especially our members. We appreciate you very much. January 1 was the renewal date for membership with the Society. If you have not renewed, please do so before our January mailing. Drop in at the museum to leave your money or check of $25 for individual membership, mail to PO Box 606 Munfordville, KY, or pay online at www.hartcountymuseum.org/membership.html With recent rains, the ground at the Battlefield Preserve on Rush Island Bend Road became muddy. One low area especially causes road concerns. Therefore, the Preserve will be closed during wet weather. You may need to call the museum before going over to the battlefield property. See you next week. Carolyn Short December 26, 2021 We at the Society hope everyone had a good Christmas despite the weather. And have a Happy New Year. Activities at the Museum surround preparations to move the Mary Willia Branstetter Genealogy Library next door to the former Solid Waste Building. We are in need of sturdy bookcases as we have filled the ones we now have. We are also aggressively working for grants to help pay for the building. End of year donations are welcome. We are a 501 c 3 organization so your donation is tax deductible. The Society loves the window display that Greg and Amber Ard put up for us this Christmas. We think it fits this old Chapline Building to a tea. So did others, as we were awarded second place by Munfordville Tourism for Christmas display . Thanks Tourism. Recent visitors and researchers have been from: Upton, Munfordville, Buffalo, Horse Cave, Glasgow, Magnolia, Louisville, Battletown, Canmer, Hardyville, Cave City, Iowa, North Carolina, Ohio, and Texas. We love welcoming these people to the Museum. A couple of visitors, young ones, visited and were so proud to see “their exhibit” on display. Come by to see the Monroe and Oliver Cottrell projectile display and hear their story. See you next week. Carolyn Short December 22, 2022 Do you ever forget you have finished a task and begin it again, or think you have completed a chore that is still undone? That has been my frame of mind since Thanksgiving. Oh, the joys of the Golden Years! Hopefully, I can get back on track with the Society News. After years of struggling with lack of space at the Museum and Geneaology Library, we resorted to placing research books in boxes on the floor. Our history bookcase has books stacked sideways instead of being place vertically as they should. Some rarely used materials are stored on a dolly! Our file cabinets are bursting at the seams. We added more cabinets which takes up more floor space. We continue to encroach on places for artifact display. So, finally we bit the bullet and leased, with the option to purchase, the former Solid Waste Building next door. Our Genealogy Library will in the near future occupy that building. The Society is now aggressively working on grants and donations to purchase sooner than later. Donations are tax deductible per 501c3 regulations. If you can help, drop off a donation at the Museum at 109 Main Street, Munfordville or mail to Hart County Historical Society PO Box 606 Munfordville, KY 42765. You may also donate by visiting our webpage or you may call us at 270-524-0101 for more information. Be kind, be safe and stay warm! See you next week, Carolyn Short November 17, 2022 It always gets this way – hectic in Fall. The number of tourists slack off, but holiday activities begin. Our October activities were well received. The Roy A. Cann Award Dinner was a good experience. Jerry Bransford’s presentation about the lives and times of his ancestors who were slave guides at Mammoth Cave was informative. The Hart County Public Library is a good venue for educational programs. We appreciate their help. At Trick or Treat on the Courthouse Square, fun was had by all. The Society’s latest venture, the Basket Room Opening, was a success also. Thanks to all who came bearing baskets for the public to see and to those who wanted to view them. We got good pictures of baskets and history to go with many of them. The pictures will be preserved and shown at a later date. The upstairs Basket Room is still set up as it was on opening day if you would like to visit. Before long, it will be rearranged in its semi-permanent form with a few less baskets than now. Thanks go to Beth Hester and Scott Gilbert who gave valuable input on certain baskets. WKU helped us by offering their basket making posters for the opening. We are appreciative of Calvin Childress who recently donated an old basket made either by his mother Ethel Waddle Childress or her uncle, Curtis Waddle. If you have a local basket with no plan for its preservation, maybe you will consider the Museum as its permanent home. The basket does not have to be in perfect condition. We are looking forward to Christmas on Main, which will be over by the time you read this, and then Parade Day on December 3. The Society plans a Chili Luncheon that day from 11-2. The cost is $8. The Woodson House Christmas Bazaar will be held on the Courthouse Square this year during the Parade Day activities. Recent researchers have looked into the Wells, Davidson, and Day families. Raymond Reynolds let us copy some pictures of his restored log house and Cedar Cliff Cemetery. Other donations are Barbara Wright’s Vol. 37 GREEN COUNTY ABSTRACTS OF CIRCUIT COURT CASES 1794-1856, Sheila Kent’s Confederate soldier photograph, and Dr. Middleton’s old doctor’s bill and picture of Munfordville Seniors at Depot. See you next week. Carolyn Short October 20, 2022 How could I do this again! Due to inattention on my part, I inadvertently gave a wrong name in last week’s article. The baskets that the Society has received were made by Lestel and Ollie Childress, so why did I say Sanders? My apologies to the families and all who are interested in our baskets. The Society has several activities coming up in the near future. 1) Trick or Treat on the Courthouse Square in Munfordville on October 29 from 3:00-6:00 2) Basket Room opening at the Museum in Munfordville on November 5 from 2:00-4:00 with light refreshments 3) Chili Luncheon at Museum on December 3 from 11:00-2:00 4) Christmas Bazaar on Courthouse lawn December 3 and 5) Christmas Parade at Horse Cave at 10:00 and Munfordville at 1:00. We will see you there. With sadness, the Society wishes to honor John R. Butler who was so generous to us. He donated Native American artifacts that rounded out our display. He even gave three of his paintings to us that add much to that display. Sandra and he also gave genealogy that adds to our information on their families. Thank you goes to Patrick Goodman who brought a Civil War cannon ball and a shell (?) for display. They were left by the Union at the Goodman Farm on 357 for the children of the family to play with! Barren County Museum brought an updated and combined list of Hart County World War II veterans after they finished a display. Joseph Norman donated his grandfather’s World War I rain coat, helmet, and copies of Red Cross mail, draft card, etc. Thank you to all who remember us with these wonderful donations. See you next week. Carolyn Short October 14, 2022 You are invited to join the Hart County Historical Society’s celebration on Saturday, November 5th, 2022, at 2:00 until 4:00 P.M. Central Daylight Time, as we open our new basket room upstairs in the Chapline Building, our Museum and office at 109 Main Street, Munfordville, Kentucky. We will be honoring basket making traditions and the makers themselves, especially Hart County basket makers. Guests are invited to bring a basket made in Hart County or elsewhere in the United States or abroad. Basketry experts Beth Hester and Scott Gilbert will be joining us and will be able to provide information on your basket’s provenance, materials, and techniques. In addition, the Historical Society is seeking to locate vintage Hart County white oak or willow baskets. If you have a Hart County basket that you believe to be over 50 years old, please also bring it to this event. We would like to photograph that basket for our files, record the owner’s name, and collect any information you may have about its history. So add this date to your calendar and plan to attend. Be sure to bring a basket and a friend to an event that will provide an unforgettable afternoon of camaraderie, sharing, and new basketry experiences. We will be serving light refreshments and a warm welcome. Your R.S.V.P. is optional, but appreciated. (Mary Margaret Villines) We plan to display for the first time, 15 newly acquired baskets made by Lestell and Ollie Sanders. The Museum is so fortunate to have these beautiful acquisitions, and we believe the Sanders would like for their work to be kept local and displayed for all to enjoy. See you next week. Carolyn Short September 16, 2022 What a busy two weeks leading up to Civil War Days! You can’t imagine the calls, texts, payments, orders, and man-hours it took to get the commemoration off and running. The Society wants to thank every individual who helped in any way, great or small. I’m not listing names because I would undoubtedly (accidentally) leave someone out. A special thank you goes to the reenactors who traveled for miles from out-of-state. We enjoyed all the home schoolers and other visitors who attended activities at the battlefield and museum. Now, we need to review events to see how we can improve next year. The Society wants to offer many experiences for the public, but our workers are few in number and are spread thin. We can’t do it all without more volunteers. Who will step up to plan a parade? The public seems to miss the parade. Aren’t our local towns beautiful, all decked out for fall? Our museum visitors were numerous, mostly from Kentucky. Others were from Indiana, North Carolina, Texas, Michigan, and Florida. Now on to the Society’s next project, the Roy A. Cann Award Banquet. It will be held at Floral Hall at the fairgrounds. We are honoring an individual (and there are several from which to choose) who have helped us preserve Hart County’s history in order to educate our audience. Join us! Roy A. Cann Award Banquet See you next week. Carolyn Short September 1, 2022 So far, this week has been a whirlwind of activity. We are still organizing new donations, figuring out where added file cabinets need to be placed, answering a swirl of incoming calls, and recording Civil War Days registrations. Friday is School Day at the Battlefield. Students see a variety of displays to help them understand the way life was “back then.” On Saturday, vendors are open on Munfordville courthouse square. At 9 AM on the battlefield there is the flag raising, at 2 PM is the battle reenactment, 7:30 the dance at the Pavilion, and 8 PM the lantern tour of the battlefield. Sunday begins with a period church service at 10 AM at the battlefield followed at 2 PM by the battle reenactment. See you there! Have you heard that the Historical Society is sponsoring a Roy A. Cann Award banquet? It will be on October 1, 2022 at the Floral Hall at the fairgrounds at 5:30. We have chosen a banquet to honor Mr. Cann and present an award in his name to a deserving citizen of Hart County who has contributed tirelessly to fulfill the vision of the original founders of the Society. You may call the Museum for more details (270-524-0101). This week visitors have been from Maine, Tennessee, and of course, Kentucky. Many thanks to Coni Shepperd for bringing over representatives of Barren County Chamber of Commerce. We enjoy telling about Hart County’s history and museum exhibits. See you next week. Carolyn Short August 11, 2022 School days are here, and our foot traffic has slowed at the Museum. With fewer visitors, we can now catch up on paper work, computer data entry, and placing access numbers on artifacts.. Actually, the chores are never ending. A couple of delightful Amish ladies visited this week. We had a fun time reminiscing about how home life was when we were growing up; wood burning kitchen ranges, outhouses, wringer washers, and the lack of power for some. Huge gardens followed with summers and fall of canning and preserving loom in our minds. For one, I’m glad to have moved on to modern conveniences. Allie Ballard and guest also visited. Kathy Nichols and guest visited to view LeGrande School’s year books. The Museum has several annuals from various Hart County schools, but not complete sets. Before you throw out old annuals, please call us to see if we need that year or years to complete the collection. See you next week. Carolyn Short August 5, 2022 How charming these four visitors were, from the north of England. Picking up on their English accent, yet different from my sister-in-law’s accent, one fellow explained that “a” is pronounced differently in the south of England where Jill grew up. They had questions about the Civil War, and during our discussion I said that Gen. Grant took Gen. Buckner’s arms at Donaldson to give to Buckner’s wife before sending him to prison. “Took his arms!” the lady yelled holding her arms in front of her. Yes, I kept a straight face until the guys began laughing. They explained what I meant about taking his arms. You’ve got to love these people experiences. The Coca Cola sign on the exterior of the Museum captures the attention of many tourists who pass. Once a week, approximately, a car will stop, take a picture of the sign, and continue on their way. The sign is fading in the strong southern sun. Preserving it should be considered. Researchers are still prevalent, in person and tele-communication. Laura and Thomas Gentry, Kentucky, researched their sur name. Mike McDaniel, Kentucky looked into the Atteberry and Henry families. Norma Benett researched Logsdon. Some of our Kentucky visitors were: Mr. and Mrs. George, Stacey Hay, Heather Botterling, Verl Logsdon, and Merl Logsdon. Others were: Dumitre Fenevi, Florida; Charles and Janet Foxworth, Virginia; an Atlanta couple; and Will Weisback and guest, Indiana. Research on the Walton, Dunagan, Galloway, and McDaniel families has been donated to the Society Library. Thanks to all who remember us with gifts. Thanks also go to all who are working with the Preserve and Museum. See you next week. Carolyn Short July 28, 2022 A pleasant experience to start the day is recommended. After some time of extensive searching through files and shelves, a researcher exclaimed to her co-researcher, “You must see the facilities! They are sparkling clean; better than the bed and breakfast where we’re staying.” It is the little things that make this job rewarding. And, we were able to give pointers of where to look for more information on their topic. Marcia Hays does a wonderful job for the Society. Not only is she great programing (etc.) our computer, but she is also good with tourists and researchers. Marcia tells Hart County history, relays stories of our artifacts, and proficiently guides folks with their research. (What would we do without her and the other workers who keep the Museum going?) Barbara Berry came to research Pollard and Clark families. She was unable to locate what she needed. Other visitors came for Civil War history and to see museum exhibits: Logan and J. West, Amber Neill group, Tammy Nunn, Marcia Peterson, Andy Bustin, and Don Stith, all from Kentucky. Alabama visitors were Delores Clark, C. Eccles, and P. Hoddinott. Macy McDowell reports that visitors are taken with the basket room located upstairs in the Museum. A bit more work needs to be done describing the baskets, but we are well on our way to a very good, new exhibit. Come by to see for yourself. See you next week. Carolyn Short July 25, 2022 A Word of Appreciation The Hart County Historical Society is grateful to the Kentucky Arts Council for its recent Arts Access Assistance grant sponsoring a series of basket classes for senior citizens and for the Arts Council’s long term support of Hart County basketry. July 21, 2022 My, how the summer passes! Soon Civil War Days and Battles for the Bridge will be upon us. Check out the Society’s webpage www.hartcountymuseum.org/ for more information. You will find applications for in-town vendor registration, battlefield vendor registration, reenactor registrations, and payment options. We hope to see you there on the second weekend in September. Tourists and local visitors still arrive daily. They love the Woodson House and Preserve. Visitors were: Joe and Mary, Ohio; Ed and Kathy Shauer, Tennessee; Patrick Quinn, Kentucky; Becca O’Reilly, Kentucky; Neargardner family, Indiana; Nathan and Arron Witherson, Tennessee; Ed and Kathy Lejeune, Louisiana; and the Krizon family, Indiana. Watching the reactions of children in the Museum is a joy, even if some of them want to be outside. Researchers this week were: Melissa Smith and daughter, wanting information on stage coach stops in Cub Run. She has been told that the house where she lives was once a stop. Barbara Love, Kentucky, researched James Jackson Heath. Beth Brown Mutchler and sister, Indiana, wants information on the Brown Pool Hall in Horse Cave owned by Eddie Willis Brown Sr. If you have information or tales for these ladies, please call the Museum at 270-524-0101. We enjoyed visiting with approximately 15 members from the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts, Winston-Salem, North Carolina. They seemed to enjoy our small, quaint museum and asked several pertinent questions about our artifacts. One lady from the Filson Club in Louisville, Kentucky said she would be back with her husband as he is a Simon B. Buckner fan. See you next week. Carolyn Short July 7, 2022 Recently, Harold Cottrell and Marcia Hays Lenz, board members, attended and sold books on behalf of the historical society at the Ancestral Trails Book Fair in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. They met many authors, other historical society folks from across the state, and a few folks stopped by to chat who were formerly residents of Hart County. The society was glad to attend this event once again. The Museum and Genealogy Library are still seeing several visitors. The heat didn’t slow them down. Tourists have come from across Kentucky as well as Arizona, California, and Ohio. Euel Coats, Mississippi, told me that he had traveled 400 miles to find out where the boundaries of Hatcher Valley are! Ha. I couldn’t help with the boundaries, only where Hatcher Valley Road is located. Someone out there call me at the museum if you know about where Hatcher Valley begins, ends, and how wide it is. (270-524-0101) Mrs. Hines, Kentucky, returned to research pictures for a book, IMAGES OF AMERICA, GREEN RIVER. Last week she and her husband were here researching. A party of four came to research the family line of George Thomas Hays and his wife Clara Bell Dennis. Jorene McCubbins had a busy day with visitors and calls for information. We are fortunate to have dedicated workers who put the visitor/researcher first. See you next week. Carolyn Short June 16, 2022 Make plans to attend a free program at the Hart County Public Library on June 24 at 5 PM. Eddie Price, a well-known writer and re-enactor of Kentucky subjects and characters, will speak on the War of 1812 and how Kentuckians were represented in that war. In the Battle of the River Raisin, Capt. Nathaniel G. S. Hart, Hart County’s namesake, was massacred. You will enjoy this well researched program. What an active little museum we have here in Hart County! We really appreciate all the visitors who come through. Amy (Seaton-Rowlett) Mansfield, California, and her brother Phillip Seaton, Kentucky, were such a welcome pair. They discussed memories of the old Rowlett House that stood on Depot Hill in Munfordville where their grandfather lived. How many of you remember passing that house and wondering what it was like inside? Is it really haunted? It had three floors of rooms with furniture hardly disturbed from the days when they were occupied. An attic created a fourth level to the house and was still set up as an art studio when Ann and Phillip were small. Phillip seemed to especially love rummaging around there. Ann’s allergies acted up from all the dust in the attic. Do you remember the large object in the front lawn that looked somewhat like an Italian oven? That was a pet raccoon’s house. Another topic of discussion were the Rowlett Sisters – Amy, Frances, and Mildred. Precious memories. Vicky Myers and guest, Indiana, researched Myers, James, Welder, Park and wood families. Tyler, Angie, and Joe White, Kentucky, wanted information on B J White who taught and coached at Memorial Consolidated School in the 1920’s and 30’s. They were so excited to find several pages in Frances Moss’S THE SPIRIT OF MEMORIAL. After leaving the museum, they were going to Memorial, hoping that someone would be there so they could see the building and gym. Other visitors were from North Carolina, and several from Indiana and Kentucky. See you next week. Carolyn Short June 12, 2022 It is so interesting to watch the interaction of grandparents and grandchildren. We had the honor of observing such a group at the Museum. They are traveling across the United States this summer, visiting all 50 states, and stopping in each. After a tour of the exhibits, and extra explanations by Grandpa, he asked if he could remove census records from the shelf. Guiding the granddaughters to the research table, he began to explain what a census was and its purpose. He even had them compare an 1850 and 1930 to look for differences in how our community might have changed through the years. Then they studied a genealogy book, studying how it was organized and documented. What fortunate grandchildren! Quite often, the Historical Society gets visits from other museum workers who are passing through and notices our little museum. We swap stories of successes and failures, organization, upkeep, and record keeping. It appears that we all have the same issues that we struggle through, although some museums get more funding than we. We are blessed with hard working board members who keep us moving forward. The latest fundraiser, the 5K Run, was a great success. The money raised goes to Civil War Days activities and upkeep of the battlefield that are enjoyed by everyone. A unique story also emerged. Traveling through Kentucky on their way home in Ohio, was a couple returning from their honeymoon in New Orleans. They love running 5K’s, so after learning of the one in Munfordville, they decide to give it a go. The husband was ahead near the finish line but slowed down to allow his wife to catch up. They crossed the finish line together. Someone asked him if he was going to be so accommodating next year. There was no reply but a quirky little smile came over his face. Realizing that the race was for a 503c organization, they promptly donated their winnings back to the committee. See, there are good people in this world. Researchers Shannon and Shawn Poynter, locals, came to research the Clymer, Pippin and Poynter families. Ms. Gadby, local, was interested in Bryants and Walters after touring the Museum with her children. Peggy from St. Louis and Martha from Atlanta researched Galloway and Curry lines. Other visitors were from Kentucky, New Jersey, Iowa, and Texas. Don’t forget to resister for the free basket making classes in July. Call for more details 270-524-0101. Your $20 deposit will be returned at the first class. See you next week, Carolyn Short June 7, 2022 We all get by with a little help from our friends, and the gals at the Historical Society came through for me. After all this time, Covid hit the Short household. A big thank you goes to Jorene, Macy, and Marcia who kept the Museum going while I quarantined and recouped. Are you intrigued by Hart County’s basket making traditions? Thanks to Mary Margaret Villines, the Society has been awarded an Arts Access Assistance Grant through the Kentucky Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts. Six classes for those age 55 plus will be held at the Hart County Library beginning on June 21, followed on the 22, 23, 28, 29, and 30. Classes are free but require a $20 registration deposit (cash or check only) as a place holder which will be returned on the first day of classes. There are only 12 slots available. On June 9 registration will open to any adult, regardless of age as long as spaces remain. A light lunch will be provided except for June 22. You may drop off or mail your registration at the Museum. Call for more details: 270-524-0101 or 270-524-0429. Have you ever heard of Elmer Store on HWY 357 between Munfordville and Hammonsville? Anna G. Bolton, born 1853, who married George Murray, born in Hart County, lived near Elmer Store where they reared eight children. Come on local historians, help us out with your ideas. Call 270-524-0101 with information. Many locals and Kentucky travelers have visited the Museum recently, especially since school is out for the year. Other visitors hailed from Florida, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Texas, Indiana, Michigan, and Tennessee. See you next week. Carolyn Short June 1, 2022 Many people think that there is not much work to do at the Historical Society, but they are wrong. I was out for four days and it took two whole days to catch up even with the help of Jorene McCubbins, Macy McDowell, and Marcia Hays. Research is finally finished for now and all correspondence done; until I check email later today. Come by the Museum on Main Street, Munfordville to get your schedule of Civil War Days events for both the courthouse lawn and the Battle for the Bridge Preserve. A new event has been added on Saturday after the reenactment, an 1860’s period baseball game. Players will dress in period uniforms and play by period rules. Sounds like fun. Also visit our fb page for information. Over the past 18 years, the Museum has seen visitors from all 50 states of the United States; yes, even Hawaii. Many visitors from other countries also visit, but Marcia had a visitor from a new country – South Africa. We often wonder how these visitors find us. In this instance, Yvonne Sigman came with her friend Annelize Botha, Tennessee. The Historical Society is thankful for the I-65, Horse Cave, Munfordville, and Mammoth Cave visitor centers for sending people our way. It is amazing how many travelers visit Civil War sites. The Chudyk family, Wisconsin, was a thrill. Their teenagers were actually interested in our exhibits and history. John Sherman, Ohio, appreciated our preservation efforts especially of the battlefield. Kentucky visitors were: Daniel Vichit Sandha, Janeen Grahsmeyer, Brenda Dudderar, Gene and Bonnie Culver, and others. Gene and Bonnie came looking for information on an individual buried on their Hart County land, Thanks to them, we have now added this information to our cemetery records. See you next week. Carolyn Short |