While Queen Elizabeth II’s Jubilee is under way just now in the UK, we haven’t noticed much celebration so far in British-founded Rugby.
That was not the case here in Rugby for the Golden Jubilee (50 years) of Queen Victoria’s reign.
Rugby residents gathered at the Commissary Hall (upstairs at the Commissary) on a Tuesday night to mark that occasion. It was June 21, 1887.
”The celebrators, with one or two exceptions, were English residents of Rugby,” the Rugby Gazette observed.
“It is reported that a young citizen of Rugby jubilated too much in honor of the Queen and climbed in a window of the schoolhouse, thinking he had arrived at his home,” the newspaper wrote in another article on June 25, 1887.
Let’s hope he didn’t spend the night among school desks, but the newspaper doesn’t say.
Rugby had lost its newspaper by 1897, so we don’t know at present how the local populace greeted Victoria’s 60th year of queenly longevity. But the 50th was probably more lively, since Rugby’s population – and particularly the British contingent – had continued to shrink.
At the Commissary in 1887, Rugby manager Robert Walton presided. But as a native Anglo-Irishman and an 1877 naturalized American, he let others take lead roles.
“The toast ‘The Queen’ was responded to by Mr. Mason, who outdone all his previous records, the response resounding with wit and humor,” the Gazette reported.
“Mr. Walton responded to ‘Our President,’ and
the cheers greeting his remarks testified to his handling the subject with a
masterly hand.”
Mr. Skene toasted “Bonnie Scotland.” Mr.
Dorehill saluted “Poor Ireland.”The “best brand” of something was involved – drink perhaps?
“In the morning hours the guests parted, assuring each other that it was the happiest occasion of his life.”
The exception might have been the schoolhouse invader.
A modest exhibit in Rugby’s Harrow Road Café this week marks the current queen’s Jubilee. Rugby’s Christ Church parishioners through the 1960s prayed to urge her longevity. So do we.
-George Zepp
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| Flowers blooming at Fernwood |
A lot of work has been done in preparing the gardens,
presentations and tea for Saturday’s Garden Event, so don’t miss it.
During this day of garden activities you will get to tour Rugby's
private gardens, attend a "sun-to-shade" design workshop and see
big-screen photos from Rugby gardens of the past, plus have lunch at the Harrow
Road Café. The afternoon garden tour ends with a tea at one of Rugby’s private
gardens. Time: 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. EDT. Tickets: $40, including lunch and tea.
Reservations: 888-214-3400
Volunteer Photos
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| Eric Wilson and Bob Hemminger helped weedeat |
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| Steve Logan |
Volunteers worked on
the Massengale Trail recently - mowing and weedeating on the trails and
around the home site. So now is a great
time to stroll the trail. Don't forget
to stop in the Visitor Centre and take the audio tour equipment with you. – Steve Logan
History Field Trip June
16
Mark your calendars for Saturday morning, June
16, as the date for a History Club field trip to Stockton Cemetery. Stockton has one of the more interesting
cemeteries in the area, featuring 11 “roof graves,” sometimes called “comb
graves.” These early 1800's graves are
chiefly found in the western Cumberland Plateau area and hark back to a style
of gravestones in Scotland. We'll see
where Ben Stockton, Grover Stockton, Solomon Giles, and others who had
connections with Rugby lived. While
we're in greater downtown Stockton (ha!), we'll drive about to see where there
were a couple of stores, where the railroad stopped, etc. Let's gather at the parking area in front of
the church about 10 a.m. and carpool to Stockton.
- Linda Konig
New Visitor Center Planned for BSFRRA
Barbara Stagg forwarded this
Associated Press article that she found at http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/d499ebeb85444ca89d2742235cb8947d/TN--Big-South-Fork-Visitors
“A
new welcome center that will be called the "gateway" to the Big South
Fork National River and Recreation Area is in the works.
Although
the location of the proposed center in Crossville, Tenn., is miles away from
the park gates, officials say it is close to Interstate 40.
"The
tourism and the visitor center would provide a great stop for travelers.
There's over 30,000 cars that pass through I-40," Cumberland County
Commissioner Sonya Remmer said.
The
Crossville Chronicle and WBIR report that the center be run by Cumberland
County officials. It would be located near the Roane State Community College
campus, which is about 70 miles from the actual park.
The
city of Crossville has agreed to help out with construction and operational
costs. County officials approved moving forward with the plan near the end of
May.
Big
South Fork encompasses 125,000 acres of the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee and
Kentucky and protects the Big South Fork of the Cumberland River.
County
officials said locating the center in Crossville would also help the economy in
the area.
"It
would be great to promote this exit... We have shopping centers with several
local retail businesses," Remmer said.
John
Little, who owns the nearby Halcyon Days restaurant, said he would welcome the
center because it would mean more people would get off the exit "to check
out what's in this area... so they'll pass by the restaurant, and (it will)
tempt them to stop."
However,
not everyone was in favor of the proposal. Commissioner Carmin Lynch, who voted
against the measure, sent a statement to the Chronicle saying that the county
would have to either increase general fund tax rates or reallocate funding for
current programs in order to pay for its share of operational costs.
Big
South Fork officials say they would support a welcome center by adding park
rangers.”
BIRTHDAYS
June 7 - Sheila Stringfield and Pat Toney
June 9 - Jodye WeilerJune 7 - Sheila Stringfield and Pat Toney
Rugby is in the Eastern time zone, just barely.
Saturday, June 2 – Community Potluck – 7 p.m.
Saturday, June 9 - Cumberland Plateau Gardens at Historic Rugby - Tour Rugby's private gardens, attend a "sun-to-shade" design workshop and see big-screen photos from Rugby gardens of the past! Lunch at the Harrow Road Café. Afternoon garden tour ends with a tea at one of Rugby’s private gardens. Saturday, June 9 - 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. EDT. Tickets: $40, incl. lunch and tea. Reservations: 423-628-2441 or 888-214-3400
Saturday, June 16 – History Club excursion to
Stockton Cemetery. Gather at the parking
area in front of the church about 10 a.m. and carpool to Stockton..
Sunday, June 24 – Historic Rugby Annual
Membership Meeting – 1:30 p.m. at the Visitor Centre Theatre followed by a
Member Reception on the porch. Board
Meeting follows at the Community Building.
June 30 – Independence Day Picnic - at Lizzie's Place (home of
John and Kathy Hicks) will be held on Saturday June 30 from 6-9 p.m. Eastern. Join your neighbors and friends for the annual 4th of July picnic on JUNE 30. Doug and Butch will provide music for the annual picnic at John and Kathy Hicks. Bring a dish to share. John and Kathy will provide barbeque, buns, drinks.
Quilters’ Group - Wednesdays and Saturdays, 2–4 p.m. Eastern, at the Friendly House behind Christ Church
Rugby Yoga – Wednesdays, 8:30 a.m. Eastern, at the Friendly House.
Christ Church Episcopal -- Sunday morning services, 11 a.m. Eastern, year round; all are welcomed.
Historic Rugby Workshops
Cumberland Plateau Gardens at Rugby - On Saturday, June 9 tour Rugby's private gardens, attend a "sun-to-shade" design workshop and see big-screen photos from Rugby gardens of the past! Lunch at the Harrow Road Café. Afternoon garden tour ends with a tea at one of Rugby’s private gardens. Instructor Bob Washburn, co-owner of Wolf River Valley Growers in Pall Mall, will be joined by Rugby’s own Rick Murphy and Barbara Mitchell for this very special event. Register early – this is a day not to be missed. Time: 9 a.m to 5:30 p.m. EDT. Tickets: $40, including lunch and tea. Reservations: 423-628-2441 or 888-214-3400
Show Your Spirit Basket Workshop - Create a generously sized Spirit Basket
that is perfect for tailgating or carrying with you. This is an intermediate
level project. The workshop is Friday, June 22 from 4 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Eastern and Saturday, June 23 from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Eastern. Instructor Beth
Hester is the owner of The Basket Maker’s Catalog. She has been teaching
basketry workshops locally and throughout the southeastern U.S .for many years.
Workshop fee is $99 ~
register early!
To register for
workshops, call toll-free 1-888-214-3400 or 423-628-2441. Lodging may be
available at 1880 Newbury House and Rugby's cottages at a 10% discount to
students. Food service is available at the Harrow Road Café.
NATURE NOTES
Wild Quinine
Wild Quinine
John Gilliat told me late Saturday afternoon that I was welcome to
go to the meadow in front of Roslyn to gather Queen Anne's Lace. When I got there, however, there was
none. No matter, however, because what
had looked a lot like Queen Anne's Lace from afar was really Wild Quinine,
another very interesting plant that's also in the Aster family. I gathered some since there were so many and
used them in bouquets for church Sunday.
Thank you, John and Barbara.
These flowers are supposed to last a long time in bouquets.
Wild Quinine, as you might guess, was once used medicinally as a
substitute for real quinine in the treatment of malaria. At the time, they didn't know that malaria
was spread by mosquitoes and thought that it was somehow caused by breathing in
bad air, especially if you had your windows open at night. Remember, these were in the days before
screen windows. The word malaria is a
combination of two Italian words: mala meaning bad and aria meaning air. Some people planted Wild Quinine around their
houses in the mistaken notion that the plant somehow kept away bad air. Let's face it: those good old days weren't
always so good. Anyway, the leaves of
Wild Quinine smell medicinal, so . . . why not take it for fevers like
malaria? Medical science has since
discovered some good uses for Wild Quinine, but they don't include treatment
for fevers. Another common name for Wild
Quinine is Feverfew.
The 2- to 3-foot tall flowers attract wild tiny Halictid bees,
wasps, flies, beetles, and plant bugs.
Did I hear someone say, Ugh?
Well, someone's got to pollinate all the myriads of flowers and plants,
and domesticated honeybees can't do it all.
The Halictid bees include various kinds of sweat bees, which are
attracted to flowers at dusk and early evening.
These flowers are beautifully
unusual, looking somewhat like a cauliflower or a puffy pin cushion with a few
flowers attached on the edges. Here is a link to a photo: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parthenium_integrifolium The
flowerheads are in clusters, but not in perfectly rounded clusters like the
Queen Anne's. Their blooming period
lasts about two months, so we have plenty of time to enjoy them.
This Week’s Editors: Rick Murphy and George Zepp
