“Come Play in Spring Place” Theme for August 17 Festival

Cherokee ball sticks, a wooden yo-yo, a “ball and cup” and marbles. These are just a few historic games and toys visitors will be able to see during the22nd annual Spring Place Community Festival on Saturday, August 17 at the Old Spring Place Methodist Church just off Georgia Highway 225 South. This year’s theme is “Come Play in Spring Place.”

 Sponsored by the Spring Place Ruritan Club and the Whitfield-Murray Historical Society, the Festival commemorates Spring Place’s past and raises funds for the continued preservation of the Old Church which is Murray County’s oldest building built for public use. 

 An official Georgia Historic Township and a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places, Spring Place began as a Moravian mission to the Cherokees in 1801.  Home of Cherokee Chiefs James and Joseph Vann, the town was part of the Trail of Tears, became Murray County’s first seat of government, was raided during the Civil War, survived the turbulent Reconstruction era, and then declined after losing the courthouse to Chatsworth in 1913.  The post office closed in the 1970’s but Spring Place remains a special place to lots of folks and families. 

To celebrate the past, a display will highlight the 40 years since the Old Church was dedicated as a museum and the almost 200-year history of the Methodism in Spring Place which includes artifacts from the Spring Place United Methodist Church which held its last service back in April.

The festival itself will open at 8 am and will have something for everyone. Members of the Ruritan Club will have their usual bake sale with homemade cakes of all kinds. Breakfast biscuits and Chik-Fil-A lunches will be available for purchase. A variety of new/ used books, collectibles, and flea market items such as vintage glass and cookware, toys and Christmas decorations, pictures and frames, tapes and CD’s, linens and clothes,  tools, and sports related objects attract buyers as well.

A raffle for a “Dollywood Gift Basket which includes two free Dollywood tickets good through December of 2020 will be underway all day and the popular auction begins at 10:00.  This year the auction will include a variety of antiques including a Victorian buffet, tables, and curio cabinets, as well as a gas grill, chests, sofa and chair, a bedroom suite,  bottles, mirrors, a lighthouse collection, ladder-back chairs,  tools, several local artist prints, dolls, antique tools and household items, a toy chest, a doll house, Disney figurines, a Vols ornament collection,  and lots of gift cards from area restaurants and businesses such as Bojangles, Captain D’s, and Krystal.   

DVD’s, books, maps, post cards, note cards, Christmas ornaments, and posters will be available for purchase at the Historical Society booth. Historic calendars, prints, newspapers, quarterlies, and even a cookbook are among other items that will be for sale. The Old Church Museum room will be open throughout the day, too.

The MCHS Alumni Association will have Rock Building post cards, notecards, and prints for sale while Spring Place Elementary School, First National Community Bank, The Spring Place Ruritan Club, and the Murray County Gideon Camp will have information tables. The Chatsworth-Murray County Library will have goodies for the kids. Special vendors include Gwen Gray Frederick with “Thirty-One” gift totes and organizers, local author Jodi Lowery, and artist Cathy Satterfield.

Parking will be available on Elm Street with shuttles to the church and auction site provided.  To find out more about the festival, call Elizabeth Robinson at 706-695- 6021, Carlton McDaniel at 706-695-2110, Jyana and Chuck Smith at 706-695-8297, or Tim Howard at 706-695-2740.

HISTORIC PRESERVATION AWARDS,

SCHOLARSHIPS PRESENTED

The Whitfield-Murray Historical Society celebrated Historic Preservation month by recognizing individuals & groups who have contributed to preservation in the two counties.  Preservation awards, scholarships, Eagle Scout recognitions, & President’s Awards were presented at a recent meeting at the Murray Co. courthouse.

Historic Preservation awards were presented to the City of Dalton Public Works Department, Elizabeth Robinson, & Ted Yarbrough. Ralph Stafford recognized the City of Dalton Public Works Dept. for their work in water studies, signage, mowing, spreading millings, & trash pickup.  Tim Howard praised Elizabeth Robinson’s work at the Old Spring Place Methodist Church.  David Loughridge shared the late Frank Adams’s praise for Ted Yarbrough’s creative ideas at the Chatsworth Depot.

Scholarship chair Dewey Hughes presented scholarships to high school seniors who have contributed to area historic preservation efforts. Diya Patel of Coahulla Creek High received the Dr. Don Thomas & Judy Alderman Scholarship. Samuel Carlson of Dalton High was awarded the Pete Sims & Mary Gene Dykes Scholarship.  Three North Murray High students--Kaylor Mullis, Jenna Palmer, & Caroline Ridley—received the Paul Ross Memorial Scholarship. Megan Cherry, Simon England, Adella Lonas, & Lana Ridley—all of Murray Co. High—claimed the James & Nell Ruth Loughridge Scholarship.  A special thanks was given to the Mashburn Trust for support of the scholarship fund.

Marvin Sowder & Tina Pankey recognized contributions of Eagle Scouts.  Sowder praised Andrew Rogers’s work at the Huff House.  Pankey described Samuel Carlson’s work on a West Hill Cemetery project.

Sandra Clark & Betsy McArthur were recipients of the WMHS President’s Awards for exceptional service to the Society.  Clark is current treasurer who has met a number of challenges with hard work & grace.  McArthur has catalogued the Tut McFarland Library at the archives & is in the process of updating the Journal.

Following the awards, Tim Howard gave a brief history of the Murray Co. courthouse.  He & Chuck Smith conducted guided tours of their work in organizing county records.

BLUNT COVERLETS GAIN ATTENTION

by Joanne Lewis, Blunt House chair

"Southern, plain, and collectible” were the words textile historian Kathleen Grant used to describe dimity coverlets that belonged to the Ainsworth Emery Blunt family. Mrs. Grant recently traveled from Tampa, FL to inspect two dimity cotton coverlets at the Blunt House. Grant sais they were exactly what she was looking for, & that many of this type of bed coverlet has been discarded because they are so white and plain. The coverlets have not been shown at the Blunt House until now. However, they are very interesting when one learns how they were made & studies their details.

Dimity coverlets were made by Southern women at home for family use. Today they are rare & collectible. Mrs. Grant studied, photographed, & documented our two as she travels around the South recording every dimity coverlet she can find. From Dalton she was going to Athens to document more. Hopefully, the Blunt coverlets will be shown in her future book.

Another exciting discovery was the history & method of weaving another Blunt coverlet which Mrs. Grant identified as a Boutenne or Bolton coverlet. These coverlets were made no later than 1850 in New England & Pennsylvania. Mr. Blunt & his first wife were from New England--probably where ours originated.

Visit the Blunt House, 507 S. Thornton Avenue, any Friday from 10:30 to 4:00, to view & to learn more about these textile treasures. And we thought we were only famous for chenille!

Copies of the Historic Photographs of The Whitfield County Schools Available For Purchase!

The Historic Photographs of The Whitfield County Schools by Ellen Keith Thompson is available for purchase. If you're interested in purchasing the book, please mail a check payable to WMHS to P.O. Box 6180 Dalton, GA. 30722 in the amount of $55 (includes shipping and handling). Or, you can purchase the book at the Crown Gardens & Archives for $45 located on 715 Chattanooga Avenue, Dalton, GA. 30722. All the proceeds from the books sales will the basis of the endowmenet fund for the 40th Anniversary.

 Hours at Crown Garden and Archives

Hours at Blunt House, Hamilton House, and Huff House

The Blunt House is open for tours on Fridays from 10:30 until 4. 

The Huff House is open for tours on Fridays from 10 until 3. 

List of family files under Genealogy.