Hooked on History

Genealogy Research & Workshop Day, January 21 at Clayton State

2012-01-10T17:25:00.002-05:00

The Clayton State Genealogy Group will have a research and workshop day on Saturday, Jan. 21.

All interested parties are invited to join the group from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in room L200 of the Clayton State University Library. (Please enter the Library through the courtyard.) There will be several speakers and plenty of research time.

The workshop is free. Participants should bring their own lunch or a dish to share at the potluck lunch. Vending machines will also be available. There will also be door prizes.

Participants are urged to bring their laptops, or paper files, or anything that needs to be scanned. Experienced genealogy enthusiasts will also be present to help research and organization, and the Ancestry Library edition will be free to use.

“We will be discussing family group sheets, pedigree charts and how to use citations,” says Clayton State Archivist Rosemary Fischer. “We will learn what you should bring when you are researching away from home and new ideas on how to collect information at a family reunion. Learn organizing tips for your paper and digital files and photographs, plus creative ideas on sharing family history.”

Learn more at http://ourgenealogygroup.blogspot.com.

For questions and to RSVP, contact Angela Pendleton at ourgenalogygroup@gmail.com, or call (678) 386-3490, or call Fischer at (678) 466-4333.

A unit of the University System of Georgia, Clayton State University is an outstanding comprehensive metropolitan university located 15 miles southeast of downtown Atlanta.

Augusta 2011: A Year of Milestones

2011-05-20T09:07:00.000-04:00

/PRNewswire/ - History, golf, Southern hospitality, and James Brown are center stage in 2011 - a year of milestones for Augusta, GA with the 75th Masters Tournament, the Civil War Sesquicentennial, the fifth anniversary of James Brown's passing, and the 150th anniversary of the historic Summerville neighborhood. www.augustaga.org

Although the Masters Tournament celebrated its 75th tournament in April, visitors to the city can continue to experience the golf connection. At the Augusta Museum of History, "Celebrating a Grand Tradition, the Sport of Golf," explores how golf has evolved over the centuries and features memorabilia and famous personalities www.augustamuseum.org Golfers who want to walk in the legends' footsteps can play on affordable courses - Forest Hills Golf Club, The Club at Jones Creek and The River Course.

2011 begins the nation's commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War and many of Augusta's landmarks have close ties to the era. The Confederate Powderworks Chimney, the last remaining piece of the only factory built by the Confederate Army, is a part of The Augusta Canal National Heritage Area which offers guided tours on replica Petersburg boats. www.augustacanal.com The Augusta Museum of History also features Civil War relics such as the CSA Second National Flag and a 12-pound bronze Napoleon Cannon tube manufactured at the Augusta foundry. The Boyhood Home of Woodrow Wilson focuses on the life of the 28th President, who witnessed the destruction that war caused as his father's church across the street was turned into a hospital. Today, the national historic landmark and museum offers a glimpse of Wilson's life during that time. www.wilsonboyhoodhome.org

James Brown called Augusta his home and his presence is still felt. A one-of-a-kind exhibit at the Augusta Museum of History features rare memorabilia and personal artifacts that vividly tell the story of The Godfather of Soul's life. Also, standing in downtown Augusta is a life-size bronze of Brown where visitors can take photos.

Celebrating its150th year, the Summerville neighborhood features Augusta's most architecturally distinctive homes. Every October, the neighborhood opens its homes with the annual Tour of Homes. A tour stop includes The Partridge Inn, which celebrated a centennial in 2010.

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Remembering Allegheny County Area World War I Veterans

2011-05-16T12:53:00.000-04:00

During the last year, a group of 46 volunteers has been reading the old Pittsburgh area newspapers in search of deaths, marriages, divorces and photographs. This group has indexed over 73,000 death entries which can be found on the PA USGenWeb Archives pages.

Last December, one of the faithful volunteers contacted the coordinator to see if there would be interest in setting up a new index specifically for those Allegheny County area men and women who served America in World War I.

The index posed was readily accepted by coordinator Ann S Eldredge. So volunteer, Lynn Beatty who had grown up in Allegheny County and left the area some 30 years ago, spent five months indexing the World War I veterans. This military index includes the names found in the 1918-1919 Pittsburgh newspapers, the letters, the stories, the deaths and the celebrations of coming home.

When asked why she wanted to do this index, Beatty said, "When I saw some of the articles were personal about western Pennsylvanians, I knew somebody had to make a record of those. It just snowballed! This is the part of genealogy I like best - the stories about real people - like the soldier whose family was being evicted while he was a POW."

Coordinator Eldredge smiles as she recalls the thrill she felt when her grandfather's name was found. "HIs service records had been lost in the fire," she said. "All I had was his Company and his Infantry unit. Those I found on his headstone. I had researched the history of his unit and was surprised to see the 11th Infantry had seen 43 days of combat with 386 casualties. Of these, 348 were wounded in action, including my grandfather."

"Lynn's dedication to the project brought some joy to me as I found when my grandpa returned to the United States, and more specifically, to Pittsburgh. Now, I can identify the location and approximate date of the picture I have of him sitting in front of the US General Hospital #24 in Parkview Station with his future bride."

The Military Index now contains 85733 entries, and can be seen at Norm Meinert's Allegheny River Family Archives, http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~njm1/index.html
or on the PA USGenWebArchives, http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/allegheny/death-index.htm .

The Military Index can be searched to locate the veteran's name,type of article, unit of service, newspaper name, date and page. With this information, the Allegheny River Family Archives can be utilized to go to the actual date the information appears.

Eldredge said, "It's just a wonderful gift of love Lynn has given to the genealogy community that has its heart in Pittsburgh. This genealogy group is just so giving- of themselves and their time in an unending quest to help others."

Ann S Eldredge

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Battle Rages in Georgia as History Goes Live

2011-05-11T11:16:00.000-04:00

/PRNewswire/ -- Guns will fire, horses will charge, flags will wave, and men will "die" on May 20 – 22 as fighting ensues in a dramatic reenactment of the 1864 Battle of Resaca in Gordon County, GA. Authentically clad soldiers will converge on the original conflict site to commemorate the 147th anniversary of a turning point in the Civil War, the first major battle in General William Sherman's March to the Sea and the eventual burning of Atlanta. The reenactment is one of few to occur on an original battle site. The public is invited to witness history recreated.

The Battle of Resaca Reenactment will occur on the 480-acre Chitwood Farm, which was recently protected as part of the full 650-acre battlefield site. In 2008, when owners of the site had financial difficulties, The Trust for Public Land bought the land. Two months ago, TPL sold to Gordon County an easement, which forever protects the land from development.

There was fierce fighting at the original Battle of Resaca, including the awarding of two Medals of Honor for capturing Confederate guns.

Primary scenes from the original battle will be recreated when the bugler sounds the charge at 2 p.m. each day. Other battle-related activities will take place during the three-day commemoration. Visit http://www.georgiadivision.org/bor_reenactment.html for directions and more information.

TPL's conservation of the Chitwood Farm in time for the 150th Civil War anniversary in 2014, allows for continuation of plans that will include educational activities for area students, Civil War tours about Sherman's March on Atlanta, and the annual Resaca Battle Reenactment.

The Trust for Public Land is a non-profit organization and depends on the support and generosity of individuals, foundations, and businesses to achieve their land for people mission. For more information, visit www.tpl.org.

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Touch the Moon at NASA's Exhibit in Atlanta and Carrollton, GA

2011-05-03T14:29:00.000-04:00

/PRNewswire/ -- Georgians have the rare chance to touch a nearly 4-billion-year-old piece of moon rock at NASA's Driven to Explore traveling exhibit, a mobile, multi-media experience that immerses visitors in the story of NASA.

The exhibit will be at the Fernbank Science Center in Atlanta on Thursday, May 5, and Friday, May 6, noon to 10 p.m. EDT. It also will be at the Mayfest Arts and Crafts Festival in Carrollton, Ga. on Saturday, May 7, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The centerpiece of Driven to Explore is the opportunity to touch a lunar rock sample brought to Earth by the astronauts of Apollo 17 in 1972, America's last human mission to the moon. The rock is one of only eight lunar samples made available for the public to touch.

Driven to Explore allows visitors to learn why we explore, discover the challenges of human space exploration and how NASA provides critical technological advances to improve life on Earth. The exhibit also details the accomplishments of the space shuttle and the International Space Station.

As the space shuttle approaches retirement, NASA is investing in the building blocks of a more capable approach to space exploration, including research and development to increase space travel capabilities. In support of these efforts, NASA is performing field tests, designing surface systems and conducting advanced human research to ensure that future missions are safe, sustainable and affordable.

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Sen. Albers to Participate in a March to Remember the Holocaust

2011-04-28T14:03:00.000-04:00

State Sen. John Albers (R-Roswell) will participate in the “March of Remembrance” this Sunday, May 1 at Stone Mountain Park to remember the Holocaust. The prayer walk is being organized by the Atlanta Messianic Congregation Beth Adonai. Sen. Albers has been asked to serve as a guest speaker where he will join other lawmakers and honorable guests.

“I’m honored to walk with the members of my community to honor those who suffered this tragic event in our history,” said Albers. “It’s important that we never forget that oppression can lead to such cruelty. These community events are a way to lift our voices as one against such hatred and teach future generations the lessons learned from the Holocaust.”

The two mile march will begin at 10:00 a.m. at Stone Mountain Park, and is open to the public. To register, please visit www.bethadonai.com.

This year marks the sixth annual March of Remembrance that began in Germany in 2006. In just a year, the prayer marches had spread to Washington, D.C., the Ukraine and cities throughout the U.S. For more information on these historic marches, or for a list of marches taking place all over the world on May 1, visit www.MarchofRememberance.org.

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Fayette County Historical Society Now on Facebook

2011-04-11T12:19:00.000-04:00

What a great way to keep up with the Fayette County Historical Society. The Society has just joined Facebook. So log on, and learn more about the history our county has lived.

Note: Be sure to use Fayette Co Historical Society while searching for the society.

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Gallery Seeks WW II Era Artifacts for New Exhibit

2011-04-11T12:13:00.000-04:00

A German officer’s ceremonial sword, passports of an Auschwitz survivor, a copy of Hitler’s Mein Kampf, and a rare B-17 bombsight are the first four artifacts that have been donated to the Israel Arbeiter Gallery of Understanding at the South Area Solomon Schechter Day School in Norwood (Mass.).

This past year supporters of the Gallery launched a campaign to collect and preserve memorabilia from the pre-war through post-World War II era, mainly between 1933-1948 – from the rise of the Nazis to the founding of the modern State of Israel.

“World War II era books, letters, photos and other artifacts are in danger of being lost, thrown out, or sold,” says Gallery Co-Chair Dr. Gila Kriegel. “We hope to create an exhibit that tells the story of that period to students and other visitors in a tangible, dramatic way. We want to ensure that artifacts are permanently preserved so they continue to bear witness to the Holocaust.” The second Gallery co-chair is Irv Kempner. Both are children of Holocaust survivors.

Each artifact has an interesting background of how it found its way to the Gallery, and an exhibit card tells each story.

Dr. Kriegel says, “Many Holocaust survivors, World War II veterans, collectors, historians, their families and others may possess historically important, unique and interesting Holocaust-era artifacts. Here’s a way to preserve rare items and use them for educational purposes for generations to come.”

The focal point of the Gallery is a series of large panels tracing 86 year-old Izzy Arbeiter’s life from pre-war Poland through emigration and building a new life in America. Asked about the mission of the Gallery, he said, “To teach children not to hate.” He said, “We can't ignore people with crazy ideas. They must be stopped before they gain strength." Dedicated three years ago, the Gallery is a meeting place for people of all ages and backgrounds to learn about prejudice and ways to build bridges.
Also on display in the Gallery is artwork on interfaith understanding by Jewish and Catholic children and a display about Raoul Wallenberg, Swedish diplomat credited with saving some 10,000 people from the Nazis, who received (posthumously) the Gallery’s second annual ‘Righteous Among Nations’ Award. Among visitors to the Gallery have been Cardinal Sean O’Malley, Peter Yarrow, Alan Dershowitz, and Loren Galler Rabinowitz, Miss Massachusetts 2010 and granddaughter of Holocaust survivors.

To be accepted, donated items must meet parameters related to historical value, educational aspects, appropriateness for a K – 8 school, etc. Monetary value is not important. Donors could receive a tax deduction in accordance with IRS regulations, and a plaque describes the object’s importance and gives credit to the donors.

Anyone interested in donating papers, photographs or artifacts may contact Stan Hurwitz: 508-269-0570 / stanhurw@comcast.net, or sgoodwin@sassds.org or call 781-769-9400. The Gallery committee is also raising funds to make the exhibit more interactive, to develop an educational curriculum, and to produce a video featuring its namesake. Donations are tax-deductible in accordance with IRS regulations.

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Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation Presents 23 Statewide Preservation Awards at Ceremony in Macon

2011-04-08T10:07:00.000-04:00

/PRNewswire/ -- The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation presented 23 awards recognizing the best of preservation in Georgia during its 34th annual Preservation Awards ceremony in Macon on April 1.

The Hardman Farm in Sautee, Ga. received the Marguerite Williams Award, presented annually to the project that has had the greatest impact on preservation in the state. The Italianate style house also received an award in the Excellence in Restoration category.

Owned by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the Hardman House is a great example of how preservation and sustainability can work hand in hand for both cultural and environmental conservation. The Garbutt Construction Company carried out a gentle renewal of the Hardman House with the goal of achieving LEED gold certification. With the completion of the restoration, the farm will be open to the public as a Georgia State Historic Site.

The Trust also presented five awards for Excellence in Restoration, nine awards for Excellence in Rehabilitation, three awards for Stewardship, and two for Preservation Service.

The Trust also presented the Camille W. Yow Volunteer of the Year Award to Bonnie Dowling of Macon. The Mary Gregory Jewett Award for Lifetime Preservation Service was given to Jane Symmes. The Piedmont Park Conservancy received the Chairman's Award, which recognizes extraordinary contributions made to the field of preservation, for its preservation of Greystone. The Excellence in Restoration winners were: the Coweta County Courthouse, Newnan; Hardman Farm, Helen; Old Fort Jackson, Savannah; Hills and Dales, LaGrange; and Freeman's Mill, Lawrenceville.

Excellence in Rehabilitation winners were: Campus Theatre and Bookstore, Milledgeville; Clarence Thomas Center for Historic Preservation, Savannah; E.M. Rogers House, Adel; New College at the University of Georgia, Athens; Hallock Cottage, Augusta; Plaza Arts Center, Eatonton; Pulaski County Board of Education, Hawkinsville; the Rock Building, Chatsworth; and the Wynne-Claughton Building (Carnegie Building), Atlanta.

Three awards were given to recognize Stewardship in the field of historic preservation. The winners were: Friends of the Vann House in Chatsworth for their preservation and support of the Vann House, the Shields Etheridge Farm in Jefferson for their new self-guided interpretive program, and the Stumbo Residence in Fort Valley for an addition to a neoclassical style home which left the historic integrity of the existing house intact.

Two awards for Preservation Service were presented. Jim Lockhart was recognized for his lifelong dedication to photographing the buildings and structures throughout Georgia listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Madison Morgan Conservancy's successful efforts to protect over 1,000 sites through conservation easements also received recognition.

"This year's winners represent a tremendous dedication to restoring and revitalizing Georgia's historic buildings and communities," said Mark C. McDonald, president of The Georgia Trust. "We are proud to honor such deserving projects and individuals."

For more than 30 years, the Trust has recognized preservation projects and individuals in the state who have made significant contributions to the field of historic preservation. Awards are presented on the basis of the contributions of the person or project to the community and/or state and on compliance to the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.

Founded in 1973, The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation is one of the country's largest statewide, nonprofit preservation organizations. The Trust is committed to preserving and enhancing Georgia's communities and their diverse historic resources for the education and enjoyment of all.

The Trust generates community revitalization by finding buyers for endangered properties acquired by its Revolving Fund and raises awareness of other endangered historic resources through an annual listing of Georgia's "10 Places in Peril." The Trust helps revitalize downtowns by providing design and technical assistance in 102 Georgia Main Street cities; trains Georgia's teachers in 63 Georgia school systems to engage students in discovering state and national history through their local historic resources; and advocates for funding, tax incentives and other laws aiding preservation efforts.

To learn more about The Georgia Trust and the Preservation Awards, visit www.georgiatrust.org.

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National Infantry Museum to Host Gulf War 20th Anniversary National Tribute May 26 to Honor Service Members Who Lost Lives in Decisive Military Action

2011-03-25T19:43:00.000-04:00

/PRNewswire/ -- The National Infantry Museum located outside Fort Benning in Columbus, GA, will host a Gulf War Twentieth Anniversary National Tribute to the men and women killed in service during the Gulf War, on Thursday, May 26, leading off Memorial Day Weekend, from 9-11 a.m. The event will feature laying commemorative granite paved stones to each of the dead during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm and will include participation by the top service commanders from the conflict. Families and unit members will attend and thousands are expected.

"We won rapidly in the Gulf War, but more than 400 men and women gave their lives," says Col. Greg Camp (Ret), Executive Vice President of the National Infantry Foundation. Infantry Foundation Chairman Lieutenant General Carmen Cavezza added, "This event is a long overdue national tribute to the sacrifices our military heroes made to enable a clear victory by the United States and coalition forces. This will be the first official recognition of all Gulf War men and women who died in service."

The National Infantry Museum and Foundation is seeking information from families and unit members of the 408 service members killed in the Gulf War to include at the event. All are invited to come. Persons with information or photos of the 408 are asked to send them to Cyndy Cerbin at ccerbin@nationalinfantryfoundation.org or contact her. "We want families and friends to feel that this is home for recognition of their heroes," said Ben Williams, Executive Director of National Infantry Foundation.

The event's emcee will be retired Four-Star General Barry R. McCaffrey, a division commander in the Gulf War. The top Air Force and Navy commanders in the Gulf War have already indicated participation; Gen. Charles Horner (Ret), and Admiral Stanley Arthur (Ret), as well as LtGen. William M. Keys, USMC (Ret.), who commanded the 2nd Marine Division in the Gulf War. Other leaders from all branches are expected. In addition to the stone pavers and speeches, a military honor guard will march. Taps will be played following the unveiling of the stones and the raising of a new, special, dedicated flag for the Gulf War.

McCaffrey stated, "The Gulf War was a decisive military action. Anyone who comes to the Infantry Museum and sees the powerful exhibits from all of America's wars will understand how appropriate it is that the Gulf War commemoration be hosted here. As a participant in the Gulf War, I am proud that America is giving recognition to those who served and died for their country."

In addition to the May 26 main events, media are invited to a reception with VIP's the night before (time TBD) at the National Infantry Museum and will have the opportunity for advance one-on-one interviews.

In partnership with the Army and the Maneuver Center of Excellence, the Gulf War ceremony will be a special event included at the conclusion of the graduation of a company of new Infantry School soldiers, a powerful message of continuity for the graduates.

For planning purposes, Columbus' airport is served by Delta and American Airlines, or media may wish to fly to Atlanta and rent a car or take a shuttle to Columbus, which has many hotels. Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International airport (ATL) is approximately an hour drive from the National Infantry Museum, and Columbus Airport (CSG) is a twenty minute drive.

The National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center at Patriot Park, a 200-acre tract linking Columbus, Georgia, and Fort Benning, the Home of the Infantry , is the first world-class site to pay tribute to the U.S. Army Infantryman and those who fight alongside him. As the only interactive Army Museum in the United States, the museum showcases the contributions of the Infantry Soldier in every war fought by the U.S. by offering immersive participation and engaging visitors in the unique experiences of the Infantry Soldier. The complex also includes a parade field, memorial walk of honor, authentic World War II Company Street and 3-D IMAX® Theatre. For more information, visit www.nationalinfantrymuseum.com .

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Georgia State Archives Threatened with Closure

2011-03-16T15:45:00.000-04:00

Editor Note: Oh my! So many genealogists and lovers of history visit the Georgia Archives each day to further their research. Please let your legislative representative hear from you about keeping the doors open.

The following article is from Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter and is copyright by Richard W. Eastman. It is re-published here with the permission of the author. Information about the newsletter is available at http://www.eogn.com.

The following is an open letter from the Friends of the Georgia Archives and History Chair, Virginia Shadron, concerning legislation currently being debated in the Georgia Legislature. Please forward this to anyone you think would be interested in supporting the Archives.

The Fiscal Year 2012 budget that passed the Georgia House of Representatives on March 11 as HB 78 includes budget reductions that could result in the State Archives closing its doors to the public.

The budget contains two items that together would reduce the Archives’ budget by at least $300,000.

The Archives’ base budget, after preceding budget cuts, is $4,643,588. Over 65% of that goes to pay fixed costs (such as rent) that cannot be reduced. The current bill proposes an additional cut in “personal services and … savings from reduced hours …” in the amount of $260,458. The second way in which the Archives’ budget is eroded is that the House budget does not fund the annual increase in the Archives’ rent, an amount of more than $40,000 for FY12.

Altogether, the additional cuts to personal services and the failure to fund the rent increase means that the Archives’ sustains a critical $300,000 in cuts. You might wonder, “What is the fuss about?” That shortfall can come from one place only—and that is staff.

Without intervention the Archives will almost certainly be forced to close its doors to the public, reduce scanning operations and preservation activities, and eliminate most transfers of records from state agencies—the records that protect Georgia financially and legally.

The House version of the budget now goes to the Senate for adjustment and passage. Call and write your state senator immediately and ask that a minimum of $300,000 be restored to the Archives budget! Go to http://www.legis.ga.gov and click on "Find Your Legislator" to find your senator.

- Virginia Shadron

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Dali Exhibit at Hillel Center Commemorates Jewish History

2011-03-15T09:20:00.000-04:00

A set of limited-edition lithographs by Spanish realist Salvador Dali will be exhibited at the Marcus Hillel Center at Emory University from its March 17 opening through June.

Entitled “Aliyah: The Rebirth of Israel,” the little-known suite portraying the epic history of the Jewish diaspora and the return to the homeland was a gift to Emory professor David Blumenthal from his wife, Ursula, commemorating their first date.

On that date in 1965, the couple went to see an exhibit of Dali’s paintings at the Huntington Hartford Museum in New York.   Blumenthal, the Jay and Leslie Cohen Professor of Judaic Studies in Emory’s Department of Religion, also curated the “Aliyah” exhibit.   

The original “Aliyah” works took two years for Dali to complete, and were commissioned by Shorewood Publishers, a New York firm noted for art publications.

After its grand opening at the Huntington Hartford Museum’s Gallery of Modern Art in New York on April 1, 1968, 250 sets of 25 lithographs each were produced and then the stones were destroyed, ensuring that there would be no more reprints; the Blumenthal’s (No. 150) is the only known set in Atlanta.

For the Hillel exhibit, Blumenthal has organized the lithographs—all of which are signed and many of them dated—historically and thematically. A favorite section is the four iconic images of exile and hope: “A Voice is heard in Ramah,” “The Wailing Wall,” “For it is thy life and the length of thy days” and “Return, O virgin of Israel.”  

“The Hebrew word ‘aliyah’ means ‘ascent.’ In later Hebrew, it was broadened to mean ‘to ascend to the land of Israel,’ ” says David Blumenthal. “After centuries of oppression in the exile, ‘aliyah’ is a commitment to the rebirth of the Jewish people, to the renaissance of the Jewish spirit, in its own space.”

The set of 25 colored prints was kept in its original box and stored safely under the couple’s piano for nearly 30 years, until Ursula Blumenthal had the idea of displaying the series in honor of Emory’s new Marcus Hillel Center, which opened last September.

“I am so glad it’s here where it can be seen and appreciated,” she says.

The exhibit is sponsored in part by the Consulate General of Israel to the Southeast, Emory University Office of the President, the Emory Center for Creativity and the Arts’ David Goldwasser Series in Religion and the Arts, the Blonder Family Foundation, Shirley Blaine, the Cohen Chair of Judaic Studies, and the Tam Institute of Jewish Studies.

An audio tour, narrated by Blumenthal, is available for free download via iTunes U on iPod Touch or iPhone. Visitors can check out iPods at the Marcus Hillel Center reception desk.

For more information visit Hillel at Emory.

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With Only $12 Million to Goal, National Center for Civil and Human Rights to Break Ground in Fall

2011-03-08T10:07:00.000-05:00

/PRNewswire/ -- The National Center for Civil and Human Rights (Center) today announced that its capital campaign has raised more than $73 million to date, including a new $1 million grant from The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation. Officials confirmed the Center is on track to raise the remaining $12 million to construct and open the debt-free Center and will break ground this fall.

"The Center held firmly to its guiding principles and will deliver a majority self-sustaining facility and world-class experience for all to enjoy," said Doug Shipman, CEO of the Center. "We are thankful for the support of local and national funders who see the importance of a human rights institution. Thanks to their contributions, the Center is on track to complete its fund raising within six years compared to the 13-year average to build a cultural institution. Partners like the Blank Foundation help fuel momentum to bring us closer to groundbreaking, inspiring individuals and corporate citizens to make similar commitments."

The goal to break ground is $85 million. The Center will now prepare to launch the public capital campaign this spring and establish an annual fund after groundbreaking.

Established in 1995 and based in Atlanta, The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation joins prominent philanthropic and corporate partners of the Center, including The Coca-Cola Company, Delta Air Lines, The Home Depot Foundation, Newell Rubbermaid, Turner Broadcasting System Inc. and The UPS Foundation.

"The National Center for Civil and Human Rights' efforts to foster interactive discussions on global human rights issues have never been more needed," said Penelope McPhee, president of The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation. "Atlanta's history positions it perfectly to serve as the future home of the Center and play this role worldwide. We are proud to help bring the project closer to reality."

THE BUILDING

The Center unveiled today the construction-ready design, which makes the design competition-winning plans workable on the site at Pemberton Place. The Freelon Group of Research Triangle, N.C. and partner HOK of Atlanta worked closely with Center leadership, exhibit designer Gallagher & Associates and project manager Cousins Properties/Gude Management Group to finalize the facility's design. The state-of-the-art, LEED certified building will take 24 months to construct and is slated to open in 2013 in Downtown Atlanta adjacent to Centennial Olympic Park, The New World of Coca-Cola and the Georgia Aquarium.

EXHIBITIONS

The Center has named Jill Savitt human rights exhibition coordinator. A renowned human rights advocate with extensive expertise in genocide prevention, Savitt currently serves as a special advisor for the U.S. Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. Savitt will help establish interactivity and relevance between the historical and contemporary human rights issues presented through the Center's educational exhibitions. She joins chief creative officer George C. Wolfe on the exhibition team working to bring civil and human rights to life in the displays and interactive installations.

The Center will feature permanent and rotating collections, timely exhibitions and interactive education opportunities to engage visitors in the historical and current struggles people across the world experience in securing and expressing their rights.

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National Archives at Atlanta Presents Day-Long Civil War Program April 16, 2011

2011-02-25T10:00:00.000-05:00

/PRNewswire/ -- The National Archives at Atlanta will present The Civil War: America's Long Struggle on April 16, 2011, at its Morrow, GA, facility, located at 5780 Jonesboro Road. The program, which costs $20.00, including lunch, is open to the public, pre-registration required.

This day-long program commemorating the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War, features lectures from leading Civil War scholars and archivists, an exhibition of original 19th century newspapers chronicling the African-American experience, and an opportunity for attendees to learn more about their own Civil War heirlooms.

"The symposium will attract Civil War historians, as well as members of the general public whose lives were forever impacted by this great conflict," said Jim McSweeney, Regional Administrator, National Archives at Atlanta.

"It's one thing to hear about the Civil War in a lecture or read about it in books. It's another to dig through your attic and find your family's place in the greater narrative."

Speakers include:

* David S. Ferriero, Archivist of the United States
* Trevor Plante, National Archives, Washington, D.C.
* Shane Bell, National Archives at Atlanta
* Daniel Stowell, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
* Eric Leonard, Andersonville National Historic Site
* Kenneth Noe, author of Reluctant Rebels and Auburn University professor

Slavery and Freedom in Black and White: The African American Experience in 19th Century Newspapers, an exhibition of original newspapers, features articles on African American history, including editions of Harper's Weekly, The Globe, The Liberator, and Savannah Daily Herald, drawn from the private collection of Christine Mitchell. The exhibit will remain on display through September 2011.

One hundred registrants will have the opportunity to display their Civil War artifacts and heirlooms and learn more about the significance of the objects from experts in an afternoon program entitled "Civil War Treasures in Your Nation's Attic." Georgia Public Broadcasting will film some of these objects for a program by the same name to air on a future date. This portion of the program is sponsored by the Foundation for the National Archives, Scott Antique Markets, the National Archives at Atlanta, and Georgia Public Broadcasting. Objects must be pre-approved. See the registration form for more details.

Registration begins today and is $20 per person, which includes a catered lunch. For more program information and to register, go to www.archives.gov/southeast.

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Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation Annual Meeting & Ramble, Georgia Statewide Preservation Conference Set for Macon, March 31-April 3

2011-02-23T14:12:00.000-05:00

/PRNewswire/ -- The rich historic culture of Macon, Ga., the city known as the "song and soul of the South," will be showcased during the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation's Annual Meeting & Spring Ramble and the Georgia Statewide Preservation Conference March 31 – April 3.

For four days, Trust members, guests, preservation professionals and others interested in saving and preserving Georgia's historic places will tour more than 20 historic sites and private homes in the area, attend preservation seminars, and recognize top projects throughout the state with awards of excellence for preservation.

The Georgia Statewide Preservation Conference, the first segment of the event, will be held March 31-April 1. The keynote address will be delivered at Thursday morning's opening plenary session by Donovan Rypkema, who is recognized nationally as a leading expert in the economics of preserving historic structures. Mr. Rypkema will share the results of a recently completed study on the economic benefits of preservation in Georgia. The session starts at 11 a.m. in the Douglass Theatre.

Friday evening, guests will attend the 34th Annual Preservation Awards ceremony, which salutes projects and individuals for exceptional work in the fields of restoration, rehabilitation and preservation throughout the state. The awards ceremony is scheduled to begin at 6:00 p.m. at the Douglass Theatre, a historic theater that hosted musical legends such as Ma Rainey, Cab Calloway and Duke Ellington. Following the ceremony, guests will dine inside the grand ballroom at the beautifully restored Armory Ballroom.

The Georgia Trust will hold its Annual Meeting on Saturday, April 2, at 10 a.m. at Mulberry Street United Methodist Church. Meeting attendees will hear an update on the "State of Preservation in Georgia" from Mark C. McDonald, president and CEO of The Georgia Trust.

One of the most highly anticipated components of the weekend is the "Spring Ramble," an exciting way for guests to tour Macon's historic architectural treasures and meet others interested in preservation. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, guests will have the opportunity to tour more than 20 historic private residences and other historic sites, including the rarely seen Villa Albacini, an exquisite 1922 house modeled after the Baroque Chapel of the Villa Arvedi in Italy, which hasn't been open to the public for over 25 years.

As the former home to Southern Rock pioneers, the Allman Brothers, the Ramble will also feature special tours of the Big House Museum, where members of the band lived early in their career; Capricorn Recording Studio, where the band recorded hit records; and Rose Hill Cemetery, the final resting place of two of its members.

The weekend ends with a Sunday brunch at the Woodruff House, a beautifully restored Greek Revival house donated to Mercer University by George Woodruff, brother of former Coca-Cola president Robert Woodruff. Guests will also enjoy a special behind-the-scenes tour of Hay House, a property of The Georgia Trust, featuring all seven levels of the mansion, including its spring house and newly restored dining room.

The Georgia Trust's Annual Meeting and Spring Ramble is made possible by generous support from the Knight Fund for Macon of the Community Foundation of Central Georgia. Co-hosts are Hay House and Historic Macon Foundation. Other partners include the Bibb County Board of Commissioners, City of Macon, College Hill Corridor, Douglass Theatre, Georgia Department of Economic Development, Georgia Humanities Council, Macon Bibb County CVB, Mercer University, NewTown Macon, Ocmulgee National Monument, Wesleyan College and Walter Elliott at www.walterelliott.com.

Many registration options are available, ranging in prices from $40 to $250. Guests under 40 can enjoy a discounted rate of $100 for the Annual Meeting, Ramble and all scheduled meals. For more information on the Trust's Annual Meeting & Spring Ramble and the Georgia Statewide Preservation Conference or to register, visit www.GeorgiaTrust.org or call (404) 885-7812.

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Fayette Historical Society Hosts Fundraiser for Holliday-Dorsey-Fife House Museum

2011-02-20T18:36:00.000-05:00

The Holliday-Dorsey-Fife House Museum in conjunction with the Fayette Co. Historical Society will present a special fund raising event for the Fayette Co. Museum on March 12. 2011.

Herb Bridges, an authority on Gone With the Wind collectibles, will be speaking on Gone with the Wind, specifically on Margaret Mitchell and how she came to write the famous novel. Herb is the largest collector of GWTW memorabilia around.

He has written several books, and will do appraisals on any editions of GWTW by audience (limit one per person) after his talk.

The price for the event, located at the Fayetteville Main Street building (the DEPOT) and follow up at the Museum, will be $5.00. The time will be from 11:AM to 12:15.

Also at the museum we will be having the "Celtic Ties" musical group to entertain from 1:00 to 3:00 p. m. Scott Gilbert will be there (dressed as an Irish Confederate) to share with anyone some Irish /Confederate history. The $5.00 admission is good for both events.

This will be an interesting and worth while event in support of our Museum.

(rec'd from Fayette County Historical Society - www.Fayettehistoricalsociety.com)

GM Offers Sneak Peek at Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial

2011-02-16T09:15:00.000-05:00

/PRNewswire/ -- General Motors is providing an advance look at the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial, which will be dedicated on Aug. 28 on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

As major contributors to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Foundation, the General Motors Foundation, GM and Chevrolet received one of only two replicas of the Memorial. GM is donating its replica to the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History for its ongoing effort to provide learning opportunities, exhibitions and programs that explore the diverse history and culture of African Americans.

"As the world's largest museum dedicated to the African American experience, we are honored to house the replica of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial," said Charles H. Wright Museum President Juanita Moore. "The replica is a great addition to the Museum's collection, which documents, preserves and educates on African American history, life, and culture."

GM Foundation President Vivian Pickard said that GM, the GM Foundation and Chevrolet have donated more than $10 million to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Foundation, and are committed to remaining a driving force in seeing the Memorial completed and raising public awareness of its existence.

"This replica of the Memorial will reach many people from around the world who visit the Charles H. Wright Museum here in Detroit and will help to spread Dr. King's message of democracy, justice, hope and love," Pickard said. "The GM Foundation is pleased to support the MLK Foundation in honoring Dr. King. He continues to be a model of hope and a great humanitarian, whose story of striving for equality should never be forgotten."

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial will be positioned on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., in direct line between the Jefferson and Lincoln Memorials, the place where Dr. King delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech on Aug. 28, 1963. The centerpiece of the Memorial, the "Stone of Hope", will feature a 30-foot likeness of Dr. King using natural elements. It will contain excerpts of his sermons and public addresses to serve as living testaments of his vision of America. It will be the first memorial on the National Mall to honor a non-U.S. president.

"The GM Foundation and General Motors were among the first to contribute to the legacy of Dr. King by sponsoring this important memorial," said Harry E. Johnson, president and CEO, Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Foundation. "We are grateful for their generous contribution and commitment to uphold the ideals most important to Dr. King."

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Sam Thomas to speak on Mitchell's Thunderbolts, Athens' Unique Civil War Militia

2011-02-12T17:12:00.002-05:00

Monday, February 21, 7:00 PM at the Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation (OCAF)

OCAF Hosts History Lecture

Sam Thomas' presentation about the Athens Home Guard unit known as Mitchell's Thunderbolts, will tell the spirited tale of a Civil War militia formed to protect the town, and in so doing, developed a persona that was part warrior, part Keystone Kops.

In 1863, with Georgia being threatened by an invasion of Union troops, many communities began to form their own local guard units to protect the towns in the case of attack. These militia groups were known as Home Guards and were generally made up of men either too old to serve in the regular army or those who could no longer serve, having been discharged due to wounds, or of boys too young for regular service. Athens was no different. Confederate authorities and city officials knew the presence of the Cook & Brother Armory would eventually make Athens a target of Union interest. Several Home Guard units were formed in Athens, but none became nearly as famous locally as did Mitchell's Thunderbolts.

Sam Thomas, curator of the T.R.R. Cobb House since 2006, holds both a BA and MA in History. His past life includes 13 years as a tennis professional. He is also credited as an author of numerous articles in journals and newspapers, as well as seven books including, 1861-1864, and A Rising Star of Promise. In 2000, he served as a technical advisor on the Mel Gibson film, The Patriot. He describes himself as primarily a Civil War historian with Scotch-Irish culture and Southern culture as very close seconds. He is past-president of Georgia's Civil War Heartland Leaders Trail, an association of heritage tourism-based museums in northeastern and eastern Georgia.

Free Admission

Date, Time & Location: Monday, February 21, 7:00 PM at the Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation (OCAF), 34 School Street, Watkinsville. For directions visit the website www.ocaf.com. This event is sponsored by the Oconee County Historical Society and hosted by the Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation (OCAF).

Eldridge and Thurmond to recount Athens desegregation in UGA Grady College program

2011-02-09T12:09:00.000-05:00

Former Athens Mayor Doc Eldridge and former state Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond will recount what it was like to attend a newly desegregated Athens high school as part of the series “Telling the Story: Education and Equality Through the Peabody Lens,” on Feb. 16, at Ciné, 234 Hancock Street.

Sponsored by the University of Georgia Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, the discussion with Eldridge and Thurmond will be preceded by a free screening from the Peabody archives of Busing: Some Voices from the South from 5-7 p.m.

Produced by Westinghouse Broadcasting Company in 1972, the documentary looks at what happened to some Southern communities after a busing program went into effect. Filmed in Athens, as well as cities in North Carolina and South Carolina, Busing: Some Voices from the South includes interviews with teachers, parents, school administrators, bus drivers and children about their experiences and concerns about busing.

The Athens segment includes comments by former UGA Dean of Men William Tate, Clarke County Board of Education attorney Eugene Epting, and Clarke County School Superintendent Charles McDaniel. A segment focusing on Oglethorpe Avenue School includes an interview with Principal Estelle Farmer, footage of Bridget Withers’ 4th grade class, and scenes from an Oglethorpe PTA meeting. The program also includes comments by Clarke High School classmates Jan Pulliam and Leo Scott.

After the film, Eldridge and Thurmond will discuss their personal experiences attending high school together in Athens during the contentious period of desegregation. The future players in Georgia politics became good friends in high school despite their racial differences and the tension that defined the era.

Hosted by the Grady College, “Telling the Story: Education and Equality Through the Peabody Lens,” is a series of three Peabody Collection films that focus on issues of education and equality. The first screening, of the HBO-movie Something the Lord Made, was held on Jan. 19. The second screening, Hoxie: The First Stand, was held on Feb. 2. The series is co-sponsored by the Walter J. Brown Media Archives and the Peabody Collection.

The screenings are being held in conjunction with UGA’s commemoration of the 50th anniversary of desegregation, “Celebrating Courage.” In recognition of the historic event, the university has planned 50 days of events related to diversity. For more information, see www.desegregation.uga.edu.

Established in 1915, the UGA Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication offers undergraduate majors in advertising, digital and broadcast journalism, magazines, newspapers, public relations, publication management and mass media arts. The college offers two graduate degrees, and is home to the Knight Chair in Health and Medical Journalism and the Peabody Awards, internationally recognized as one of the most prestigious prizes for excellence in electronic media. For more information, see www.grady.uga.edu or follow @UGAGrady on Twitter.

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Rare Books Valued at More Than $1 Million Donated to MARBL at Emory

2011-02-09T11:48:00.000-05:00

A collection of rare books valued at more than $1 million has been donated to Emory University’s Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library (MARBL). The 22-title assortment, which includes one of the first books printed in the English language, was given by Ohio book collector and business leader Stuart Rose, an Emory alumnus.

“These extraordinary books will, without a doubt, enhance the prestige and scope of Emory’s collections,” says Richard Luce, provost and director of Emory Libraries. “Mr. Rose’s generosity and his dedication to strengthening MARBL are deeply appreciated.”

The Rose gift to Emory includes in its original binding a first edition of “Poems,” the first book published by English Romantic poet John Keats; a theological study by St. Thomas Aquinas that is now MARBL’s oldest book; and a 15th century volume of universal history, the “Polychronicon,” one of the first books published in the English language.

Among the other books in the collection are rare editions of works by:

Emily Brontë
Rudyard Kipling
Giacomo Casanova
L. Frank Baum
Victor Hugo
John Maynard Keynes and
Charles Dickens
Rose’s 1653 first edition of Izaak Walton’s “The Compleat Angler” is held by fewer than 20 libraries in the United States.

Rose, a 1976 graduate of Emory’s Goizueta Business School and a longtime MARBL patron and friend, is chairman and chief executive officer of REX American Resources Corp., a large public alternative energy company in Dayton, Ohio. In the last two decades he has built a remarkable rare book collection, including a signed presentation copy of a first edition of Charles Darwin’s “On the Origin of Species,” which he loaned to Emory for a special exhibition in 2009.

Spanning more than 800 years of human history, the holdings of Emory’s MARBL have particular strengths in literature and the arts, African American history and culture, religious expression and the freedom struggle. MARBL is one of North America’s major literary archives.

Rose’s gift to the library is part of Campaign Emory, a $1.6 billion fundraising endeavor that combines private support and Emory’s people, places, and programs to make a powerful contribution to the world. Investments through Campaign Emory fuel efforts to address fundamental challenges: transforming health and healing, gaining ground in science and technology, resolving conflict, harnessing the power of the arts, and educating the heart and mind.

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There's Gold in the Hills and Tears on the Trail

2011-02-04T13:36:00.000-05:00

Whenever I think of the effects the early gold rush in Georgia had on the Cherokee Nation and their subsequent forced removal from the state, I shed tears for them. The Cherokee Nation played such a great role in early Georgia, so kudos to the new museum in Canton telling more of their story.

Come learn more about Georgia History and the history of the Cherokee Nation.

The Cherokee County, GA, History Museum
Grand Opening
Saturday, Feb 5
10 am - 3 pm

Cherokee County Unveils New Visitor Center

The new Cherokee County, GA History Museum and Visitors Center will have its grand opening this Saturday, Feb 5, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The center, located in the historic courthouse at 100 North St, Canton, GA, will have a ribbon cutting ceremony Friday, February 4, from 4-5 p.m., hosted by the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce.
The museum -- which features displays on local Cherokees who lived in the area prior to Removal -- is located on the first floor of the historic marble courthouse. The admission is free. Call 770-345-3288 for more information.

The museum will also be open Wednesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

"It has been quite a challenge to summarize hundreds of years worth of history to fewer than 300 words," said Stefanie Joyner, executive director of the Cherokee County Historical Society. "Doing all of the education materials for the museum has been a daunting task for this 1 1/2 man office!"

Here's the text from the new panel, which will be unveiled tomorrow:......http://trailofthetrail.blogspot.com/2011/02/cherokee-county-unveils-new-visitor.html

Source: Trail of the Trail Blog

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Digitizing Penions Files for War of 1812 Challenge

2011-02-04T10:11:00.000-05:00

Have a grandpa or two who fought in the War of 1812? There's a great new project underway to digitize the pension and land bounties that will result in a new free online index.

Check out the donation challenge.......

War of 1812 Matching Funds Challenge

Whether or not your ancestors served in the War of 1812, you may be interested in the project spearheaded by the Federation of Genealogical Societies to Preserve the Pensions and bounty land records from that war. Even better than being preserved, the records will be digitized, searchable, and made available online free of charge.......http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/6hupuF/www.fgsconferenceblog.org/2011/02/war-of-1812-matching-funds-challenge.html

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Historic Athens newspapers now available online via digital library

2011-02-03T10:05:00.000-05:00

An archive of historic Athens newspapers is now available online via the Digital Library of Georgia at the University of Georgia.

The Athens Historic Newspapers Archive provides online access to five newspaper titles published in Athens from 1827 to 1922. Consisting of more than 57,000 newspaper pages, the archive provides historical images that are both full-text searchable and can be browsed by date. The site provides users with a view into the history of Athens in its early years as the home to the first state-chartered university in the nation and its eventual growth into the largest city in northeast Georgia.

The archive includes the following Athens newspaper titles: Athenian (1827-1832), Southern Banner (1832-1882), Southern Watchman (1855-1882), Daily/Weekly Banner-Watchman (1882-1889), Daily/Weekly Athens Banner (1889-1922).

The Athens Historic Newspapers Archive is a project of the Digital Library of Georgia as part of the Georgia HomePLACE initiative. The project is supported with federal Library Service and Technology Act funds administered by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Georgia Public Library Service, a unit of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. Digitization also was made possible through a grant provided by the Francis Wood Wilson Foundation, Inc. The Athens Historic Newspapers Archive is available at http://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/athnewspapers.

Other newspaper archives available through the Digital Library of Georgia include the Atlanta Historic Newspapers Archive (1847-1922), the Macon Telegraph Archive (1826-1908), the Columbus Enquirer Archive (1828-1890), the Milledgeville Historic Newspapers Archive (1808-1920), the Southern Israelite Archive (1929-1986), and the Red and Black Archive (1893-2006). These archives can be accessed at http://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/MediaTypes/Newspapers.html

“Georgia HomePLACE is very pleased to support digitizing and presenting online content for the Athens Historic Newspapers Archive, a project of the Digital Library of Georgia, which is an initiative of GALILEO (Georgia’s Virtual Library),” said Ed Johnson, director of Georgia HomePLACE.

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GSU Library awarded grant to digitize PATCO records

2011-01-25T09:40:00.000-05:00

The decertification of the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization (PATCO) stands as a watershed in American labor history, continuing to inform labor-management relations in the United States to this day. Researchers interested in studying PATCO’s records will soon have access to them online.

The National Historic Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) has awarded a grant in the amount of $90,000 to Georgia State University Library to digitize portions of this controversial union’s records and make them available online. The PATCO records are already part of Georgia State’s Southern Labor Archives. Work on the project is expected to take approximately 20 months; at its completion, all scanned documentation (about 179,000 pages of text) will be searchable, for free. The project will begin in April 2011.

The Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization (PATCO) spent the 1970s struggling to improve the American air traffic control system and the working conditions of its members. When numerous bruising negotiations with the Federal Aviation Administration could not provide an adequate response to their needs, the union, under more aggressive leadership, went on strike Aug. 3, 1981. Despite receiving PATCO’s support during his election bid, President Ronald Reagan responded to the strike by firing more than 11,000 air traffic controllers and decertifying the union.

The National Historical Publications and Records Commission, a statutory body affiliated with the National Archives and Records Administration, supports a wide range of activities to preserve, publish, and encourage the use of documentary sources, created in every medium ranging from quill pen to computer, relating to the history of the United States.

Digitizing the PATCO records is part of Georgia State University Library’s ongoing effort to redefine itself, providing numerous resources, quality assistance, modern technology and a welcoming setting.

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Clayton State Genealogy Group to Meet February 6

2011-01-24T12:40:00.000-05:00

The Clayton State University Genealogy Group’s next meeting will be on Sunday, Feb.6, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., in room 200 of the Clayton State Library.

This year’s theme for the group is "Back to the Beginning." January was an organizational meeting, February will look at the census, and March will be Family Search research with a field trip to the LDS Family History Center on Lake Jodeco Road in Jonesboro.

“Census Records: Why, How, Where, What” will be the topic of the meeting Feb. 6. The workshop will answer the following census questions:

Why start genealogy with the census?
What census records are on microfilm or digital?
Why search for the family in every census?
What information is available on the census record?
Where does the researcher find census records?
How does the researcher locate a person or family?

Interested parties should bring a laptop.

Membership in the group and all workshops are free. For more information, including times of the remaining meetings, contact Selma Blackmon at selmajoey@yahoo.com. Her contact phone number is (770) 931.2609.

A unit of the University System of Georgia, Clayton State University is an outstanding comprehensive metropolitan university located 15 miles southeast of downtown Atlanta.

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History with Elizabeth at the Carnegie in Downtown Newnan

2011-01-22T08:36:00.002-05:00

Please join us on Wednesday, January 26th at 10 a.m. for the very popular History with Elizabeth series. This month’s topic is R.D. Cole Replica Street Lights Donor Program Downtown Newnan Streetscapes.

A fourth generation Coweta Countian, Elizabeth is a descendant of early settlers. Proud of her heritage and always imbued with a strong sense of history, Ms. Beers has been actively involved in various professional, civic, community, church, and historical organizations. With her knowledge of the county and its people, she is a resource person, and has become known as the "unofficial local historian."

Please call the Carnegie at 770-683-1347 to reserve a spot today and visit www.newnancarnegie.com for a complete calendar of events.

About the Carnegie

Carnegie is one of the most historically significant structures in downtown Newnan and was built in 1904. The building served as a library until 1987 when a new facility was constructed on Hospital Road. With its iconic lighted sign that states the ‘City of Homes’ on top of the building, citizens recognize the Carnegie when they drive through historic downtown.

The Carnegie was funded by the city of Newnan’s General Fund and partly by 2007 Special Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST). The Carnegie’s cost to be renovated was over $1.5 million dollars to the city. For more information on the Carnegie, please visit www.newnancarnegie.com or email amapel@cityofnewnan.org

Nixon Foundation Releases Book About the Historic Meeting of the President and the King

2011-01-08T12:06:00.000-05:00

/PRNewswire/ -- The Day Elvis Met Nixon, a first hand account of Elvis Presley's historic meeting with President Nixon, has just been published by the Richard Nixon Foundation and is now available online (http://store.nixonfoundation.org).

Released on the eve of Elvis's 76th (January 8) and President Nixon's 98th (January 9) birthdays, the book is a trove of rare photos, original documents, and anecdotes from the December 21, 1970 encounter presented in a fun and interactive way for readers of all ages.

Told through the eyes of Egil "Bud" Krogh, White House aide and liaison to the Drug Enforcement Administration, The Day Elvis Met Nixon recounts the surprise of White House staffers when the King of Rock-n-Roll appeared at the front gates of the Executive Mansion to deliver a handwritten letter to the President.

For Elvis, the goal of the meeting was to receive a badge and credentials from the DEA as a "Federal Agent at Large," contending that he could use his popularity among the youth to curb the nation's narcotics epidemic.

Krogh tells how the Elvis meeting request moved up the White House chain of command, how it was approved, and how he arranged an agenda on such short notice.

At the meeting, Elvis presented the President with a gift, a silver-plated Colt 45 gun and bullets now on display at the Nixon Presidential Library in Yorba Linda, Calif. Later the same afternoon, he received his badge from the DEA.

Today, the Oval Office photo of President Nixon and Elvis Presley continues to be the most requested photo from the National Archives.

"The meeting between Elvis and President Nixon remains in my mind the most novel and interesting," writes Krogh. "While these two men came from totally different backgrounds, they tried to find ways to cooperate in responding to one of the most severe problems."

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Do the Holidays Have You Baffled?

2010-12-19T09:14:00.000-05:00

It's a week before Christmas
and all through the land,
Everyone is bustling
To get the perfect gift in hand.....

Sometimes, the holiday shopping season can be just downright tiring and overwhelming. Trying to find the perfect gift for that hard to shop for relative who lives far away can be mind daunting. What a great mystery to solve!

Hey, wait. A mystery to solve? What a perfect gift to give everyone on your list, no matter how far, no matter how dear........

Send them a local museum and perhaps they will learn more about our country's history and some of its mysteries. If you're not sure of where to send them, be sure to check out the Travel Channel Series of Mysteries at the Museum.

This week, take a quick glance at some great mysterious artifacts and stories across the land from California to Detroit to Manhatten.

Yep, I think I'll watch the show and then pick just the right museum for my Christmas shopping!

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Newell Rubbermaid Pledges Support of New National Center for Civil and Human Rights

2010-12-13T10:26:00.000-05:00

/PRNewswire/ -- Newell Rubbermaid will commit $500,000 to help construct and develop the new National Center for Civil and Human Rights facility in Downtown Atlanta.

"As a space for ongoing dialogue and study of human rights issues, the National Center for Civil and Human Rights will become a valued addition to the Atlanta community," said Jackie Parker, Vice President of Inclusion & Diversity and Corporate Philanthropy at Newell Rubbermaid. "We are proud to partner with the Center to advance global human rights as a part of our continued commitment to investing in the communities where our employees live and work."

The National Center for Civil and Human Rights will feature permanent and rotating educational exhibitions and serve as a vibrant and dynamic hub of activity around both historical and contemporary civil and human rights issues. The LEED-certified building is scheduled to break ground in 2011 and open in 2013, and will be located in Pemberton Place adjacent to the World of Coca-Cola and Georgia Aquarium.

Doug Shipman, CEO of the Center, said, "Newell Rubbermaid's generous support shows its commitment to the ideals behind the National Center for Civil and Human Rights and its care for the Atlanta community. We are excited to partner with them to make the Center a reality."

Newell Rubbermaid, headquartered in Atlanta with operations in Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific, joins other prominent corporate partners of the National Center for Civil and Human Rights including The Coca-Cola Company, Delta Air Lines, The Home Depot Foundation, Turner Broadcasting System Inc., and The UPS Foundation.

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Georgia Trust Acquires Three Houses in Forsyth from Wal-Mart

2010-12-03T12:03:00.000-05:00

The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation announced recently its acquisition of three historic houses in Forsyth donated from the Wal-Mart Real Estate Business Trust. The houses will become part of the Georgia Trust’s Revolving Fund program, which provides effective alternatives to demolition or neglect of architecturally and historically significant properties.

“These houses are representative of the historic architecture of Forsyth,” said Mark C. McDonald, President and CEO of The Georgia Trust. “Our goal is to save these historic properties and fulfill our obligation of helping the city of Forsyth find the best alternative for these houses” McDonald added.

Since 2006 the houses have been the subject of controversy as Forsyth city officials at the time rezoned a residential area to allow construction of a new Wal-Mart Supercenter. After the rezoning, Wal-Mart has worked with community preservation leaders and the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation to reach an agreement, which will lead to the preservation of three historic homes in the buffer strip required by Forsyth planning officials.

About the houses
The Bloodworth-Pace House was constructed in 1875 and features a pedimented gable with pointed arch wood vents and shaped cornice brackets. The house was remodeled in the 1930s in the Colonial Revival style, and the original porch was replaced with a pedimented gable stoop with paired Doric columns.

The Bogle-Kyte House was constructed in 1914 and was once called "one of the handsomest homes in Forsyth." This two-story late Victorian-era house features a central hallway, large centered hipped roof dormer with fixed 4/1 windows, slightly overhanging boxed eaves, and tall corbelled brick chimneys.

The Miller-Webb House is a Victorian railroad cottage constructed around 1905. The house is two rooms deep with a central hallway.

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Paul Revere and His Lantern Mystery

2010-12-02T12:52:00.000-05:00

We as children all learned the poem about Paul Revere and his midnight ride in 1775. Up until today, I never even thought about the chap who climbed into the tower and hung the lanterns.

Here's a great blog post about the mystery of the lanterns, where they were hung, and by whom they were hung. Hope you enjoy.......

The Unsolved Mystery at Old North Church

December 1, 2010 by Ben Edwards
Who doesn’t appreciate a good mystery – especially one that dates all the way back to the beginning of the American Revolution! On the evening of April 18, 1775, “a friend” of Paul Revere held two lanterns in the northwest window of Christ Church (Old North Church) steeple to signal patriots in Charlestown that the British troops were leaving Boston by water on their secret expedition to Lexington and Concord. One hundred years later,.......
http://teachhistory.com/2010/12/01/the-unsolved-mystery-at-old-north-church/

History sure is fun!

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Remembering the Past with American Veterans

2010-11-30T09:15:00.000-05:00

Our nation's World War II veterans are leaving us at a rapid rate. Thanks to the wonderful volunteers around the nation, some of their stories have been saved. These wonderful men and women who we refer to as the Greatest Generation firmly believed in patriotism and their duty to their country. Here is a recent release as the Library of Congress celebrates 10 years of documenting the stories of horror, valor, and love of country.

Veterans History Project Commemorates First Decade with New Web Feature

They served. Regardless of their opinions on war, the horrors they witnessed on the front lines, the conditions under which they lived on the home front, their rank, race, religion or gender – they answered the call to duty and they served.

The latest installment of the Veterans History Project’s (VHP) Experiencing War website feature, titled "VHP: The First Ten Years," has launched in time for nationwide Veterans Day observances. The website feature, one of 32 created thus far, highlights the wartime stories of 20 veterans who represent a cross-section of the more than 70,000 collections donated to the project during its first decade of existence. VHP staff members selected these collections from among their favorites and as representative of the diversity and depth of the project. Some of the veterans have been featured in previous installments of Experiencing War, while others will be new to users of the site, www.loc.gov/vets/.

"Our theme for this commemorative season has been ‘Illuminating the Future by Sharing the Past,’" said VHP Director Robert Patrick. "This latest web feature does just that. It shows the realities of war from 20 diverse and captivating perspectives so that people, generations from now, will be able to hear, see, and learn from these firsthand accounts."

Each veteran in "VHP: The First Ten Years" describes the wartime veteran experience in ways that are thoughtful, touching, and often riveting. Spotlighted in the feature is Vietnam Army nurse Elizabeth Allen, an African-American woman who discusses her experiences, unique due to both race and gender. Frank Buckles, the last surviving World War I veteran, shares his experiences in the feature as an Army ambulance driver. Marine Corps veteran Paul Steppe served during the Korean War and conveys his tale of survival after being wounded and then having his medical transport plane lose its landing gear upon takeoff. Herman Rosen was a Merchant Marine during World War II who spent 23 days in a lifeboat at sea after his ship was hit by a torpedo. Persian Gulf War Medical Officer Rhonda Cornum, on a mission to rescue a downed pilot, was captured by the Iraqis and held for seven harrowing days.

The Library of Congress, the nation's oldest federal cultural institution, is the world's preeminent reservoir of knowledge, providing unparalleled collections and integrated resources to Congress and the American people. Many of the Library’s rich resources can be accessed through its website at www.loc.gov and via interactive exhibitions on a personalized website at myLOC.gov.

Congress created The Veterans History Project in 2000 as a national documentation program of the American Folklife Center (www.loc.gov/folklife/) to record, preserve and make accessible the first-hand remembrances of American wartime veterans from World War I through the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand the realities of war. The project relies on volunteers to record veterans’ remembrances using guidelines accessible at www.loc.gov/vets/. Volunteer interviewers may pledge to record a veteran’s story at the site, or they may request more information at vohp@loc.gov or the toll-free message line at (888) 371-5848.

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Civil Rights Digital Library honored with national award

2010-11-29T10:37:00.000-05:00

The Civil Rights Digital Library, hosted by the University of Georgia Libraries and GALILEO, was recently awarded the 2010 Schwartz Prize for excellence in the public humanities by the Federation of State Humanities Councils.

The CRDL was recognized as an innovative program to deliver educational content on the civil rights movement via the web. This online library contains 30 hours (about 450 clips) of historical news footage, a civil rights portal that allows users to access material on the movements from 100 libraries and other organizations nationwide, and supplemental instructional materials. It has been incorporated into public programs ranging from teacher training to television documentary.

The CRDL has received approximately a million page views since its 2008 launch. Using historical news film footage from WSB in Atlanta and WALB in Albany and held in the UGA Walter J. Brown Media Archives, it evolved from a partnership with the Digital Library of Georgia (the digitization initiative of GALILEO, the state’s virtual library), the library services office at the state Board of Regents and the Georgia Humanities Council, including its New Georgia Encyclopedia.

“Winning the Schwartz Prize is a wonderful accomplishment for the CRDL partners,” said P. Toby Graham, deputy university librarian and DLG director. “The 15 nominations for this year’s prize showcase some of the most imaginative and important work humanities councils are currently undertaking or supporting.”

Graham noted that earlier this year, CRDL was credited with a Southeastern Emmy award for a documentary produced by civil rights veteran and former U.S. ambassador Andrew Young and in 2008 was chosen as an outstanding program by the Georgia Historical Records Advisory Board.

“The Georgia Humanities Council is proud to be a partner in the Civil Rights Digital Library. Nowhere on the Web is there a more comprehensive collection on the American civil rights movement,” said Jamil Zainaldin, Georgia Humanities Council president. “The Schwartz Prize recognizes the high quality nature of the content of this site. It also recognizes the strong and creative partnerships that brought the CRDL to fruition.”

Dozens participated in building the Civil Rights Digital Library, including undergraduate and graduate students at UGA working under the direction of English professor Barbara McCaskill. Her students conducted research and authored instructional materials to accompany the digitized film footage.

One judge wrote, “In many ways, Georgia was an essentially important battleground and harbor for the modern Civil Rights Movement during the 1950s and 1960s. The state nurtured the movement’s most iconic figure, Martin Luther King Jr. It also was the site for the most memorable turning point in the early years of the struggle for the soul of the South—the long struggle against racial segregation and white racial tyranny in Albany. Perhaps the need for southerners—whites and blacks—to become more conversant with the Civil Rights Movement is second only in importance to a region-wide remembrance and interrogation of slavery and its affect on southern history and identity. What [Georgia] is doing with the Civil Rights Digital Library is an important step in that direction.”

The awards ceremony was held at the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque, N.M., as part of the 2010 National Humanities Conference. The Connecticut and New Hampshire councils also were awarded the prizes, named for Helen and Martin Schwartz and given annually to up to three programs for outstanding work in the public humanities.

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Love a Little Mystery with History?

2010-11-19T12:13:00.000-05:00

Museums are fascinating places to explore. In every nook and cranny, there are wonderful finds which can fuel the imagination. Who were the owners? How did the artifacts explain life in olden times? What tales could these objects tell us?

During my first visit to the Smithsonian some 30 years ago, I found time stood still. More, I just had to have more; more information on the artifacts and more time. Needless to say, the guards were kind enough to escort me away from the Hope Diamond after I had stood for several hours mesmerized by its beauty and its dark secrets.

There are some wonderful museums around the world that I will never have the opportunity to visit. That is, until now....

The Travel Channel has unveiled an awesome series entitled Mysteries at the Museum. Take a trip to several museums and see some wonderful pieces of history that also spark a great deal of mystery. What do you know about Harry Houdini and his death? The first flight over the North Pole? Lizzie Borden?

Join in on Tuesday, November 23 at 9 ET/P to learn more about these mysteries of history and more. You'll find yourself thinking about the past and what mysteries you could find at your local museum.

By the way, have you been to the Holliday Dorsey Fife House Museum in Fayetteville? There's quite a bit there about Doc Holliday and Scarlett's world. Maybe there's room for some unanswered mysteries to surface............

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Fox Theatre Institute Offers Funds, Expertise to Restore Brunswick's Beloved Ritz Theatre

2010-11-18T13:41:00.000-05:00

/PRNewswire/ -- Throughout the nation, once-cherished community treasures are feeling the effects of neglect and bleak economic conditions. However, as purse strings tighten, communities are coming together to reach into their own pockets and salvage grand historical theatres. In Georgia, one organization (http://bit.ly/FTI_kit) is making a difference and jumpstarting revitalization. The Fox Theatre Institute partners with historic theatres to restore, educate and strengthen community ties.

Recently, the Fox Theatre Institute completed its latest project: a partnership with the Ritz Theatre in Brunswick, Georgia. Built in 1899, the Ritz Theatre has a rich history. Once an Opera House and Art Deco movie palace, the theatre fell into decline through the 1970s but has since returned to a live community performance space.

On its way to reclaiming its vibrancy, the theatre set sights on restoring its 58 original windows and painting its exterior. Because of natural deterioration and proximity to the Inter-coastal Water Way, the historic elements began to fail. In April 2009, the Fox Theatre Institute assisted the Ritz Theatre in streamlining the restoration process, securing funds and providing theatre-to-theatre mentoring.

To stimulate economic development, skilled local craftsmen conducted the repair work. Through extensive ratings systems and detailed analysis, experts selected the appropriate processes and local materials to source the project, completed in August 2010.

"Brunswick has demonstrated a significant commitment to its community," said Fox Theatre Institute Director of Restoration, Molly Fortune. "The Fox Theatre Institute is thrilled to match the city's investment and play a role in restoring such a historical landmark."

The Ritz Theatre continues to play a vital role in the economic stability of downtown Brunswick's Old Towne Historic District, and the Fox Theatre Institute supports the local theatre as an epicenter of development. The Ritz Theatre has a story to tell, and with the expert hands of the Fox Theatre Institute, the community pillar will live to tell even more stories over the next 100 years.

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National Museum of American History Showcases the William Steinway Diary in Special Display and Online Edition

2010-11-16T11:16:00.000-05:00

/PRNewswire/ -- The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History will launch its online edition of "The William Steinway Diary" in December to coincide with a special display of the diary that will provide a glimpse into the famous piano manufacturer's life and one of the most dynamic periods in American history. "A Gateway to the 19th Century: The William Steinway Diary, 1861–1896" will be on view in the Albert H. Small Documents Gallery from Dec. 17 through April 8, 2011.

Steinway (1835-1896), a prominent German American and astute entrepreneur, documented more than 36 years of his life through near-daily notes in nine volumes and some 2,500 pages, beginning eight days after the first shots of the Civil War were fired and three days before his wedding. The display follows Steinway's growth from witness to participant in history through select diary passages, Steinway family photographs, maps and advertisements that bring alive the fear and chaos of the 1863 Civil War Draft Riots and his hands-on role in the creation of the New York City subway and the company town of Steinway in Queens, N.Y.

"The breadth and depth of material covered in one man's personal diary is truly astounding," said Brent D. Glass, director of the museum. "The passion and diligence of the more than 100 volunteers researching the diary have produced a wealth of knowledge about the dramatic events of the second half of the 19th century."

Steinway was one of the piano world's great promotional innovators and a key figure in the cultural, economic, political and physical development of New York City. At age 15 he immigrated to the United States and became a partner in his family's newly formed piano-making firm at age 21.

Under his direction, Steinway & Sons thrived as it survived the fierce piano manufacturing wars of the time and fed the period's ravenous musical appetite. When Steinway & Sons incorporated in 1876, he became its first president, a position he held until his death. A proud member of New York's German American community, Steinway was a classic immigrant success story. His close circle of powerful friends and allies included President Grover Cleveland.

The debut of "The William Steinway Diary" website, will, for the first time, allow scholars and the public to read and search a complete transcription of the diary alongside high-resolution scans of each handwritten page. The site will provide a detailed look at Steinway's firsthand account of the period's financial panics, labor unrest and rise of the German immigrant class. Primary source material will be contextualized with more than 100 images from Steinway family archives and related essays. The museum hopes to publish later installments to include more than 30,000 interlinked annotations -- one for every three words in the diary -- to provide context for sometimes obscure entries.

The online edition of the diary and the companion display are the result of the combined efforts of the museum's curators and editors along with more than 100 volunteers. Taking more than two decades, "The William Steinway Diary" project is one of the longest-running and most extensive volunteer projects at the Smithsonian.

Recognizing the diary's historical significance, the late Henry Ziegler Steinway, Steinway's grandson and former president of Steinway & Sons, donated the diary to the museum in 1996. He became a central part of the Diary Project and a volunteer researcher until his death in 2008.

"The William Steinway Diary" project has been made possible with lead funding from Target Corporation and additional support from Henry Ziegler Steinway, the William and Mary McCormick Foundation and other friends of the Diary project.

The National Museum of American History collects, preserves and displays American heritage in the areas of social, political, cultural, scientific and military history. To learn more about the museum, check http://americanhistory.si.edu. "The William Steinway Diary" website will be available by Dec. 17 at http://americanhistory.si.edu/steinwaydiary. For Smithsonian information, the public may call (202) 633-1000, (202) 633-5285 (TTY).

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How Much Do You Know About Thanksgiving?

2010-11-15T10:55:00.000-05:00

Editor's Note: George Washington was the first president to proclaim Thanksgiving Day in 1789. It wasn't until 1863 that Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday of the month as a national holiday.

There is no doubt the Union soldiers heartily enjoyed the extra rations received on that day, while the Confederate troops were quite hungry. It is interesting to note the Confederate troops halted their fire on that one day so the Union troops could enjoy their national day of Thanksgiving.

(SPM Wire) In addition to stuffing your guests' stomachs this Thanksgiving, here are some fun Turkey Day facts to fill their minds:

* Thanksgiving wasn't a national holiday until 1863, when President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the last day in November a national day of thanksgiving.

* President Franklin Roosevelt amended the holiday to fall on the fourth Thursday of November (avoiding the occasional fifth Thursday), in order to allocate more weeks to holiday shopping.

* More than 232 million turkeys were raised in the United States this year alone, with the majority in Minnesota.

* There are five places and townships in the country named Cranberry or some variation thereof.

* An estimated 117 million households will celebrate Thanksgiving this year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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The Dr. Edward J. Cashin Memorial Woodrow Wilson Lecture: “Ellen and Edith, Woodrow Wilson’s First Ladies: The Intersection of Public and Private Lives” November 18, 7pm

2010-11-15T10:34:00.000-05:00

Historic Augusta and the Center for the Study of Georgia History at Augusta State University invite the public to attend the Dr. Edward J. Cashin Memorial Woodrow Wilson Lecture on Thursday, November 18 at 7 pm.

Each year, the lecture explores different aspects of the life of Wilson in order to foster interest in the 28th President and in his boyhood home in Augusta.

The title of this year’s event is “Ellen and Edith, Woodrow Wilson’s First Ladies: The Intersection of Public and Private Lives.”

The wives of Woodrow Wilson were strikingly different from one another. Ellen Axson Wilson, quiet and intellectual, died after just a year and a half in the White House and is thought to have had little impact on history. Edith Bolling Wilson was flamboyant and confident but left a legacy of controversy.

Yet each played a significant role in the White House. Join Historic Augusta for an exploration of a compelling new book Ellen and Edith: Woodrow Wilson’s First Ladies by journalist and biographer Kristie Miller.

The annual lecture is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Edward J. Cashin, founder of the Woodrow Wilson Symposium in 1992, former chairman of the Department of History at Augusta State University, founding director of the Center for the Study of Georgia History, and former president of Historic Augusta, Inc.

Refreshments will be served. Admission is free. The lecture will be held at the Joseph R. Lamar Boyhood Home located at 415 Seventh Street in Augusta. For more information, contact Historic Augusta at (706) 724-0436 or visit www.wilsonboyhoodhome.org.

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Dot Moore to Speak at Margaret Mitchell Research Center Nov 21

2010-11-07T11:56:00.000-05:00

The Fayette County Historical Society is pleased to announce that regional, award-winning author, Dot Moore, will be the speaker at the Sunday, November 21st meeting at the Margaret Mitchell Research Center, 195 Lee Street in Fayetteville from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

“Never was there a more famous seer than Mayhayley Lancaster of Heard County, whose role in the 1948 John Wallace murder trial secured her local reputation and launched a national one.” — Rheta Grimsley Johnson, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

This award-winning biography, and creative work of non-fiction, deals with the unusual and eccentric life of Mayhayley Lancaster. Moore’s childhood memories and encounters with Lancaster spurred her to write Oracle of the Ages: Reflections on the Curious Life of Fortune Teller Mayhayley Lancaster.

She is following Oracle of the Ages with a modern Jekyll and Hyde tale: No Remorse: The Rise and Fall of John Wallace. Her newest book is set for release in December.

Should a man be defined by his worst deed? This is the question explored by Dot Moore in No Remorse: The Rise and Fall of John Wallace, an examination of the notorious trial, conviction and execution of Wallace for the 1948 murder of William Turner in a small Georgia town. In this compelling work Moore paints the portrait of a complex man, capable of great compassion yet haunted by a demonic temper. Painstakingly researched, the book presents new information about the life of John Wallace and the trial that convicted him of murder.

The story of John Wallace was pieced together from records discovered in courthouses, at the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles in Atlanta; from Confession of a Criminal Lawyer by Wallace’s chief attorney A. L. Henson, and stories told by popular news writer Celestine Sibley. In the course of her investigation, Moore also discovered accounts of the trial in three major crime magazines and in accounts from the newspapers of LaGrange, Newnan, Columbus and Atlanta, Georgia. The book, Murder In Coweta County by Margaret Anne Barnes, provided additional information. But the most important new source discovered by Moore was a cache of letters written by Wallace and kept by a neighbor for more than fifty years. Through his correspondence with friends and family, the story of this emotionally conflicted man emerges.

Dot Moore grew up in Heard County, Georgia. She is a retired educator and political activist, and lives in Montgomery, Alabama.

The Fayette County Historical Society monthly meetings feature a speaker of local interest and the community is welcome. The Margaret Mitchell Research Center at 195 Lee Street in Fayetteville is open to the public weekly: Tuesday 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m., Thursday, 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. and Saturday, 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Georgia Tourism Division Launches GACivilWar.org

2010-10-25T10:55:00.000-04:00

The Tourism Division of the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) launched the state’s official Civil War website Ocotber 21 in commemoration of the upcoming Sesquicentennial. The event took place at a book signing for Crossroads of Conflict: A Guide to Civil War Sites in Georgia at the Gordon Lee Mansion in Chickamauga.

“We created this site so that it serves as an online portal for communities and Civil War organizations in Georgia to promote their Civil War commemoration activities and events on one comprehensive site,” said Kevin Langston, Deputy Commissioner for Tourism for the Georgia Department of Economic Development. “GaCivilWar.org will make it easier for visitors to plan their vacation by having access to all of our Civil War sites, stories and commemoration events.”

GaCivilWar.org is one of the state’s key marketing initiatives encouraging locals and visitors to explore and experience all facets of Georgia’s Civil War history. Features of the site include an interactive map of museums, battlefields, landmarks, historic homes and other significant locations; calendar of events; a timeline of events that took place in Georgia between 1861 and 1865; a news section; links to educational resources and related Civil War sites, and more. The second phase of the site will include Civil War driving trails; stories and written observations from Georgians during the Civil War; a multimedia section for video and images and more.

The state also developed a guide book, Crossroads of Conflict, a driving map and recently introduced an official sesquicentennial logo. The Sesquicentennial anniversary is expected to generate a significant increase in heritage travelers to Georgia. According to the U.S. Travel Association, heritage travelers encompass 78% of all leisure travelers. In 2009, heritage travel had an economic impact of $192.3 billion in the United States.

The Georgia Tourism division is partnering with the Georgia Civil War Commission, Georgia Humanities Council, Georgia Historical Society, the Tri-State Civil War 150th Association, and many other entities in Georgia to maximize exposure and increase the number of heritage travelers during this five-year commemoration and beyond.

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3rd Annual Cemetery Spirit Walk in Fayetteville October 23

2010-10-19T11:30:00.000-04:00

Join in the spirit of learning about Fayetteville's history at the 3rd Annual Cemetery Spirit Walk in the Historic Fayetteville Cemetery on October 23. Ten "residents" of the cemetery will speak to the guests about their lives. Stories will be heard from the likes of Margaret Mitchell, Capt. Redwine and Doc Holliday.

Spirit Guides will lead groups of 8-10 guests from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. Presale tickets are available at The Depot in downtown Fayetteville. On the night of the event, tickets will be available at the Holliday Dorsey Fife House Museuem and the Fayetteville Cemetery.

Come on out and learn about the history from those who lived it.

Tickets are $5 per person.

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Mourning Rites at the Holliday Dorsey Fife House Museum

2010-10-19T11:22:00.000-04:00

The Holliday Dorsey Fife House Museum in Fayetteville recently showcased a special presentation on mourning rites from the mid 1800s.

Speakers Carolyn Balog and Betty English displayed several articles of clothing and mourning accessories which were used by our ancestors as they mourned the loss of a loved one.

The Holliday Dorsey Fife House Museum is one of Fayetteville's finest historical attractions and is open to the public Thursday thru Saturday.

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Seven Islands Artifacts Day

2010-10-15T11:14:00.000-04:00

Saturday, October 23rd, 2010 from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm at The Indian Spring Hotel, Indian Springs, Ga. 30216
Sponsored by the Butts County Historical Society

The Public is invited to bring their artifacts to be identified and dated by members of The Ocmulgee Archaeological Society. Archaeologist Stephen Hammack and other members of the Ocmulgee Archaeological Society will be on hand to identify Indian Artifacts from all periods and historic artifacts from the earliest days of settlement. Of special note, Georgia Paleoindian Recordation Project Coordinator Jerald Ledbetter and John Whatley, author of “An Overview of Georgia Projectile Points and Selected Cutting Tools,” will be on hand to identify and record Clovis, Dalton, and other early projectile points. There will be several collections on display, flintknapping demonstrations by Dave Swetmon and atl-atl, primitive weapons and friction fire demonstrations by Ken Ruff. Also this year we will have “PICKING ON THE PORCH”, so come out, and join in the acoustic jam on the back porch.

Seven Islands Artifacts Day is sponsored by the Butts County Historical Society, The Village at Indian Springs and Generations Gallery. For more information contact W.J. Shannon at wjshanon123@bellsouth.net or call 770-361-7185.
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The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation Announces its 2011 List of State's 10 'Places in Peril'

2010-10-13T10:37:00.000-04:00

/PRNewswire/ -- The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation released today its 2011 list of 10 Places in Peril in the state.

Sites on the list include: Zion Church in Talbotton; Rex Village in Clayton County; Craigie House (DAR Building) in Atlanta; John Ross House in Rossville; Harrington School in St. Simons Island; Medical Arts Building in Atlanta; Fairview Colored School in Cave Spring; Martin House in Columbus; historic buildings of Sparta in Hancock County; and, Berrien County Courthouse in Nashville.

"This is the Trust's sixth annual Places in Peril list," said Mark C. McDonald, president and CEO of the Trust. "We hope the list will continue to bring preservation action to Georgia's imperiled historic resources by highlighting ten representative sites," McDonald said.

Places in Peril is designed to raise awareness about Georgia's significant historic, archaeological and cultural resources, including buildings, structures, districts, archaeological sites and cultural landscapes that are threatened by demolition, neglect, lack of maintenance, inappropriate development or insensitive public policy.

Through Places in Peril, the Trust will encourage owners and individuals, organizations and communities to employ proven preservation tools, financial resources and partnerships in order to reclaim, restore and revitalize historic properties that are in peril.

The Trust will provide on-site preservation assistance to each of the 2011 Places in Peril through its Partners in the Field program, funded by grants from the National Trust for Historic Preservation and a number of charitable organizations in Georgia.

Sites that have been placed on previous years' lists have included: the Wren's Nest, home of folklore writer Joel Chandler House in Atlanta, which has undergone extensive restoration since its 2007 listing; Paradise Gardens, an internationally acclaimed folk art site in Chattooga County; Gilmer County Courthouse, a historic hotel building demolished in 2008; and the Crum and Forster Building in Atlanta. Updates on these sites and others can be found at www.georgiatrust.org.

The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation is one of the country's largest statewide, nonprofit preservation organizations. Committed to preserving and enhancing Georgia's communities and their diverse historic resources for the education and enjoyment of all, The Georgia Trust generates community revitalization by finding buyers for endangered properties acquired by its Revolving Fund; provides design assistance to 102 Georgia Main Street cities and encourages neighborhood revitalization; trains teachers in 63 Georgia school systems to engage students to discover state and national history through their local historic resources; and, advocates for funding, tax incentives and other laws aiding preservation efforts.

Summary Information on each Places in Peril Site

Zion Church, Talbotton, Talbot County

Built in 1848 by Talbotton master carpenter James D. Cottingham and master brick mason Miranda Fort, Zion Episcopal Church features many fine details from the crenellated parapets on the roof to the triple-arched entrance. The church's gallery was used regularly for religious instruction of slaves, which was encouraged by the bishop of the diocese and Zion parishioners. Family box pews are as originally installed.

Major threats to the site are neglect, lack of maintenance and lack of funding for maintenance. The structure has significant wood rot on the exterior along with the need for typical weathering repairs. Additionally there is a diseased mature oak tree directly adjacent to the church, which would crush the building if it fell.

Rex Village, Clayton County

Historic Rex Village has recently experienced national attention because of its ancestral lineage to First Lady Michelle Obama. Rex Village is a 90-acre community featuring unique 19th century structures such as Rex Mill, Rex Bridge, and several period homes and mercantile buildings.

The new bypass has caused virtually all pedestrian and vehicular traffic to be diverted from the main storefronts. The resulting lowered property values have created the potential for Rex Village to be purchased by developers who may seek to inappropriately redevelop or even demolish the site. Rex is unincorporated, has no design codes for new construction and uses septic tank water systems.

Craigie House (DAR Building), Atlanta, Fulton County

Also known as the DAR Building, the 1911 Craigie House was the first chapter house of the Daughters of the American Revolution established in Georgia, which was only the second chapter of the DAR established in the country. Reportedly parts of the original Craigie House were moved to this site from the 1895 Cotton States Exposition in Piedmont Park, where it was the Massachusetts Commonwealth Building.

The building was used by the DAR until 1985 when it was damaged by a fallen tree. Inman Park Properties purchased the property in 2001, but as a result of the downturn in the real estate market, the building was foreclosed upon. Neglect and apparent squatters, compounded by a price tag of approximately $500,000 make the parcel more appealing as a buildable lot to many potential buyers.

John Ross House, Rossville, Walker County

The John Ross House is the oldest surviving structure in northwest Georgia and the metropolitan Chattanooga area. Built in 1797 by trader John McDonald, the building was a major stop for traders and settlers. McDonald's grandson, Chief John Ross, grew up in the house and later became the leader of the Cherokee Nation until his death in 1866.

Settling of the building has been compromising the construction of the late 18th century building. The Chief John Ross House Association maintains the structure and recently re-roofed the building with historically appropriate wood shingles. The association has an aging membership, and due to its location, has no local preservation support.

Harrington School, St. Simons Island, Glynn County

The last African American school on St. Simons Island, the Harrington School represents the most viable and valuable venue to interpret the Gullah-Geechee heritage of St. Simons Island. The building formerly served as the Harrington Grade School from the 1920s until its desegregation in the 1960s, when it was converted to a daycare facility and served as such until the 1970s.

The school building has incurred significant deterioration through the years despite being purchased by Glynn County and the St. Simons Land Trust as part of a 12-acre park. Last fall, after a grant request was denied, Glynn County declared the building beyond repair and placed its demolition on their 2010 agenda. Supporters of the school rallied. Plans for demolition were tabled, and supporters obtained a second opinion by preservationists that the building's foundations were solid and restoration was possible.

Medical Arts Building, Atlanta, Fulton County

Designated as a local landmark in 2005, the 1927 Medical Arts Building is closely associated with the growth and development of Atlanta as a major medical center for Georgia and the Southeast. Designed by G. Lloyd Preacher, the Medical Arts Building was Atlanta's first high-rise office building constructed specifically for medical professionals.

The building was affected severely by GDOT's "Freeing the Freeways" program in the mid-1980s that widened Atlanta's Downtown Connector. With the Peachtree Street bridge closed for a year and the permanent loss of the Alexander Street bridge, many medical practices in the building had difficulty remaining open.

Numerous real estate deals have fallen through. Although there are multiple liens against the building, the current owners have it listed for $11 million.

Fairview Colored School, Cave Spring, Floyd County

The circa 1924 Fairview Colored School is one of the few remaining educational structures which provided education to African American children in Georgia. It provides a glimpse of segregated education and the impact it had on the children of the period.

After the school closed in the 1950s, it was used as rental property and a storage unit. Since that time, upkeep and repairs have not been maintained. Immediate steps are needed to address structural issues. Access to the building is hampered by deep brush and kudzu. The floors and roof are unstable and the building is uninsured.

Martin House, Columbus, Muscogee County

Designed in 1954 by the architectural firm of Finch, Barnes and Paschal, the International style Martin House anchors the northeast corner of Midtown Columbus' Peacock Woods-Dimon Circle National Register Historic District. Its gardens were designed by noted and prolific landscape architect Thomas D. Church.

The structure is currently vacant and owned by a property management company that is cited by preservation groups in Columbus as not performing adequate maintenance, consequently resulting in rapid deterioration.

Historic Buildings of Sparta, Hancock County

The town of Sparta contains a large number of architecturally significant buildings. Before the Civil War, Hancock County was a leading cotton producer, and the wealth created by the plantation system is evident in Sparta, its county seat. By 1803 Sparta was one of only five towns in the state to have a newspaper, and the town had begun a substantial library.

Today, vacancy and neglect of many historic resources are hindering the economic revitalization of the small town. The historic Baker House was lost to demolition; many others are threatened by a new demolition ordinance. The Georgia Trust has been involved in Sparta for many years; most notably, its Revolving Fund program helped to save the Terrell-Stone and the Rossiter-Little Houses. The Sparta-Hancock Historical Society is also active, and the City of Sparta has created a historic district commission. However the City has not yet designated a historic district for the commission to administer.

Berrien County Courthouse, Nashville

A local landmark protected by a local preservation ordinance, the Berrien County Courthouse was built in 1898 and designed by W. Chamberlin and Company of Knoxville, Tennessee. The building incorporates steel and reinforced concrete; its fireproof structure has survived several fires with no significant damage. Marked by a prominent bell tower still ringing on the hour, the courthouse currently serves as office space for the Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Development Authority/Better Hometown Office, and Berrien County Historical Foundation.

The Berrien County Courthouse receives inadequate funding for needed maintenance and suffers from a leaking roof, termite damage and failing plaster. The accrual of this neglect is causing significant damages to the structure.

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Exhibit of Newly Discovered Civil War Artifacts Now Open at Georgia Southern University Museum

2010-10-12T09:40:00.000-04:00

Artifacts uncovered earlier this year at Camp Lawton, the site of the Civil War’s largest prisoner camp, is now on display at the Georgia Southern University Museum.

The artifacts, which include many priceless and unique finds, were discovered by a Georgia Southern University archaeology team excavating at Magnolia Springs State Park in Millen, Ga. The team, led by University anthropology professor Sue Moore, Ph.D. and graduate student Kevin Chapman, was working to locate the stockade wall that surrounded Camp Lawton during the Civil War. In addition to locating parts of the wall, the team uncovered numerous personal artifacts left behind by soldiers who were imprisoned there or were stationed there as part of the Confederate Army. News of the discovery made headlines around the world when it was announced in August.

The artifacts, which include a tobacco pipe, tourniquet buckle, and photo frame, are very personal in nature. Researchers believe many of the artifacts may have been left behind when Union prisoners of war were awakened in the middle of the night by Confederate soldiers as the camp was evacuated in advance of Sherman’s approaching army during his “March to the Sea.” Researchers were stunned by the numerous finds at the Camp Lawton site, because artifacts from most Civil War prison camps have been lost due to farming, development and looting.

In addition to the artifacts, museum displays will also educate visitors on the harsh realities of life at Camp Lawton, including a display that shows the meager amount of food allotted to each person at the camp.

The exhibit will be on display during regular Georgia Southern University Museum hours until May 1, 2011. The museum is open Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. and on Saturday and Sunday from 2 p.m. until 5 p.m. The museum is closed Monday and on University holidays. Museum admission is $2 per person. Georgia Southern students with a valid I.D., museum members, and children under 3 years of age are admitted free of charge.

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Margaret Mitchell documentary draws heavily from UGA library collection; airs Oct. 10

2010-10-08T13:40:00.000-04:00

Change in the Wind, a documentary about famed author Margaret Mitchell’s quest to improve conditions for African Americans in her home state, will air Oct. 10 from 4-6 p.m. on WSB-TV.

Drawn largelyfrom research in an unexplored collection of Mitchell correspondence at the UGA Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, the documentary—produced by civil rights veteran Andrew Young—traces Mitchell’s evolution from debutante to someone determined to improve the educational opportunities and ultimately the lives of Atlanta’s African-American citizens.

Mitchell’s patronage of private, all-male, historically black Morehouse College parallels her friendship with Benjamin E. Mays, president of Morehouse from 1940 to 1967. It was this relationship that Young and director CB Hackworth sought to explore with the documentary. Hackworth’s research at UGA with Mary Ellen Brooks, director emerita of the Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, led to a much fuller portrait of the author.

Mitchell was able to see the world through her family’s black servants, Brooks believes. Mitchell became particularly disturbed when a beloved maid, Carrie, became ill and a hospital bed for her could not be found. After Carrie’s death, Mitchell sought to establish a scholarship in her name at Morehouse. Mays wanted the funds to cover students from the Southeast, but Mitchell held firm that it should be limited to Georgia in the hopes of helping her state.

“She often wrote respectful but endearing letters to the family’s employees, even when they were in the same house together,” Brooks said. “I think it shows Margaret Mitchell as a person who was sensitive and generous. It was as if they were her family, and they responded to her with letters as well. These materials do a great job of showing that side of her.”

Mitchell’s support of the Morehouse was kept secret for decades until Mays revealed to Georgia’s first African-American pediatrician that it was Mitchell who paid for his scholarship.

The friendship between Mays and Mitchell “grew increasingly warm and shows evidence of great mutual respect, but is based entirely on a mutual concern for the lack of adequate educational and medical resources for Atlanta’s growing African-American population,” Hackworth said.

Brooks notes the affection between Mitchell and the African Americans to whom she became close. Included in the correspondence is a telegraph in Mitchell’s handwriting to be sent to Hattie McDaniel, who played Mammy in Gone with the Wind, at 5 a.m. the day after the premiere telling her that Atlanta Mayor William B. Hartsfield called for a “big round of applause” for McDaniel. Their correspondence continued for years.

“The (entire collection of) letters shed a lot of light, especially when you read what (African Americans) have to say,” Brooks said. “It showed how they viewed whites. So at last we have two sides.”

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Macon's Hay House Celebrates 150 Years

2010-10-08T13:18:00.000-04:00

HAY DAY 1860
Saturday, October 9, 2010
10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Hay House
Macon

The Hay House is 150 years old. Come join in the fun on October 9 in Macon.

This free event is for the whole family.

No reservations required.
For more information, call 478-742-8155.

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African-American Soldiers Honored By New Historical Marker

2010-10-05T09:48:00.000-04:00

Historical Marker Dedication honoring African-American Soldiers in Combat
Wednesday, October 6, 2010 at 10:30 a.m.
Fort Hill School, 104 Fort Hill Terrace, downtown Dalton, GA
No Charge

The dedication ceremony will take place outdoors at the marker site, steps away from Fort Hill School building.

The Georgia Historical Society, in partnership with the Georgia Department of Economic Development and the Georgia Battlefields Association, will unveil a new historical marker to recognize African-American soldiers in combat during the Civil War. The dedication ceremony will take place Wednesday, October 6, 2010 at 10:30 a.m. on the grounds of Fort Hill School in downtown Dalton, GA.

The keynote address will be delivered by Ambassador Andrew Young, founder and co-Chairman of GoodWorks International and former U.S. Congressman and mayor of Atlanta.

The event will feature the Blue Ridge Elementary School Chorus and historical interpretation projects by Fort Hill School students. The reception following will be hosted by the Dalton High School Culinary Arts Program.

This event is part of a statewide commemoration of the upcoming Civil War 150 anniversary event in partnership with the Georgia Department of Economic Development and the Georgia Battlefields Association. GHS is conducting a program across the state to unveil new and recently replaced historical markers that explore the stories of Georgia's Civil War history as lived and experienced by all of its people during those tumultuous and transformative years. The marker text is as following:
African-American Soldiers in Combat

Near Dalton on August 15, 1864, during the Civil War, the 14th United States Colored Troops (USCT), whose enlisted men were mostly former slaves, helped drive off a Confederate cavalry attack on the Western and Atlantic Railroad, U.S. General William T. Sherman's main supply line during the Atlanta Campaign. Later, on October 13, 1864, the 44th USCT was in a fort protecting the railroad through Dalton when the garrison commander surrendered to Confederate General John B. Hood. In accordance with Confederate policy, many of the 600 captured black troops were returned to slavery. Black troops rarely saw combat in Georgia, though nearly 200,000 African Americans served in the U.S. armed forces during the war.

Erected for the Civil War 150 commemoration by the Georgia Historical Society, the Georgia Battlefields Association and the Georgia Department of Economic Development.

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Victorian Mourning at the Holliday Dorsey Fife Museum October 16

2010-09-30T12:59:00.000-04:00

Once you hear how many occasions and how often women during the Victorian Age had to wear black and remain in mourning, you'll rejoice that those old customs are not in vogue. Of course, it made picking out clothing really simple.

October 16
11 am

Holliday Dorsey Fife Museum
140 W Lanier Ave
Fayetteville, GA

Travel back centuries to the Victorian Age on October 16. Come see and hear Betty English and Carolyn Balog share the past as they discuss mourning rituals, clothing and jewelry.

Reservations are required, but there is no extra fee to see this fantastic glimpse into the past. The presentation is included with the price of the Museum entry fee.

With a love of history that runs back to the American Revolution, English and Balog are members of the James Waldrop Chapter DAR in Fayetteville.

Photo by Ann Eldredge
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Atlanta History Center Holds Fourth Annual Fall Book Sale

2010-09-29T09:41:00.000-04:00

Saturday, October 23, 2010
9:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Draper Members Room of McElreath Hall

Over 2,000 titles will be available, including books on American history, world history, fiction, biography, and genealogy. Proceeds from the sale of books support the mission of the archives and library in promoting the preservation, conservation, and care of the permanent collections. Donations of books prior to the sale are welcome.

Proof of purchase from the sale provides visitors a $5 discount on admission to the Atlanta History Center on October 23. The admission provides access to all exhibitions, including With Malice Toward None: The Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Exhibition. One coupon per person.

For more information, call 404.814.4049 or email.

Seven Islands Artifacts Day

2010-09-28T15:00:00.000-04:00

Saturday, October 23rd, 2010 from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm at The Indian Spring Hotel, Indian Springs, Ga. 30216
Sponsored by the Butts County Historical Society

The Public is invited to bring their artifacts to be identified and dated by members of The Ocmulgee Archaeological Society. Archaeologist Stephen Hammack and other members of the Ocmulgee Archaeological Society will be on hand to identify Indian Artifacts from all periods and historic artifacts from the earliest days of settlement. Of special note, Georgia Paleoindian Recordation Project Coordinator Jerald Ledbetter and John Whatley, author of “An Overview of Georgia Projectile Points and Selected Cutting Tools,” will be on hand to identify and record Clovis, Dalton, and other early projectile points. There will be several collections on display, flintknapping demonstrations by Dave Swetmon and atl-atl, primitive weapons and friction fire demonstrations by Ken Ruff. Also this year we will have “PICKINING ON THE PORCH”, so come out, and join in the acoustic jam on the back porch.

Seven Islands Artifact Day is sponsored by the Butts County Historical Society, The Village at Indian Springs and Generations Gallery. For more information contact W.J. Shannon at wjshanon123@bellsouth.net or call 770-361-7185.

Have you seen Abraham Lincoln Bicentenniel Exhibition at Atlanta History Center?

2010-09-28T14:04:00.000-04:00

Atlanta History Center Only Southern Venue is Hosting Nationally Traveling Exhibition
Before he became President of the United States of America, Abraham Lincoln was an Illinois country lawyer, an antislavery state legislator, a member of the United States House of Representatives who opposed the Mexican War, and twice was an unsuccessful candidate for election to the U.S. Senate. With Malice Toward None: The Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Exhibition commemorates the 200th anniversary of the birth of our nation’s most revered president. Significantly more than a chronological account of the life of President Lincoln, this exhibition reveals a very personal side of Abraham Lincoln the man, whose intellect and thought, words in speeches and writings, and his occasionally difficult actions in a desperate time of war were deeply affected by his personal experiences and the pivotal historic events brought upon him by the advent of war and loss of life.

On display at the Atlanta History Center through November 7, 2010, the exhibition features interactive computer stations, multimedia presentations, important documents, books, broadsides, and newspapers, as well as prints and photographs, notable artifacts, and historical maps. The exhibition and accompanying programming is designed to provide a glimpse into Lincoln’s presidency and address the storm of controversies he faced, including demanding challenges to individual civil liberties and our national Constitution, as well as controversies over slavery and race, and the defiance of the South leading to the dissolution of the Union and the Civil War. For more information, call 404.814.4000 or visit AtlantaHistoryCenter.com.

The Atlanta History Center is the only venue in the South to host this important national traveling exhibition organized by the Library of Congress. With Malice Toward None and its national tour are made possible through the generous support of Union Pacific Corporation, which was founded by President Lincoln after he signed the Pacific Railway Act in 1862. For more information on Lincoln and Union Pacific, visit UPCelebratesLincoln.com. The exhibition is presented in Atlanta by The John and Mary Franklin Foundation, Southern Company, Atlanta Gas Light, and the Georgia Humanities Council. With Malice Toward None is presented as part of the Atlanta History Center’s Civil War to Civil Rights exhibition series, presented by the Scott Hudgens Family Foundation, Macy’s, and The Atlanta Foundation.

The exhibition opens with a multimedia presentation that explores both the mythic Lincoln and the honorable man as revealed by his stirring and unifying words. It also charts Lincoln’s dramatic ascent from a simple prairie politician to our country’s preeminent statesman and provides a window into the Lincoln presidency, his life’s struggle to keep the Union intact, and as the war drew to a close his last attempts to heal the nation’s wounds before his death.

Video commentaries appear throughout the exhibition from distinguished Americans, including Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, Illinois Senator Dick Durbin, actor Sam Waterston, and others that reveal personal connections to the documents Lincoln wrote. Interactive programs trace the president-elect’s celebratory journey by rail from Springfield to Washington and his return to Illinois by funeral train as the nation mourned his death.

By placing Lincoln’s words in historical context and presenting such bedrock American documents as Lincoln’s First and Second Inaugural Addresses, the Gettysburg Address, and the Emancipation Proclamation, the exhibition provides a deeper understanding of how remarkable Lincoln’s decisions were for their time and why his words resonate today.

The exhibition draws on the extensive collection of Lincoln material in the Library of Congress and includes letters, photographs, political cartoons, period engravings, speeches, and artifacts. The actual grammar book studied by Lincoln in his boyhood effort to master English, the notes he prepared in advance of his seminal debates with Senator Stephen A. Douglas, and the personal scrapbook of newspaper clippings of the debates he assembled help to bring Lincoln to life.

The exhibition includes a caned rocking chair from the Springfield office of the Lincoln and Herndon law firm, on loan from the Union Pacific Railroad Museum, and the contents of Lincoln’s pockets on the night he was assassinated. The exhibition also includes a seldom-seen exchange of letters written during the 1860 presidential campaign between the Republican candidate and Miss Grace Bedell. The two corresponded concerning the positive effects that growing a beard could have on Lincoln’s presidential campaign. The letters are on loan from the Benjamin Shapell Family Manuscript Foundation and the Detroit Public Library. Aspiring poets will enjoy Lincoln’s early attempts at this difficult art form, as well as Walt Whitman’s Civil War diary and his verse written at the time of Lincoln’s assassination, “Oh Captain, My Captain.”

Other items include campaign and election ephemera and such treasures as an autobiography that Lincoln supplied to admiring biographers; his Farewell Address written as he boarded the train from Springfield the Bible upon which he took the oath of office on March 4, 1861, and which was also used by President Barack Obama in 2009; his Gettysburg Address, considered our nation’s preeminent speech; and his impassioned letter to Albert G. Hodges, editor of the Frankfort, Kentucky, Commonwealth, in defense of the Emancipation Proclamation.

Military enthusiasts have the opportunity to see the highly critical letter Lincoln wrote but never sent to General George G. Gordon Meade following the Battle of Gettysburg, the signed commission of General Ulysses S. Grant as Lieutenant General, several inquiring and sometimes reprimanding letters to General George B. McClellan, and the letter of thanks to General William T. Sherman for the capture of Savannah, Georgia. The exhibition also includes one of the most significant military documents of the Civil War, General Robert E. Lee’s “lost order,” which was found by Union forces prior to the Battle of Antietam. Lee’s ensuing retreat following the battle provided Lincoln with the opportunity to issue the Emancipation Proclamation.

The exhibition concludes with a moving selection of emotional artifacts related to Lincoln’s assassination and examines his overwhelming and enduring legacy to our nation and the healing of the nation’s wounds brought on by the Civil War.

Visitors also have the opportunity to tour the Atlanta History Center’s award-winning permanent exhibition, Turning Point: The American Civil War. At 9,200 square feet, Turning Point is the largest Civil War exhibition in the South that tells the story of the war from beginning to end and beyond. Included are over 1,400 original Union and Confederate artifacts, plus photographs, vignettes, videos, and interactive components that deal with the causes of the war, soldiers’ lives, wartime manufacturing, the home front, and the bloody, decisive campaigns of 1864. A final section encourages guests to search for the consequences and meaning of the war, which claimed 670,000 American lives, more than the combined number of Americans killed in all other wars from the American Revolution through the Vietnam conflict. The heart of the exhibit is the DuBose Civil War Collection, one of the world’s largest collections of Civil War artifacts. Displays include materials from the Thomas Swift Dickey Civil War Ordnance Collection, the Confederate States flag that flew over Atlanta at the time of the city’s surrender, a Union supply wagon used by Sherman’s army, General Patrick Cleburne’s sword, the logbooks of the CSS Shenandoah, the diary of a Union soldier who died at Andersonville prison, uniforms from both armies, and firearms, artillery, soldiers’ personal items, letters, diaries, medical equipment, civilian clothing, veterans’ memorabilia, and much more. Free Turning Point audio tours are available.

The DuBose Gallery is made possible by a gift from Mrs. Beverly M. DuBose, Jr. The exhibition is sponsored by an anonymous donor and by Mr. and Mrs. W. Barrett Howell. Installation of Turning Point: The American Civil War was supported by Balentine & Company.

Both exhibitions, With Malice Toward None and Turning Point, are free with general Atlanta History Center admission.

ABOUT THE ATLANTA HISTORY CENTER:
Founded in 1926, the Atlanta History Center is an all-inclusive, thirty-three acre destination featuring the Atlanta History Museum, one of the Southeast’s largest interactive history museums; two historic houses, the 1928 Swan House and the 1860 Tullie Smith Farm; the Centennial Olympic Games Museum; the Kenan Research Center; the Grand Overlook event space; Chick-Fil-A at the Coca-Cola Café, a museum shop, and acres of Historic Gardens with paths and the kid-friendly Connor Brown Discovery Trail.

In addition, the History Center operates the Margaret Mitchell House. Located in Midtown Atlanta, the two-acre campus features tours of the apartment where Margaret Mitchell wrote her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Gone With the Wind, an exhibition highlighting the life of Margaret Mitchell, a Gone With the Wind movie exhibition, and a museum shop.

For more information on Atlanta History Center offerings, hours of operation, and admission, please call 404.814.4000 or visit AtlantaHistoryCenter.com.

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Researchers at Georgia Archives Soon to Have Limited Hours

2010-09-27T08:57:00.000-04:00

Recently, the Georgia Archives announced on their website the reduction of hours due to budget concerns. While this is disappointing to the many researchers who spend the day gleefully digging up family history buried deep in the vaults there, it is good the Archives will remain open on Saturdays.

Here is the announcement from the Georgia Archives:

Effective October 1, 2010 the hours available for public visitation to the Georgia Archives will change to Thursday through Saturday 8:30am to 5:00pm. This is an unfortunate action we must take to meet the difficult budget environment facing all State Agencies.

With the reduction in public hours the Archives staff will now be deployed to fulfill different functions on different days. When the Archives is open to the public, most or all employees will serve the public in the Reference Room. When the Archives is closed to the public, most or all of the employees will work with state agencies to bring records into the Archives, catalog them, and shelve them. To provide better and timelier service for research requests outside the core duties of the State Archives, i.e. genealogy requests, a list of other sources of information can be provided. In this way the Archives will maintain its critical functions with reduced staffing.

Lunch and Learn lectures, normally held on the second Tuesday of each month, have been rescheduled (where possible) for the second Thursday of each month. Please see the website for a revised schedule.

Source: http://www.sos.ga.gov/archives/?utm_source=Georgia+Historic+Preservation+Division+e-newsletters&utm_campaign=809271607f-Preservation+Georgia+Online+-+Sept+18-24%2C+2010&utm_medium=email

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The Shapell Manuscript Foundation In Conjunction With The Library of Congress Presents: With Malice Toward None: The National Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Exhibition

2010-09-21T12:30:00.000-04:00

On Exhibit at the Atlanta History Center, Atlanta, Georgia, September 4 through November 7, 2010

Exceptional Lincolniana on Public Display for the First Time

The Grace Bedell Letter on growing a beard

Lincoln's condolence letter to Miss Fanny McCullough

Lincoln's physician's record of the President's deathbed and autopsy

/PRNewswire/ -- With Malice Toward None: The National Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Exhibition is a landmark exhibit of letters, photographs, documents, and artifacts, which opened at the Library of Congress on Lincoln's 200th birthday, February 12, 2009.

The Shapell Manuscript Foundation is pleased to announce the loan of several rarely seen autographed letters, manuscripts and photographs from its Lincoln Collection for this important exhibition.

The exhibition will include the first public pairing of 11-year-old Grace Bedell's letter to Lincoln suggesting that he grow a beard, together with Lincoln's reply, just four days later. Also on exhibit is his famous condolence letter to Miss Fanny McCullough on the death of her father at the battle of Fredericksburg. An extraordinary assassination-related piece from the collection will also be featured: the blood-stained notes of Lincoln's family physician describing the President's tragic final hours—his decline, death, and autopsy.

While the scope and outreach of the Shapell Manuscript Foundation has included the lending of manuscripts to international exhibitions, this will be the first time that so many of its Lincolniana treasures have been publicly displayed in one place.

With Malice Toward None: The Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Exhibition has already traveled to the California Museum in Sacramento, California, the Newberry Library in Chicago, Illinois and the Indiana State Museum in Indianapolis, Indiana. After the Atlanta History Center in Atlanta, Georgia, the exhibition will make its last appearance at the Durham Western Heritage Museum in Omaha, Nebraska (Jan. 15–Mar. 20, 2011).

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CITGO Provides Free Admission to More Than 1,000 Museums on Smithsonian Magazine's 6th Annual Museum Day

2010-09-21T08:52:00.000-04:00

Editor Note: Georgia has many museums participating in this wonderful event. To see the list of 40 museums across our great state who are part of this wonderful excursion into history, click http://www.smithsonianmag.com/museumday/museum-search/?state=Georgia .

/PRNewswire/ -- CITGO Petroleum Corp. and its network of local marketers and retailers are proud to continue their support of Smithsonian Magazine's 6th Annual Museum Day. On Sep. 25, 2010, more than 1,000 participating museums and cultural institutions across the country will open their doors free of charge. As a supporting sponsor of this program, CITGO encourages people to visit a local museum or historical site to help keep history and culture alive.

"CITGO and our network of local marketers and retailers are committed to historical preservation, scientific advancement and cultural education in each of the local communities we serve," said Gustavo Velasquez, vice president of supply and marketing with CITGO. "As we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the CITGO brand this year, we look back at the milestones and events that have helped shape who we are and the people we serve. The Smithsonian Magazine's Museum Day is a great way for local families to join us in celebrating this rich history."

More than 1,000 museums, galleries and historical sites will open their doors free of charge on Sep. 25, including the network of 19 Smithsonian museums and 168 affiliate museums. Families can experience a wide range of fascinating institutions at no charge, including the Boston Children's Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, the Miami Zoo and the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City. To accesses a local attraction for free, visitors can simply go to www.SmithsonianMag.com/MuseumDay and print an admission ticket. Across 27 states and the District of Columbia, the network of nearly 6,500 locally owned CITGO stations will help families fuel their day as they learn about the history and culture that has made America great.

"We know that many families are looking for value these days. We are pleased to be able to give our customers a great way to make memories without having to spend a lot of money," added Gustavo Velasquez.

CITGO is joined in their support of the Smithsonian Magazine's 6th Annual Museum Day by its network of local marketers and retailers. In alignment with the social development principles of the CITGO shareholder, Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A., the national oil company of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, CITGO marketers and retailers support a wide range of charity and educational programs in local communities across the country.

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Apollo Discovery Tells a New Story

2010-09-20T10:54:00.000-04:00

A University of Haifa/Hebrew University excavation team is taken by surprise as it discovers a ring revealing a Hellenistic elite lifestyle.

Newswise — A rare bronze signet ring with the impression of the face of the Greek sun god, Apollo, has been discovered at Tel Dor, in northern Israel, by University of Haifa diggers. "A piece of high-quality art such as this, doubtlessly created by a top-of-the-line artist, indicates that local elites developing a taste for fine art and the ability to afford it were also living in provincial towns, and not only in the capital cities of the Hellenistic kingdoms," explains Dr. Ayelet Gilboa, Head of the Department of Archaeology at the University of Haifa, who headed the excavations at Dor along with Dr. Ilan Sharon of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

When the ring was recovered from a waste pit near Hellenistic structures, it was covered with layers of earth and corrosion, and the archaeologists had no indication whatsoever that it would reveal the shape of a legendary figure. Only after the ring was cleaned up at the Restoration and Conservation laboratory at the Hebrew University's Institute of Archaeology, was the profile of a beardless young male with long hair, clean shaven and adorned with a laurel wreath, revealed. The ring was examined by Dr. Jessica Nitschke, professor of classical archaeology at Georgetown University in Washington DC, and by Dr. Rebecca Martin, assistant professor of art at Southeast Missouri State University, both of whom are partners in the Tel Dor excavations. Both confirmed that the image is that of Apollo – one of the most important of the Olympian gods in Greek mythology, god of the sun, of light, music and song.

The archaeological context and style of the signet ring date it back to the 4th or 3rd century B.C.E. This type of ring was used as a seal or was dedicated to the temple of the god imprinted on the ring. Since it was found in an urban context and at an orderly archaeological dig, the discovery is of great significance: Most of the small pieces of art originating in the Near East until now are of unknown origin, having been displaced through illegal antique trade, or purchased by museums and collectors before scientific archaeological research began.

The ring also testifies to the cosmopolitan character of this region as far back as 2,300 years ago. Despite the damage caused over the centuries, its high quality is easily recognizable. The precious object was found in the same area as a small gemstone with an engraved image of Alexander the Great and a rare, exquisite Hellenistic mosaic floor that were unearthed during earlier excavation seasons. All these discoveries are very likely to be linked to a nearby structure which is currently being excavated, the architectural features of which indicate that it is a grand elite structure.

These finds indicate that the circulation of fine art objects was not limited to the capital cities of the Hellenistic kingdoms in the east, such as Alexandria in Egypt or Antioch and Seleucia in Syria, where the main populations were Greek, but also spread to smaller centers, such as Dor, which was primarily populated by local Phoenician inhabitants.

The town of Dor was an important port on the Mediterranean shore from 2000 B.C.E. until 250 C.E. Pieces of Greek-style art, such as signet rings and miniature gems, began to appear in the east at the time of the Persian Empire (6th-4th centuries B.C.E.) and became more common after Alexander the Great conquered the region, passing through Dor on his journey from Tyre to Egypt in 332 B.C.E. Subsequently, the town of Dor became one of the centers of Greek culture in the land of Israel, and that culture left its mark even after Dor was conquered by Alexander Jannaeus, King of Judea, around 100 B.C.E. and its impact is evident well into the Roman era.

Tel Dor is located next to the Dor (Tantura) beach, between Haifa and Tel Aviv. It has been excavated continuously for some thirty years and is in the process of being declared a National Park by the Israel Nature and Parks Authority. University of Haifa and Hebrew University teams collaborate in the excavations, along with a team headed by Prof. Sarah Stroup of the University of Washington in Seattle and a team directed by Dr. Elizabeth Bloch-Smith of St. Joseph's University, Philadelphia. Some 130 researchers, students and volunteers from Israel and the U.S.A. participated in the 2010 season of excavations. The ring was discovered in an excavation area directed by Yiftah Shalev and Hagar Ben-Best, a PhD candidate and a graduate student of the University of Haifa's Department of Archaeology. The Tel Dor excavations are supported by the Goldhirsh Foundation, USA, by the Berman Foundation for Biblical Archaeology and by the Israel Science Foundation.

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Coca-Cola Enterprises donates antique soda fountain to UGA College of Pharmacy

2010-09-20T10:27:00.000-04:00

Coca-Cola Enterprises donated a historic soda fountain to the University of Georgia College of Pharmacy on September 17. The 1907 soda fountain, manufactured by Liquid Carbonic Co., is valued at $15,000.

Featuring a mirrored frame, marble counter tops and dispensing unit, the massive oak fountain has 13 flavoring dispensers. It was operational for many years at the Brightwell Store in Maxeys, before eventually moving to Coca-Cola Enterprises in Atlanta. The soda fountain now has a new home in the College of Pharmacy’s Alumni Suite, which was recently dedicated as part of the Pharmacy South Building project and renovations to the Robert C. Wilson Pharmacy Building.

Laura Brightwell, vice president of public affairs and communications at Coca-Cola Enterprises, is a descendent of the Maxeys Brightwell family. She and her colleagues at Coca-Cola Enterprises, Bill Douglas, executive vice president and chief financial officer, and Joe Cunningham, Coca-Cola facilities manager in Athens, officiated at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, along with Svein Oie, dean of the pharmacy college, and Dana Strickland, director of development.

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Presidential Proclamation--Constitution Day, Citizenship Day, Constitution Week

2010-09-17T15:24:00.000-04:00

Editor's Note: Know your Constitution. Read your Constitution. Be prepared to defend it everyday.

Enjoy the nationwide celebrations today as all Americans celebrate the Constitution and its signing 223 years ago.

The summer of 1787 was a watershed moment in our Nation's history. In the span of four short months, delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia established a Constitution for the United States of America, signing the finished charter on September 17, 1787. With their signatures, and subsequent ratification of the Constitution by the States, the Framers advanced our national journey.

On Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, and during Constitution Week, we commemorate the legacy passed down to us from our Nation's Founders. Our Constitution, with the Bill of Rights and amendments, has stood the test of time, steering our country through times of prosperity and peace, and guiding us through the depths of internal conflict and war. Because of the wisdom of those who have shaped our Nation's founding documents, and the sacrifices of those who have defended America for over two centuries, we enjoy unprecedented freedoms and opportunities. As beneficiaries, we have a solemn duty to participate in our vibrant democracy so that it remains strong and responsive to the needs of our people.

Each year, thousands of candidates for citizenship commemorate Constitution Day and Citizenship Day by becoming new American citizens. These individuals breathe life into our Constitution by learning about its significance and the rights it enshrines, and then by taking a solemn oath to "support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America." In so doing, they voluntarily accept that citizenship is not merely a collection of rights, but also a set of responsibilities. Just as our Founders sought to secure the "Blessings of Liberty" for themselves and their posterity, these new Americans have come to our shores to embrace and impart the fundamental beliefs that define us as a Nation.

In the United States, our Constitution is not simply words written on aging parchment, but a foundation of government, a protector of liberties, and a guarantee that we are all free to shape our own destiny. As we celebrate this document's profound impact on our everyday lives, may all Americans strive to uphold its vision of freedom and justice for all.

In remembrance of the signing of the Constitution and in recognition of the Americans who strive to uphold the duties and responsibilities of citizenship, the Congress, by joint resolution of February 29, 1952 (36 U.S.C. 106), designated September 17 as "Constitution Day and Citizenship Day," and by joint resolution of August 2, 1956 (36 U.S.C. 108), requested that the President proclaim the week beginning September 17 and ending September 23 of each year as "Constitution Week."

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim September 17, 2010, as Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, and September 17 through September 23, 2010, as Constitution Week. I encourage Federal, State, and local officials, as well as leaders of civic, social, and educational organizations, to conduct ceremonies and programs that recognize our Constitution and reaffirm our rights and obligations as citizens of this great Nation.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this sixteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand ten, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fifth.

BARACK OBAMA

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Yellow Fever! Savannah’s Epidemic of 1820

2010-09-16T22:43:00.000-04:00

Living history interpreters lead participants on a 50-minute experience through the historic site as voyeurs facing the frightful time of pestilence when the city was stricken by an epidemic of unknown cause but what we now know as mosquito-borne yellow fever. Performers will convey the fear, apprehension and anguish that characterized those who witnessed the deadly disease.

Friday and Saturday nights in October 2010 (October 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, 16, 22, 23, 29, 30)
7:30, 7:50, 8:10, 8:30 and 8:50 p.m.

Admission: $15 in advance for adults, $10 in advance children (ages 8-17) and $17 for adults and $15 for children at the time of the Reservations recommended. Limited attendance.

Location: Davenport House, 324 E. State Street, Savannah, GA

Not appropriate from children under 8 years of age.
The performance requires that guests be able to walk up and down stairs and maneuver in the candlelit rooms.

The Davenport House is a property of Historic Savannah Foundation.

Tennessee Child History Buff and Author Gets Surprise Book Deal

2010-09-16T22:00:00.000-04:00

Titanic Museum Attraction visit inspires Sevierville boy

Publish Post

Earlier this summer, 9-year old Luke Copas toured the new Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. with his mother and father, Sabrina and Robby Copas. The fourth grader at Northview Primary School in Kodak, Tenn. was no stranger to the world’s most famous luxury liner; in fact, he had already written a book about it – but his visit to the museum would lead to a huge surprise for the young writer.

Last school year, then 8-year old Luke had been selected to participate in the “Child Authors’ Conference.” An avid reader who loved learning about the past, Luke wanted his book to create a passion in other children for history.

Sabrina Copas said, “Luke became a walking encyclopedia of all things Titanic. He was literally consumed by it. When it came time for him to actually write his book for the Child Authors’ Conference, it took him less than one week to write it because he knew the subject matter so well.”

Luke took his book to the Titanic Museum Attraction and showed it to co-owner Mary Kellogg-Joslyn. Impressed with the boy’s talent and driven by his enthusiasm, Kellogg-Joslyn secretly made a few phone calls and landed the boy a book deal.

“He has an amazing talent,” Kellogg-Joslyn said. “The first time I read his book, I couldn’t believe my eyes. He writes so well and researched this book so deeply that I simply wanted to share it with others.”

On Thursday, Sept. 16, Luke’s entire class at Northview Primary School was summonsed to the school library, where Kellogg-Joslyn and Titanic Museum Attraction First Class Maid Jaynee made a surprise appearance. At first, Luke didn’t know why they were there – but when he saw the first copy of Facts For Kids About the Titanic his face changed expressions.

“That’s MY book!” Luke proudly proclaimed to his classmates and Cub Scout friends who had joined him for his special surprise. Luke Copas’ new book Facts For Kids About the Titanic was released this week and is now available at the Titanic Museum Attraction gift shop.

On Saturday, Sept. 18 from noon until 2 p.m. Luke Copas will sign copies of his new book Facts For Kids About the Titanic in the gift shop at the Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge. The gift shop is always open to the public.

Since opening last April, nearly 500,000 visitors have been welcomed aboard Titanic Museum Attraction. The Titanic Museum Attraction – which is conveniently located to all areas of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville – is now open every day from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. ET. Tickets are available online at www.TitanicPigeonForge.com and visitors are strongly urged to purchase tickets in advance or make reservations by calling 1-800-381-7670. The museum has something special for each and every member of your family.

Cedar Bay Entertainment, which owns and operates Titanic Museum Attraction, is a privately owned entertainment and development company headquartered in Branson, Missouri, the site of Cedar Bay’s first Titanic Museum Attraction. Since its April 2006 grand opening, it has welcomed more than 2,700,000 guests.
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Ancestry Day in Atlanta Scheduled for September 18 at National Archives

2010-09-08T13:09:00.000-04:00

Saturday, September 18, 2010
National Archives and Records Administration (NARA South East Region),
5780 Jonesboro Road; Morrow, GA 30260

9:00am–4:00pm (doors open 8:30)
$10.00 Registration includes a box lunch at noon.

Free parking, seating is limited.

Presentations: - Getting the Most from your Ancestry.com Membership
- Online Member Trees: Ancestry's Powerful Tool Keeps Getting Better
- Ancestry World Archives Project and You
- African American Collection at Ancestry
- Southern Claims Commission Records (Presented by Reginald Washington from the National Archives - Washington, DC)

Have you seen recent TV shows focusing on family history? If so, you may be wondering how you can get started on your own family history. Or you may be a long time user of Ancestry.com and are wondering how to get more from your membership. Register today to attend our Ancestry Day in Atlanta and learn about the premier family history website from a true insider.

Sponsored by: The Afro-American Genealogical Society Inc., Metro Atlanta Chapter (www.rootsweb.com/~gaaahgs) in partnership with the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) South East Region (www.archives.gov/southeast/) are excited to host Ancestry.com at this event!

Your presenter, Lisa Arnold is a content manager for Ancestry.com and has been involved in genealogical research, teaching, and lecturing for more than 15 years. She holds a B.S. in Family History from Brigham Young University and is currently a Master's Degree candidate at the University of Limerick. From the Philadelphia area originally, she is the former Director of the Family History Center in Valley Forge, PA, and author of "Finding Your Quaker Ancestors". Lisa is the Chapter Coordinator for her local chapter for the Association of Professional Genealogists and is the proud grandmother of 5 (and counting!).

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Tour Atlanta's Historic Homes & Landmarks During The Georgia Trust's Fall Ramble, Sept. 10-12

2010-09-03T10:47:00.000-04:00

/PRNewswire/ -- The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation will host its annual Fall Ramble Friday-Sunday, Sept. 10-12, in Atlanta, where guests will have the opportunity to tour more than 25 historic properties not usually open to the public.

During the weekend, 'Ramblers' will tour grand private homes in Inman Park, Ansley Park, and Grant Park. Ramblers will also discover the rich heritage of Sweet Auburn Avenue, and enjoy special tours of the Fox Theatre, St. Luke's Episcopal Church, and other Midtown landmarks.

Ramblers will begin the weekend Friday night at Rhodes Hall, headquarters of The Georgia Trust and one of the last remaining mansions on Peachtree Street, with a special reception and a behind-the-scenes tour.

On Saturday morning, Ramblers will enjoy breakfast and an orientation at historic St. Luke's Episcopal Church, where its gorgeous windows were created and installed over a sixty year period and were the work of three world renowned stained glass studios.

Saturday afternoon Ramblers will enjoy a luncheon at Inman Park United Methodist, a Romanesque style church completed in 1898, while exploring residential gems in Atlanta's oldest neighborhoods. That evening guests will experience a rare opportunity to dine at the exclusive East Lake Golf Club, the home course of legendary golfer Bobby Jones.

Sunday's Ramble will begin with a delicious brunch at Oakland Cemetery, the final resting place of many Atlanta notables, followed by a tour of beautifully restored Victorian homes in Grant Park. The tour will conclude with an exploration of Sweet Auburn, birthplace of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement.

Check-in and registration for the Fall Ramble will be on Friday, Sept. 10, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Rhodes Hall, 1516 Peachtree Street NW, and at St. Luke's Episcopal Church, 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 11.

A wide variety of registration options is available. For more information or to register, visit www.GeorgiaTrust.org or call 404-885-7812.

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'History with Elizabeth' at The Carnegie Topic Mill Villages (Newnan)

2010-09-01T21:03:00.000-04:00

Come to The Carnegie for an intimate discussion with local Historian Elizabeth Beers to learn more about Newnan and its history. The event will be September 8 at 10 A.M.

“This program is a favorite with both newcomers and Newnanites alike as you can always learn something new about the city you live in from,” says Amy Mapel, Carnegie Coordinator.

A fourth generation Coweta Countian, Elizabeth is a descendant of early settlers. Proud of her heritage and always imbued with a strong sense of history, Ms. Beers has been actively involved in various professional, civic, community, church, and historical organizations. With her knowledge of the county and its people, she is a resource person, and has become known as the "unofficial local historian."

Please call the Carnegie at 770-683-1347 to reserve a spot today

About the Carnegie

Carnegie is one of the most historically significant structures in downtown Newnan and was built in 1904. The building served as a library until 1987 when a new facility was constructed on Hospital Road. With its iconic lighted sign that states the ‘City of Homes’ on top of the building, citizens recognize the Carnegie when they drive through historic downtown.

The Carnegie was funded by the city of Newnan’s General Fund and partly by 2007 Special Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST). The Carnegie’s cost to be renovated was over $1.5 million dollars to the city. For more information on the Carnegie, please visit www.newnancarnegie.com or email amapel@cityofnewnan.org

NASA, Internet Archive and Flickr Launch Historic Image Collection

2010-08-30T11:42:00.000-04:00

/PRNewswire/ -- Three compilations of images from more than half a century of NASA history are available for comment on a section of the photo-sharing site Flickr known as The Commons.

Visitors to NASA on The Commons can help tell the photos' story by adding tags, or keywords, to the images to identify objects and people. In addition, viewers can communicate with other visitors by sharing comments. These contributions will help make the images easier to find online and add insight about NASA's history.

The capability to interact with these already-public photos is the result of a partnership between NASA, Flickr from Yahoo! in Sunnyvale, Calif., and Internet Archive, a non-profit digital library based in San Francisco.

Three sets of photos share a common theme of NASA beginnings. The "Launch and Takeoff" set captures iconic spacecraft and aircraft taking flight. "Building NASA" spotlights ground-breaking events and the construction of some of NASA's one-of-a-kind facilities. The "Center Namesakes" set features photos of the founders and figureheads of NASA's 10 field centers. To view NASA on The Commons images, visit:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nasacommons

"NASA's long-standing partnership with Internet Archive and this new one with Yahoo!'s Flickr provides an opportunity for the public to participate in the process of discovery," said Debbie Rivera, lead for the NASA Images project at the agency's headquarters in Washington. "In addition, the public can help the agency capture historical knowledge about missions and programs through this new resource and make it available for future generations."

The Commons was launched with the Library of Congress to increase access to publicly-held photography collections and provide a way for the public to contribute information and knowledge.

"NASA on The Commons is bringing literally out-of-these-world images to Flickr," said Douglas Alexander, general manager of Flickr. "We are thrilled to be working with NASA to offer such a rich archive and provide amazing insight into this country's space program and its early beginnings."

As the project leader, the New Media Innovation Team at NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif., enlisted the help of NASA photography and history experts to compile the three image sets for The Commons. The group will continue to create and release new photo sets that highlight different elements, themes or achievements.

Through a competitive process, NASA selected the Internet Archive in 2007 to organize a comprehensive online compilation of the agency's vast collection of photographs, historic film and video on the NASA Images website. Launched in 2008, NASAimages.org provides hundreds of thousands of images and thousands of hours of video, HD video and audio content available free to the public for download.

"Sharing important assets like NASA photography is the core mission of the Internet Archive. Through this partnership with NASA and Flickr, NASA on The Commons is bringing these images to a vast audience and providing an opportunity for the public to give fresh insight and increase our shared knowledge of NASA in all its varied activities," said Jon Hornstein, director of the NASA Images Project at the Internet Archive in San Francisco.

For more information and to see the image collection, visit:
http://www.nasaimages.org/

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Theatre in the Square Hosts FREE Panel Discussion about the Great Locomotive Chase

2010-08-28T11:41:00.000-04:00

Theatre in the Square will host a free panel discussion that gives more insight into the actual history of the Great Locomotive Chase which is the basis for the current production, Stealing Dixie and about how the play came to be. Panelists will include Playwright, Clayton State Theatre Director Phillip DePoy; Lead Interpreter at The Southern Museum, Harper Harris; CEO/Founder of the Marietta Museum of History, Dan Cox; and President of Georgia Battlefields Association, Charlie Crawford. Moderator for the panel will be Stealing Dixie director and Theatre in the Square Assistant Artistic Director, Jessica Phelps West. This event is free and open to the public. Tickets are not needed for the panel, but tickets are available to purchase to the 2:30 p.m. matinee or the 7 p.m. showing of Stealing Dixie by calling (770) 422-8369 or online at www.theatreinthesquare.com.

DePoy will be available to sign copies of his books following the panel discussion.

Sunday, Aug. 29, at 4:30 p.m. The panel will last approximately one hour.

The panel will take place on the Main Stage at Theatre in the Square. Theatre in the Square is located off of the Historic Marietta Square at 11 Whitlock Ave., Marietta, Ga., 30064.

Details about the show:

Stealing Dixie
By Phillip DePoy
Directed by Jessica Phelps West
Music Direction by Phillip DePoy

Stealing Dixie is a gripping portrayal of the Great Locomotive Chase that centers around James Andrews’ (Zechariah Pierce), plan to end the Civil War with hopes of no more bloodshed. As a part of his plan he meets in what is now known as the Kennesaw House, the location of the Marietta Museum of History, with Knight (Corey Bradberry), a locomotive engineer, Parrott (Rob Lawhon), a private in the Union Army who is armed and ready to kill, Ross (Scott E. DePoy), a Sgt. Major in the Union Army and Campbell (Bryant Smith), a fellow spy. This group of Union soldiers and sympathizers has come to be known as Andrews’ Raiders.

Performances are now through Sept. 12, Tuesdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. There is a Wednesday matinee at 2:30 p.m. on Sept. 1 only. The play is recommended for ages 16 and up. Tickets are $24 to $33 and are available at the Theatre in the Square Box Office by calling (770) 422-8369 or online at www.theatreinthesquare.com. Discount rates for are available for groups of 10 or more by calling (770) 422-8369, x29.
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Kermit the Frog Comes Home to Washington

2010-08-27T10:55:00.000-04:00

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History accepted 10 characters from Sam and Friends from Jane Henson, on behalf of the Jim Henson family, in a special donation ceremony.

Sam and Friends debuted on local Washington, D.C., station WRC-TV in 1955 launching what would become a global phenomenon—the Muppets. The show featured a host of unique characters, including the original Kermit the Frog, who was more of a lizard-like creature, constructed with ping pong ball eyes and green felt from a coat discarded by Jim Henson’s mother. This version of Kermit does not have his signature collar, and his feet are rounded.

“Jim Henson embodied the innovation and ingenuity that is inherent in American culture,” said Brent D. Glass, director of the museum. “Beyond the entertainment value Henson’s creations provided, his work helped educate and inform his audiences, an influence that continues today.”

Joining Kermit on display at the museum this fall are other characters from Sam and Friends, including Pierre the French Rat, Henson’s oldest surviving puppet, first drawn in 1954 as part of a comic strip for his high school yearbook; Yorick, a purple skull who was a precursor to hungry monsters like Cookie Monster, made of papier-mâché; Mushmellon, whose wide face and grouchy eyes bear a distinct resemblance to Oscar the Grouch; and Sam, the main character who never spoke but lip-synced to popular music and comedy records of the time.

Henson saw enormous potential for puppets on TV and he came up with the word Muppet in the mid-1950s. Seemingly a combination of puppet and marionette, Henson insisted that he chose the term simply because he liked the way it sounded. Central to the design of a Muppet is the construction of the face—creating a pattern with the eyes, nose and mouth called “the magic triangle”—which establishes a point of focus that helps to bring the puppet to life in the eye of a video camera and to the viewers watching at home.

“It is wonderful that Sam and Friends should find themselves back here in Washington, D.C., where they first appeared,” said Jane Henson, Henson’s wife. “And now they get to greet old friends and meet new ones at the newly renovated and exciting National Museum of American History.”

From the early beginnings of Sam and Friends—of which only a few episodes survive—the Muppets went on to evolve and achieve worldwide popularity. The Muppet Show was introduced in 1976 and reached 235 million viewers in more than 100 countries. The series won three Emmys during its five-year run as well as spawning feature-films like The Muppet Movie, The Great Muppet Caper and The Muppets take Manhattan. Muppets is a registered trademark of The Muppets Studio LLC Ltd.

The Kermit the Frog that is already in the museum’s collection was first loaned in 1979, in celebration of Sesame Street’s 10th anniversary. In 1994, Jim Henson Productions designated Kermit as a gift, making him a permanent fixture in the museum’s performance collections.

The National Museum of American History collects, preserves and displays American heritage in the areas of social, political, cultural, scientific and military history. To learn more about the museum, check http://americanhistory.si.edu. For Smithsonian information, the public may call (202) 633-1000, (202) 633-5285 (TTY).

For more information about the life and work of Jim Henson, visit The Jim Henson Legacy website: www.jimhensonlegacy.org

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National Archives Receives Original Nuremberg Laws from Huntington Library

2010-08-25T13:51:00.000-04:00

/PRNewswire/ -- In a transfer ceremony at The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens today, Archivist of the United States David S. Ferriero accepted on behalf of the U.S. Government the original Nuremberg Laws presented by Steven S. Koblik, Huntington president. Gen. George S. Patton Jr. deposited the documents at the Library for safekeeping at the end of World War II. He died in December of 1945 in an automobile crash before he could discuss their final disposition.

In presenting the Laws to Mr. Ferriero, Dr. Koblik said, "These documents should have been part of the National Archives, had Gen. Patton followed instructions from his commander-in-chief in Europe, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower. Eisenhower directed that all documents related to the persecution of the Jews should be sent to a common collection point in Germany that was preparing for the Nuremberg War Crime Trials. These materials eventually were deposited at the National Archives. The Huntington felt strongly that it wanted the Nuremberg Laws to be placed with the other original documentation of war crimes against Jews during World War II. We are pleased that we are able to present these documents to the Archivist of the United States today so that the collection is now complete."

"I am pleased and honored to accept these originals of the Nuremberg Laws on behalf of the National Archives and Records Administration and the Government of the United States," said Mr. Ferriero.

"September 15, just a few weeks away, will mark the 75th anniversary of the signing of these laws by Adolf Hitler, which he used as the legal underpinning for the persecution of Jews in Germany, culminating in the Holocaust. We are very grateful that the Huntington Library is now providing these historically important documents to the National Archives, where they will join other original documents relating to horrors of the Third Reich," he continued.

The National Archives also released today a 3:49 minute video short from its series "Inside the Vaults," highlighting the background of the Nuremberg Laws. The video, which includes historic footage and interviews with National Archives expert Greg Bradsher and Huntington president Steven Koblik, is hosted online on the National Archives YouTube Channel, http://www.youtube.com/USNationalArchives/, and the National Archives website, www.archives.gov/. This video is in the public domain and not subject to any copyright restrictions. The National Archives encourages its free distribution.

Background:

The Laws, which were signed by Hitler in 1935, are considered to be the official blueprint of racial policies against Jews in Germany. Individuals were defined as Jews if three or four of their grandparents were Jewish. They were stripped of their German citizenship and prohibited from marrying German citizens.

The Nuremberg Laws will join millions of other documents in the National Archives World War II holdings relating to the Third Reich, the Holocaust, and the trials at Nuremberg. They include transcripts of proceedings, prosecution and defense exhibits, interrogation records, document books and court papers. They also include other items such as the war diaries of Joseph Goebbels and Gen. Alfred Jodl, as well as registers from concentration camps.

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Observatory hosting GSU’s CHARA Array named important site in astronomical history

2010-08-24T15:35:00.000-04:00

The Mount Wilson Observatory, a historic observatory operated from Georgia State University and which hosts GSU’s Center for High Angular Resolution Astronomy (CHARA), has been listed by the International Astronomical Union and the International Council on Monuments and Sites as a potential “heritage site of Astronomy and Archaeoastronomy.”

The Mount Wilson Observatory, founded in 1904, is located in the San Gabriel Mountains near Los Angeles and is where astronomers made revolutionary discoveries about the universe — including the realization that the Earth’s solar system is not at the center of our home galaxy, the Milky Way, and that our galaxy is only one among countless others in a vast and expanding universe.

The observatory was listed in “Heritage Sites of Astronomy and Archaeoastronomy in the Context of the UNESCO World Heritage Convention: A Thematic Study.” The report from the IAU and the ICOMOS was produced as part of the International Year of Astronomy in 2009.

The report was endorsed by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization, the world body which administers the UNESCO World Heritage Convention that protects sites that are important to the cultural heritage of the world.

While this is not a formal nomination of the observatory as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Mount Wilson is the only observatory in the United States presented among many case studies from around the world as potentially meriting such a designation on the basis of its historic scientific accomplishments.

CHARA Director and Regents’ Professor Harold McAlister, who is also CEO of the non-profit Mount Wilson Institute that has offices on the Georgia State campus, said he is delighted with this recognition of Mount Wilson Observatory.

“This is testimony to the unique role Mount Wilson played during the first half of the 20th Century. Its wonderful telescopes and talented scientists reinvented astronomy and awoke humans to the almost unimaginable scale of the Universe in which we live,” McAlister said.

“Astronomers all over the world are still searching for answers to questions first posed from Mount Wilson,” he further explained. “I am proud that Georgia State is playing an important role in preserving this wonderful site.”

The observatory includes two “tower telescopes” for studying the sun and two night-time telescopes, a 60-inch telescope completed in 1908 that is considered the first truly modern telescope, and the famous 100-inch Hooker telescope used by Edwin Hubble in the 1920s to measure the expansion of the universe.

Harlow Shapley used the 60-inch telescope before World War I to prove our location in the “suburbs” of the Milky Way galaxy rather than at its center. The observatory’s founder, George Ellery Hale, used the 60-ft solar tower telescope to discover strong magnetic fields in the sun and to determine the true period of the so-called sunspot cycle.

More modern is Georgia State’s CHARA Array, an array of six telescopes that bring individual beams of light to synthesize a giant telescope hundreds of meters across through a process called interferometry.

The CHARA Array is the most powerful telescope of its kind in the world and has produced for the first time extremely high resolution images of normal-sized stars, stars in binary systems that are exchanging mass with one another and surface features on other stars. More recently, CHARA produced images of the mysterious dark eclipsing companion in the binary star system epsilon Aurigae, whose eclipse happens only every 27 years.

The CHARA Array was built with support from GSU, the National Science Foundation, the W.M. Keck Foundation, and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. It was dedicated in 2000 and became fully operational in 2004. It is operational funding is provided by the Division of Astronomical Sciences of the National Science Foundation and by the College of Arts and Sciences of Georgia State University.

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Georgia Southern University Archaeology Students Uncover Priceless Civil War Artifacts

2010-08-20T10:19:00.000-04:00

Georgia Southern University archaeology students have uncovered numerous priceless and unique Civil War artifacts at the site of a Confederate prison camp in Millen, Ga.

"This is truly a stunning find with historical implications that will be studied for decades," said Georgia Southern University Archaeology Professor Sue Moore, Ph.D. "While we knew we were searching in the immediate vicinity of the site of the Civil War’s largest prison camp, we were amazed by some of the artifacts that were uncovered and at their condition. These pieces tell the story like nothing else can of what life was like for the thousands of prisoners and soldiers who lived here at the close of the war."

The artifacts—including a makeshift smoking pipe, bullets turned into gaming pieces, a tourniquet buckle, jewelry, eating utensils, and coins—were found at Magnolia Springs State Park in Millen, Ga. The area was the site of Camp Lawton, which at the close of the Civil War was believed to be the largest prison camp in the world. The state park was established in the 1930’s, after the exact boundaries of the prison camp were no longer known. The widely accepted view by many archaeologists was that there were no significant or personal Civil War artifacts to be found at the site.

Georgia Southern University archaeology graduate students began conducting research there in the fall of 2009 at the request of Georgia Department of Natural Resources Director Chris Clark. Clark, an alumnus of Georgia Southern University, hoped the team could pinpoint the location of the stockade walls that originally surrounded the prison. If the team was successful, Clark eventually planned to reconstruct the walls to bring additional tourists to the park. However, no one believed the land still contained much else in the way of Civil War artifacts.

"Many Civil War sites have been stripped by a century and a half of farming and development," said Georgia Southern University graduate student Kevin Chapman, who is heading the project and discovered the first artifacts. "Now we have unearthed numerous items that haven’t been touched in 150 years. We never believed that we would find anything of this magnitude."

Camp Lawton was constructed in 1864 by the Confederate Army to replace Georgia’s notorious Andersonville prison. Camp Lawton housed more than ten-thousand Union prisoners, and hundreds of Confederate soldiers. But, the camp was only occupied for six weeks before evacuations began in the middle of the night on November 26, 1864 as the Union army approached during Sherman’s March to the Sea. Chapman believes that hasty exit may be the reason so many artifacts remained on the site.

"What we’ve found were treasures of the prisoners who were kept here," Chapman explained. "They would have hidden these things from the Confederate guards. When they were roused in the middle of the night to begin the move out, there may not have been time to retrieve them. Also, records tell us anywhere from 750 to 1,200 men died at Camp Lawton over the course of six weeks. Some of these items may be things the soldiers hid away and were never found between their death and the time of the evacuation."

Under an agreement with the federal government, the portion of the land in Magnolia Springs State Park where the artifacts were found was recently transferred to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This area is now enclosed by a fence and is under 24 hour video surveillance and manned security to prevent looting of the site. Anyone caught looting in the area is subject to prosecution, with penalties that could include prison time and hefty fines. Georgia Southern University students will continue their scientific research and excavations in an effort to study the area as thoroughly as possible.

"This is sacred ground," said Moore. "Hundreds of men died here and what they, and the other prisoners, left behind belong to the public and future generations. When these artifacts are excavated and preserved in the correct, scientific way they give us a detailed picture of the people who lived and died at Camp Lawton. We are dedicated to preserving these pieces so everyone can have an up close look at these secrets that have been buried for more than a century."

The artifacts will be on exhibit at the Georgia Southern University Museum beginning October 10, 2010. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the custodian of the artifacts, which belong to the American people. For more information about Georgia Southern’s discovery at Camp Lawton, please visit www.georgiasouthern.edu/camplawton.

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United States Mint Launches James Buchanan Presidential $1 Coin at Historic Home of Nation's 15th President

2010-08-19T11:47:00.000-04:00

/PRNewswire/ -- Beginning August 19, the Nation will see Presidential $1 coins bearing the image of James Buchanan, the Nation's 15th President. To commemorate the release of the new coin, the United States Mint hosted a launch ceremony on the grounds of Wheatland, Buchanan's beloved home, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

"In a few short weeks, Americans will begin to see James Buchanan Presidential $1 Coins and will be reminded of his place in history," said United States Mint Deputy Director Andy Brunhart.

The ceremony included commentary on Buchanan's legacy from Donald Walters, Emeritus Professor of Educational Administration at Temple University. Following the ceremony, children 18 years old and younger received a James Buchanan Presidential $1 Coin, and adults exchanged their currency for 25-coin rolls of the new coin.

Buchanan, the 15th U.S. President, was born on April 23, 1791, near Mercersburg, Pa. He was the oldest of 11 children. After graduating from college, Buchanan studied law and began a successful law career in 1812. During the War of 1812, he helped defend Baltimore against British attack. Buchanan, a gifted orator, became a state legislator, and later served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, and as U.S. minister to Russia. In 1845, he became President James K. Polk's secretary of state. His later service abroad as U.S. minister to Great Britain helped insulate him from the growing domestic controversy over slavery, which was reaching a crescendo by 1856, helping him secure the Democratic Party's nomination for President. Two days after Buchanan was inaugurated, the U.S. Supreme Court issued the controversial Dred Scott decision, which effectively legalized slavery in all U.S. territories. The decision was another factor that propelled the Nation toward civil war.

Buchanan served one term in office, from 1857 to 1861. He then retired to his Pennsylvania home, Wheatland, where he died on June 1, 1868.

The Presidential $1 Coin Act of 2005 (Public Law 109-145) directs the United States Mint to issue four $1 coins each year to honor our Nation's Presidents in the order they served in office. The James Buchanan Presidential $1 Coin is the 15th release in the Presidential $1 Coin Program.

The United States Mint, created by Congress in 1792, is the Nation's sole manufacturer of legal tender coinage. Its primary mission is to produce an adequate volume of circulating coinage for the Nation to conduct its trade and commerce. The United States Mint also produces proof, uncirculated, and commemorative coins; Congressional Gold Medals; and silver, gold and platinum bullion coins.

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200 Million More Historic Records See the Light of Day

2010-08-18T19:06:00.000-04:00

As the nation’s genealogical societies gather in Knoxville, Tennessee, at the Federation of Genealogical Societies Conference this week to share tips and tricks for finding one’s elusive ancestors, there will certainly besome clamoring over an unexpected gift from FamilySearch, a world leader in historic records preservation and access. FamilySearch announced the addition of over 200 million new searchable historic records representing 18 countries to its online database. The new records were added to the hundreds of millions FamilySearch published earlier this year at a similar event in Salt Lake City, Utah. The number of records on the pilot site totals 700 million.

The latest deluge of records includes 53 new or updated collections from the United States and over 100 million new records from Europe, Scandinavia and Mexico. The United States collections include the 1910 U.S. Census and states’ birth, marriage and death records. There are 10 million new records from New Jersey and Michigan, 4 million from Tennessee, an amazing 41 million from Massachusetts, and many more from other states.

“Some time ago, FamilySearch committed to creating access to the world’s genealogical records online in a big way. Today’s updates are part of an ongoing effort to make good on those commitments,” said Paul Nauta, FamilySearch public affairs manager. “We have only just begun,” Nauta concluded. In the U.S., FamilySearch is currently focusing on digitizing and publishing online federal and state censuses and state birth, marriage and death records. When complete, the initiative will provide a definitive collection of U.S. genealogical resources for family history researchers.

In addition to the new U.S. collections, over 100 million records were added to FamilySearch’s international collections online — making it most likely the largest international genealogy collection online. The new international databases come from birth, marriage and death records and from municipal records. Go to FamilySearch.org, then click Search Records and then Record Search pilot to see a full list of the free collections. The records will also soon be available at beta.familysearch.org.

“What makes today’s announcement even more impressive is that FamilySearch uses predominantly a growing corps of volunteers to accomplish the task of digitizing and indexing the records for online publication. That’s also in large part how we can do it for free, how it can be done at no cost to the patron,” said Nauta. Currently, 350,000 volunteers worldwide log on to FamilySearchIndexing.org and use FamilySearch’s proprietary software to view digital images of historic documents of personal interest and type in the desired information. FamilySearch then creates a free, searchable index of the historic collections online for the public to use.

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Waitin' for the Clock to Strike 1

2010-08-18T12:37:00.001-04:00

It's almost time for the great revealing of the archaelogical artifacts of Camp Lawton! While we wait for the final few minutes, here's a great site by Georgia Southern University on the dig and the history of Camp Lawton in Jenkins County, GA.

http://www.georgiasouthern.edu/camplawton/index.php/home

If you want to see the artifacts in person, Georgia Southern University in Statesboro has announced they will be on exhibition starting Sunday, October 10, at 2pm at the Georgia Southern University Museum.

We'll be there!!! How 'bout you?

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Camp Lawton Open House August 18

2010-08-17T10:04:00.000-04:00

Editor's Note: Camp Lawton was built in 1864 on 42 acres, thus making it the largest Civil War Confederate Prison. The goal was to relieve some of the overcrowding of the infamous Andersonville Prison. Close to the Augusta Railroad some 40 miles south with a good source of water, it was believed the camp could hold up to 40,000 men. This was not to be as Sherman came through the area in November 1864, and the prisoners were evacuated.

News of important discoveries made by the Georgia DNR and Georgia Southern University have been swirling around for a number of months. We can't wait to see and hear the great archaelogical finds and artifacts!

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and Georgia Southern University will hold a public open house at Group Shelter 2 at Magnolia Springs State Park from 1-5 p.m. Wednesday, August 18.

The community is invited to learn about recent archaeological discoveries connected to Camp Lawton, a Civil War Confederate prison camp, which was once located across the grounds of Bo Ginn National Fish Hatchery and Magnolia Springs State Park.

Representatives of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and Georgia Southern University will be on hand to discuss the discoveries and answer questions.

The event is free and open to the public.

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Video: Leake Site in Peril

2010-08-13T13:58:00.000-04:00

Editor note: Fantastic! The Leake site has such archaeological value to Georgia history and Native American culture. Wouldn't it be great if this land could be preserved so we don't forget our history?

The Leake site has been listed by the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation as a top 10 place in Georgia for peril.

Click here to learn more.

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The National Archives Celebrates the 90th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment

2010-08-12T16:43:00.000-04:00

/PRNewswire/ -- The following is a document alert -- part of a program sponsored by the National Archives to notify the media of documents in the holdings of the National Archives that are relevant to national holidays, anniversaries or current events. This program is based on original records from the National Archives, its 13 Presidential libraries and 14 regional facilities, and is designed to offer the media an historical perspective on events that occur periodically and to highlight historical antecedents to current political or diplomatic initiatives.

(The following is based on an article that appeared in the Fall 2003 issue of Prologue magazine, the Quarterly of the National Archives and Records Administration. The text and high resolution images of the 19th Amendment can be found online at: http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?doc=63). A petition to Congress for the right to vote, signed by Susan B. Anthony is online at: http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/woman-suffrage/anthony-petition.html

Pieces of History
The 19th Amendment Gives Women the Right to Vote

On a hot August day in 1920, Representative Harry Burn listened as the Tennessee House of Representatives debated an issue that had been simmering since well before the Civil War--woman suffrage.

For generations, long before 24-year-old Burn was born, the woman suffrage movement had as its goal an amendment to the U.S. Constitution allowing women the right to vote.

The movement had begun in 1848 at a women's rights convention in Seneca Falls, New York, but it took 30 years to get the amendment introduced in Congress. Action on Capitol Hill was very slow. Until 1914, the Senate voted only once, turning it down, and the House did not vote at all.

Meanwhile, the suffragists took their fights to the states. Through legislative action or state amendment, the movement had some success. In the 1916 election, women could vote for presidential electors in 11 states. By 1920, even without the referendum, women would have been able to vote for presidential electors in 30 states.

Finally, in the spring of 1919, Congress passed the amendment and sent it to the states for ratification. States acted, quickly, and by August 1920, 35 had approved it. In all but one of the remaining states, the amendment had either been rejected or had no hope of being approved.

With one additional state needed, the push for ratification focused on Tennessee. Supporters and opponents of the amendment, the press, and thousands of spectators flocked to Nashville to witness the proceedings. Carrie Chapman Catt, the latest in the long line of woman suffrage leaders that had included Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, was also there.

Tennessee's Senate had already approved it, but after several votes in the House, the issue was deadlocked, 48 to 48. As the debate continued, Burn opened a letter from his mother.

"Don't forget to be a good boy and help Mrs. Catt put the 'rat' in ratification," mother Burn wrote. Harry had been counted among the opponents, but when the next vote was taken, Harry voted in favor of the amendment, and ratification was approved.

Thus, the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, giving women the right to vote, was ratified on August 18, 1920, in time for women in all states to vote for President later that year.

The next day, Harry Burn explained his vote to angry opponents: "I believe in full suffrage as a right. I believe we had a moral and legal right to ratify. I know that a mother's advice is always safest for her boy to follow, and my mother wanted me to vote for ratification."

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HURRY TEACHERS: FREE Social Studies Resource for Your School or Library

2010-08-12T14:00:00.000-04:00

Editor Note: Be sure to go play the Constitutional Convention Game on the Sunnylands Classroom site. Naturally, we chose to represent Georgia during the game. It's a great game and a fantastic look at the making of the Constitution.

/PRNewswire/ -- The following is being issued by the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania:

The Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands is releasing a 23-minute documentary for Constitution Day. The documentary tells the story of Thaddeus Edmonson, an African American construction worker whose personal injury lawsuit in 1991 became a Supreme Court landmark case on the right to an impartial jury.

As with all Sunnylands Trust videos, this documentary is extremely well-produced and classroom ready. While supplies last, it will be sent free of charge to teachers, schools and libraries that become part of the Sunnylands Classroom community. Please sign-up at http://www.sunnylandsclassroom.org/ConstitutionDay/Registration.aspx. Remember: Constitution Day is September 17th.

Especially at a time when school budgets are being slashed, this social studies documentary will be a most welcome addition to any school or public library.

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Just a Hop, Skip Away to See Georgia's Newest Civil War Battlefield

2010-08-06T09:31:00.000-04:00

Editor's Note: Yes, we know. There are no new Civil War Battlefields in Georgia or anywhere else in the United States as the Civil War did end some 145 years ago. What we do have, though, is a new National Park Service Designation for a battlefield in neighboring Henry County.

The Nash Farm Battlefield has long been known to have played a pivotal part in Sherman's efforts to change his strategy in the Atlanta campaign. The history of the Nash Farm Battlefield has been well documented. To learn more about the events at Nash's Farm and the surrounding battles before the fall of Jonesboro in Clayton Co, we invite you to read more at: http://www.henrycountybattlefield.com/index.html

Below is the information released by the Henry County Commissioners on the recent designation by the National Park Service for the Nash Farm Battlefield. Congrats on a job well done!

National Park Service Designates Nash Farm Battlefield as Core Battlefield Site

The National Park Service (NPS) has designated Nash Farm Battlefield as one of 384 core battlefields in the Civil War. This is the highest validation a battlefield can receive, and the designation was given upon the completion of the comprehensive Update to the Civil War Sites Advisory Commission Report on the Nation’s Civil War Battlefields published in June 2010.

In the report, the American Battlefield Preservation Program (ABPP) completely redrew the 1993 boundaries for the Battle of Lovejoy’s Station to provide a more accurate and complete picture of the Federal approach from the northeast toward Lovejoy’s Station, and the Confederate response along the Macon and Western Railroad. Based on recent archaeological studies by both the LAMAR Institute and the Georgia DOT/Southeastern Archaeological Services team, the core battlefield area was expanded to the east to include fighting at Nash Farm and the rearguard action at Walnut Creek, both in Henry County.*

Dr. David Evans, renowned historian and author of “Sherman’s Horsemen”, called the battle at Nash Farm on August 20, 1864, during which more than 4,500 Union soldiers drew their sabers and violently broke through Confederate lines, “the most desperate, most dramatic cavalry charge of America’s Civil War,” adding that “the stirring events that culminated on this hotly contested field helped shape the course of history. The fight at Nash Farm convinced Union General William T. Sherman his cavalry could not or would not work hard enough to disable a railroad properly.”

According to Evans, General Sherman then set his entire army in motion in a last-ditch effort to cut the two railroads that fed and supplied the Confederate army defending Atlanta. Sherman’s shift in strategy, and a two day battle at Jonesboro, ultimately forced the city to surrender.

“It is no exaggeration to say the fight at Nash Farm changed the way the Atlanta Campaign was fought, and that pivotal struggle helped decide the outcome of a war that redefined America’s destiny,” explained Evans in a written statement. “Hurrah for Henry County for preserving this historic and hallowed piece of ground!”

The National Park Service conducted its study of Nash Farm Battlefield for this update in March 2008. NPS officials with the American Battlefield Protection Program visited the site, and met with multiple historical organizations, archaeologists, historians, and others to compile and corroborate the information about what took place there. As a result of the study, the core battlefield map was expanded to incorporate both the Nash Farm and Walnut Creek battlefields. Because 204 acres of the core battlefield area has now been preserved by Henry County, the Battle of Lovejoy’s Station was given a Tier 2 designation as one of eight important battlefields in Georgia that are in “relatively good condition” and “present some of the best possibilities for Civil War landscape preservation in Georgia.” The Nash Farm Battlefield is the only segment of the fractured 1,179.98 acre Lovejoy Station core battlefield area that is preserved. Additionally, a 75-acre segment across Jonesboro Road from the Nash Farm Battlefield site has been designated by the National Park Service as one of the top 15 most endangered battlefield sites in the United States.

As part of the study, Ed Bearss, Official Historian of the National Park Service, Andy Phrydas with the National Archives Military Records, Heather Mustone, Georgia DOT Archaeologist, Jim Lightizer with the Civil War Preservation Trust, Steve Longcrier with the Civil War Heritage Trails, John Culpepper with the Georgia Civil War Commission, and many other prominent officials visited Nash Farm and praised the battlefield’s preservation.

“You’ve got a treasure here,” confirmed John Culpepper with the Georgia Civil War Commission. “Decisions were made and events occurred that shaped the United States as we are today, right here in your own back yard. With all the battlefields we’re losing today due to development, you’ve done a great job preserving this. It puts you on the radar screen for the world.” Created by the Georgia General Assembly in 1993, the Georgia Civil War Commission exists to “coordinate planning, preservation, and promotion of structures, buildings, sites and battlefields associated with this significant period of our common heritage.”*

As a result of this designation, Nash Farm Battlefield is one of the 27 battlefields in Georgia now eligible for a listing in the National Register of Historic Places. Such a listing would make the park and battlefield eligible for grant funding to assist with preservation efforts. The next step is to submit an application, which is already in progress.

For more information about Nash Farm battlefield and the battles and activity that took place there, please visit www.henrycountybattlefield.com.

*Update to the Civil War Sites Advisory Commission Report on the Nation’s Civil War Battlefields: State of Georgia; U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service American Battlefield Protection Program; June 2010.

Source: http://www.co.henry.ga.us/NewsArticle.aspx?AID=607&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+HenryCountyGeorgia+(Henry+County%2C+Georgia+-+Government+News)

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James Buchanan Presidential $1 Coin Goes Into Circulation August 19

2010-08-05T11:10:00.000-04:00

/PRNewswire/ -- The 15th coin release in the United States Mint Presidential $1 Coin Program will go into circulation on August 19, 2010. The design on this Presidential $1 Coin honors James Buchanan, our Nation's 15th President. The United States Mint will celebrate the coin's release with a ceremonial launch and coin exchange at Wheatland, the former President's home, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania on August 19. The ceremony will start at 10 a.m. Eastern Time.

The coin's obverse (heads side), by United States Mint Artistic Sculptor-Engraver Phebe Hemphill, features Buchanan's portrait with the inscriptions JAMES BUCHANAN, IN GOD WE TRUST, 15TH PRESIDENT and 1857-1861. The coin's reverse (tails side) features a rendition of the iconic Statue of Liberty, by United States Mint Sculptor-Engraver Don Everhart, with the inscription UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. The year of minting or issuance, 2010, E PLURIBUS UNUM and the mint of origin are incused on the coin's edge. To view and download high-resolution images of the circulating James Buchanan Presidential $1 Coin, go to: http://www.usmint.gov/pressroom/index.cfm?action=photo#Pres

Presidential $1 Coins, which are produced for everyday cash transactions, last for decades, are 100 percent recyclable and can save the country hundreds of millions of dollars each year.

The Presidential $1 Coins will be shipped to banks and other financial institutions in rolls, unmixed with other $1 coins. For each new design, banks may order and store the coins up to three weeks prior to the introduction so they will have supplies on hand on the release date. The coins will be available in unmixed rolls for two weeks after the introduction of each design. The special ordering process begins again when each new Presidential $1 Coin is released.

The ordering period for unmixed quantities of the James Buchanan Presidential $1 Coin began July 29. To order boxes of wrapped rolls ($1,000 minimum order) of the James Buchanan Presidential $1 Coin, depository institutions can use FedLine Web® Access Solution. In addition, local Federal Reserve Bank offices can handle special requests for $2,000 bags of unmixed James Buchanan Presidential $1 Coins, $2,000 bags of mixed $1 coins, and orders for James Buchanan Presidential $1 Coins after the special order period ends on September 2 (while supplies last).

Presidential $1 Coins can also be collected. They are educational and fun with four new designs, each featuring an American President, issued each year. The James Buchanan Presidential $1 Coin will be featured in collectible products available for purchase via the United States Mint's Web site at http://www.usmint.gov/catalog or by calling 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468).

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National Archives Launches New 'Inside the Vaults' Video Short

2010-08-04T15:32:00.000-04:00

/PRNewswire/ -- The National Archives today launched its fourth "Inside the Vaults" video short featuring a group of eight Army airmen who set out in 1924 to be the first humans to circle the globe by air. On their journey over Arctic mountain passes and vast Indian deserts, they would lose half their planes and set numerous records to become what were dubbed the "Magellans of the Sky" (named for Ferdinand Magellan, who led an expedition to circle the globe by sea in 1519).

Prologue staff writer Rob Crotty describes their journey in the National Archives' 2:24 minute produced "Inside the Vaults" video short: http://tiny.cc/FLY

More information on these daring men can be found in Crotty's "Magellans of the Sky" article in the Summer 2010 issue of Prologue magazine, the award-winning quarterly publication of the National Archives: http://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2010/summer/magellans.html

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Clayton State Genealogy Group to Meet, August 1

2010-07-28T10:47:00.000-04:00

The Clayton State University Genealogy Group’s next meeting will be Sunday, Aug. 1, from 1 p.m. until 2:30 p.m., in room 200 of the Clayton State Library.

According to Clayton State Archivist Rosemary Fischer, the group will be helping beginners learn to do genealogical research.

“If you are new to genealogy and want to learn how to trace your family line and discover who’s living in your family tree, then this workshop is for you,” she says.

From 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., the group will have speakers doing presentations on heritage societies, including the Sons and Daughters of the Confederacy and the Sons and Daughters of the American Revolution.

“We will learn about these societies, their membership, and their meetings,” adds Fischer. If you’ve ever wanted to join and didn’t know where to start, then this workshop is for you.”

Membership and all workshops are free. For more information, contact Selma Blackmon at selmajoey@yahoo.com.

A unit of the University System of Georgia, Clayton State University is an outstanding comprehensive metropolitan university located 15 miles southeast of downtown Atlanta.

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WWII Veteran Merchant Marine 'Sparks' Disband

2010-07-05T08:37:00.000-04:00

/PRNewswire/ -- The Hoffman Island Radio Association (HIRA), World War II sea-going Merchant Marine radio operators ("Sparks"), announced July 4 that it has voted to disband because of deaths and increasing incapacitating illnesses of its aging members.

Hoffman Island is a small island at the mouth of the New York City harbor, where the U. S. Maritime Service Radio Academy was established to train volunteers in radio theory, practice and the Morse code during WWII. Those who passed the difficult course reported as Radio Officers to the ships of the Nation's rapidly growing merchant navy. Founded in 1991, by Richard Waechter, its first President, HIRA soon admitted veteran radio operators trained at the Gallups Is. Radio Academy, in Boston Harbor, the only other Radio Academy, and then members of the U.S. Navy's Armed Guard, who manned the cannon put on merchant ships in the latter stages of the war. (Until then, the fore and aft cannon were manned by the Merchant Marine crew.) Wives and HIRA family members were admitted as Associates. HIRA reunion meetings were held annually at various port cities, where sea tales were swapped with great camaraderie.

Shipboard radio operators were essential in obtaining routing instructions, warnings and, of course, in sending out "SOS" following torpedoing. Today's merchant ships no longer carry radio operators. Their "radio shacks" have been replaced with telephonic communications. Only amateur radio operators keep the Morse code alive, because of its static-piercing clarity over great distances at low power.

The Merchant Marine became the first U.S. armed service upon the capture on June 12, 1775, of the British schooner HMS Margaretta near Machias, Maine by Colonial seamen in response to the battles of Lexington and Concord. Since then, the Merchant Marine has played a key role in every U.S. war, carrying the millions of tons of munitions and the millions of men that won World War II. Constant targets of Axis submarines, surface raiders and enemy aircraft, the Merchant Marine suffered the highest WWII death rate of any service (3.90% v 2.94% for the U.S. Marines, (http://www.usmm.org/cd.html). Nonetheless, the all-volunteer Merchant Marine was the only service not granted the GI Bill. In 1988, the mariners were recognized as veterans, inexplicably placed within the Coast Guard, but still refused the major benefits of the GI Bill.

Since then, the House of Representatives has repeatedly passed a bill to grant those benefits, but the corresponding Senate Bill, S663, has been just as repeatedly blocked from a full Senate vote by Senator Daniel Akaka, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs. HIRA's president, Gilbert V. Levin, appealed to Akaka with the attached letter, but never received an answer. "We are the Rodney Dangerfield of the U.S. services," said Levin, "Even the Coast Guard, from Commandant Admiral Thad Allen on down, refused to respond to our repeated invitations to address our final meeting."

August 20, 2009

Senator Daniel K. Akaka
Chair, U. S. Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs
412 Russell Senate Building
Washington, DC, 20510

Dear Senator Akaka,

I have just been elected President of the Hoffman Island Radio Association. We are war veterans of the U. S. Maritime Service. Our name stems from tiny Hoffman Island in New York Harbor, where a Radio Academy was established to train World War II volunteers to become sea-going radio operators. They were badly needed on our then rapidly expanding fleet of merchant ships so essential to conducting - and winning - WWII. One end of the New York Harbor anti-submarine net was anchored on our island, from which we could see ships sailing forth into harm's way, a daunting path we soon followed. As President of this rapidly dwindling group of victorious veterans, I am writing on their behalf to ask you to align with your fellow Senator, Evan Bayh, and support U. S. Senate Bill 663, known as the Belated Thank You to the Merchant Mariners of World War II Act of 2009.

As a 17-year old, I remember President Franklin Roosevelt on the radio, soon after we entered the War, praising the bravery of our merchant seamen, and promising that they would receive the same benefits that America bestowed on its armed forces veterans. I remember it, because it was this talk that got me interested in the Merchant Marine, and, ultimately, led to my enlisting. Reading your on-line biography, it seems we share a number of wartime experiences: leaving school to enlist, being on the front lines (sea lines in my case) of action, and completing technical training (civil engineering for me) after the war. Unfortunately for me, the similarities end there, as I was the only war veteran returning to the Johns Hopkins University that had to pay tuition! My fellow returning classmates soon made me aware of all the other components of the GI Bill that I missed out of. They kidded me that apparently the Government thought the Merchant Marine had it too soft! Recalling the 17 attacks on my ship in one transit up the English Channel, and that, had our ship gone down, our pay would have immediately ceased, I found, and find, that irrational line hard to believe. Instead, I believe we were all in the War together, doing our assigned duties, with little to choose concerning everyone's small remuneration. What really separated us was the GI Bill. For the surviving veterans of the U. S. Maritime Service, it is much too late for them to benefit significantly by being included in the GI Bill - but one very important benefit would be realized. It is the knowledge that the United States of America, at long last, recognizes the vital role and the enormous sacrifices of life and limb we made to keep our country free.

On perusing your website, I am very encouraged that you will support the Bill to include us. In addition to sharing key aspects of our experience, you acknowledge the importance of the GI Bill to you. You say, "... I find myself reflecting on what the original GI Bill did for me as a young veteran. When I returned from World War II, the GI bill gave me the opportunity to build my life on the foundation of a quality education... The GI Bill will go down in history as one of those that has a profound impact on quality of life and attitude in the United States."

Senator Akaka, as late as it is, we want to be part of that history. The modest amount of money and benefits we would receive is not our objective. It's all about the recognition for our service, which they would convey. Your fine website concludes with "He continues to work ... to improve veterans' care and benefits through oversight and legislation." Please do so for our neglected veterans!

Thank you for your service and for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Gilbert V. Levin
President
Hoffman Island Radio Association
glevin@spherix.com

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National Trust for Historic Preservation Awards Gwinnett Environmental & Heritage Center Foundation A Preservation Grant from The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Fund for Historic Interiors

2010-06-21T16:55:00.000-04:00

Grant Will Go Towards Chesser-Williams House Project

The Gwinnett Environmental & Heritage Center Foundation was awarded a $10,000.00 grant by the National Trust for Historic Preservation from its Cynthia Woods Mitchell Fund for Historic Interiors. The seed grant funds will be used to assist in preserving the rare, historic folk art paintings found in the Chesser-Williams House.

"These funds provide the foundation for important preservation work nationwide”, said David Brown, executive vice-president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “The grants go toward protecting the places that tell America’s story and they often trigger other preservation projects, further strengthening efforts to protect our country’s heritage and make our communities more livable."

The Chesser-Williams House is one of the oldest, surviving homes in Gwinnett County. The home was built in the mid 1800’s and still sits on its original foundation stones. The home was deeded to the Gwinnett Environmental & Heritage Center Foundation in 2008. It will be re-located to the campus of the Gwinnett Environmental & Heritage Center. Once restored, the Chesser-Williams House will be utilized as a teaching tool to showcase life in early Gwinnett.

The most significant feature of the home is the beautiful, hand painted folk art found on the exterior and interior. The artwork was painted in the late 1800’s and is attributed to an itinerant, German artist who was known to paint in exchange for room and board as he traveled from North Carolina to Texas.

“The Gwinnett Environmental & Heritage Center Foundation is honored to partner with the National Trust in preserving the Chesser-Williams House,” said Jason West, Director of Development. “The best way for people to gain an appreciation for the past is to make it relevant to their daily lives. Once completed, this house will provide Gwinnett and the surrounding area with an interpretative, educational experience of the past that can be seen and touched.”

In 1997, a generous gift from George P. Mitchell established the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Fund for Historic Interiors in honor of his wife. The fund provides assistance in the preservation, restoration, and interpretation of historic interiors. Once a year, Mitchell Fund grants ranging from $2,500 to $10,000 are awarded to non-profit groups and public agencies. Over $135,000 were awarded in 2010. Grants must be matched at least dollar for dollar with public or private funds.

For more information on the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Fund for Historic Interiors, visit: www.PreservationNation.org/resources/find-funding/grants.

About the Gwinnett Environmental & Heritage Center Foundation

The Gwinnett Environmental & Heritage Center (Center) is a unique partnership among Gwinnett County, the Gwinnett County Public School System, the University of Georgia and the Gwinnett Environmental & Heritage Center Foundation. The Center provides an opportunity for more than 40,000 students and 25,000 community members annually to participate in interpretative, hand-on field studies and community based educational programming. The Gwinnett Environmental & Heritage Center Foundation is a not for profit 501(c)(3), whose purpose to support the mission and vision of the Center and to assist in raising needed funding for its various educational programs and exhibits.

About the National Trust for Historic Preservation

The National Trust for Historic Preservation (www.PreservationNation.org) is a non-profit membership organization bringing people together to protect, enhance and enjoy the places that matter to them. By saving the places where great moments from history – and the important moments of everyday life – took place, the National Trust for Historic Preservation helps revitalize neighborhoods and communities, spark economic development and promote environmental sustainability. With headquarters in Washington, DC, eight regional and field offices, 29 historic sites, and partner organizations in 50 states, territories, and the District of Columbia, the National Trust for Historic Preservation provides leadership, education, advocacy and resources to a national network of people, organizations and local communities committed to saving places, connecting us to our history and collectively shaping the future of America’s stories.

Archeologists Discover 'Brain Food' in Early Human Ancestors' Diet

2010-06-04T19:06:00.000-04:00

/PRNewswire/ -- A team of scientists now know what may have helped fuel the evolution of the human brain two million years ago. Archeologists working in Kenya unearthed evidence that our human ancestors ate a wide variety of animals including fish, turtles and even crocodiles. Based on analyses of animal bones and stone tools they excavated, the research team found that our early ancestors incorporated aquatic "brain food" in their diet.

"These aquatic foods are really important sources of the long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and docosahexaenoic acid that are so critical to human brain growth," said co-author and paleoanthropologist Dr. Richmond. "Finding these foods in the diets of our early ancestors suggests they may have helped to lift constraints on brain size and fuel the evolution of a larger brain."

The discovery of such a diverse animal diet is important because early human brain size increased dramatically after two million years ago. Growing a large brain requires an enormous investment in calories and nutrients and places considerable costs on the mother and developing infant. Anthropologists have long considered meat in the diet as key to the evolution of a larger brain. However, until now, there was no evidence that human ancestors this long ago had incorporated into their diets animal foods, from lakes and rivers, rich in brain nutrients.

A team of scientists from Kenya, the United States, the U.K., Australia and South Africa discovered a 1.95 million year-old site in northwestern Kenya in 2004. Preservation of the excavated site was so remarkable that the team was able to develop a detailed reconstruction of the environment. Over four years, the scientists excavated literally thousands of fossilized bones and stone tools, and were able to determine that at least 10 individual animals, and perhaps many more, were butchered by early humans at this site. Many of these bones showed evidence of cut marks made by early human ancestors as a result of using sharp stone tools to cut meat from the bones or crush long bones to access the fat-rich bone marrow.

"At sites of this age we often consider ourselves lucky if we find any bone associated with stone tools, but here we found everything from small bird bones to hippopotamus leg bones," said archeologist David Braun of the University of Cape Town in South Africa, who was the lead author on the research.

Gaining access to smaller animals like turtles and fish may have allowed these early humans to increase the protein in their diet without the danger of interacting with dangerous carnivores, such as lions and hyenas. These early humans were relatively small and not well suited to compete with the large carnivores that lived at that time. Stumbling upon brain-fueling food may have been a fortunate side effect of finding foods at lakes and rivers.

The research was funded by the National Science Foundation. The project was directed by Jack Harris of Rutgers University and represents a collaborative effort between National Museums of Kenya and a host of international institutions. Paleontologist Marion Bamford of the University of Witswatersrand in South Africa identified fossilized plant remains that revealed the wet and possibly marshy environment in which these early humans were living. Lead zooarchaeologist Jack McCoy of Rutgers University identified bones of various animals including turtles, fish, crocodiles and large antelopes that ended up as the meals of these early humans. Dr. Richmond of GW took part in fossil identification and analyzing how the findings were important for human evolution.

The site, known to the archaeologists by the moniker FwJj 20, is located in the northern part of the Koobi Fora research area on the eastern side of Lake Turkana in Marsabit District, Kenya. The presence of overlying layers of volcanic ash helped the team pin down the age of the site. Geologists on the team, Naomi Levin of Johns Hopkins University and Andrew Herries of the University of New South Wales, Australia, were able to use a combination of techniques to estimate the age of the site as close to 1.95 million years. David Braun and his international team will return to northern Kenya to find more answers to questions about the diets of our earliest ancestors.

The article, "Early hominin diet included diverse terrestrial and aquatic animals 1.95 Ma in East Turkana, Kenya," will appear in the May 31, 2010, issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). PNAS is a weekly journal that publishes cutting-edge research that spans the biological, physical, and social sciences.

Established in 1821 in the heart of the nation's capital, GW's Columbian College of Arts and Sciences is the largest of the University's academic units with more than 40 departments and programs for undergraduate, graduate and professional studies. Columbian College provides the foundation for GW's commitment to education, research and outreach, providing courses ranging from the traditional disciplines to a wide variety of interdisciplinary and applied fields for students in all the undergraduate degree programs across the University. An internationally recognized faculty and active partnerships with prestigious research institutions place Columbian College at the forefront in advancing policy, enhancing culture and transforming lives through scientific research and discovery.

The George Washington University was created by an Act of Congress in 1821. Today, GW is the largest institution of higher education in the District of Columbia and has additional programs in Virginia. The University offers comprehensive programs of undergraduate and graduate liberal arts study, as well as degree programs in medicine, public health, law, engineering, education, business and international affairs. Each year, GW enrolls a diverse population of undergraduate, graduate and professional students from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and more than 130 countries.

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William Scarbrough House Recognized in New Historical Marker

2010-05-26T09:08:00.000-04:00

The Georgia Historical Society (GHS) and the Ships of the Sea Museum unveiled a new historical marker to recognize the William Scarbrough House on May 22.

William Scarbrough House architect William Jay first came to America at the age of 25 in 1817 after apprenticing in London during the classical style resurgence. Bringing the tenants of neoclassicism with him to Savannah, Jay designed several houses, schools, banks and theatres during his brief stay in the city. The Scarbrough House was designed for prominent shipping merchant William Scarbrough, and was locally known as “the Castle.” After periods of vacancy and use as a school, the building underwent a significant restoration in the 1990s after being acquired by the Ships of the Sea Museum. Now commemorating maritime history, the William Scarbrough House still stands as one Savannah’s most elegant structures and one of the first examples of neoclassicism found anywhere in the South. The marker text reads:

William Scarbrough House

Designed by noted English architect William Jay, this house was built for William Scarbrough, president of the Savannah Steamship Company. Completed in 1819, it is an excellent example of the neoclassical style. Scarbrough hosted President James Monroe here in May 1819 during the president’s visit to witness the launching of the S.S. Savannah on the world’s first trans-Atlantic steamship voyage. For 84 years (1878-1962), the house served as the West Broad Street School for African-American children and later as the headquarters for the Historic Savannah Foundation from 1976-1991. In 1996 the house was acquired by the Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum.

Erected by the Georgia Historical Society and the Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum

Historical markers, which recognize people, places and events, tell the story of Georgia's past in a format that is accessible to residents and visitors alike and are an effective tool for economic development, encouraging local tourism and general state-wide interest. GHS has administered Georgia's historical marker program since 1998, erecting over 150 markers statewide.

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Telfair Museums to Join in Celebration of International Museum Day on May 18, 2010

2010-05-12T14:11:00.000-04:00

At the Telfair, Museum Day guests will enjoy a reduced price of $10 each for Telfair Passes—a $5 discount off the regular price of $15. The Telfair Pass is valid for a one-time visit to each of the museum’s three venues—the Telfair Academy, the Owens-Thomas House, and the Jepson Center.

“In support of the Association of Art Museum Directors, the Telfair is honored to participate in Museum Day and to show our solidarity with museums across the continent,” said the Telfair’s director, Steven High. “We encourage visitors to take advantage of this special opportunity to visit Telfair Museums’ three unique sites at a substantial discount and experience our exciting exhibitions and cultural offerings.”

At the Telfair Academy, visitors may view The Story of Silver in Savannah: Creating and Collecting since the 18th Century—which includes more than 600 pieces of American and European-made silver connected to the city—as well as selections from the museum’s permanent collection on display in the Rotunda and the Sculpture Gallery. Installations from the multi-site silver show are also on view at the Jepson Center and the Owens-Thomas House. Current exhibitions at the Jepson Center include Philip Perkis: Fifty Years of Photographs andSoldier Portraits: Contemporary Wet Plate Collodion Photographs by Ellen Susan. Visitors to the Owens-Thomas House, one of the finest examples of English Regency architecture in the U.S., are invited to take a guided tour of this historic house museum and rare intact urban slave quarters located on its grounds.

AAMD member museums—located across the United States, Canada, and Mexico—include smaller regional museums as well as large international institutions. International Museum Day is organized annually around the world by the International Council of Museums (ICOM).

“We believe that art museums are crucial to our understanding of world history and cultures, and provide a unique and irreplaceable public service,” said Michael Conforti, president of AAMD and director of the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, MA. “AAMD is committed to exploring new ways to underscore the value of the visual arts in civic society, and we are excited that Telfair Museums is joining with us and the global community of museums to focus on this message of public service.”

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Lake-Bed Trails Tell Ancient Fish Story

2010-05-06T14:28:00.000-04:00

The wavy lines and squiggles etched into a slab of limestone found near Fossil Butte National Monument are prehistoric fish trails, made by Notogoneus osculus as it fed along a lake bottom, says Emory University paleontologist Anthony Martin.

"This is a fish story, about the one that got away 50 million years ago," Martin says. "And I can tell you that the fish was 18-inches long, based on good evidence."

He led a detailed analysis, published May 5 in PLoS (Public Library of Science) One, that gives new insights into the behavior of the extinct N. osculus, and into the ancient ecology of Wyoming's former Fossil Lake.

"We've got a snapshot of N. osculus interacting with the bottom of a lake that disappeared millions of years ago," Martin says. "It's a fleeting glimpse, but it's an important one."

Fossil Lake, part of a subtropical landscape in the early Eocene Epoch, is now a sagebrush desert in southwestern Wyoming, located in Fossil Butte National Monument and environs. The region is famous for an abundance of exquisitely preserved fossils, especially those of freshwater fish.

Trails left by these fish, however, are relatively rare. The National Park Service had identified about a dozen of them and asked Martin to investigate. Martin specializes in trace fossils, including tracks, trails, burrows and nests made by animals millions of years ago.

One of the fish trace fossils especially intrigued Martin. In addition to apparent fin impressions of two wavy lines, it had squiggles suggesting oval shapes. "The oval impressions stayed roughly in the center of the wavy lines and slightly overlapped one another. I realized that these marks were probably made by the mouth, as the fish fed along the bottom," Martin says.

He then deduced that the trace was likely made by N. osculus - the only species found in the same rock layer whose fossils show a mouth pointing downward.

Martin brought his detailed notes, photos and sketches of the trace fossil back to Atlanta, where he enlisted the aid of disease ecologist Gonzalo Vazquez-Prokopec and geographer Michael Page, two of his colleagues in Emory's Department of Environmental Studies.

Vazquez-Prokopec, who does digital spatial analyses of geographic patterns of diseases and pathogens, applied similar techniques to the trace fossil data. The results showed a mathematical correlation between the trace impressions and the mouth, tail, pelvic and anal fins of an 18-inch N. osculus.

"This provides the first direct evidence of N. osculus bottom feeding," Martin says. "Not only that, the fish was bottom feeding in the deepest part of the lake. Previous research had suggested that the bottom of the lake had such low levels of oxygen that it was hostile to life. Our analysis indicates that, at least seasonally, some fish were living on the lake bottom."

The scientists were also able to calculate how the fish was moving, and the pitch and yaw of its swimming motion. "The trace fossil lines look simple, but they're not so simple," Martin says, explaining that even the gaps in the lines carry information.

Page, an expert in cartography and geographic information systems, created a map of the discovery site, and a Web site that allows viewers to zoom in on different aspects of the fish trace.

"All three of us believe in making scientific data as open and assessable as possible," Martin says, adding that he thinks it may be the first collaboration between a paleontologist, a disease ecologist and a geographer. "This opens up a new technique for studying trace fossils that we hope other people will try and test."

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Meteorite That Hit Cartersville House to be on Display at Tellus Science Museum

2010-04-21T09:14:00.000-04:00

/PRNewswire/ -- A meteorite recently discovered in Georgia has a new home at Tellus Science Museum.

The meteorite arrived in loud fashion on March 8, 2009 with a sound a neighbor described as a sonic boom. It then tore a hole in the roof of a home in Cartersville, Georgia, before crashing through the ceiling and ending its cosmic journey on a bedroom floor. The house was unoccupied at the time.

The homeowner found the meteorite a few days later, but it wasn't until August of last year that it was brought meteorite to Tellus Science Museum for identification.

"People are constantly bringing things into the museum that they think are meteorites," said Tellus Curator Julian C. Gray. "Curators can go through their entire career and never see a real meteorite come through the door. It is a thrill to be part of the identification of the newest Georgia meteorite."

The homeowner, who asked to not be identified, decided to loan the 297 gram meteorite to Tellus where it will be on display along with part of the roof, an attic rafter, and part of the ceiling, all of which were struck by the meteorite.

"This is a significant addition to Tellus," said museum executive director Jose Santamaria. "Very few meteorites have been found in Georgia, and this is the first documented case of a meteorite hitting a house in our state. We are thrilled to have it on display at the museum where visitors can enjoy seeing this unique find."

The Cartersville Meteorite is only the 25th meteorite found in the state.

"Meteorite falls are equally likely to happen anywhere on the planet, but recovering them depends a lot on local conditions," said David Gheesling, a founding member of the Meteorite Association of Georgia, and a volunteer consultant to the museum. "The dense foliage of Georgia makes it hard to visibly locate meteorite specimens after they fall, and our humid environment is not friendly to meteorites."

Tellus Science Museum is located 40 minutes north of Atlanta in Cartersville. The world-class facility spans 120,000 square feet and features four galleries. For more information, visit www.tellusmuseum.org or call 770-606-5700.

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Screening a Lynching: Leo Frank Case Revisited

2010-04-12T15:28:00.000-04:00

Editor's Note: Was Leo Frank guilty? Many believe he was innocent of the crime for which he was convicted. Recently, one of our staff members was told that he was innocent. The person who conveyed that message said her parents knew who had committed the crime, but she never had any knowledge of the guilty party's name. One has to wonder if those who knew, or thought they knew, who had actually murdered Phagan ever had nightmares for keeping silent on the issue.

Almost a century after Jewish factory owner Leo Frank was convicted of the murder of his worker Mary Phagan in Atlanta, the case continues to captivate audiences and filmmakers. Then and now, controversy about his guilt - and deep horror about his eventual lynching by a white mob in an Atlanta suburb - have made the case unforgettable.

In his new book, "Screening a Lynching: The Leo Frank Case on Film and Television" (The University of Georgia Press, 2009), Professor and Chair of Film Studies Matthew Bernstein dissects four screen treatments of the case. While they span more than half a century - and include one by a self-taught African American filmmaker - Bernstein explores what's behind the ongoing fascination.

Click to hear Bernstein talk about the case: http://www.emory.edu/EMORY_REPORT/audio/matthew_bernstein_podcast.mp3

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