The Muse: June 2005From the PresidentJudy Faris again gave us her all for the home tour, you’re the best, Judy! We are happy to report that we have two new members on the board, Ed Hopkins and Betty Glass, neither of whom need any introduction. It’s quite possible that some in the county may have taught Ed at one time, and your children or your grandchildren may have been taught by Betty Glass. We feel very fortunate to have two such able persons to work with us for the betterment of the county in the years to come. At the same time we are so very sad to say good-bye to Evelyn Harvey. She worked with us long before she became a board member, an ever-faithful helper whenever called upon. Evelyn resigned about a year ago when she felt she could no longer give it her full support. That was Evelyn, always doing her best.-- Mary Frances Olinger, President June 4th - Super Sale Saturday - Meet us under the Big Tent!This is a special invitation for you, your family, your friends and your neighbors to join us for a truly unique event on the museum grounds. There will be something for everyone! WAMV Radio will be on hand for a live broadcast. Delicious home-made items may be purchased from our bake sale, and grilled hot dogs will be available for the hungry. The sweet sound of music will be furnished by The Dulcimores.
The silent auction will feature such items as gift certificates galore - a child’s rocking chair, framed artwork, china, plants and much more!
The live auction will be such fun, so pick up your identifying number and be ready to bid on such things as an antique gold pin, a vintage mirror, an oriental vase, a Marguerite Trotter painting and many other interesting items.
The lawn sale will feature gently-used treasures, antiques, art, toys, books, jewelry, and an array of yard sale goodies.
Remember this! You will be among the first to participate in this special fundraising event. Proceeds will be used to start a fund for a much-needed annex for the museum. Help preserve our heritage! Come one, come all!
It is not too late to volunteer to help with this sale or to donate goods. You may deliver donations through June 3rd. If you need transport for furniture or other large donations, please call Lynn Kable at 946-0116 Lawn Sale starts at 8:00 a.m. Silent Auction 8:00 until 10:45 a.m. 11:00 a.m. Live Auction Summertime Sprucing up! Be sure to visit the Museum this summer and bring guests! You will find new exhibits, beautiful grounds landscaped and tended by the Village Garden Club, and exterior brick restoration underway. Plan Ahead! Plans are being made for our General Membership Meeting in September - always a great day! A fall van tour is anticipated. Details will be in the August newsletter. Many Thanks to Many People!The Amherst County Museum & Historical Society’s Spring House Tour attracted visitors to a number of locations in the High Peak and Father Judge Road area on Saturday, April 30, 2005. James and Cynthia Hicks, Ed and Edna Tinsley, Everett and Eva Lee Shober, and Mary Jobe opened their lovely homes for the tour. Bethany Church members, under the direction of Yvonne Falls, prepared a delicious lunch for the tourists. Phyllis Hicks and Sue Ellis guided them through the Monacan Museum, Mission School and Saint Paul’s Mission Church. Judy Faris, chairman for the event, recruited sign posters, along with parking attendants and house captains for each home. House captains, in turn, scheduled docents. Helen Massie and the Village Garden Club, the Sarah Henry Garden Club, and The Flower Basket Florist made floral arrangements. Mary Frances Olinger, ACMHS Board President, was ticket chairman. More than one hundred volunteers worked to make the tour a success. Everyone involved deserves many thanks for participating in this pleasant experience in fund-raising. What’s new in the library:
Welcome to our new members!
What’s new in the galleries: On exhibit in the Singleton-Zinsser Gallery: Amherst Homes and Gardens, a display of garden party artifacts and home and garden activities, from party dresses to garden club annuals, fancy shoes and furniture. Vote for favorite flowers in the old voting booth from Coolwell!  Above: The Seminole Trail Garden Club drew its membership from the Madison Heights community. This handpainted fan shown below is decorated in an oriental floral design. Donated by Edna Stinson  News from Amherst - 1884 April’s newsletter noted the donation to Amherst County Museum & Historical Society from the Amherst DAR of an 1884 edition of a newspaper called The Amherst Democrat.. This rare document is from Volume 1 of the publication, dated September 19, 1884. It is the only copy known to have survived the passage of time. S.M. Garland was Editor. W.E. Middleton was Manager and Associate Editor. They endorsed Grover Cleveland, the nominee of the Democratic Party, as candidate for U.S. President in the coming national election. Local news stories mentioned the plight of a preacher whose train from Lynchburg broke down on the Sunday morning scheduled for his delivery of a sermon in Amherst. He came by horse and carriage, and arrived three hours late. Other church news concerned the Centennial Celebration for Mt. Tabor and Corner Stone Churches to be held at Mt. Tabor Church, and the opening of an Ice Cream Saloon in the town of Amherst by ladies of another church congregation. An advertisement by a Lynchburg book seller indicated some of the kinds of hobbies and sports enjoyed in 1884 in Amherst. His list of wares included books, plain and fancy stationery, baseballs, bats, Indian clubs, hammocks, croquet sets, oil paintings, engravings, albums, scrap books, gold pens, and fancy goods of all kinds. We hope to present similar artifacts and activities for your enjoyment at the Museum! Look for a story about women’s fashions in 1884 in a future issue of The Muse. Coming soon: Summer fun! Do you have some objects of summertime activities you would be willing to loan to the Museum for an exhibit of Summer Fun? Let us know...call 946-9068 if you can help! In the Giftshop: Amherst Men in Gray, by Robert J. Faught Do you have a copy? Do you have an ancestor who enlisted from Amherst, or a surrounding county, who wore a gray uniform between 1860-1865? If so, you will probably be able to locate him in Amherst Men in Gray. Discover his regiment and the battles in which he fought. This book has information about Amherst Companies and their parent regiments, including the 2nd Virginia Cavalry: the 19th, 49th, 50th, 51st, and the 58th Virginia infantry. It also covers the battles of Manassas, Chancellorsville, Antietam, Gettysburg and others. |