what we’ve been up to! in this issue
TRANSCRIPT
IN THIS ISSUE:
What We’ve Been Up To!
PAGE 1-2
New Displays and Membership
PAGE 2
Getting to Know the Collection
(Confederate Saber c. mid-1800s)
PAGE 3
2019 Upcoming Events
PAGE 4
Item Donations
January-May 2019
PAGE 5
NEWSLETTER SPRING 2019
What We’ve Been Up To!
Charlotte Berry presents a plaque to the
Historical Society in memory of Brenda Gwyn on
behalf of the Marion High School Class of 1954.
CClaslass of XXXX.
PHONE: 276-783-7286
MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. Box 710
Marion, Virginia 24354
We want to thank everyone for making our opening
day such a great success. We had 70 people attend the event
in celebrating the opening season and the addition of the
Brenda Gwyn Genealogical Research Room to the Holston
River Heritage Center. Thanks so much to the Marion High
School Class of 1954 and everyone else who donated to
Brenda’s memory fund to make this addition a reality.
We have added several new displays to our exhibition
area this year. One display shows a pictorial history of the
construction and initial opening of Hungry Mother State Park
in the early 1930s. This display was compiled from photos
from the Historical Society Archives as well as items loaned… (continued on page 2…)
SPRING 2019 PAGE 2
What We’ve Been Up To! (continued…)
SMYTH COUNTY HISTORICAL AND MUSEUM SOCIETY
INTERESTED IN
MEMBERSHIP?
If you have a friend or family member who might be interested in becoming a member of the historical society, please encourage them to stop by and pick up a membership application or contact us for more information! Members wishing to do so can help docent the museum, assist in designing window displays and inside exhibits, assist in organizing records, or simply serve as a greeter to welcome guests. Membership annual dues remain at $5 for students, $20 for individuals, $25 for family, and $100 for business. Yearly membership renewals are due in March of each year and any membership dues paid after October of the previous year will carry over to the following year.
Membership
(continued from page 1…)
…by Hungry Mother State Park. We also have one
of our storefront windows designed into a display
on the park. The window is meant to depict a scene
from the park complete with trees, a boat with
fishing equipment, and some woodland creatures.
Other new displays this year include the
“Cabinet of Curiosities” that features some of the
more “weird” or unique items in our collection
(top right) and a display on Laura Lu Copenhaver
and Rosemont Industries (bottom right). Laura Lu
is one of three women from Smyth County being
honored at the Virginia Women’s Monument in
Richmond along with her daughter Eleanor
Copenhaver Anderson, wife of Sherwood
Anderson, and Annabel Morris Buchanan. During
the depressive 1920s, Laura Lu conceived a plan to
help local farmers and “mountain folk” by
combining ‘the raw products of wool with the
handicraft of the mountain people into the
beautiful rugs, curtains, quilts, and canopies that
were sold all over the world’ bearing the name “Rosemont.”
This Confederate cavalry style saber belonged to Isaac M. Lampe (1835-1899). Lampe was a
2nd Corporal in the 4th Regiment, Virginia Infantry Company D which was known as the “Smyth
Blues.” The Lampe family lived near what is present day Atkins, east of Marion in Smyth County.
According to Clara Hill Carner, former Smyth County Historian and relative of the Lampe family,
Isaac Lampe incurred several injuries over the course of his service in the war. He received several
bullet wounds and was also crippled by an exploded mortar shell. She also alleges that Lampe carried
the first flag in the war out of Marion.
The saber is a 1840s model cavalry officer’s saber. It bears the makers mark “P.D.L” just above
the hilt indicating that it was manufactured by P. D. Luneschloss of Germany, a firm that also had
contracts for officer swords and sabers with Tiffany of New York. These swords were imported into
the U.S. during the war and were used by both sides during the conflict.
For years the origin of this saber was a mystery to us. There was no record of it ever being
donated nor were there any obvious identifying markings indicating who it had belonged to. It was
not until we found a photograph with written description of the saber taken by Clara Hill Carner that
we learned this information about it. It is believed that it was at some point acquired by Mrs. Carner
through her connection to the Lampe family and deposited with the historical society. The little
notes and clues left by Mrs. Carner have proven to be invaluable on more than one occasion.
Getting to Know the Collection
(Confederate Saber)
SPRING 2019 PAGE 3
SMYTH COUNTY HISTORICAL AND MUSEUM SOCIETY
SPRING 2019 PAGE 4
2019 UPCOMING EVENTS
JUNE 23rd, 2019 Betsy Ely (portrayal of Mr. & Mrs. Woodrow Wilson).
JULY 21st, 2019 Jim King, Moonshining Tradition in Appalachia
AUGUST 25th, 2019 Dr. Charles Sydnor, The Virginia Holocaust Museum
SEPTEMBER 15th, 2019 John Clair, The Development of the Marion Police
Department.
SMYTH COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
UPCOMING EVENTS:
ALL EVENTS FREE AND OPEN TO PUBLIC 2 P.M. – 4 P.M.
Smyth County Museum, 123 East Main Street – Marion, Virginia
For More Information
Call: 276-783-7286 or visit our Facebook page.
OCTOBER 13th, 2019 Joella Barber, The Battle of Kings Mountain
SMYTH COUNTY HISTORICAL AND MUSEUM SOCIETY
AUGUST 25th, 2019 Dr. Charles Syndor
Dr. Charles Syndor, former Emory &
Henry College President and former
Historian and Director at the Virginia
Holocaust Museum, is a highly
respected historian of the Holocaust
and World War II. He provided the
United States Department of Justice
and its Office of Special Investigations
with expert testimony in twenty-one
court cases involving former SS
concentration camp guards and Nazi
death camp collaborators. Dr. Syndor’s
talk from last year was so well
received that we asked him to come
back this year and speak.
SEPTEMBER 15th, 2019 John Clair
Marion Police Chief John Clair has
been researching the development
and history of the Marion Police
Department since its beginning in
1849 until present day.
The Smyth County Historical Society Newspaper Digitization Project is designed to get our collection of newspapers in the hands of people who can use and enjoy them. Currently 400 newspaper issues in our collection have been digitized, many of which are not available elsewhere. We think it is important to make them available to anyone who might have interest in them or that could benefit from them. Currently, interested individuals can obtain a USB Flash Drive loaded with all the
newspapers that have currently been processed at a cost of $15. This price helps cover the cost
of the USB Flash Drive itself and assists with supporting this project and others. The USB Flash
Drive contains PDF files of each scanned and enhanced newspaper issue to make viewing easy.
Framed Portrait of Eleanor Fairman Starcher (daughter of B.F. Buchanan). Framed Portrait of Josephine Spiller Buchanan Sheffey (wife of Col. John Preston Sheffey). Framed Portrait of James White Sheffey
On Loan by: Courtney Stewart, Blacksburg, Virginia
Collection of Photographs, Documents, News Clippings. Etc…related to the history of the family of B.F. Buchanan.
Courtney Stewart, Blacksburg, Virginia
Framed Portrait of Mary J. Morgan (February 24, 1832 – April 15, 1932) Copy of disk with collection of Goodridge Wilson’s Southwest Corner Articles (1930-1934) Biographical Information on Vincent J. Morgan and Mary J. Morgan.
John Morgan, Saltville, Virginia
“A Collection of Poor Valley Memories: Book One,” by Benita Smith ©2010 “A Collection of Poor Valley Memories: Book Two,” by Benita Smith ©2010
Debbie Wyatt, Saltville, Virginia
Collection of 33 Items from the Edna Love Estate consisting of textiles and clothing from around 1900.
Edna Love Estate
Collection of Items and Photographs relating to the local history including: Photograph of Graham’s Mansion in Rural Retreat, Information of William Henry (Bill) Jones “inventor” of Mountain Dew,” Photograph of 1920s Train Wreck in Rural Retreat, etc…
Clyde Cox, Marion, Virginia
Nursing Uniform of Brenda Gwyn 3 Bonnets, Vintage Ladies Hat Misc. UDC Records/Letters
Clayborne Gwyn, Marion, Virginia
Antique Seed Planter Cannon Ball
Frank Detweiler, Marion, Virginia
POW Flag (for addition to collection of standing flags). Katie Smith, Marion, Virginia
Taxidermy Mallard Duck, Taxidermy Squirrel, Taxidermy Groundhog, Taxidermy Fox, Taxidermy Coyote, Taxidermy Raccoon, Brown “Hungry Mother State Park” Metal Road Sign, Brown Metal Road Sign with Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation Logo, Brown Metal Road Sign with “Picnic” Symbol, Wood Sign with Hungry Mother State Park Fishing Regulations, Yellow Metal Virginia State Parks Boundary Sign.
On Loan By: Hungry Mother State Park (for use in 2019 displays)
Item Donations January 2019 ---- May 2019
SPRING 2019 PAGE 5
SMYTH COUNTY HISTORICAL AND MUSEUM SOCIETY