Moving Into the Future

The Historical Society celebrated the end of the 2013 season with its annual Christmas banquet, lovingly prepared by our Sue Lewis and her crew. The 2014 officers-elect were presented: President-Elect Bob Turner, Vice-President-Elect Donna Goldstein, Curator-Corresponding Secretary Elect Sue Lewis, Recording Secretary-Elect Elysa Turner, Historian Joicie McConnell Gilbreath, and Treasurer Cinda Bell.

Plans for 2014 are beginning to take shape with the member's January bean supper and our first program of the year featuring National Park Ranger Cody Faber. More on that later...We hope you'll consider joining us in 2014. Membership is $15 for an individual and $25 for a family and includes a copy of the Society's annual publication, The Key. Membership requests can be mailed to SSCHS, P. O. Box 523, Greenwood, AR 72936.

Pictured, Cody Faber, Park Ranger, Fort Smith Historic Site.

Ice 1, Tea 0

The ice won this go-round. Our winter tea, Christmas in the Cabin, had to be cancelled. It is such a lovely event and sets the stage for many great Christmas card photos. We will cuddle up in our quilts and contemplate last year's celebration.

Like Santa and His Reindeer, We're Up In the Air!

Preparations are underway for a festive Christmas in the Cabin, this coming Sunday, December 8, from 1-4 PM. We are keeping an eye on the weather as the ice accumulates and will make a determination on Saturday about the feasibility of this annual event. Please check our Facebook page www.facebook.com/OldJailMuseum for updates. Fingers crossed!

Learn How To Preserve Family Stories

"Remember-when stories are the stuff that hold families together. Told and retold around the dinner table or campfire–anywhere your family gathers–are the stories. Someone will invariably say, “Why doesn’t someone write these down for the next generation? Our children and grandchildren need to know the kind of people we are." - Marilyn Collins

If you, like most of us, have expressed these same sentiments, you'll enjoy Monday night's speaker, Marilyn Collins. Marilyn will share practical suggestions to get your family history-writing project out of the realm of "someday" and into "today." Marilyn says, " “My passion is to help others save their cherished stories before they are lost in time—personal memoirs, family stories, and local history. I make the organizing, researching, writing, and publishing practical and user-friendly through my Step-by-Step Writing Guides, online newsletter, blogs, and other helpful writing books.”

After her presentation to the Historical Society, she will sign copies of her practical, informative and interesting books.  Purchasers will receive a free copy of her book, "Write History Right."

 The South Sebastian County Historical Society is privileged to have Ms. Collins as a guest speaker. She is a highly sought-after conference speaker and workshop leader, teaching participants to write history and narratives for genealogical research or publication in periodicals. Collins is also an award-winning author who has published numerous books and more than 100 magazine and newspaper features. She is also active in various professional organizations and has held positions with the Washington National Cathedral Association, American Association of University Women, and served as Director of the Beaufort Historical Association in North Carolina. She was owner of Wilson/Collins Marketing Consultants in both the Washington, DC area and in North Carolina. Currently she is owner of CHS Publishing.

Please join us Monday, November 18, 7 PM at Farmer's Bank Community Room in Greenwood for an entertaining and educational evening with Marilyn Collins.  The Society wishes to give special recognition and thanks to the GuestHouse Inn for providing lodging for Ms. Collins during her visit.

This Thanksgiving make a plan to save the stories told round the table.

Marilyn Collins To Share Tips for Writing Your Family History

A celebrated author and storyteller will be the featured speaker at the November 18 meeting of the South Sebastian County Historical Society. Marilyn Collins, owner of CHS Publishing, will share tips for writing and preserving your family or personal history as a legacy for all generations.  She will sign copies of her popular books including:  You Can Write A Book About Your Family, Memoir Writing Guide, and The Art and Business of Writing Local or Regional History. Collins will sign copies of her books at the meeting. Purchasers will receive a bonus book, Write History Right.

Collins is a frequent conference speaker and workshop leader for groups interested in writing history, narrative stories for genealogy research, regional magazines/special interest magazines, marketing, as well as offering general encouraging tips for writers. Collins is an award-winning author of history books, how-to books/ebooks for writers, and over 100 magazine articles and newspaper features.­­­ Read more about Marilyn at www.chspublishing.com.

The November 18 meeting of the South Sebastian County Historical Society will convene at 7 PM at the Farmer’s Bank Community Room , 71 West Center Street, Greenwood. For more information, call 479-996-6357. 

 

Historical Interpreters Honor Jenny Lind Citizens

A sunny day brought a crowd estimated at over two hundred to the South Sebastian County Historical Society's Third Annual "Buried Treasure" event at Jenny Lind Cemetery Sunday afternoon. They were not disappointed. Seven costumed historical interpreters portrayed Jenny Lind residents and, in telling their life stories, shed light on daily life in the community over the years.

Those honored included:

John Keller, Blacksmith (Portrayed by retired principle Bob Turner)
Mary Jane "Polly" Yadon Condren, Civil War Patriot (Portrayed by principle Tanya Smith)
Forest Gibbs, Miner (Portrayed by author and coal mine expert John Dill)
Henrie Bernie, Undertaker (Portrayed by Greenwood Parks Director Doug Kinslow)
Jessie Gibbs, Postmistress (Portrayed by Jenny Lind newspaper columnist and author Mary Ann Gamble)
Thelma Hendrix, Mother of patriots and community servants Dodson, B. G., Jerry and Pink Cornelius (Portrayed by State Rep. Charlotte Douglas)
Marjorie "Margie" Simon Smith, Columnist and Jenny Lind Historian (Portrayed by granddaughter Heather Kovanovic)

For additional photos, please visit the Historical Society's Facebook page (www.facebook/OldJailMuseum) and a site belonging to the Condren family (http://condrenrails.com/family/Jenny-Lind-Cemetery/Jenny-Lind-Cemetery.htm)

 Charlotte Douglas portrays Thelma Hendrix.

 Heather Kovarovic portrays her grandmother, Marjorie Simon Smith.

 Costumed volunteers assisted visitors to the adjacent Community Building.

Tanya Smith and Bob Turner chat with Mike Condren, descendant of Mary Jane Yadon Condren.

Geocachers to Visit Coal Miner's Memorial

Geocaching is a world wide scavenger hunt. Geocachers Sue and Ken Hayes of Russellville have made Greenwood's Coal Miner's Memorial part of the fun.

They have developed an Earthcache, an educational cache that teaches the visitors about the geology of the area, at the Coal Miner's Memorial. Cachers will look at a website, stop and look at the plaques, coal car, and granite memorial walls while answering some questions, which they email to the owners of the cache, to help them understand the geology of the state and region. The Geocache page teaches the cachers how and when coal was mined in the county, the fact that coal is a organic sedimentary rock while the granite walls are igneous rock, what coal is used for in industry, how coal develops, and more.

Visit the geocaching page at www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC4NYND_coal-mining-in-arkansas
to learn more.