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.