Dear Members,
With the coming of spring, there is much to be optimistic about and look forward to at the Bartow History Museum. Visitation is picking back up as people look for opportunities to get out and about. Members, donors, and sponsors continue to show their support through their financial gifts. And, while we have been unable to host in-person programs over the past few months, our virtual lectures have been well received.
Furthermore, over the past few months, the staff and I have discussed ideas, evaluated the results of our recent surveys, and set some goals for moving forward while still navigating uncertainty. What is certain, however, is our commitment to the safety of our visitors, to offer engaging programs, and to continue our mission of preserving our local history. To that end, we have a wide range of opportunities in the works throughout the year that will provide you with the chance to learn more, to engage with others, and to visit new places.
One of the next big opportunities for those who enjoy being outdoors is the return of the History Hustle 5K on Saturday, May 1st. Come be a part of this unique event benefiting the Bartow History Museum and Rose Lawn Museum. Runners (or walkers) will wind through sections of historic neighborhoods in the Olde Town and West End Historic Districts of Cartersville. For registration information, visit our website. By the way, our race route is now an official, USATF-Certified 5K Course [GA19045WC]!
Also, it is with great honor I announce a very generous gift from Bartow History Museum member Marty Mulinix. Marty has pledged a multiyear gift to honor the memory of her husband Victor and her in-laws Martha and Rufus Mulinix and their contributions to the preservation of Bartow County history. All three spent their lifetimes devoted to Bartow County, and the Bartow History Museum was fortunate to work with them on many endeavors over the years. In recognition of Marty’s gift, we are pleased to name the museum’s archives and research library in honor of the Mulinix family. Watch for more details in the coming months of this family’s contribution to our history as we celebrate this wonderful gift.
We look forward to seeing you in the museum soon!
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New Members - Don't forget to check out what's new in the Member Portal on our website. To access it, continue to use the password, bhmmembers2020.
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THANK YOU TO OUR CORPORATE SPONSORS
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We've gone international!
This past quarter has been an exciting one for us with the addition of our first membership outside the United States. One of our newest members lives in Musselburgh, Scotland.
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Member Spotlight...Meet Valerie Coleman
The Bartow History Museum is fortunate to have many talented members who willingly share their gifts with others.
Valerie Coleman is just such a person. An active member of her church, community, and director of Noble Hill-Wheeler Memorial Center (NHWMC), we asked Valerie what she does to relax after a long day. Valerie shared that she enjoys reading novels and devotionals for women. A particular book that has defined her today is The Power of a Praying Woman by Stormie Omartian. “I know who I am and whose I am. I have become a better person to the people that are in my life and anyone I meet. I have a heart to do what God's will is for my life and continue to be a better me every day while on this journey called life.” Another joy in her life is singing. Valerie has been doing it practically all of her life, and she says it “helps to sooth my soul, gives me joy, and helps me to release the stresses of life.”
Currently, the NHWMC is being remodeled, but she invites everyone to come visit this summer. You’ll find the new exhibits and building rehab take an interesting approach to protecting a cherished Bartow legacy. When asked what is her favorite part of being a BHM member, Valerie answered, “being able to meet people, partner and work on projects, …also the wonderful perks.”
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Employee Spotlight… Meet Trey Gaines
We could tell you that Trey Gaines has a bachelor’s and master’s degree in history, has worked at the museum for 20 years, is active in local and statewide civic and professional organizations, is the oldest of 5 brothers, and loves chocolate chip cookies. But, we thought it would be more fun to ask his youngest daughter to write the spotlight instead.
A spotlight on Bartow History Museum Director, Trey Gaines, written by Meredith, his 14-year-old daughter:
“Trey Gaines, a Star Wars enthusiast, has been the director of the Bartow History Museum for 13 years. He has two amazing children and one wife. He has a dog named Calvin, who he enjoys taking power naps with when he has the chance. He enjoys family time and talking about ancient things. He has always loved history. He has taught one daughter how to drive and is working on teaching the other. He is great at planning vacations and is always up for adventure. He goes grocery shopping and helps his daughters study. Trey Gaines is great at many things including making lunches and being director of the Bartow History Museum!”
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Zoom Lecture on the Negro Building and the 1895 World's Fair
Tiffany A. Player, assistant professor at Georgia State University will speak about the Negro Building and the 1895 Atlanta World’s Fair.
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Zoom Lecture on Researching Your Personal History
Sally Hatfield from the Bartow County Genealogical Society will speak on researching your personal history.
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Bartow Book Break
Add this book, Growing Up in Cartersville, by Van Henshaw to your spring reading list and then join us on Facebook Live for a brief discussion. It is available in our gift shop for $15. Correction: The membership discount does not apply to this book. Curbside service is available for those wishing to order it over the phone. Simply call us at 770-387-2774.
Free to participate in Facebook Live.
Book - $15
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History Hustle 5K
Immerse yourself in the history of Cartersville, Georgia! Now, an official USATF-Certified 5K Course [GA19045WC], the route begins at Rose Lawn Museum, an historic Victorian home that once housed the well-known evangelistic minister, Sam Jones. The course takes you through two of the historic, residential districts in Cartersville, Georgia. Proceeds from this event will benefit the educational and preservation efforts of the Bartow History Museum and Rose Lawn Museum.
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Thank you to our sponsors. |
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Zoom Lecture on the Etowah Indian Mounds
Keith Bailey, curator at the Etowah Indian Mounds, will discuss the history of the mounds.
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Zoom Lecture on the History of the Southern Novel and Female Writers
Kathaleen Amende, Dean for the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences at Alabama State University, will speak on the history of the southern novel and female writers.
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Memorial Day
The museum and offices will be closed.
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Zoom Lecture on the Civil War
Keith Hebert, associate professor of history at Auburn University and Bartow County native, will profile little known stories of Bartow people and places connected to the Civil War and Reconstruction.
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New Photo Exhibit Wall - Faithful Companions |
Our new photo exhibit, Faithful Companions, has been installed for your viewing pleasure in the Great Hall at the museum. It captures the companionship exhibited between a dog and its owner. When at the museum, be sure to take a look at these great photos capturing these fabulous moments over time.
In honor of our new exhibit, we would love for you to send us a photo of you with your pet. We will share as many of them as possible on social media and in future newsletters. Please email the photo to the address below and be sure to include the names of any individuals in the photo, and of course your pet's name and breed. Please note we are not able to utilize photos with children included. Email us here.
Member Melissa Hulsey is shown with her horse, Cricket.
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We hope everyone that came out for the Top of the Dam Tour had a great time. It was a wonderful opportunity to see the dam from a different vantage point and to learn a little about this massive structure. |
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Free on the Member Portal - 24/7 |
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Stephen Davis highlights photos from his book, 100 Significant Civil War Photos: Atlanta Campaign.
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Robert Jones discusses his book, 30 Most Influential Women in Georgia History.
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Georgia Writers Museum
109 S. Jefferson Ave
Eatonton, GA
Did you know that some of this country’s literary classics are Georgia originals by Alice Walker, Flannery O’Connor, and Joel Chandler Harris? Another little-known fact is that these three authors were all from the Eatonton, GA, area. They say, “It must be something in the soil.” Any way you stack it, Georgia Writers Museum in Eatonton, GA, is an interesting little museum that has a specific mission to honor and inspire hometown authors. Open Thursday-Saturday, visitors can see exhibits on these three authors. While there, take their walking/driving tours that highlight the lives of these notable writers. Bartow History Museum members get free admission.
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Get out and explore another part of this great state. We suggest the Alice Walker Driving Tour which starts at the Georgia Writers Museum in Eatonton, GA.
Alice Walker, best known for her novel The Color Purple, was born in Eatonton, Georgia in 1944. The daughter of African American sharecroppers, her mother enrolled her in school at four-years-old to keep her out of the cotton fields. Alice’s teachers recognized her literary talents, and within four years she retreated completely into books and writing. After graduating as valedictorian of her high school class, she continued her education at Spelman College, and then transferred to Sarah Lawrence College for her junior and senior years. After graduation, she worked for the Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi. A strong writer, her powerful novels and poetry reflected her life-long experiences, creating strong awareness of racial inequality and social justice.
For directions and tour highlights, visit the “Day Trip Itineraries” on the Georgia Writers Museum website.
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The Life and Sayings of Sam P. Jones
Imagine having enough wonderful words to say about your spouse to fill a 500+ page book. Laura Jones, wife of Reverend Samuel P. Jones, did just that in the book, The Life and Sayings of Sam P. Jones, published in 1907.
One of the rare books here at the Bartow History Museum, it joins several other books in our collection about the world-renowned evangelist that are available for research.
As stated in the introduction, Rev. Jones’ highest ambition was to be known as a man that lived up to and died by his convictions. In writing this book, his wife felt like his wish has been granted.
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In the fall of 1925 a severe cyclone and cloudburst, as it was called in the newspaper, caused a flood near Adairsville which could have ended badly for a local farmer in a wagon with two teenage passengers. Pulling the new wagon, which contained a bale of cotton, cotton seed, and $40 cash, the mules decided they needed a drink of water in a shallow creek.
It was then the sudden storm sent a wall of water down a ravine and into the creek catching them off guard. All were washed over a concrete dam and carried some distance downstream. A man who witnessed the accident thought they would surely all be drowned. But, after a hard struggle, the three passengers were able to save themselves, along with one of the mules. Unfortunately, the other mule, the new wagon, the cotton seed and the cash were lost. The bale of cotton was found lodged downstream and recovered. After the cyclone hit, there was a time of lightning, thunder, and thick hail that continued to strike the Adairsville area which resulted in the loss of crops and damage to homes, outbuildings, and trees.
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Chenille robes achieved great popularity from the 1930s to after World War II, even becoming a staple garment after the war. Chenille robe production increased over 412 per cent from 1940 to 1946. In 1949, approximately 5,449,000 chenille robes or housecoats were produced, as women, after years of wartime restrictions and work, looked for a comfortable and colorful garment for some well-deserved leisure time.
This lovely rosy-pink and tan robe is a full-length wrap-around style with shawl collars, a cord tie, and an overlay design pattern. It belonged to Barbara Cox who picked it off the rack at her grandmother’s chenille business in Emerson in 1963.
Albert and Chloe (Dabbs) Kincannon, Mrs. Cox’s grandparents, began a chenille business in the 1930s. Mr. Kincannon had a job as a bus driver, so Mrs. Kincannon ran the chenille business by making and selling the chenille products. Mrs. Kincannon made the chenille products on a single needle tufting machine in the store. Her sister-in-law, Ruby Roberts Dabbs, helped out by tufting on a machine in her home.
Originally the chenille store was across the street from a general store that is now Doug’s Restaurant. After World War II, a Highway 41 bypass route around Emerson was opened, and the Kincannons moved their business to the corner of the new highway and Gaston Westbrooks Drive. Mrs. Cox said she worked in the store as soon as she was old enough to count money, and also helped her grandmother trace the bedspread patterns.
Along with the robe, Mrs. Cox is donating two chenille bedspreads and a photograph of her grandparents standing beside the bedspread line at their roadside store in Emerson.
For more information about chenille and its origins in northwest Georgia, read Southern Tufts by Ashley Callahan. Check us out on Facebook to see a photo of the Kincannons.
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Museum Archives
Even though the Archives continue to be closed to the public during the Covid-19 pandemic, research questions have not slowed down. In case you didn’t know, you can e-mail your questions to Sandy Moore at sandym@bartowhistorymuseum.org, and she will be glad to help you.
Our archives have a great collection of photographs, documents, newspapers and other materials that can be used to assist you. Some of the more frequent research requests are obituaries, information on a local business or home, and photograph copies. Please be sure to check our online resources as well on our website by clicking on the Research tab on the homepage.
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Bees are buzzing. Birds are singing. Butterflies are flying. The gift shop welcomes Spring. |
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Check out these fun spring hand towels and garden flag. Great for the bee lover in your family. |
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Trey Gaines, Director
Tina Shadden, Registrar
Sandy Moore, Archives Assistant
Joshua Graham, Manager of Programs
Sarah Strickland, Program Support
Lauren Storey, Program Support
Lisa Romans, Marketing Manager
Pat Taff, Guest Services Manager
Shanna Latimer, Guest and Membership Services
Brenda Harris, Guest Services
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Our Mission is to preserve Bartow County History, educate a diverse community of students and visitors about its unique heritage, and to celebrate its sense of place through exhibits, programs, and outreach activities in an engaging and pleasant manner. |
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MUSEUM AND GIFT SHOP
770.387.2774
4 East Church Street
Cartersville, GA 30120
BartowHistoryMuseum.org
Mon-Sat 10am-5pm
Sunday Closed
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OFFICES & ARCHIVES
770.382.3818
13 North Wall Street
Cartersville, GA 30120
BartowHistoryMuseum.org
Call to schedule an appointment or to discuss a research question.
Mon-Fri 10am-5pm
Weekends By Appointment
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