VOLUME 41, NUMBER 2 Amherst County History — “Telling the Story” Spring 2016

The Muse

Amherst County Museum & Historical Society 154 South Main Street

staff@amherstcountymuseum.org www.amherstcountymuseum.org

434-946-9068

Page 1

It has been an exciting New Year thus far for the Museum. Two of our quilts are on display in the exhibit A Feast For the Eyes: Quilts and Textiles from Central Virginia at the Lynchburg Museum (January 8 - December 31, 2016). Several of our images that pertain to railroads, including prints from the 1890-1915 Frank Cash Glass Negative Collection, are on display also at the Lynchburg Museum in the exhibit A Great Change in the Situation of Man: Lynchburg’s Railroads (March 12 - December 31, 2016). The Museum boasts a beautiful red roof thanks to all the generous contributions for major repairs from our members and other friends. Not only are our collections and archives safe but the roof has attracted visitors! The Education Committee met with the Superintendent and Elementary School Principals of Amherst County Schools in February and presented a proposal for field trips to the Museum. Every fourth grader will be com-ing to the Museum this Fall to learn about transportation and colonial days in Amherst County. Students will tour the wonderful James River diorama made by model maker Calvin Ashwell, learn about the Maple Run, a James River Batteau housed in the Hamble Center, and the commercial im-portance of river transportation; students will discover the use of sheep wool and a plant called flax for the production of clothing, and engage in the activi-ties of quill pen writing and playing colonial games. If education is dear to your heart, think about volunteering on the field trip days if you live nearby or providing funds to purchase the needed supplies ($1,000.00). This is a gratis program for the students. We have also received permission to go into the elementary schools to participate in their Field Days this Spring! On February 20, Flat Stanley arrived from Texas to learn all about Amherst County. He was a delightfully flat 2nd grade student and we had fun showing him around ACMHS and other county sites. Last December our “valiant” effort to retrieve the December 1938 Time Cap-sule from the Court House grounds turned up artifacts telling the story of working, eating and drinking in times past, but the time capsule proved eva-sive even after excavation five 5x5’ units and 5 shovel test pits. The Amherst County Board of Supervisors granted permission on March 15 to let us remove a tree stump, whose age is close to the age of the time capsule. According to a newspaper account from the time, we know a tree was planted the same

day the time capsule was buried. We hope to find evidence under the tree stump this Spring. If you would like to help with this project, call the Director for more information at 434-946-9068. To celebrate the Museum’s 40th birthday, we’ve invited K-5th grade Amherst students to enter our Coloring Contest with prizes for each grade level. To learn more visit our webpage at www.amherstcountymuseum.org. The birthday bash starts at 10 a.m. on May 21! On behalf of the Board of Directors and myself, I thank you for all your support, for renewing your dues, funding projects, volun-teering your time, and most importantly loving Amherst County History and Genealogy.

Octavia Starbuck, Director

Amherst County Museum & Historical Society

IN THE NEWS!

Flat Stanley

Amherst Archaeologist Keith Adams excavating a unit

Nail, slate, chisel, glass, pieces of pearl-ware

Upcoming 2016 Programs/Events

April 9, 9:00 a.m. — 1:00 p.m. Amherst County Mill Tour

Join the Car Pool Group to tour a number of Amherst County Mills, standing and in ruins. This tour is led by Chris Anderson, known as “Mr. Mills" at the Museum. Tour begins at the Museum (154 South Main Street) promptly at 9 a.m. Mill sites will include Amherst Mill, (the only continuous operating mill in Central Virginia), two Campbell Mills, Pedlar Mills, Valley View Mill, Myers Mill, the Miller’s House, and Stapleton Mill. Bring a bagged lunch, snack and a drink. Call the Museum to get on the Tour List: 434-946-9068. Rain Date: April 16.

May 21 — 10:00 a.m. ACMHS Turns 40

Birthday Celebration

(Above) Founding Director Sherrie Snead McLeRoy (left) and Mary Boxley stand in front of the Old Jail that was renovated to house the County’s first Museum. It opened to the public on May 30, 1976. (Right) Sherrie Snead McLeRoy speaks at the opening of the Kearfott-Wood House as the new location for the growing Museum on June 7, 1992. Robert Feagan and Ann Whitley, seated. The Muse Spring 2016

Page 2

Scott’s Mill

“We’ve come a long way, Baby!”

Program begins at 10 a.m. with

Proclamations, Comments, Stories, Announcement of Student Coloring Contest Winners, Tyler Log School Presentation, Anniversary Exhibit, Birthday Cake and Colonial Games

for all ages

(continued on page 3)

The Muse Spring 2016 Page 3

Upcoming 2016 Programs/Events (continued from page 2)

May 22 — 2:30 p.m. Let’s Play Croquet

Saint Francis of Assisi Parish 332 South Main Street, Amherst

Cookies and Lemonade Free Admission

June 12 — 2:30 p.m.

Rare Book Talk and Assessment

Jim Presgraves from Bookworm and Silverfish will present a one hour program on collecting old books using examples to illustrate different book types and conditions, information on sources and details on care. Following the program, he will provide an appraisal clinic. Attendees can bring for evaluation as many books as they wish. Book Appraisal Cost: $5.00 per book (3 books at a time)

Amherst County Recreation & Parks

and Amherst County Museum & Historical Society

Present

Colonial Games at Winton

June 24, 6:00 p.m. — 9:00 p.m.

as part of the Jefferson’s Virginia Summer Festival

Quoits, Sack Races, Tug-of-War, Rolling Hoops, Graces, Battledore & Shuttlecock

Free Admission Open to the Public

Free Parking Food and Drink Available

Even Billy The Kid played croquet! Come join the game. (Public Domain)

Billy The Kid

(continued on page 4)

Library of Congress

Public Domain

The Muse Winter 2016 Page 4

Upcoming ACMHS Programs/Events (continued from page 3)

Card/Board Game Luncheon

Tuesday, July 12 at 10:30 a.m.

To reserve your seat call 434-946-9068 or email staff@amherstcountymuseum.org

by Tuesday, July 1, 2015

Cost: $15 per person (lunch included)

Bring a group and enjoy the fun and lunch in the Hamble Center during this fundraiser for Amherst History and Genealogy. There will only be one card party luncheon this year. SO DO NOT MISS THIS ONE. WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT.

Hornbook and Scrimshaw Workshop for Students

August 5, 2016

9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

10 students per session, grades 2 – 6

Admission Fee: $3.00 Donation to Education Fund

First come first serve. Register by calling ACMHS at 434-946-9068 today

Take a step back in time to learn about life in Amherst County during the Colonial Era. Joining us this year will be Patrick Henry (having come into Amherst to visit his mother at Winton), a journeyman horner, pouch maker, flax dresser, silversmith, batteau-man, spinner, lace makers, musicians, and a Revolutionary War encampment. Try your hand at writing with a quill pen, carding wool, military drills, and playing period games. Hear Patrick Henry’s passionate “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” speech.

Event made possible by The Greater Lynchburg Community Trust

(continued on page 7)

Library of Congress

COLONIAL DAY

August 6, 2016

10:00 a.m. — 4:00 p.m.

Library of Congress

The Muse Spring 2016 Page 5

Cemetery Corner

By Ellen Craig

Past to Present Information about cemeteries and burial grounds comes to the Museum in many varied ways. A casual remark, a phone call, a visit, a Facebook post, or a quick glance from a car window to name a few. One of our most recent reports was from a volunteer working with the Blue Ridge Parkway (BRP). The BRP has identified many gravesites along its length and has catalogued, surveyed, evaluated and computerized the findings and our Museum is fortunate to have been provided with this information. A very recent find on the BRP prop-erty is the Garrett Cemetery which is accessed by the Robinson Gap Road near the point the road passes under the Parkway. Two marked graves are Richard C. Garrett (1911-1938) and Willie Vaughan Garrett (1872-1936). Nearby are the remains of an old church which was also used as a school, serving the area residents. (The Museum and the BRP would like more in-formation on the church/school. Please call us if you can provide any photographs or data, 434-946-9068).

A newly listed cemetery, Dawson on Ramsey Road, was reported by Jenny Baker. By using information on metal markers, it is thought to be an African American ceme-tery. Some of the family names are Burks, Dawson, Jones, Phillips and Tompkins. The earliest death date was 1896 and the most recent was 1956. The Museum has photographs of the inscribed stones and more detailed information about each of these cemeteries available in our library. You are welcome to come in and browse through our in-

formation and if you have a cemetery/graveyard that

you would like to report, please contact the museum

and give us the information. We are finding that some of

the directions in the Gravestones, 1999 edition, are diffi-

cult to use in locating some cemeteries, so your help is greatly appreciated in

finding them. We would like to get a GPS on all of the cemeteries in Amherst

County.

(photographs by Sandi Esposito)

Foundation of Church on Blue Ridge Parkway, Amherst County

Benefactor Community Foundation of North Texas* Douwina Osinga* Town of Amherst*

Sponsor James and Cynthia Hicks William Cage Library Trust

Patron Frances and Wesley Butler Ellen, Emily and George Craig* Midge and Jerry Elliott* Judy and Jack Faris* Judith and Forrest Gager Janie and Tom Hall* Doctors Joanna and Norman Harris Becky and David Howard Lynchburg Restoration, Inc. Morris Orchard* Mrs. David Mudry Anne and Mitch Neff Mary Frances Olinger* Roselle Faulconer Scales* *indicates contribution to the roof fund Letha Seymour* J. Owen Stinnette* Pamela Webber Kim H. Woodford*

SPECIAL CONTRIBUTIONS (December 1, 2015 — March 15, 2016)

The Muse Winter 2016 Page 6

Friend Bruce Bowman Household* Beth and Dale Freeman Family* Betty and Richard Glass* Jane and Ted Hughes* Sandy Liebler*

Donor Geraldine and Marvin Hensley* Betty and William Hopkins Dr. Edward Hopkins* Lynn and Ned Kable Dianne Kinney William Kyle Steve and Kay Lambert* Joyce Lesich Nadine Picard* Stephen Rudacille Karen Sacasky* John Shimp* Susan and Robert Speers* Joseph Ware*

Welcome to all our New Members! Vickie Oblinger

Timothy W. Puckett Betty and Bob Wimer

In Loving Memory of

Shirley P. Snead

(Mother of Founding Museum Director Sherrie Snead McLeRoy) William and Sherrie McLeRoy Family Charitable Fund

Community Foundation of North Texas

The Muse Spring 2016 Page 7

PLEASE CONSIDER A DONATION TO THE MUSEUM

The Museum can accept donations online or by mail Online just click on the Donate button on our homepage

www.amherstcountymuseum.org

With your donation, we can Save our History! Create New Exhibits

Preserve the Collection of Amherst County History Add resource books to our Genealogy Library

Provide information and family histories Give guidance for researching genealogy

Host Exciting Programs and Events Design and implement programs and activities for school students Digitize old scrapbooks, glass plate negatives and archival materials

September 25— 2:30 p.m.

Amherst County Lives Through World War II by Florence and Holcomb Nixon

October 9 — 2:30 p.m. Cemetery Tour (TBA)

November 12, 5:30 p.m.

Evening on the Hill

November (TBA) Tobacco Barns

by Sandi Esposito

Special Contributions _____ Friend $25 to $49

_____ Donor $50 to $99

_____ Patron $100 to $499

_____ Sponsor $500 to $999

_____ Benefactor $1000 and up

If you would like your donation to be used for a certain purpose, please check one of the funds below.

Categories for Donations _____ Operating Fund _____ Programming Fund

_____ Education Fund _____ Collections Fund

_____ Endowment _____ Where Needed Most

_____Library-Technology Fund

Upcoming ACMHS Programs/Events (continued from page 4)

Amherst County Museum & Historical Society P. O. Box 741 Amherst, VA 24521 Address Service Requested Executive Board: Mrs. Bonnie Limbrick, President Mrs. Cynthia Hicks, Vice President Mrs. Ellen Craig, Assistant Secretary Mr. Grady Davis Mrs. Mary (Midge) Elliott Mrs. Judy Faris Mr. William M. McClenny III Mrs. Mary Frances Olinger, Emeritus Mrs. Kathryn Pixley, Emeritus Mrs. Leona (Lee) Wilkins, Emeritus Mrs. Octavia N. Starbuck, Director

NON-PROFIT ORG. BULK RATE

U.S. POSTAGE

PAID AMHERST, VA PERMIT NO. 24

Need a place for your family reunion, luncheon or other event?

The Museum’s Hamble Center

...is now available for your event! Conveniently situated in downtown Amherst, this building can be rented for special events. The Hamble Center has a kitchen, two restrooms, plenty of tables and chairs, heating and air conditioning, and convenient parking. If your family reunion is scheduled during the Museum’s public hours, the family historians can do some of their research in the same trip!

Call the Museum at (434) 946-9068 for more details.

MUSEUM HOURS: TUESDAY — FRIDAY: 10 A.M. TO 4 P.M.

SATURDAY — 10 A.M. TO 1 P.M. For your convenience, please call ahead: 434-946-9068

MUSEUM CLOSED:

May 28—30 July 1- 4

BE SURE TO LIKE US ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE