by Jenny Hubbard Young
Work on building the split rail fence around the Massengale Homeplace came to a temporary halt this week when HRI Properties Staff ran out of the black locust rails brought in from North Carolina. Fortuitously, a honey locust tree had fallen near Percy Cottage earlier in the year.
So, from 7:30 of an unseasonably cool July morning, the buzz of a chain saw and the clang of metal could be heard as Lummy Massengale, Bob Hemminger and Robin Sexton set to work. Robin wielded his chain saw with the precision of a surgeon, then Lummy and Bob finished the splitting the old fashioned way, transforming the locust wood logs into enough rails to finish the fence. The completed fence circles the site, in traditional zig-zag pattern and as the Rugby rails weather, the difference in the sources won’t be noticeable. The official opening of the Rugby State Natural Area and its first public trail, the Massengale Homeplace Loop, is scheduled for August 27.
Lummy Massengale is shown working on a log - Lummy is a descendant of the family that lived at Massengale Homeplace. Photo at top right shows part of the split-rail fence. Bottom right shows joint effort to split a rail. Photos by Jenny Hubbard Young.
Editor’s Note: There have been numerous wonderful volunteers on the Massengale Project. Barbara Stagg mentioned that one of the volunteers, Bob Fuchs, did an (un-air-conditioned) rental truck trip with John Gilliat to Sandy Mush, N.C. to load and bring back the black locust fence rails on a 95-degree day. Kudos to Bob, HRI staff and all the folks who have volunteered their time and energy.
RUGBY CELEBRATES INDEPENDENCE DAY
Several Rugby folks said they enjoyed going to the nearby town of Deer Lodge to attend the Independence Day parade on Saturday. Barbara Mitchell said that one highlight for the Rugby contingent was seeing Julian and Carolyn Bankston in the parade in the electric car that Julian built. She said they won third place in one of the parade categories.
Carolyn and Julian Bankston and their Rugby car in the Deer Lodge parade. Photo by Barbara Mitchell
Later in the day, a large group of Rugby residents, family and friends gathered at the Community Building for the annual Independence Day picnic sponsored by John and Kathy Hicks. This celebration had been moved to that location because John Hicks has been in the hospital recently. While he was not able to attend the picnic, Kathy was able to be there and she announced to everyone’s relief that John is home from the hospital and appears to be feeling better. Following the meal the group adjourned to the Visitor’s Centre to listen to the music of Butch Hodgkins and his bluegrass band.
Thanks to Kathy, John and Butch and his band for another special celebration. John, we all hope you recover quickly and are back in Rugby soon!
HISTORY NIGHT FRIDAY
History night is this Friday, July 9 at 7:00 p.m. at the Friendly House. Linda Konig will speak about Hastings Hughes' life before, during and after Rugby.
Deanna Oliver, Carolyn Bankston and Julian Bankston volunteer their time to clean books in the Hughes Library. Teams of cleaning volunteers began working last week each Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday morning and will continue until all 6,000+ volumes and their shelves are clean. Photo by George Zepp.
FIRE EXTINGUISHER INSPECTION SCHEDULED
By Tom Howell
Fyr-Fyter of Knoxville will be in Rugby at 11 a.m. on July 12 to inspect all fire extinguishers belonging to Historic Rugby and Clear Fork FD and in the community. If you have an extinguisher donated by Clear Fork VFD, you should bring it in to be checked out at that time. There is a fee, I don't know how much. Small household extinguishers -- the kind you buy at Walmart or hardware store -- are not subject to this inspection requirement and are treated as throwaways. If you're not going to be here that day, bring your extinguisher to me ahead of time so that I can label it and return it to you. By that time I should have a quote on the inspection fee, which should be paid in advance. Fyr-Fyter works out of a truck. In past years they have set up near Adena Cottage for the sake of shade during the heat of summer. If you don't have an extinguisher, talk to one of us with the Fire Department; we have a few to spare.
CEMETERY LANTERN TOUR
Characters of Rugby’s past will come alive in an outdoor venue on Saturday, July 24 at 8 p.m. The Lantern Tour of Laurel Dale Cemetery will feature the stories of Rugby from actual letters and newspaper accounts. Visitors will be able to hear not only the more familiar tales of Rugby’s past, but will have the opportunity to hear more obscure stories of life in Rugby well into the twentieth century. Joining Margaret Hughes and Robert Walton will be Edith Wellman, Lizzie Fletcher, Charles Oldfield, Andrew Burroughs, Helen Lourie and many others.
Costumed interpreters will tell the stories as visitors are escorted by lantern light. The Harrow Road Café will serve dinner and feature live entertainment from 5:30 – 8:00 p.m. Registered guests should arrive at the cemetery at 7:45 p.m. Reservations are required and with the limited size of this tour we recommend you book early. Call Historic Rugby toll-free at 1-888-214-3400. Lantern Tour Prices: $15.00/person. Lantern Tour and Dinner: $28.00/person.
Dinner Menu: Fried Shrimp or ¼ BQ Chicken, Choice of Soup or Salad, Choice of two sides, Above price includes tax and beverage, gratuity not included.
Don’t miss this unique historic summer evening event.
RING THE BELL OF LIBERTY TEA
By Linda Brooks Jones
Linda will share some of the traditions of the English as they celebrated the fourth of July in 1880’s Rugby. Bells, bells, how many bells?
Wednesday July 7, 2010. 1 to 3 p.m. Eastern Time. Grey Gables Bed ‘n Breakfast Inn, Rugby.
Menu: Linda’s Chutney Chicken Salad, Mediterranean Tomato Salad, Andruw’s Potato Salad, Rene’s Coleslaw, Ginger’s Crunch Cake with Strawberry Sauce, Scones, Assorted Teas. $10.00 plus tax and gratuity. For Reservations Call Linda Brooks Jones - 423.628.5252
HRI ELECTS NEW DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS
Over 50 members attended the recent annual HRI membership meeting. Members elected new directors to replace those whose terms were expiring. New directors include Rugby resident, and retired UT professor, Benita Howell; Allyn Lay, General Counsel and Trust Officer for First National Bank of Oneida; Sharon Samon, owner of a business in Cookeville with considerable experience with nonprofits and fundraising; and Tracey Stansberry, a nurse practitioner from Scott County with a Master’s Degree in nursing and experience in fundraising.
After the meeting the Board of Directors met to elect new officers. They are – Jane Logan, President; Mike Harris, V.P.; Michael Stagg, Secretary; Allyn Lay, Treasurer. The new Executive Committee includes the officers plus Beth Hester and Rick Murphy as at-large members.
BIRTHDAY
June 12 - Jim McBrayer
CALENDAR
July 9 – History Night. Linda Konig tells all the ins and outs of sherry merchant Hastings Hughes, who was his brother (Rugby founder) Thomas’ man on the scene in Rugby in the 1880s. 7 p.m. Eastern, Friendly House.
July 12 – Annual fire extinguisher inspection 11 a.m., at truck near Adena Cottage. Fee.
July 24 - Lantern Tour of Laurel Dale Cemetery featuring stories of Rugby from actual letters and newspaper accounts at 8:00 p.m. Eastern. Costumed interpreters will tell the stories as visitors are escorted by lantern light. Prior to the 8 p.m. program at the cemetery will be a special program dinner at the Harrow Road Café. Space is limited so reservations are required. Call Historic Rugby for reservations at 423-628-2441. Lantern Tour Prices: $15.00/person.Lantern Tour & Dinner: $28.00/person.
August 7 – Community Potluck 7:00 p.m. Eastern
August 27 – Dedication of the Rugby State Natural Area and its first public trail - the Massengale Homeplace Loop.
Quilters Group - Wed. and Sat. 2-4 p.m. Eastern at the Friendly House
HRI WORKSHOP CALENDAR
For Workshop Registration, contact Historic Rugby at 888-214-3400 – or rugbylegacy@highland.net
July 17 – Kudzu basketry, instructor Fuzzy Orange presents a long-awaited use for the fragrant kudzu. Learn to weave the kudzu vine into a basket to enjoy for years. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Fee $30.
August 14 - Lessons with the Mountain Dulcimer. Come enjoy a day of lessons for playing this beloved Appalachian instrument with one of the instrument’s most enthusiastic teachers and musicians. 10:00 am - 4:00 pm Instructor: June Goforth. Fee: $35.
August 28 - Introduction to Kaleidoscope. This class explores the world of kaleidoscopes. Each student will learn mirror configurations as well as construction of object boxes. The final product is a completed kaleidoscope to be shared and enjoyed by friends and family. 10:00 am. Instructor: Sara Senft. Fee: $65.
By Linda Konig
It's time for Dobsonflies to occasionally show up under porch lights again. It seems that just about every year someone will ask me about a big gray-winged bug with ferocious-looking long pincers. What they're seeing is usually a Dobsonfly. If the pincers are long, it's a male. Believe or not, he's quite harmless. He only uses those long pincers to grab a female. The female, on the other hand, has very small pincers, but she can and will draw blood if you grab or threaten her in any way. She means business. After all, she's on a very important mission -- to lay her eggs and do her best to secure the next generation of Dobsonflies.
Dobsonflies are nocturnal creatures. All their life processes are carried on at night, usually in or near swift flowing water. Yet they're attracted to lights, so we sometimes see them in Rugby. I often see their white flat rounded egg patches on Rugby buildings that are lit at night. Madame Dobsonfly will lay from 100 to 1,000 eggs in one patch, and she'll lay two patches. She covers each patch with a clear liquid which she brushes on with the tip of her abdomen. The liquid dries white. Some have speculated that the chemicals in the liquid may discourage birds from eating the eggs. The eggs will hatch in 1 to 2 weeks, but Madame Dobsonfly will have expired by that time.
Because the almost-microscopic Dobsonfly larvae (hellgrammites) can only crawl, I'm not sure the ones hatched in "downtown" Rugby can make it all the way to the Clear Fork River or the White Oak Creek. So they may be doomed. Ordinarily, Dobsonfly females lay their eggs on the underside of tree leaves or rocks, bridges, etc. hanging over water. That way, the newly hatched larvae have only to drop off into the water. Fish love them, and so fishermen make use of the hellgrammites for bait, getting them (especially after a thunderstorm) when the more mature hellgrammites crawl out of the water in spring to pupate.
For more about Dobsonflies, including photos, go to dobsonfly
NATURE NOTES ADDENDUM – DON’T LIKE LINDA’S FLIES? MAYBE VI’S SPIDERS!
By Vi Biehl
A voracious bug-eating house spider's egg case on our back porch door frame has “hatched” out about a hundred babies. I'll bring them to anyone who wants them around their yard? porch? If they take after their mother, they eat every bug in sight as well as the harvestmen who are many times their size!!! I'd keep them but already have many more and I'd like other spiders to have a chance at the bugs invading our porches just waiting at our doorsteps to run inside, of all things!
This Week’s Editors: Rick Murphy and George Zepp
