Volume 25, No. 3-4 • Fall 2007MINCHEW RECEIVES AWARDThe Georgia Historical Records Advisory Board recently presented Kaye Minchew with its lifetime achievement award. The awards were presented at the Georgia Department of Archives and History on October 15, 2007. Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel and State Archivist David Carmichael presented the award. State Representative Randy Nix nominated Minchew for the award.In making the presentation, Carmichael noted: Kaye Lanning Minchew has spent her entire professional career working to improve the documentation of Georgia’s History. “Through her job as director of the Troup County Archives during the past twenty-four years, she has sought to improve records keeping in Troup County, West Georgia, and Georgia as a whole. She has also worked extensively to see that these documents and records are made available for use by a wide variety of members of the public, including middle and high school students in History Day contests, scholars, genealogists, social studies teachers, and local historians.”
 Minchew with Representative Randy Nix, and Secretary of State Karen Handel Troup County Students Honored at GHRABThree Troup County students were also recognized in the GHRAB Awards ceremony. Denver and Dillon Norris and Lewis Goode, IV were recognized for outstanding work on the 6-8 grade level for their History Day project. Their project represented Georgia in the National History Day contest. The boys are now freshmen at LaGrange High and have entered history day for the past three years. Congratulations boys!
 Minchew with Denver and Dillon Norris (absent Lewis Goode, IV) NEW TROUP COUNTY PICTORIAL HISTORY AVAILABLEA new pictorial history by Glenda Major, Clark Johnson, and Kaye Minchew has recently been published by Arcadia Publishing. All proceeds will go to the Troup County Historical Society. This book features over two hundred photographs, most of which have never been published before. The topics covered by the book are broad and all have detailed captions explaining the content of the photographs. Materials are arranged in chronological order. The oldest photo dates from 1842 and the most recent was taken December 22, 2006 at the dedication of the new theaters on Main Street and the start of LaGrange College football!The book is available for purchase from the Troup County Archives for $19.99 or by calling 706-884-1828. Anyone purchasing ten or more copies will receive a 10% discount. The book will make an excellent Christmas gift so start making your list now!
 MUSEUM RENOVATIONS UNDERWAYRenovations to 136 Main Street in LaGrange are well underway. The Troup County Archives building is daily being changed to house Museum on Main on the first floor and the Archives on second floor. The photograph above shows the basic layout of the first floor. One of the most dramatic changes is visible just inside the front doors where the old lobby and mezzanine have been removed. That large area which once served as the main banking area will provide space for the Junior Service League permanent museum gallery. Main Street and the front doors are shown here on the left. The Permanent Gallery will take a visitor from prehistoric Indian days and Early Settlers to transportation, Civil War, the Fuller E. Callaway, Sr., office, industry and textiles, World War II, and the 20th Century.A covered bridge will help bring visitors into the Charter Foundation Rotating Exhibit area. Exhibits in this section will remain on display for six weeks up to four months. Some of these exhibits will be created locally while others will be borrowed from places like the Smithsonian Museum. The old bank vault will be a theater used for showing a film about Troup County’s history. This space will be used with school groups and scout troops, plus all visitors will be invited to watch the film. The very back of the first floor (the west side) will feature at least two display cabinets and will spotlight recent donations to Museum on Main and the Troup County Archives. Restrooms and the elevator will also be on first floor. The Troup County Archives will be located on the second floor. Offices for staff of the Archives and Museum will be located on second and third floor. Renovations are expected to be completed by summer of 2008 so stay tuned!
 FEBRUARY 26, 2008: A VERY SPECIAL EVENT AND FUNDRAISER
‘The Taffetas’: A new wrinkle on Fifties PopNational touring show shimmers with musical memoriesIt’s a 1950s TV show. No, it’s a pop music variety show. No, it’s an Off-Broadway musical comedy. In fact, it’s all three. When The Taffetas, A Musical Journey Through the Fabulous Fifties comes to LaGrange on Feb. 26, 2008, audiences will get a triple dose of Fifties nostalgia –- early television, pop music and postwar culture. “Oh, no! Not another Fifties show!” If that’s what you’re thinking, you may need to give this fresh new stage hit a second look. Remember Elvis, Little Richard, DA haircuts, hotrods, leather jackets, pegged pants, backseat Bingo and the submarine races? Well, that’s not The Taffetas. This is “the other Fifties,” said Paul Pierce, the Springer Theatricals producer. Springer Theatricals is the national touring company bringing the splashy stage musical to town. “This was the Fifties where girls admired their mothers, wrote in their diaries, kept autograph dogs and listened to girl acts like the Chiffons, The McGuire Sisters, Connie Francis, Patti Page and The Chordettes on their record players.” said Pierce. “Their favorite look was cashmere and silk – not leather and denim.” The Taffetas, written by Rick Lewis, revolves around the lovely young Taffeta sisters – Kaye, Donna, Peggy and Cheryl – who are in New York making their national debut on the hit TV show, “Spotlight on Music.” This is the girls’ big moment because, prior to “Spotlight,” The Taffetas’ biggest gig was at the Moose Lodge back home in Muncie. They were discovered at the grand opening of the new A&P and made their radio debut on “Rockin’ Ronnie’s Radio Show” in Fort Wayne. They’ve earned their appearance on “Spotlight” with a mixture of charm, chops and chutzpah. The Taffetas’ professional future hinges upon their “Spotlight” performance; if they ace the gig, Ed Sullivan will be on the horn in a heartbeat and stardom awaits. Between tight-harmony renditions of songs like “Sh-Boom,” “Mister Sandman,” “I’m Sorry,” “Johnny Angel,” “Little Darlin’,” “Puppy Love” and “Where the Boys Are,” the studio audience is treated to some of those over-the-top early TV commercials for beauty products, automobiles and soap. The girls even field questions from the audience and dispense opinions on their favorite stars, dating and appropriate sweater/skirt combinations. The Taffetas is loaded with comedy and is often downright hilarious. But creator Rick Lewis was careful to avoid satire or judgment. “The Taffetas is not a spoof,” he said. “The show is real and sincere. It took awhile to get the performers to trust the simplicity of the period and not throw the humor in people’s laps. But of course the humor is there. It’s like watching June Cleaver standing in the kitchen wearing a cocktail dress and pearls washing dishes. You can relate to it or you can think it’s the craziest thing you’ve ever seen.” The Taffetas cast is actually a quartet of talented young actresses from New York – Amber Carson, Bonne Kramer, Maria Maloney and Alison Rose Munn. The show is directed and choreographed by theatre veteran Don Farrell, who is artistic director of the Actors Theatre of Indiana. The show is produced by Springer Theatricals, the national touring arm of the celebrated Springer Opera House, the 136 year-old National Historic Landmark theatre in Columbus, Ga. The Springer is also the State Theatre of Georgia and produces a year-round schedule of plays, musicals and the top-ranked Springer Theatre Academy. The theatre has one of the nation’s busiest touring schedules, performing in more than 60 cities every year. So Save the date, February 26, 2008, for a very special evening. Expect your invitation after the new year!
 BOOKS & VIDEOS FOR SALE AT THE TROUP COUNTY ARCHIVESTREASURES OF TROUP COUNTY: A PICTORIAL HISTORYby Glenda Major & F. Clark Johnson, III. 264 pages with over 500 maps and photos. Covers the history of the county from 1827 to present. Hardbound. $25.00TRAVELS THROUGH TROUP COUNTY: A GUIDE TO ITS ARCHITECTURE AND HISTORYThe 138 page book features 100 photographs by John Lawrence of historic houses and buildings located throughout Troup County. Detailed captions written by Glenda Major, Clark Johnson, & Kaye Minchew. Softbound. $10.00PAID lN KIND: THE HISTORY OF MEDICINE IN TROUP COUNTY, 1830-1930Glenda Major, author. An important reference book about Troup County’s history documenting the central role doctors and medicine have played. Over 300 pages, indexed, with photographs and medical illustrations. Hardbound. $12.50ESTATE RECORDS OF TROUP COUNTY, GEORGIA, 1827-1850Compiled by Randall Allen and Danny Knight. 433 pages, hard cover, indexed, includes abstracts of all entries recorded in Troup County Inferior Court’s will books and return books. Sources are listed so researchers can examine original records. Hardbound. $20.00FAMILY, CHURCH, AND COMMUNITY CEMETERIES OF TROUP COUNTY, GEORGIACompiled by Dorothy McClendon, Lillie Lambert, and Danny Knight. 502 pages, indexed, listed by locations. Hardbound. $25.00MY ANCESTORS’ RECORDS3 ring genealogy workbook to organize family information. $25.00I MUST SING: THE ERA WITH CARRIE FALL BENSONby Louise Barfield Hammett Hardbound $29.95FERRELL GARDENS: A GROWING HISTORYis a video produced by the Troup County Historical Society spotlighting the 174-year-old gardens. Includes an interview with Mrs. Alice H. Callaway and historical photos. $15.00THE LAGRANGE PUBLIC SCHOOLS, 1903-1984by Lillian Clark and William Keller, published by the Troup County Historical Society. This 207 page volume gives a detailed history of the school system plus individual histories of each school. Index and photos included. Hardbound. $15.00TROUP COUNTY IN VINTAGE POSTCARDSby the Troup County Historical Society. A collection of more than 200 vintage postcard images and lively, informative captions. Softbound $19.99EARLY MARRIAGES, TROUP COUNTY, GEORGIA, 1828-1900Compiled by Merle Bruce. Listed alphabetically by groom and indexed with bride’s name. Hardbound. $20.00MEMORIES IN MARBLE: HILLVIEW AND HILL VIEW ANNEX CEMETERIESby F. Clark Johnson, III. Complete transcription of tombstones in these two LaGrange cemeteries, 1830 until the mid-20th century. Hardbound. $20.00PEOPLE OF ANTE-BELLUM TROUP COUNTY, GAby F.C. Johnson, III. Includes censuses of the county for 1830 through 1860 plus 1850 & 1860 slave schedules and 1850 mortality schedule, plus additional lists. Indexed. Hardbound. $20.00ORACLE OF THE AGES: REFLECTIONS ON THE CURIOUS LIFE OF FORTUNE TELLER MAYHAYLEY LANCASTERby Dot Moore with Katie Smith. Softbound. $19.95HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF HOGANSVILLE, 1830-1970by Jane Strain. An informative pamphlet which traces development of this town. Softbound. $7.00FROM THE BRUSH ARBOR TO THE TEMPLE BEAUTIFUL: A HISTORICAL COMPILATION OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN CHURCHES IN TROUP COUNTY, GAby Oliver N. Greene, Sr. Contains histories of all African-American Churches in the county. Softbound. $25.00BRIDGING DEEP SOUTH RIVERS: THE LIFE AND LEGEND OF HORACE KINGby John Lupold and Thomas French. The first biography of this gifted architect and engineer who transcended slavery and segregation to become a successful builder. Hardbound. $ 29.95BUILDING BRIDGES ACROSS THE OCEAN: LAGRANGE/CRAIGAVONClark Johnson & Lewis Porter. Pictorial and historical guide to two sister cities. Hardbound. $30.00CELEBRATING TROUP COUNTY, 1826-2000A video production which combines vintage film clips and scenes from the Millennium New Year’s Eve Party, to tell the history of the county. $10.00LAFAYETTE: AN ACTIVITY BOOK, highlights the Revolutionary War hero’s role in American and Troup County history. Softbound. $2.00 History of Troup County by Clifford Smith, 1933. Reprint of the classic history of the county with a new index. Hardbound. $44.00HISTORY OF LAGRANGE FIRST METHODIST CHURCHby F. Clark Johnson, III. 528 pages detailing the history of the church, including lists of membership, World War II servicemen, gifts, memorials, and more. Indexed. Hardbound. $30.00LONG CANE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH: ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY YEARS OF CHRISTIAN MINISTRY 1841 to 2001by R. Stafford Clark. A history of the church. Hardbound. $20.00GEORGIA FARM LIFE IN THE 1940s: THE FARM IN YARNby Annie Lucille Greene. This farm series is a pictorial account of two summers the author spent on her grandparents’ farm. Features photographs of the authors original yarn paintings that were exhibited throughout the state of Georgia. Hardbound $30.00; Softbound $20.00THE RED BOOK: THE LIFE OF FRANK EDWARDSEdited by Earle E. Griggs. Account of the army life of a Troup County Confederate Soldier from 1861-1865. Reprint. Softbound. $11.00YOUNG AMERICAN HEROby Kenneth Seymour. Biography of Medal of Honor recipient, Hammet L. Bowen, Jr. Softbound. $10.00 For Love of Country by Dr. John West. Record of over 300 Troup County people who died while on active duty in military service during the 20th Century. Softbound. $10.00THE HERMENEUTICS OF PREACHINGby Rev. Dr. Aubrey M. Thompson of Warren Temple. This is a guide to help ministers and lay speakers interpret the scriptures. Softbound. $15.00WE CALL OUR DADDY “MISTER”by James E. Schell. Recollections of Harrell Family and Rose Hill Plantation of Troup County. Softbound. $20.00HOLLYHOCKS AND OLD MAID AUNTS: A BOOK OF MEMORIES, FAVORITE POEMS, AND FAMILY RECIPESby Glenda Major. A glimpse into the life of the author through over 180 pages of recipes, family stories, amusing anecdotes, and poetry. Softbound. $15.00SPEAKERS BUREAUStaff at the Troup County Archives and Museum on Main are available to speak to civic clubs, and church and school groups. The staff can speak on a variety of topics relating to the history and genealogy of the area and to the new museum. Staff has a brand new Power Point Program about the museum which they can show. To set up a talk, please call the Archives at 706-884-1828 or e-mail us at info@trouparchives.org.Laurie Sedicino, curator of Museum on Main, is our newest staff member. She recently spoke to the LaGrange Kiwanis Club about plans for the new museum. She is completing her master’s degree in heritage preservation and cultural anthropology from Georgia State University. She is available to talk about the new museum, historic preservation issues, or oral history. Kaye Minchew has served as Director of the Troup County Archives since February 1985. She has recently spoken about plans for the museum and archives. She also talks about local government records and topics such as Troup County’s history and transportation over the generations. Clark Johnson is the Troup County Historian and Reference Archivist of the Archives. He can speak on a wide variety of topics relating to Troup County history and genealogy. Barry Jackson is Accessioning Archivist and often speaks to school groups. He coordinates History Day activities for the Archives and the Heritage Education workshops for teachers. Smithsonian Polio Exhibition on Display at Warm SpringsRoosevelt Institute has brought a new attraction to Warm Springs. That attraction is the Smithsonian exhibition “Whatever Happened to Polio,” a detailed examination of the history of polio, its effects on American Society and current efforts to eradicate the disease around the world.Created by the National Museum of American History, the exhibit includes an iron lung, a rocking bed, a variety of splints and other medical devices as well as photographs and patient memorabilia all meant to illuminate the experience of polio in the United States during the middle part of the 20th century. The exhibition is located in the lobby of Roosevelt Hall on the campus of Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation. The display is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday thru Saturday. Admission is free. For more information, please contact Institute tours, Linda Creekbaum at 706-655-5010.
 HISTORY DAY 2008The 2008 West Georgia Regional History Day contest will be Friday, March 7th on the main campus of LaGrange College. The contest is open to 6 to 12th graders. To receive more information, call the Archives at 706-884-1828 or e-mail barry@trouparchives.orgWANTED: 1826 SOCIETY MEMBERS!The Museum on Main Fundraising Committee currently has recently launched a campaign to attract more 1826 Society members. The 1826 Society is named in honor of the founding year of Troup County. Membership in the 1826 Society requires donating $1826 over a two year time period.Jenny Copeland is chair of the MoM Fundraising Committee. She reports that there are currently 52 individuals who have given between $1800 and $5000 to Museum on Main. (Note, to simplify counting a couple was counted as 1 person or unit.) Jenny and her committee would very much like to see this number increased significantly. Funds raised will go toward development of the museum and toward establishing an endowment to support the museum in the future. Membership requires a strong interest in your heritage as well as a contribution of $1826.00. Members of the 1826 Society will have name recognition in the museum and, we hope, a great sense of pride in its founding. Jenny has said: “Troup County and West Georgia are rich in history and many families are part of that. The true value of our history is understanding the world in which we live. It is said that “If you don’t know where you’ve been, then you won’t know where you are going.” We all have a history and should know it in order to map a future characterized by a stronger sense of community. Like fabric, community is a weaving of diversity. Museums function to celebrate and illustrate diverse voices that represent various perspectives. Museums equip us to understand others and ourselves.” If you would like more information about the 1826 Society, please contact Jenny Copeland or Kaye Minchew at 706-884-1828 or kaye@trouparchives.org. FROM THE DIRECTOR2007 has certainly been a busy year. We have been busy planning for the new museum and renovations have begun on the Archives building at 136 Main Street. 2008 promises to be even busier!Archives and museum staff moved into temporary quarters on the second floor of the Bank of America building in late July. The move went smoothly thanks to the help of Archives staff plus several LaGrange College employees and Evans and Evans Moving Company! Throughout the move, staff provided access to government records and school records. Several things are in storage, including our rare books and most of the genealogy and local history library so they will not be accessible again until summer 2008. Materials from the building are now stored in five different buildings! Fortunately, staff have been able to find needed items in very timely manners! The space in the second floor of the Bank of America building is cozy but extremely functional. The Troup County Historical Society is indebted to the Callaway Foundation, Inc., for allowing the Archives to use this space during the renovations. A small collection of genealogy and local history books about Troup County and West Georgia is available to researchers plus manuscript collections can be pulled for anyone wanting to do in-depth research. To speed service, we are requesting that people call or e-mail in advance so that we can have needed items available upon their arrival. The move has meant that we have gone through drawers and cabinets to make sure we need all the non-archival materials collected over the years. (Archival materials are kept permanently.) Finally, receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award from GHRAB (see page 1) was a tremendous and humbling honor! I am planning to work for many more years to live up to that award! -- Kaye Minchew RECENTLY PROCESSED COLLECTIONSAyres Memorial Methodist Church (MS-2005.10) The collection consists of Board minutes dating April 11, 1956 - November 15, 1960, and a copy of the minutes of the Woman’s Society of Christian Service, North Georgia Conference, 1960, that lists churches in the LaGrange District of the North Georgia Conference.Beth El Congregation (MS-2004.04) Congregation Beth El, a minority religious group in LaGrange, a community with an abundance of Christian denominations, was organized in 1942. Temple Beth El has survived as a synagogue for over sixty years, sometimes with as few as ten members. The building currently home to Temple Beth El, on the corner of Battle and Church streets, was originally an Episcopal church built in the 1890s. The collection consists of photocopied minutes from 1945-1968. Edgar Bledsoe Papers (MS-2004.09) Edgar Bledsoe a native of Heard County, Georgia, retired as an industrial engineer for Callaway Mills and Milliken Company. The collection consists of various certificates Mr. Bledsoe earned from the Callaway Mills Vocational School. Septima Koehler Letters (MS-2006.02) Septima Koehler (1848-1918) was an Indiana school teacher who served as a mission worker with mill workers in LaGrange at the Mission of the Good Shepherd, Episcopal Mission. The collection consists of letters describing her work as a night school teacher at the “Mission.” Insightful accounts are given of her life and work among people of the Elm City area and descriptions of LaGrange and its citizens. One letter details her own illness and treatment by Dr. Henry Slack, a local physician. Ten photographs of the Elm City area, during the time period, are part of the collection. Transcriptions of the letters, by Rev. William McLemore of the Episcopal Church of LaGrange, are included Wallace and Geraldine Howard Collection (MS-2006.09) Wallace Howard, a native of Troup County, served in the U.S. Navy during WWII and retired from the Dixie Division of WestPoint Pepperell. The collection consists of a history of Dixie Mill and job specification sheets from the spinning department of Dunson Mill. Letters written by second grade students at Dunson School in 1921 to a “Miss Claude” (Miss Claude Dunson Dunaway, was a teacher at the school and was the daughter of Joseph E. Dunson, founder of Dunson Mill.) complete the collection. D. E. Phillips Collection (MS-2004.06) David Edward Phillips was born near Harrisonville, Troup County, Georgia. In 1883, Phillips moved to LaGrange and went to work for John Ragland, vendor of groceries and plantation supplies on East Court Square. Two years later he went into the “fancy” grocery business for himself. The collection consists of one account ledger for the period 1890-1892 that lists the monthly purchases of many LaGrange families and several hotels. A glimpse into the day to day dining habits of families in turn of century LaGrange can be gained by reviewing their purchasing habits. Wisteria Garden Club (MS-2006.12) The Wisteria Garden Club was organized July 1977 “to promote continuing education in the areas of home gardening, landscape design and flower arranging.” The collection consists of one scrapbook detailing activities and events of the club from 1977-1999. Photographs and letters record the club’s participation in various flower shows and community projects. Many projects centered on activities and events held at LaGrange College such as Homecomings and Campus Cleanup events. Officers and membership lists are included. The club continues to meet. MEMBERSHIP DRIVE BEGINSThe Troup County Historical Society will begin its annual membership campaign in November. If you are a member of the Society, you will receive a letter from us asking you to renew your membership. We urge you to consider increasing your level of membership giving this year. OR fill out the form below and mail it in with your payment. To make the renewal even easier, you can call the Archives at 706-884-1828 and put your membership renewal on your credit card!With your membership in the Historical Society, you will receive our quarterly newsletter and will receive invitations to our luncheon programs and special lectures. Your membership is tax deductible. Membership funds of the Historical Society support the Troup County Archives, planning for the Museum on Main, annual History Day contests for middle and high school students, Heritage Education workshops for teachers, and special programs. We thank you for your past membership support and hope you will continue to participate in the Troup County Historical Society. PRESERVATION CAR TAGSOrders of Georgia’s new historic preservation license plates have reached 896 – leaving only 104 more to make the goal of 1,000! At that point, the Georgia Motor Vehicle Division will begin production of the plate. Those with orders will be notified when the tags become available. This new specialty license plate was authorized by the 2005 Georgia General Assembly and signed into law by Governor Perdue.$22 from each $25 license tag fee will go to HPD’s Georgia Heritage Grant Program, which provides funding for historic preservation projects around the state. Last year’s (SFY 2006) funding level was only $129,000, although applications totaled over $1 million in matching grant requests. While the goal for the GA Heritage Grant Program is $5 million/year, funding peaked in SFY 2002 at $500,000. To place an order, check with your county’s tax commissioner. In Troup County, call Gary Wood at 706-883-1620. The cost is $25.00. ARTIFACT SPOTLIGHT:Oak Grove School
 Mildred Hagler of Pine Mountain recently donated the cornerstone from Oak Grove School to the Troup County Historical Society and Museum on Main. The school opened in 1923 and closed in 1951 when the students in the area began attending schools at Chipley and later Rosemont. Staff of MoM are delighted to add this plaque to MoM’s collections for future use in the museum!
This newsletter is a quarterly publication of
the Troup County Historical Society and Archives, 136 Main Street, P.O. Box 1051, LaGrange, GA 30241. Phone: 706-884-1828; Fax: 706-884-1840 email: info@trouparchives.org http://www.troupachives.org Officers:
Staff of the Archives:
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