Museum Newsletter - 31 Mar 2010

Friends of the Bullitt County History Museum
E-Newsletter
March 31, 2010 (Volume 6, Number 3)

Dear Friends,

Announcements...

>>Looking for Nichols Elementary School Pics.

Nichols Elementary School, in western Bullitt County, will be celebrating it's fiftieth anniversary next month. As part of that, we are looking for any photos of the school. Please search around and see if you can find any that we don't already have, and we'll get them to the school.

>>Museum closed half day April 2.

The Bullitt County Courthouse, and therefor our museum which is housed therein, will close at noon on April 2 for Good Friday holiday.

>>Genealogical Society meeting April 17.

Dixie Hibbs, former Bardstown Mayor, author, and longtime Nelson County historian, will be the guest speaker this time. Dixie's subject will be the history of the Wickliffe family of Nelson County and their ties to Bullitt County and historic Wickland, the home of three governors. Normal meeting place and time, 10:00 a.m. at Ridgway Memorial Public Library in Shepherdsville.

>> Salt Making Presentation at Kentucky History Museum April 10 in Frankfort.

I am proud to report that I will be the guest speaker at the Kentucky Historical Society meeting in Frankfort on April 10. The subject will be "Bullitt County Salt Making in the 1800's and the Importance of Kentucky's Salt Making Industry".

The Family History Workshop presentation "Researching in Kentucky Ancestors Magazine" begins at 10:30, followed by the "Kentucky's Salt Industry" presentation. From the state press release...

"Starting with this April edition, the workshop series will include occasional presentations on industries that were crucial to the settlement and early cultural development of Kentucky. Understanding the history of these industries may provide insights for researchers. In this session, David Strange, executive director of the Bullitt County History Museum, will explain the importance of Kentucky's salt-making industry."

Registration is required by noon on April 9. Location is the Thomas D. Clark Kentucky History Museum in Frankfort. For more information contact the Kentucky Historical Society Reference Desk at 502-564-1792, ext.4460 or email RefDesk@ky.gov.

>>Last Call on a Collection of Elliott Family Letters. Probably a couple of years ago, or perhaps more, the museum came into possession of a shoe box full of letters. The person who dropped them off had found them, apparently discarded in an empty house. The letters are an assortment, written between home and family members at war. Some from Vietnam. Some from WWII. There is not much content of importance to anyone except family members.

The sad thing is we can't find any family members.

Over the time we have had the letters, various volunteers have tried to trace down someone to give the letters to. The family, name of Elliott, lived in Jefferson County, Kentucky. There is no real reason for the museum to keep them, so we might soon discard them if no one is found to take them.

So this is a last call. Does anyone out there know of any survivors in the Elliott family? Specific first names are William C.; Victor; Vivian L.; Ronald D.; and also Sarah Sizemore.

Indications are that the letters were intended to be thrown away, possibly the last remnants of a family line that had died out.

But if there are any family members out there somewhere, we feel that those descendants would like to have these letters.

Sadly, this is the last call before we discard them.

Activity...

>>Web Site Additions.

Additions to our web site have grown since last time. To see what is new, visit our Latest Additions page.

>> Scout Group Tours Museum.

The museum hosted a group of Girl Scouts this evening, opening up the museum after hours just for them, which we can only rarely do. There is nothing quite so challenging [grin] for me as leading a group of young girl scouts on tour. Imagine one talkative pre-adolescent girl and multiply by 20. Oh how my ears hurt. They were actually quite good though. My old guy grump is just showing through. And though I joke about the challenge, it's really quite fun. I even get to "spook" them a bit in the Old Stone Jail. Now there's a sound...20 young girls screaming at their high-pitched best. I do believe the stone walls of the old jail nearly fell!

Thanks to scout leader Kristie Walls for arranging the tour. I really do love having them. Really.

>> Books donated.

Doris Owen donated several books to the museum. Examples are Who's Who in America 1966-67 & 1962-63. Who's Who in Louisville, 1926 and 1974. Prominent Bullitt Countians are in it, with photos. Another book is The Journal of American History, 1918, quarterly booklet. This book includes quite a bit of Crawford ancestry. Also, the Jeffersontown museum in Jefferson County gave us a copy of "1818-1900 Record of Nelson County Ky. Lutheran Church," compiled by Va. Vance Lovett. Volunteer Bob Cline tells me that this book can be very helpful to those researching Germania roots.

>> McNutt/Monroe Cemetery Photos donated.

Darron McNutt donated a disc of 50 photos of the McNutt/Monroe cemetery on Weavers Run Road. Darron is looking for info on Robert McNutt (1824-1889) & son W Hardin McNutt (1871-1903).

>> Marriage Bonds Index.

Volunteers Ed & Sherrie Lee compiled, and Lynn Eddington typed, an index to the Bullitt County Marriage Bonds, Book B. This old book of bonds had not been indexed before, as far as we know, so this should be helpful. I hope this will be published in our quarterly newsletter sometime soon, or added to our web site.

>> Dorothy Hedges Fackert recorded.

This is not something we are really set up to do, so we are grateful to Charles and Betty Hartley for interviewing Ms. Dorothy Hedges Fackert and recording the interview to disc. Ms. Fackert is 90-plus years old, and her memories should prove valuable in coming years.

For Your Information...

>> Genealogy on TV.

Have you been watching the TV show, "Who Do You Think You Are?" Some of us think that this show might do for genealogy research what "Dancing With the Stars" has done for ballroom dancing.

Tune in to NBC on Friday nights (8/7c) through April 23 as celebrities including Matthew Broderick, Brooke Shields, Susan Sarandon, and Spike Lee dig into their family history on the NBC series. You can also see the episodes at https://www.nbc.com/who-do-you-think-you-are/?sssdmh=dm13.240502&o_iid=43132&o_lid=43132 .

>> This can be a sad study, but if you are looking for Kentucky county-by-county statistics on things like suicide rates, check out www.kvdrs.uky.edu/countyinfo.cfm .

Finally...

Halleluia it's SPRING!!!

Frogs are chirping! Beautifully-colored birds are flying and singing. Bright yellow jonquils bursting from the ground. Ah what a wonderful world when Spring arrives!

I say it every year. I love three seasons of Kentucky, but the fourth, winter, is usually just a long, cold, gray, messy nuisance.

Ah but Spring! Spring! What a beautiful name for the season.

Have you ever seen a drawing of the "Charlie Brown" comic strip character, Snoopy, when he is dancing for joy? Well, that is me right now.

Extreme ecstasy. The good, bright sun warms the body. The new green grass, freshly mowed, and the cleansing Spring rains lovingly awaken the sense of smell. The fresh new breeze enlivens the soul.

Even the yellow dandelion weeds and wild onions look good. For now at least.

Happy Spring to you my Friends.

May this coming new season be the beginning of good things for you.

Thank you for being a Friend of the Bullitt County History Museum.

David Strange
Bullitt County History Museum
Executive Director
Museum Phone: 502-921-0161
E-Mail address: David.Strange@BullittCountyHistory.org