Executive Committee Members:
President, Marion Claybrook,
Vice President, Sarah Strange,
Secretary, Melissa Earnest,
Treasurer, Marvin Downing;
Member-at-Large, Cecelia Edwards,
Past President, Sarah Strange,
December 2010 NEWSLETTER Page 1 of 2
Fall Meeting
November 6, 2010
Martin, Tennessee
Dr. Marvin Downing, Speaker
Our Fall meeting was a joint meeting with JPHS and West Tennessee Historical Society members attending, along with several guests. Attendees enjoyed a buffet meal together at the Ole West Steak House in Martin, Tennessee before the JPHS members held a brief business meeting.
After accepting the minutes from the summer meeting and approving the treasurer’s report, during the business portion of the meeting, it was noted that the Civil War Sesquicentennial celebration display had not been completed as Sarah Strange had originally planned due to her move to Texas. Members were asked to think about what they wanted to do about the display and let Sarah know by e-mail of anyone interested in continuing to do the work or if anyone had ideas. Also, the New Madrid postal cancellation art needs to be turned in to Cecelia Edwards by December 31st. The artwork has to be given to the two postmasters in Tiptonville, Tennessee and Hickman, Kentucky in January. Artwork can be accepted by e-mail or by postal mail. If anyone is interested, they should contact Cecelia about specifics as to size requirements, etc. The Society is still awaiting notification about the Jackson Purchase Bicentennial celebration plans from the U. S. Postal Service.
Dr. Marvin Downing was introduced as the guest speaker. Dr. Downing is a long-time member of JPHS, serving as its secretary-treasurer for many years and continuing to serve in the role of treasurer for 2010-11. He spoke on his research of Christmasville, Tennessee. He began by showing a 6-minute segment about Christmasville that aired on Tennessee Crossroads. Downing served as a consultant on the program. He then distributed information that contained a current map of west Tennessee counties and a detailed map of the same area in 1864 showing the location of Christmasville on the south fork of the Obion River in Caroll (now Carroll) County. The handouts included pictures of John C. McLemore and his wife, Elizabeth Donelson McLemore, and a sketch by Thomas F. Moore, a native of Christmasville, showing the area circa 1865. It was on land owned by McLemore that Christmasville was built and incorporated in 1823. Dr. Downing spoke eloquently about the area which is no longer a viable community, but still remembered. Dr. Downing was applauded for his research and the work he had completed on this topic.
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Winter Meeting
Our Winter meeting will be held January 22, 2011 at the Wrather Museum on the campus of Murray State University beginning at 10:30 a.m. The speaker will be Dr. William (Bill) Mulligan, a professor of history at Murray State. Dr. Mulligan is a magna cum laude graduate of Assumption College and has his master’s and doctoral degrees from Clark University, both in Worcester, Massachusetts. While most of his recent research and writing has been on migration from copper-mining areas in Ireland to the Michigan Copper Country, he has done extensive research on the Civil War in west Kentucky. He has been involved in a number of Civil War related public history projects such as Project Director, The Civil War in the Pennyrile Region of Kentucky: A Survey of Historic Sites and Structures,1999 and Project Director, The Civil War in the Jackson Purchase Region of Kentucky: A Survey of Historic Sites and Structures, 1996. We are looking forward to welcoming Dr. Mulligan at our January meeting. Make plans now to attend!
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Necrology
The Society recently had word of the passing of Jane Turner, a long time member of JPHS. Our sympathies are with her family and friends.
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Special Journal Offer
The Executive Committee still has an inventory of past Journalsthat can be purchased by members and friends of the society. Although the Journal was first published in 1973, copies of the Journal for years 1973, 1974, 1990, 1993, and 1997 are not available because only archival copies exist. A complete set (consisting of 32 Journals) can be purchased for $75 plus tax and shipping costs. This is a savings of $85 as copies usually are $5 apiece. If you need just a few to fill out your individual set, single copies can be purchased for $3 each plus tax and shipping costs.
Shipping costs can be saved if you pick up your set or single copies at the Winter or Spring meetings.
Place your order by mailing it to JPHS, P.O. Box 223, Mayfield, KY 42066. Kentucky sales tax is 6%. If you are going to pick up your order, just make your check or money order payable to JPHS for the $79.50 ($75 + $4.50 tax). If you want them mailed, please be sure to include with your check or money order, shipping instructions and a method of contacting you (i.e. email or phone) because shipping costs will vary with the size of your order and we will let you know this additional cost when your copies are ready to ship.
If you’re not sure these past Journals are of interest to you, just visit our website at ( click on the Journal search section and browse through the article titles for each Journal.
OUR WEBSITE IS UPDATED OFTEN SO PLEASE BE SURE TO CHECK IT!
Some of the latest entries on the site include an article about “Sweet Taters” which notes that with the Jackson Purchase, Benton, Kentucky and Gleason, Tennessee both celebrate the sweet potato. Benton holds its Tater Day Festival in April, while Gleason hosts a Tater Town Special each Labor Day weekend. Also on the site is an article about Veterans Day that includes links to various Websites of interest.
JPHS Contact Information
Jackson Purchase Historical Society
P.O. Box 223
Mayfield, KY 42066
Email Address:
Website: