McCoy Farm & Gardens Newsletter

Volume Ten: Issue Fourxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx April 2025

Third Annual Egg Roll, April 13

The Third Annual Egg Roll is set for Sunday, April 13, from 1:00 to 4:00 pm. 

Collectible souvenir wooden eggs feature a vintage bunny design. Each egg with an Activities Punch Card is $10. The price includes opportunities to join in an egg roll contest and a spoon obstacle course. Those who join in the games (and have their cards punched as they play) will receive prizes. 

The commemorative eggs are dated for 2025, and they make very special keepsakes. They are turned, painted, and printed by a family business in Maine whose craftsmen make the eggs for the White House Easter festivities.

The Easter Bunny will greet kids of all ages and pose for pictures. Spring "egg" rolls, lemonade, cotton candy, and kettle corn will be for sale. Enjoy other activities such as face painting and hair painting. In the dining room, spring-themed vintage china and accessories will be set up for your silent auction bids.

Beginning at 2:30 pm, the McCoy Mutts Easter Parade will highlight leashed, well-behaved dogs as they stroll the driveway dressed in their best finery. Bring your dog in costume and meet at the Carriage House at 2:20 pm.

The Bachman-McCoy House will be open from 1:00-4:00 pm, and docents will be on hand. McCoy branded merchandise, Emma Bell Miles art-related items, and natural-bark bluebird houses are for sale. The birdhouses with poles for mounting are made from tulip poplars thinned from the poplar grove. All proceeds are used to support McCoy facilities and programming.

Emma Bell Miles

Treasures Donated

McCoy Farm & Gardens is grateful to receive a recent gift of four Emma Bell Miles books from the collection of Dr. Walter and Marie-Helen Boehm. Their children, Edward Boehm, Erik Boehm, and Denise Boehm Wilson, made the gift in memory of their father’s deep love of history and of Signal Mountain.

The donation includes a signed, first edition copy of Emma’s widely acclaimed book on Appalachian culture, Spirit of the Mountains, and a copy of Chords From a Dulcimore. Both these books are hand “illuminated” with drawings and paintings Emma added after they were printed. The Boehm family has also donated a signed copy of Our Southern Birds, which was published in 1919, the same year Emma died, and a copy of Strains from a Dulcimore. Through this donation, they hope to inspire future generations to connect with the fascinating stories of Emma Bell Miles and her beloved Walden's Ridge.

Take a walk and identify birds with Kevin Calhoon, Curator of Forests at the Tennessee Aquarium, on Saturday, April 26. Meet in the McCoy Horse Ring gravel parking lot at 8:00 am. There is no charge.

Bring your binoculars, digital camera, or mobile phone and catch the “early birds” at their active period when they are hungry and looking for breakfast and are calling out their territorial songs. Early spring also marks a great opportunity to catch them on their migratory flights.  

Everyone is welcome. Calhoon enjoys relating to bird watchers of all levels. Known as a good storyteller, he describes the antics of his avian friends. For example, he once showed the birders how a bird couple was “anting” – using ants to wipe down their feathers. Experts say the birds may use the chemical secretions that come from ants to control and rid themselves of parasites, insects, mites, fungi, and bacteria in their feathers.

Be rewarded by the sights and sounds of beautiful and interesting feathered creatures as you join in the fun on April 26 at 8:00 am.

Volunteer Spotlight-Karen Stone

When she was a girl, Karen Paul Stone rode her horse to what is now McCoy Farm & Gardens and visited with Martha McCoy. Years later, Karen strongly supported Walden’s acquisition of the McCoy property for public enjoyment. 

As one of the first efforts to encourage the Town’s purchase, she worked with the Walden’s Ridge Guild to host “Sunday on Signal” at Mrs. McCoy’s farm on April 30, 2000. For a guide to that tour of the grounds, Stone compiled Walden’s Ridge: The Early Years, featuring interviews with Martha McCoy and her friend Ellis Smith, and highlighting other interesting people, places, and stories on the mountain.

The popular Sunday event showcased the little-known property to the broader community. So many people came from neighboring cities that Town officials were indeed impressed. When Martha McCoy died in 2004, she and her daughter Sally McCoy Garland transferred the historic home and grounds in a gift/purchase to the Town of Walden. 

Stone now serves on the Board of Directors. She and her husband, Charlie, operate Waldenhouse Publishers, where they have published over 200 books. He also serves as “unofficial” photographer for McCoy, having covered its history with his camera since the first walking appraisal on March 3, 2015.

Karen says, “If you want to keep McCoy healthy and enjoyable for yourself and your family, volunteer to help with the grounds, the trails, the buildings and especially the apple orchard.” She has a real affection for the historic orchard and is working to restore it with heirloom apple trees. 

What's Coming Up

New Grounds Committee Work Sessions, Tuesdays from 5:00-6:30 pm

Maintaining almost 2.5 miles of trails and 38 acres is a big but rewarding task. We invite you to join the team, which will meet at the Welcome Station at the Horse Ring gravel parking lot. For more information, as well as the location of the grounds team on a specific workday, contact Beth Myers at 330-256-1472. We hope to see you there!

Bachman-McCoy House Open, Sunday, April 13, 1:00-4:00 pm

The House will be open during the Egg Roll. There will be no 2nd Sunday Open House in May due to Mother's Day, but the house will be open for tours on Memorial Day from 11 am to 3 pm.

Egg Roll, Sunday, April 13, 1:00-4:00 pm

Don't miss the third annual Egg Roll, where there will be fun and games for all.

Spring Migratory Bird Walk

Saturday, April 26, at 8:00 am

Join Kevin Calhoon, Curator of Forests at Tennessee Aquarium, for a bird walk and learn about spring migration. All ages are welcome. Bring binoculars if you have them, and meet in the Horse Ring gravel parking lot.

Contact McCoy Farm & Gardens

at katie@mccoywalden.org

to learn more about renting space at McCoy for your next event.

Or mail your check to McCoy Farm & Gardens, P.O. Box 443, Signal Mountain, TN 37377

McCoy Farm & Gardens is grateful to our Annual Sponsors, whose support allows the continued restoration and improvement of the property and buildings, as well as the expansion of McCoy's programming. If you are interested in more information about becoming an Annual Sponsor, please check out our Partners page on our website or contact the office at 423-598-1658.

McCoy Farm & Gardens encompasses 38 acres and features the Bachman-McCoy home, gardens, and several outbuildings, including the Pavilion, Carriage House, Barn, and Blacksmith Workshop. Our Level 2 Arboretum contains over 70 species. With over 2 miles of trails, the grounds also include the site of the former home of artist, poet, and naturalist Emma Bell Miles.