what we’ve been up to! in this issue

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


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


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, Inc.

P.O. Box 710

Marion, Virginia 24354

VISIT OUR WEBSITE! smythcountymuseum.org