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September 2022 Journal Newsletter
Free Family Day: The Founding of Georgia
The Northeast Georgia History Center invites families and folks to its FREE Family Day: The Founding of Georgia on Sunday, September 11th from 1-4 PM.
Learn about what life was like living in the early Colony of Georgia through living history demonstrations including blacksmithing, cooking, and weaving. Meet General James Oglethorpe portrayed by a professional performer. Receive a free souvenir photo with our Green Screen Time Machine and be transported to colonial Savannah, Georgia. And more!
All of the activities in this event align with the Georgia Standards of Excellence for public schools and offer students a great way to connect with what they're learning in class. GSEs Covered:
SS8H2.a: Explain the importance of the Charter of 1732, including the reasons for settlement (philanthropy, economics, and defense).
SS8H2.b: Analyze the relationship between James Oglethorpe, Tomochichi, and Mary Musgrove in establishing the city of Savannah at Yamacraw Bluff.
SS8H2.e: Give examples of the kinds of goods and services produced and traded in colonial Georgia.
Family Days are free to the public thanks to the Ada Mae Ivester Education Center.
LoFi History: Ask a Historian!
Join us for our virtual program LoFi History on Tuesday, September 6th from 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM ET on Facebook Live and YouTube Live at the links below. During this program, host Libba Beaucham and historians Marie Bartlett and Glen Kyle answer your history questions live from the chat. Great for all ages! Students are high encouraged to join to ask questions about what they’re learning in class.
YouTube: bit.ly/negahcyoutube
Facebook: www.facebook.com/negahc
Taste of History 2022
Thank you to everyone who attended our annual Taste of History fundraiser! During this special event, we honored four Pillars of the Community: Dr. E. E. Butler, Dr. John S. Burd, Carroll Daniel Construction, and the Norton Agency.
Donors and supporters raised over $100,000 for the History Center including funds for exhibit upgrades and our oral history project!
View our honoree interviews on our YouTube channel at the link below:
Taste of History Honorees
Special Exhibit: Fashion Through the Decades
On display now is the latest theme for our Fadeless Photographer special exhibit: Fashion Through the Decades. This exhibit showcases historic fashions and accessories from our archives as well as portrait photography of fashionable Gainesville citizens spanning the late 1800s to mid 1900s. The portraits on display are by Gainesville photographers N.C. White and son N.C. White Jr. whose studio was on the Gainesville square from the late 1800s to the 1950s.
This will be the last theme on display for this special exhibit which also features artifacts from the N.C. White studio including the original camera!
The N.C. White exhibit is brought to you by the Jack and Janice Frost Endowment and Memorial Park Funeral Homes.
Flannery O’Connor at Summer Chautauqua
Our final Summer Chautauqua performance was with author Flannery O’Connor portrayed by Mallory Ivy. Ivy brought O’Connor’s sense of humor, Southern charm, and delicate voice to this performance with stories of O’Connor’s life and excerpts from her short stories. Members of the History Center now have access to this program recorded in the Cottrell Digital Studio through our Members Portal.
We would like to thank everyone who joined us for this summer’s Chautauqua performances! We look forward to next year when we will have a new theme and new historic characters to meet.
Homeschool Day: The One Room Schoolhouse
We were thrilled to have so many homeschool families join us for our first Homeschool Day! Over 360 were in attendance to learn about schooling in the 1800s with Education Director Marie Bartlett leading lessons. Students also played our exhibit scavenger hunt to learn about artifacts from each section of the museum. For many families, this was their first visit to the History Center. We look forward to their return for our next Homeschool Day in October!
PROMENADE: a 19th-Century Fashion Show
We had a wonderful time during our very first historic fashion show, Promenade! Models adorned with historically accurate fashions walked the runway with Education Director Marie Bartlett providing historic context for each era of fashion.
Please take a look at the great photos captured by Wayne Walker during this event at this link: Promenade Photos.
Learn about each of our models and costumers by viewing our digital show program: Promenade Program
Thank you to everyone who joined us! We look forward to another Promenade next year with a new theme!
This event was sponsored by Blair Diaz, CPA www.blairdiazcpa.com
Members Virtual Trivia Night
We hosted our first Members Virtual Trivia Night about ancient Mississippian cultures this month. The public was invited to watch the game and learn about the Native American mound-building cultures of what is now the Southeast United States. You can watch our trivia game at this link: Watch Trivia Game
This month’s Members Virtual Trivia Night theme is The Civil War in Georgia and will take place on Thursday, September 29th at 7:00 PM ET. Members will be emailed a Zoom link to play. Anyone can watch the game on YouTube or Facebook Live.
Become a Member to enjoy this program and more at www.negahc.org/member. Digital Memberships are free to Georgia educators and homeschool groups!
Homeschool History Club: The American Revolution
We hosted our first lesson for our new Homeschool History Club about the American Revolution! Over forty students from across Georgia (and a few out of state!) learned about the American Revolution through a lesson with Education Director Marie Bartlett and Executive Director Glen Kyle. Students “time traveled” to meet a Continental Soldier and learn about his training, equipment, and experiences at camp and during battle. Students got to vote on the next month’s topic: World War II.
If you are a homeschool family and would like your child to join, please register at www.negahc.org/homeschool.
Accepting New Tutors for Gainesville Reads
We currently accepting new volunteer tutors for our free children’s program, Gainesville Reads, for students in 1st-5th grade who struggle with reading. Tutors meet with the same student each week to help them build confidence in their reading skills through fun activities, reading books together, and worksheets that address specific challenges of the student. Training and curriculum is provided.
Details at www.negahc.org/gainesvillereads.
September Members Programs
This month, our Members will have access to the following programs:
Members Mini-Documentary: The Legend of Nancy Hart with Dr. Tom Scott
Premiering Friday, September 23rd
If you’ve lived in Georgia for a while, you have likely come across the legend of Nancy Hart. This rebellious heroine of the American Revolution may or may not have actually existed, but the stories of her bravery, cleverness, and grit have been passed down since the early 1800s. Dr. Tom Scott from the Department of History at Mercer University joins us to reveal what we do and don’t know about this mythic figure and what she has symbolized since her rise in the popular imagination.
Members Virtual Trivia Night: The Civil War in Georgia
Thursday, September 29th at 7:00 PM ET
Members are invited to play during our Virtual Trivia Night about the Civil War in Georgia on Thursday, September 29th at 7:00 PM ET. While only Members can officially play, the public is invited to watch the game on YouTube or Facebook.
A Zoom link and instructions will be provided to all Members before the event.
Members Ask a Historian Topic: Daily Life in Colonial Georgia
Members are invited to submit their questions for our monthly “Ask a Historian” topic. This month’s topic is Daily Life in Colonial Georgia. The Georgia colony was founded in 1733 with the help of General James Oglethorpe. Settlers from Europe sought a new life in the New World but met many challenges along the way including disease, crop failures, and the threat of aggression from Spaniards. But these settlers were also skilled craftsmen, merchants, wives and mothers, traders, soldiers, and more who learned to survive and even thrive in the early days of Georgia.
Use our Member Portal to submit your question, and we will release a video answer at the end of the month!
Here’s a good article to help you think of a question: Founding of GA
Then Again Podcast
Then Again podcast is taking a brief hiatus to receive your feedback in our listener survey. We would love to know what topics you’d like us to address, how we can improve our podcast, and what you like most about the podcast. Your feedback is greatly appreciated!
Take the listener survey at this link: Then Again Listener Survey
Listen to previous episodes at www.thenagainpodcast.com.
Seeking Sponsors for 3rd Annual Telethon
Last year, the History Center hosted its second 24 Hour Telethon and raised over $3,000 to support our operations. This year we’re a little more ambitious! We’re setting our goal at $5,000. We’re offering sponsorships to local businesses and organizations to help us meet this goal. Sponsorships begin at just $50 and offer a great way to support local education and promote your organization.
Details are available at www.negahc.org/telethon.
Special Thanks
August 2022 Journal Newsletter
Summer Chautauqua: Southern Writers
Our final Summer Chautauqua performance will feature author Flannery O’Connor, portrayed by professional actor Mallory Ivy on Tuesday, August 9th at 7:00 PM at the History Center.
Flannery O’Connor was born in Savannah, Georgia in 1925 and is known for her Southern Gothic writing style and dark humor, which often reflected on life in the South. Her works include two novels and 32 short stories despite living with debilitating lupus throughout much of her short life.
This event is free for Members. Non-Member tickets are $5 each cash or card at the door.
Special Exhibit: Fashion Through the Decades
On display now is the latest theme for our Fadeless Photographer special exhibit: Fashion Through the Decades. This exhibit showcases historic fashions and accessories from our archives as well as portrait photography of fashionable Gainesville citizens spanning the late 1800s to mid 1900s. The portraits on display are by Gainesville photographers N.C. White and son N.C. White Jr. whose studio was on the Gainesville square from the late 1800s to the 1950s.
This will be the last theme on display for this special exhibit which also features artifacts from the N.C. White studio including the original camera!
The N.C. White exhibit is brought to you by the Jack and Janice Frost Endowment and Memorial Park Funeral Homes.
Homeschool Day: The One Room Schoolhouse
Homeschool families are invited to join the Northeast Georgia History Center's Homeschool Day on August 25th between 10 AM - 1 PM. This fun and interactive event will feature lessons on how school was taught in the late 1800s.
"The One Room School House" program will take place in the 19th-century White Path Cabin including school slates, chalk, historical textbooks, a recitation lesson, writing with a dip pen and ink, and a Q&A with historian and Education Director Marie Bartlett. Visitors are welcome to join anytime between 10 AM - 1 PM.
This program is included with admission to the Northeast Georgia History Center. Visitors are encouraged to tour the exhibits after the program which features 10,000 years of Northeast Georgia history. A kids scavenger hunt is also included.
PROMENADE: a 19th-Century Fashion Show
The public is cordially invited to Promenade: a 19th-Century Fashion Show on Saturday, August 27th at 2 PM at the Northeast Georgia History Center for an afternoon of fashion, entertainment, learning, and fun!
This event will showcase historically accurate fashions of the 1800s with host and fashion historian Marie Bartlett providing historic context as models walk the runway. Great for all ages!
This event is free for Members of the History Center. Become a Member at this link.
General Admission is $10 and includes light refreshments and entrance to the museum exhibits including our new Fashion Through the Decades special exhibit.
Reservations are required for both Members and General Admission using the link below.
This event is sponsored by Blair Diaz, CPA www.blairdiazcpa.com
Accepting New Tutors & Students for Gainesville Reads
We currently accepting new volunteer tutors for our free children’s program, Gainesville Reads, for students in 1st-5th grade who struggle with reading. Tutors meet with the same student each week to help them build confidence in their reading skills through fun activities, reading books together, and worksheets that address specific challenges of the student. Training and curriculum is provided. Tutoring sessions begin August 10th, 2022.
We are also accepting new students for our Virtual Program! Students will meet weekly via Zoom with a group tutor to read stories and play games that teach new vocabulary.
Details at www.negahc.org/gainesvillereads.
New Digital Membership Benefits
Dear Members,
As life has returned to something much closer to normal since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the viewing habits of our fans and followers have changed. These changes, along with increased demand for educational content from teachers and homeschool groups, means that the History Center needs to once again pivot to provide the best value to our constituents within our limited means.
So, we have developed a new plan to continue serving our members, our educators, and everyone who loves history! Below are our new Digital Membership benefits:
A live Virtual Trivia Night hosted on the last Thursday of each month at 7:00 PM. This fun and family-friendly trivia night will have a different theme each month. Only Members can play, but the public will be able to watch the trivia game. This will be played using Zoom and Kahoot and hosted on Facebook & YouTube Live. Members will receive an email invite with instructions prior to the event.
One Members Mini-Documentary or Historic Character Portrayal each month. Topics and characters will be wide-ranging with Member suggestions in mind.
Ask a Historian videos: Members will have the opportunity to submit their history questions for our historians or a guest historian to answer in a video each month. A topic/theme will be announced each month. Members will be invited to submit their questions via the Member Portal or in our email announcement. Teachers are welcome to submit questions from their students!
We greatly appreciate your support! If you have any concerns regarding your Digital Membership, please contact Libba Beaucham at libba@negahc.org.
Become a Member at www.negahc.org/member.
Summer Internship Highlights
We had wonderful interns over the summer who learned about working at a museum through projects and assisting our team:
Alysa Matsunaga, our Education Intern, prepared activities for our Discover Georgia History Day Camp and led the Archeological Dig Table. Alysa also created new teacher resource worksheets for our virtual Webcasts, collaborated with the Museum of History and Holocaust Education to research an upcoming podcast about Anne Frank, and shadowed many of our summer field trips assisting students with our exhibits scavenger hunt.
Bella Miranda, our Archives Intern, assisted with the fourth and final theme for the N.C. White exhibit. Entitled Fashion through the Decades, the exhibit showcases trends in clothing and accessories from the seventy years that the N.C. White Studio was in business. Bella aided in researching the various artifacts on display, helped fit the clothing properly on the mannequins, worked closely with Lesley Jones on choosing the photographs for the wall, and assisted in the displays of the jewelry and shoes.
Mariah Clark, our Research Intern, conducted research for our Member programs including the early Jewish history of Savannah, Georgia and the life and times of Mary Musgrove. Mariah’s research included scholarly articles, books, primary resources, and feedback from the History Center staff.
Kate Chenault, also a Research Intern, has conducted research on the traditions of Southern folk pottery and the portrayals of women in Western art through the centuries. As a Digital Member, you will have access to these programs! Kate’s research included interviews with academics, scholarly articles, primary resources, visiting other museums, and feedback from the History Center staff.
We are proud of our summer interns and the work they have accomplished. We know they will go far in the history and museum field!
Archeological Dig Activity led by Alysa Matsunaga
Alysa Matsunaga (right), Marie Walker (Center), Bella Miranda (Left)
Then Again Podcast
In our latest episode of Then Again:
Latin America makes up nearly two-thirds of the New World, but (unfortunately) many folks in the United States are unfamiliar with its history. In this first episode of a three-part series, Glen talks with Dr. Tamara Spike to discuss the Haitian Revolution, its place in a complex set of world events, and how it affected not just Latin America but the United States and all of world history.
Listen now at www.thenagainpodcast.com!
Seeking Sponsors for 3rd Annual Telethon
Last year, the History Center hosted its second 24 Hour Telethon and raised over $3,000 to support our operations. This year we’re a little more ambitious! We’re setting our goal at $5,000. We’re offering sponsorships to local businesses and organizations to help us meet this goal. Sponsorships begin at just $50 and offer a great way to support local education and promote your organization.
Details are available at www.negahc.org/telethon.
Annual Taste of History: Individual Tickets Now Available
Individual tickets are now available to purchase for our annual Taste of History fundraiser honoring Pillars of the Community. For details, please contact us at info@negahc.org.
This year we'll be honoring four Pillars of the Community, two individuals and two businesses: John Burd, E.E. Butler, Carroll Daniel Construction, and The Norton Agency. Each of these have contributed greatly to Gainesville and Hall County by their vision, their service, and their commitment to improving the quality of life throughout our region.
More details will follow in the coming months, as well as articles spotlighting each of our honorees, but in the meantime mark your calendars!
Sponsorships are available, email glen@negahc.org for more information.
Special Thanks
July 2022 Journal Newsletter
Summer Chautauqua: Southern Writers
Our second Summer Chautauqua performance will feature author and anthropologist Zora Neale Hurston, portrayed by professional living history interpreter Chiara Richardson, on Tuesday, July 12th at 7:00 PM.
Well known for her novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston was also an anthropologist whose research greatly influenced her literary style and themes. Many of her stories are inspired by her childhood in the small town of Eatonville, Florida in the early 1900s. Hurston would later collect African-American folklore of Eatonville and the South during her anthropological research. Her fiction writings were often criticized by writers of the “New Negro” movement who sought to defy stereotypes of rural African-Americans, but Hurston maintained that her characters and stories reflected the lived experiences of people she knew both personally and through her research.
This event is free for Members. Non-Member tickets are $5 each cash or card at the door.
Our last program of the Chautauqua season will feature author Flannery O’Connor on August 9th.
July Mini-Docs
We have lots of great virtual programs coming up for both Members and the public!
View our lineup of events at www.negahc.org/events.
To gain access to our weekly Members Mini-Docs, you can become a local Member or Digital Member at www.negahc.org/member.
Accepting New Tutors for Gainesville Reads
We currently accepting new volunteer tutors for our free children’s program, Gainesville Reads, for students in 1st-5th grade who struggle with reading. Tutors meet with the same student each week to help them build confidence in their reading skills through fun activities, reading books together, and worksheets that address specific challenges of the student. Training and curriculum is provided. Tutoring sessions begin August 10th, 2022.
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer tutor for Gainesville Reads, you can apply online at www.negahc.org/gainesvillereads.
Intern Spotlight: Bella Miranda
We’d like to introduce you to one of Archives Interns, Bella Miranda! Bella is a rising Junior at the University of North Georgia and is currently majoring History and minoring in Art History. She is currently conducting research on our N.C. White photography collection, writing text panels and collecting artifacts for our upcoming Fashion theme, and shadowing our Archives & Collections Manager Lesley Jones to learn more about being an archivist. Bella’s hobbies include baking and drawing.
New Homeschool History Club
This August, we begin our new Homeschool History Club! This is a free virtual club for students ages 8-12 that will meet monthly on the third Thursday of each month at 3:30 PM ET. Each session will include a lesson with a historian or historic character. Topics will cover both national and world history and the students will vote on which topic they learn about next!
Registration and details are available at www.negahc.org/homeschool.
Special thanks to the Cottrell Digital Studio for providing this program.
Then Again Podcast
In our latest episode of Then Again:
Marie interviews Jack Weinstein, the president of the board for the Augusta Jewish Museum, about how the oldest standing Synagogue in Georgia was saved from demolition and is being turned into the Augusta Jewish Museum. If you would like to learn more about this museum and tour their virtual exhibits you can do so here:
Listen now at www.thenagainpodcast.com!
Summer Camp Highlights
This summer we hosted a day camp exploring Georgia history and a virtual camp about the American Revolution! Students explored history through fun activities, historic crafts, meeting historic characters, and interactive lessons with our Education Director Marie Bartlett.
Special thanks to living history interpreter Richard Burke for his wonderful portrayal of General James Oglethorpe!
During our virtual summer camp, students met a Continental Soldier, a woman Camp Follower, a Loyalist, Benjamin Franklin, and Martha Washington. They made historic crafts like cornhusk dolls as well as historic recipes like Queen’s Cake.
This program was made possible by the Cottrell Digital Studio.
From the Newspaper Archives
Street fairs and carnivals were quite an exciting form of entertainment in Gainesville during the early 1900s! In an article from the Georgia Cracker in 1901, we learned that a five-day fair “of Fun and Frolic” was held by the Sturgis Carnival Company traveling to Gainesville.
The fair was “absolutely free” and included “hourly exhibitions” like Professor Speedy the high diver who “leaps from the summit of a ladder erected 90 feet above the ground” and dives into a “small tank of water.” There was also a “big Ferris wheel, which gives you a novel ride from a giddy height” and an “electric theatre” where you could watch early forms of short motion pictures. Exotic characters like the “Pharaoh’s daughter” and a “the wild man” also entertained audiences.
The fair took place on the public square and was described as being very popular and wholly enjoyed by all who attended.
Seeking Sponsors for 3rd Annual Telethon
Last year, the History Center hosted its second 24 Hour Telethon and raised over $3,000 to support our operations. This year we’re a little more ambitious! We’re setting our goal at $5,000. We’re offering sponsorships to local businesses and organizations to help us meet this goal. Sponsorships begin at just $50 and offer a great way to support local education and promote your organization.
Details are available at www.negahc.org/telethon.
Annual Taste of History: Individual Tickets Now Available
Individual tickets are now available to purchase for our annual Taste of History fundraiser honoring Pillars of the Community. For details, please contact us at info@negahc.org.
This year we'll be honoring four Pillars of the Community, two individuals and two businesses: John Burd, E.E. Butler, Carroll Daniel Construction, and The Norton Agency. Each of these have contributed greatly to Gainesville and Hall County by their vision, their service, and their commitment to improving the quality of life throughout our region.
More details will follow in the coming months, as well as articles spotlighting each of our honorees, but in the meantime mark your calendars!
Sponsorships are available, email glen@negahc.org for more information.
Special Thanks
June Journal Newsletter
Summer Chautauqua: Southern Writers
Our Summer Chautauqua series is back! This year we are celebrating Southern writers Sidney Lanier, Zora Neale Hurston, and Flannery O’Connor.
During our first living history performance, you will meet 19th-century Georgia poet, composer, and novelist Sidney Lanier portrayed by professional actor Kevin Moxley.
Lanier was known for his musical style of poetry and his mastery of meter and form. Many of his works reflect on the corrupting effect of materialism and the glorification of nature.
This event is free for Members. Non-Member tickets are $5 each cash or card at the door.
Our Zora Neale Hurtson program will take place on July 12th and our Flannery O’Connor program will take place on August 9th.
June Mini-Docs
We have lots of great virtual programs coming up for both Members and the public!
View our entire lineup of events at www.negahc.org/events.
To gain access to our weekly Members Mini-Docs, you can become a local Member or Digital Member at www.negahc.org/member.
Gainesville Reads Celebrations
We are so proud of our Gainesville Reads students! We celebrated their progress this year with a fun celebration. Each of our volunteer tutors presented their student with a certificate and shared the progress their student made throughout the year. Our graduating fifth graders were honored as well, some of whom have been in Gainesville Reads since it began in 2020!
Parents shared with us the progress they have seen in their child and what Gainesville Reads has meant to them:
“Thank you so much! Kayden began at a 3rd grade reading level and is now reading at an 8th grade level!”
“The Gainesville Reads program is helping to encourage and empower young children to read. Reading is a critical skill to learn early and opens a world of opportunities for these children. Intervening in the younger grades when a child is struggling to read has been proven most effective in closing reading gaps and building a successful reader.”
“I personally love this program because I saw an increase in academic performance, retention, and personal growth in my children during our weekly sessions throughout the year.”
“Jaylen improved in his reading level at school and became more excited about reading. Isaac became a very good reader and was 3rd in his 2nd grade class in reading. Both have grown and Lexia is really helping them grow.”
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer tutor for Gainesville Reads, you can apply online at www.negahc.org/gainesvillereads.
Spring Semester Digital Programs
During the Spring semester of 2022, we conducted 66 Webcasts and served over 3,400 students! Webcasts are live Zoom programs in which students meet a historic character or have a lesson with a historian. Popular historic characters include Benjamin Franklin, Frederick Douglass, Juliette Gordon Low, Sacagawea, and Martin Luther King Jr.
Our total Webcasts for all of 2021 was 86, which leads us to believe that we will once again break our Webcast record this Fall! Webcasts are free for all Georgia teachers and homeschool groups thanks to the Cottrell Digital Studio. Interested in booking a Webcast for your group? Contact Libba Beaucham at libba@negahc.org.
Our YouTube channel has also seen great growth this Spring! So far we have had 48,465 video views and 218 new Subscribers. If you have not subscribed to our YouTube channel yet, please do at bit.ly/negahcyoutube.
Welcoming New Research Interns
We’d like to welcome our new Remote Research Interns who are conducting research for our Member Mini-Docs!
Kate Chenault who is conducting research for our Member Mini-Docs! Kate is a sophomore at Walsh University in North Canton, Ohio. She is double majoring in museum studies and visual and performing arts with the intention of going to graduate school for her doctorate in art history. She wants to be a museum curator when she has completed her education. Kate lives in Chicago during the summer when she is not at school. She sings in her school's choir and is on the executive board of Walsh University's Student Government. In her free time, Kate enjoys reading and writing fantasy and dystopian fiction, playing chess, and learning Italian on Duolingo.
Kate is currently researching the history of traditional folk pottery in the Southeast.
Mariah Clark is currently in university studying history with a minor in art history, hoping to one day become a professor. Mariah wanted to intern at the History Center for experience and to learn more about what it would be like to work in a museum environment. Some of her hobbies include historical tailoring, traveling internationally, collecting comics, and playing tabletop games with friends.
Mariah is currently researching Jewish culture in colonial Savannah, Georgia.
Kate Chenault
Mariah Clark
Then Again Podcast
In our latest episode of Then Again:
In this episode, Glen talks with Heather Shores, Executive Director of the Chieftains Museum/Major Ridge Home to learn about one of the most important, and most undeservedly maligned Cherokee in history, Major Ridge. Warrior, businessman, diplomat, and Councilman, Ridge was at the center of tribal life and politics for decades and played a leading role in the Treaty of New Echota... a role that led to his assassination.
Visit the Chieftains Museum/Major Ridge Home website to learn more! www.chieftainsmuseum.org
Listen now at www.thenagainpodcast.com!
Summer Camp Registration Is Open!
This summer we’re hosting a virtual history camp and a one-day Georgia history camp!
During our Discover Georgia History day camp on June 17th, students will learn about the history of Georgia from its beginning as a colony to now through hands-on activities and historic character portrayals.
Our virtual summer camp is The American Revolution. Students will explore this eras of history through Zoom lessons, hands-on activities, recipes, and historic character portrayals.
Details at www.negahc.org/summer.
From the Newspaper Archives
In 1902, there was a sharp increase in smallpox cases across the United States, and Gainesville, Georgia was one of the affected communities. Over 72,000 people in the U.S. contracted smallpox in 1902. While there was a decline by 1904, smallpox cases would soar to over 110,000 in the U.S. by 1920.
The Gainesville Eagle and the Georgia Cracker newspaper archives include articles and commentary from locals that give us an insight to the smallpox problem in Gainesville.
When someone contracted smallpox, they were to put up a yellow flag at their home to warn others.
“For the protection of others, the yellow flag was put up as soon as Dr. Smith pronounced it smallpox.” - Gainesville Eagle 1901
Vaccinations were apparently mandated as one article states, “Ollie Hughes, Ed Bray, W. M. Adams, and J. B. Jones were before Mayor Parker last Saturday afternoon, charged with refusing to be vaccinated and acting disorderly…Cases were made against them and they were fined $5 and costs each. Just before their trials came up they were vaccinated, at their request, by Dr. E. P. Ham.”
Medical misinformation was also a problem in 1903 with articles like this one from the Gainesville Eagle stating, “…lettuce is a sure and absolute preventive of smallpox…It is a thousand times better than vaccination…anyone who eats lettuce daily will not catch smallpox whether he be vaccinated or not.”
In the social column of the Georgia Cracker, one citizen said in 1902, “Procrastination sometimes means small pox. Better be vaccinated now.”
Thanks to mass vaccination efforts around the world, smallpox was eradicated in 1979.
Annual Taste of History
We are pleased to announce our 2022 Annual Taste of History Fundraiser!
This year we'll be honoring four Pillars of the Community, two individuals and two businesses: John Burd, E.E. Butler, Carroll Daniel Construction, and The Norton Agency. Each of these have contributed greatly to Gainesville and Hall County by their vision, their service, and their commitment to improving the quality of life throughout our region.
More details will follow in the coming months, as well as articles spotlighting each of our honorees, but in the meantime mark your calendars!
Sponsorships are available, email glen@negahc.org for more information.
Special Thanks
May Journal Newsletter
Free Admission for Mothers on Mother’s Day!
The History Center is offering all mothers free admission on Sunday, May 8th from 1-5 PM. Explore 10,000 years of our region’s rich history through our exhibits, artifacts, the White Path Cabin, and the N.C. White Studio Collection!
Did you know? Mothers Day became an official US holiday in 1914 under President Woodrow Wilson. The holiday was advocated for since 1905 by Anna Jarvis who campaigned for the holiday after her mother passed away. Anna Jarvis said a day honoring mothers should be made official because a mother is, “the person who has done more for you than anyone in the world.”
May Mini-Docs
We have lots of great virtual programs coming up for both Members and the public! To gain access to our weekly Members Mini-Docs, you can become a local Member or Digital Member at www.negahc.org/member.
Upcoming Virtual Programs
Members Mini-Doc: The Yazoo Land Fraud
Friday, May 6th at 2 PM ET
Forum - Not Quite Smooth as Silk: Georgia’s First Industry
Not Quite Smooth as Silk: Georgia’s First Industry
Tuesday, May 10th at 7 PM at the History Center
When the Georgia Colony was founded in 1732, one goal was that it could supply luxury goods, namely wines and silks, that were expensive or difficult to import to Britain from other European or Asian countries. As we all know, it took nearly 3 centuries for the Georgia wine industry to take off, but one export that never really got going was silk. Learn the how, and why, of Georgia's ill-fated attempts at silk production with Dr. Bryan Sorohan, Professor of Education from Brenau University.
$5 or Free for Members.
322 Academy Street NE Gainesville, GA 30501
Thank You Hall County Quilt Guild!
We had a wonderful Saturday event at the History Center on April 30th with the Hall County Quilt Guild. Visitors learned about the history of quilting, enjoyed a quilting demonstration, and viewed beautiful historic quilts on display dating back to the 1850s!
Then Again Podcast
In our latest episode of Then Again:
Dr. Craig Pascoe joins Glen to discuss the historic origins of barbecue, the varieties and methods that have evolved, and a new directory of mom & pop BBQ joints you should check out! Dr. Pascoe is a Professor of History at Georgia College in Milledgeville and has also assisted in creating the Georgia BBQ trails website: ww.georgiabbqtrails.com
Listen now at www.thenagainpodcast.com!
Summer Camp Registration Is Open!
This summer we’re hosting two virtual history camps and a one-day Georgia history camp!
During our Discover Georgia History day camp on June 17th, students will learn about the history of Georgia from its beginning as a colony to now through hands-on activities and historic character portrayals.
We’re offering two virtual summer camps this year: The Civil War and The American Revolution. Students will explore these eras of history through Zoom lessons, hands-on activities, recipes, and historic character portrayals.
Details at www.negahc.org/summer.
From the Newspaper Archives
The Arlington was a grand hotel located on Main Street in downtown Gainesville, Georgia from 1882 to the 1920s. It was renamed the Dixie-Hunt Hotel in the 1920s, and in 1936 it suffered significant damage from the ‘36 tornado. The Dixie-Hunt Hotel was rebuilt, and today the location is home to the Dixie Hunt Building.
The Arlington was the first hotel on the Gainesville square making it a lively place for visitors as well as residents. In newspapers from the early 1900s, reports were made of young people enjoying dances, politicians meeting in the parlors, brides and grooms getting married, a barber shop being opened in the hotel, celebrations with a live orchestra, and visits from traveling doctors among other interesting events.
The next time you pass the Dixie Hunt Building, be sure to remember the Arlington!
Arlington Hotel in 1925. Source: Digital Library of Georgia
Annual Taste of History
We are pleased to announce our 2022 Annual Taste of History Fundraiser!
This year we'll be honoring four Pillars of the Community, two individuals and two businesses: John Burd, E.E. Butler, Carroll Daniel Construction, and The Norton Agency. Each of these have contributed greatly to Gainesville and Hall County by their vision, their service, and their commitment to improving the quality of life throughout our region.
More details will follow in the coming months, as well as articles spotlighting each of our honorees, but in the meantime mark your calendars!
Sponsorships are available, email glen@negahc.org for more information.