The East Tennessee Preservation Alliance and Knox Heritage hosted the 2010 East Tennessee Preservation Conference in Historic Rugby on Friday and Saturday. This year’s theme, “Preserve it, and they will come…” focused on the power of heritage tourism for East Tennessee’s economic development and historic preservation.
Historic Rugby Executive Director Cheryl Cribbet reports that the Preservation Conference was a great success. She said Tennessee Tourism Commissioner Susan Whitaker opened the two-day conference to a near full house in Rugby’s Rebecca Johnson Theatre. Cribbet thanks Ethiel Garlington and his staff at ETPA for the opportunity to partner and host this event. Cheryl also wants to thank the staff of Historic Rugby for all of their hard work and say "well done!”
Former Senator Howard Baker was awarded a lifetime achievement award at the conference for his work in preserving 125,000 acres of the Cumberland Plateau with the establishment of the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area. Baker’s friend Bill Swain accepted the award on behalf of Baker who was unable to attend.
A special thanks to Barbara Stagg for all of her help in bringing the conference to Rugby this year.
By Jim McBrayer
Although the Touch-Me-Nots around the old pump head near the back of the school house have matured and been cut, they haven't given up. Apparently a seed lodged in the foundation, germinated, and now blooms. You gotta love it.
Photo by Jim McBrayer
PUMPKIN CARVING WED. OCTOBER 20
Help carve fall pumpkins to be used as decorations for "Ghostly Gathering" later in the month. Bring a pumpkin or two to donate and your favorite carving utensils. Throw in a snack in case you work up a carving craving. This event is FREE, as long as you bring a pumpkin to leave behind. We'll have a few carving tips from Rita Myers.
The workshop runs from 7 p.m. Eastern Time until the coyotes howl.
PROTECTING RUGBY'S BUILDINGS FROM FIRE
by Rick Murphy
One of Historic Rugby’s initiatives this year is to do a survey of things that need to be done to help protect the Rugby buildings from fire. One of the first things that has been suggested is to have water hoses easily available for first responders to use in the case of a fire.
I wanted to let everyone know that there are now 300-foot garden hoses next to the outdoor faucet at the back of the School House along with a fire pressure nozzle that anyone can use if there is a fire in that area of the village. The outdoor faucet is below the back outdoor steps, between the back of the building and the restroom building. The hoses can reach as far as the Hughes Library, Kingstone Lisle, Percy Cottage and the Visitors Centre. We ask that these hoses not be removed for any other purpose.
Additional steps will be taken over the next year. In particular we will be asking for volunteers in November to begin the process of removing flammable underbrush that is too close to some of the buildings. Let me know if you have any suggestions or if you would like to volunteer to help. I’m at rickmurphy1@aol.com or 423-628-7842.
PRE-ORDER POINSETTIAS BY CHRISTMAS
By Benita Howell
Now that the village is decorated for fall and the trees are turning, it's time to plan ahead for Christmas events. Christ Church plans to sell poinsettias from Wolf River Growers during Thanksgiving Marketplace on Friday, November 26, and from Friendly House during the following week. If you place an advance order by October 31, that will help determine how many plants to order, and you'll receive a discount.
We'll obtain plenty of the classic red color but can also fill your orders for white, marble, jingle bells, burgundy, pink, silverstar red, and peppermint. We'll be selling 6 1/2 inch and 8 inch wrapped florist pots, with protective sleeves. The smaller pots contain one pinched plant with five or more blooms, and the larger pots contain three pinched plants with twelve or more blooms. These plants will be coming to us directly from the greenhouse, with excellent quality guaranteed.
6 1/2 inch pots will sell for $12, or two for $22. Pre-order discount: $11 each, or 2 for $20. 8 inch pots will sell for $20, or two for $38. Pre-order discount: $19 each, or 2 for $36. Proceeds will go toward community outreach, especially helping Rugby neighbors with various emergency needs.
Please e-mail or telephone Benita Howell with your pre-orders as soon as possible. bjhowell@highland.net; 423-628-5521. The deadline for discount pre-orders is October 31.
HISTORY CLUB TO VISIT PLEASANT HILL
By Linda Konig
Our History Night club will be going on a field trip to Pleasant Hill, TN (south of Crossville), on Saturday, Oct. 16. We can carpool, leaving from Christ Church parking lot at 10 a.m. (9 a.m. Central), eat lunch at Pleasant Hill or in Crossville, and return to Rugby that afternoon. The director of the Pleasant Hill museum will give us a personal tour through the original main building, relating the fascinating history of Pleasant Hill. A Congregationalist school there was attended by Anna Joyce Walton Herr of Rugby, born 1920 and now of the Philadelphia area, in her teen years. The community also boasted a pioneer doctor -- Dr. May Cravath Wharton, whose story is told in the book "Doctor Woman of the Cumberlands," her autobiography. She first came to the Cumberland Plateau in 1917 as a young bride who fell in love with the people here and made the Cumberland Plateau her home till she died. The hospital in Crossville is a direct result of her work in our area. If you'd like to read the book, Linda has a copy to lend. Please let Linda Konig know whether you plan to go by Oct. 12. e-mail -- cking@highland.net or by phone -- 423-628-5243.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR GHOSTLY GATHERINGS
By Cathy Hannaway
Historic Rugby needs volunteers to help with the two nights of Ghostly Gathering, Saturdays, Oct. 23 and 30, from approximately 5:15 p.m. Eastern until around 9 p.m. (perhaps earlier). Roles needed are food servers or others to aid in directing folks and with clean up afterwards. It is a fun event so please the staff know if you can help. Reach us at 888-214-3400 or 423-628-2441.
BIRTHDAYS
October 16 Laurie Lee and Debbie Harris
CALENDAR
October 16 – History Club Field Trip to Pleasant Hill, TN, returning in plenty of time for Book Club. Please let Linda Konig know whether you plan to go by Oct. 12. e-mail cking@highland.net or by phone at 423-628-5243.
October 16 – Rugby Book Club at 7 p.m. in the home of Jessie Gully. Choose one of the Stieg Larsson books for discussion. (Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Girl Who Played With Fire, Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest). For more information, contact Jessie Gully at 423-628-6090 or jessiegully@hotmail.com
October 20 – Free Pumpkin Carving Workshop 7:00 p.m. Bring a pumpkin to leave for Ghostly Gathering and carving tools. Contact Rita at the Commissary for more information 423-628-5166.
October 30 - Halloween Ghostly Gathering. A Calling of the Spirits of Rugby's Past..... Award Winning Chili Dinner... Lantern-Lit Tours to Historic Buildings..... Story Telling, "Ghost" Film..... More Stories at the Druids' Bonfire..... 6 p.m. Advance Reservations Required. (Oct. 23 event is SOLD OUT) Contact Historic Rugby at 888-214-3400 or 423-628-2441
November 6 - Lantern Tour. 4:30 p.m. Stories from Laurel Dale Cemetery. Colorful residents will be brought back to life briefly by costumed players telling their stories. Tour only, $15; tour and dinner, $28 (tax and gratuity not included). For reservations, contact Historic Rugby at 888-214-3400 or 423-628-2441
November 6 – Community Potluck and Neighborhood Watch Meeting – Potluck is 7:00 p.m. at the Community Building. The Neighborhood Watch meeting starts at around 7:30 p.m. Representatives of local law enforcement are expected to be in attendance.
Quilters Group - Wed. and Sat. 2-4 p.m. Eastern at the Friendly House
WORKSHOP CALENDAR
For Workshop Registration, contact Historic Rugby at 888-214-3400 – or email rugbylegacy@highland.net
November 6 - Fall Gatherings Workshop - 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Instructor: Linda Konig. Join us in the fields and roadsides to gather dried wildflowers, seed heads, berries and nuts that will be needed to create an arrangement. Learn the names of and interesting information about all your fall gatherings. Fee: $24
November 13 - Contemporary Potlatch Pouch - 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Instructor: Judy Zugish. With design choices of twill or braid weave, simple or bold, subtle or refined, this class will engage all experience levels. Students will have a chance to explore working with cedar bark and hickory with the surprising twinkle of copper strips. In every case the results are smiles of the heart and a basket to treasure for years. Fee: $75.
By Linda Konig
Excerpts from my nature journal of last week:
Mon.,Oct. 4 -- Found a "new" wildflower! Don't know what it is precisely, but it seems to be a member of the Smartweed family. It's growing along the Dollar Store side of the Allardt pond. The stems are prickly, and the stalk is 4-sided. Some of the stems have turned reddish. The pink flowerheads are tiny and clustered up at the very tip end of the branched stems. These plants have very few leaves, and they're alternate, sagittate, and have serrated edges. Couldn't find it in any of my wildflower books. E-mailed Jack Carman to see if he knows what they are. His book says there are 22 different species of Smartweed (Polygonum) in Tennessee.
Tue., Oct. 5 -- Got an e-mail back from Jack. He says what I found yesterday sounds just like Arrowleaf Tearthumb (Polygonum saggitatum). So it is in the Smartweed family. He warned that I should be careful in handling it because people have gotten finger cuts from carelessly handling it. I had also read in his book that the fresh sap in some species of Polygonum could cause irritation. (Incidentally, Smartweeds are called "smart" because their leaves usually taste peppery. I had tried a leaf of the Arrowleaf Tearthumb, but it wasn't peppery. No ill effects, thank goodness.) [You can see some close-up photos of Arrowleaf Tearthumb at http://www.ppws.vt.edu/scott/weed_id/polsa.htm. Or, better yet, you can see it along the property line of the Mitchells’ orchard. It's back where the little wet-weather stream meanders through sunshine.]
Later today I was looking along the woods edge of Boyd and Barbara Mitchell's orchard, hoping to find Soapwort Gentian (it was there a couple of years ago). Didn't find any Gentian, but I did find--a tangle of Arrowleaf Tearthumb! It's just as I've often thought before -- once your eyes and brain really learn a wildflower, you start seeing it everywhere!
This Week’s Editors: Rick Murphy and George Zepp
