By: Judge John L. Kiener
The Lamar History Club hosted Community Involvement Day on Saturday, March 16th at LamarSchool in Washington County. A meeting of the Washington County Historical Association was held at the school with 27 people in attendance.
In addition to the officers and members of the WCHA, a number of student members of the Lamar History Club, their families and guests participated in Community Day along with Faculty Sponsor Sharon Verble and Shannon Gray, School Principal. Martha Whaley and Cindy Lucas attended the ceremonies as representatives of the Museum at Mountain Home.
WCHA President Michael Beard thanked the Lamar School and History Club for hosting the meeting. He introduced Faculty Sponsor Verble, the 7th & 8th Grade Social Studies teacher at Lamar. She described the History Club’s activities since the group’s formation in the fall of 2012. Assisting the Club have been Chad Bailey, Betty Jane Hylton, Elaine Cantrell and Donna Scott-Briggs. Ms. Verble told those at the meeting that the mission of the club is to inspire students to learn and take interest in Washington County History and the Lamar Community for the benefit of future generations.
Students of the history club have been researching specific topics. Teacher Verble introduced the students who gave reports on their topics. Wabby Holt spoke on her research of Cherokee customs and presented several artifacts as part of her presentation.
Dakota Francis spoke on Jacob Brown and the Jacob Brown settlement. Adam Bennett spoke on Russell Bean and particularly the arrest in Jonesborough by future president Andrew Jackson.
Sheyanne Whiston presented a brief and eye-opening history of the Garber Community. Caitlyn Kirkendall presented a history of the community of Embreeville, its turn of the century ambitions, and its iron works.
After the student presentations, President Beard introduced Whaley of the Museum at Mountain Home. She spoke briefly about the museum and invited those present to visit the museum. The Museum at Mountain Home holds the medical office collection belonging to longtime Lamar community physician, Dr. A. J. Willis. Artifacts from the collection were on display at the meeting.
A general practitioner in the 1940s and 1950s, the museum has a re-creation of Dr. Willis’ complete office. His office features a collection of medicinal remedies and examination tools, along with Willis’ leather and saddlebags. He was famous for going around on horseback and delivering babies. Everybody on the lower end of Washington County knew him.
For additional information about the medical museum, write to The Museum at Mountain Home, Quillen College of Medicine, P. O. Box 70579, Johnson City, Tennessee 37614; Telephone: 423-439-8069.