November 2022 Journal Newsletter
Third Annual 24 Hour Telethon!
During our Third Annual 24 Hour Telethon, we are raising donations for our free children’s reading program, Gainesville Reads.
As part of its educational mission, the Northeast Georgia History Center developed Gainesville Reads in 2020 which provides Hall County children with free one-on-one tutoring in literacy skills. Since 2020, Gainesville Reads has helped over 60 local children progress in their reading ability with the support of volunteer tutors.
This program is made possible through donations from the community. During our Third Annual 24 Hour Telethon, all donations will go toward supporting Gainesville Reads.
We are accepting donations now!
If you donate before December 2nd, you’ll receive our Early Bird Extras!
Donate Now
We are seeking local business sponsors for the telethon.
Our Telethon will be broadcast to our 14,200+ Facebook Followers and 2,000+ YouTube Subscribers. Our Telethon is a great way to show potential customers that you support literacy education in your community and provide an excellent service.
Sponsorship Details
Seeking local business sponsors!
Happy 5 Years at the History Center, Libba!
Our Director of the Cottrell Digital Studio, Libba Beaucham, celebrated five years at the History Center last month! Libba joined the team in 2017 as a part-time Media Producer, but quickly became a leader in the development of our digital programs. In 2018, she accepted the position of Director of the Cottrell Digital Studio and has since led the production our live Webcasts for schools, digital programs for the public, social media content, and our podcast. She also portrays historic characters like Juliette Gordon Low, a WW2 Rosie, and Lucy Stone! Libba also led the development of our children’s reading program, Gainesville Reads, which has supported over 60 local children with free one-on-one tutoring.
Here is a reflection from Libba about her time at the History Center so far:
These last five years at the History Center have been such a rewarding and gratifying time of my life, and I expect the next five will only get better. When I first arrived at the History Center, our live Webcasts with historic characters were brand new. It was exciting to be part of something so unique, ahead of its time, and really fun. I joined in October of 2017 when the History Center had performed just three Webcasts. Since then, we have produced 310 Webcasts and “time traveled” with over 17,000 students!
Among the most memorable experiences of my time here was actually during the pandemic. When schools and businesses were shut down, we were able to be there virtually thanks to the Cottrell Digital Studio. For weeks, we provided daily history programs for the public to enjoy from home. The connections we made with folks across the country (and even the world!) are still strong to this day, and it’s a really special feeling to know that we could be there to entertain, teach, and get through a tough time together. Because of these new connections, we created a Digital Membership program that now has over 300 Members!
Before I arrived at the History Center, I was working at a wonderful children’s literacy program in New Haven, Connecticut called New Haven Reads. Given our mission to be an educational resource for the community and my previous experience, I pitched the idea of developing a “sister” program called Gainesville Reads with the consultation of my former teammates at New Haven Reads. During our 2019 Taste of History fundraiser, that idea became a reality. With the support of former Governor Nathan Deal, former First Lady Sandra Deal, and the generous donations of attendees, we raised far more than our initial ask. Since then, Gainesville Reads has supported over 60 local children with free one-on-one tutoring from trained volunteer tutors. (Check out last year’s annual review to see comments from parents about their child’s progress!)
There are so many stories to tell about my time here, but something that is at the root of every story is our passion for what we do. I did not expect to become such a history nerd when I arrived, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
- Libba
Last Month at the History Center
Here are the highlights from our events and programs in October!
Homeschool Day: Harvest Time on the Homestead
Time travel with students to meet historic characters during our live Webcasts
Homeschool History Club with a lesson about World War I
Members Mini-Doc: Meet Mary Musgrove
Members Virtual Trivia Night about the life and works of Edgar Allan Poe
America in World War II Family Day
Collaboration with Elachee Nature Center for a Night Hike with our Education Director Marie Bartlett who provided lessons on Appalachian myths and folklore
Debuted our “headless historian” Squarecrow on the downtown square!
New podcast episodes at www.thenagainpodcast.com
Holiday Quilts & Crafts
The Hall County Quilt Guild will be at the History Center on Saturday, November 5th from 10 AM - 1 PM with a beautiful display of holiday themed quilts and decorative items plus a Christmas ornament creation station. Learn about the history of quilting, how to begin quilting, and take home a handcrafted Christmas ornament! This program is free for Members or included with the price of admission for non-Members.
Members Mini-Doc: The Census Over the Centuries
Our Executive Director Glen Kyle will present this month’s Members Mini-Doc about the history of census taking. For thousands of years, civilizations have kept record of its citizens through a census, and those records provide today’s historians with a wealth of knowledge about various cultures. From the ancient Babylonians to today, Glen will explore what we can glean from census data and share the challenges of the census taker (including a story of Hall County’s first census!)
This program will be available to Members on Friday, November 18th.
In-Person Trivia Night: Thanksgiving History & Traditions
Join us at the History Center on Thursday, November 17th at 7 PM for our in-person Trivia Night! This month’s theme is Thanksgiving History & Traditions. This program is family-friendly and great for all ages.
This program is free for Members. Digital Members will be able to join virtually. Admission is $5 for non-Members.
The winner will receive an Individual Membership for themselves or a friend!
Groups are welcome to team up, but only one Individual Membership will be awarded.
Become a Member to enjoy free access to programs like this!
Ask a Historian: Early Explorers
Members are invited to submit their questions for our monthly “Ask a Historian” topic. This month’s topic is early explorers. Ever wonder how early explorers like Marco Polo, Christopher Columbus, Hernan Cortes, and more survived such daring feats? Curious to know what kind of technology they used? What they ate at sea? What dangers they faced? Ask a away and our historians will create a video answer just for you!
Teachers are encouraged to submit questions from their students!
Members can submit their questions using the Members Portal or emailing Libba at libba@negahc.org.
Free Family Day: Voices of Valor - the American Experience of the Vietnam Conflict
The Northeast Georgia History Center invites families and folks to its FREE Family Day Voice of Valor: The American Experience of the Vietnam Conflict on Sunday, November 13th from 1-4PM.
The History Center is honored to host several veterans of the Vietnam War for this event who will share their experiences with visitors. Honor a veteran by planting a flag in our American Freedom Garden, learn how to make a name rubbing, enjoy our living history display with artifacts, and write thank you cards for our active duty servicemen and women just in time for the holidays!
GSE's that will be addressed with our Voices of Valor Family Day:
SS5H5 Discuss the origins and consequences of the Cold War.
SS5H6 Describe the importance of key people, events, and developments between 1950- 1975.
Oral History Project: The Mills of Gainesville
We have just begun a great oral history project with our Digital Studio Interns and the help of researcher and former Gainesville Mill employee Ron Hooper. We are currently seeking folks who worked at or had family who worked at any of Gainesville’s mills (Gainesville Mill, Chicopee Mill, and New Holland Mill.) This project will document the experiences of mill workers and those who lived in the mill villages as well as explore the impact of the mills on Gainesville’s economy and growth since the early 1900s.
Our Digital Studio Interns are Henry Rosenberger and Tyler Kinsey, both film students at the University of North Georgia. Henry and Tyler have been working with Ron Hooper who has conducted great research on the mills of Gainesville.
We look forward to sharing updates with you! For now, if you have any recommendations about who we should interview, please email Libba at libba@negahc.org.
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.
Then Again Podcast
In our latest episode of Then Again, we try out a new episode format and dive into a fascinating Civil War figure:
Recent events have led to the re-evaluation of the memory and commemoration of Confederate symbols and leaders, from statues to street names to military bases. One man, however, seems to come through that re-evaluation as someone who's convictions, in the end, are something to at least respect and perhaps admire... join us as we dive more deeply into the life and legacy of James Longstreet with Richard Pilcher of the Longstreet Society.
Listen now at www.thenagainpodcast.com.
Take our listener survey at this link: Then Again Listener Survey
Special Thanks
October 2022 Journal Newsletter
Meet the Author: John Pruitt
The History Center is pleased to host award-winning Georgia journalist John Pruitt as he discusses his newest novel, Tell It True, a story based on actual events that he covered as a reporter for WSB-TV.
An African-American serviceman is gunned down on a rural Georgia road in July 1964. This shocking murder ensnares a wide range of characters including the journalists who cover it, the lawmen who must solve it, the civil rights leaders who capitalize upon it, the politicians who exploit it, and the Atlanta magnate who fears its impact on the New South image he desperately wants to protect.
TV cameraman Gil Matthews and AP reporter Mindy Williams team up to follow the twists and turns of the murder investigation as rural, state, and federal lawmen clash, a civil rights leader fends off a black power challenger, and voters take sides in a governor’s race pitting virulent racist Roscoe Pike against moderate underdog Harrison Parker. TELL IT TRUE focuses on the challenges faced by journalists as they covered a societal revolution and brought dramatic and sometimes violent scenes night after night to TV screens around the world.
TELL IT TRUE takes us to a time and place where the future of the South hung in the balance. Veteran journalist John Pruitt bases the story on his experiences over fifty years as a news reporter and anchor in Atlanta.
“There were many momentous stories I covered during my career, but none of the magnitude of the struggle for racial equality in the South.”
Readers will no doubt recognize elements of that time of troubles that are still with us today.
This special event will be held at the History Center's Ada Mae Ivester Education Center on October 27 at 7 pm.
This event is FREE for Members of the Northeast Georgia History Center. Tickets are $5 for non-Members. Seating is limited, so please order your tickets TODAY at: Reserve Tickets
More information about John Pruitt and his other titles is available at www.johnpruittauthor.com.
Happy 15 Years at the History Center, Glen!
Our Executive Director Glen Kyle celebrated 15 years at the History Center in September! Here is a reflection by Glen about his time here since he was hired in 2007:
"I have to confess, when I came to the History Center in 2007, I had no idea I'd be here for fifteen years. That entire first year was a whirlwind of getting to know the board, our supporters, our community, and what the History Center had been. Getting that baseline of knowledge helped me, from that point on, determine what the History Center should be and how it was going to get there.
And in that fifteen years, there have been some MIGHTY big changes:
over 20 temporary exhibits
significant work to improve and update our main exhibit galleries (I don't think this one will EVER really end!)
a total restoration and reinterpretation of the White Path Cabin
Securing almost two million dollars in endowments and restricted funds to help underwrite the History Center's operations (and we could still use a couple more!)
The establishment of the Ada Mae Ivester Education Center to serve as the focus of an all-new approach to history education
The establishment of the Cottrell Digital Studio to get that history education out to audiences throughout Georgia, the United States, and all around the globe
an increase in numbers and professionalism of staff (from 2 to 8) -- the best staff in the world!
And a thousand other things, large and small, that make this place one of the jewels in all of Northeast Georgia... lots of changes, but I've found that changing and evolving is what makes institutions and people thrive. If history really teaches us anything, it teaches us that.
There's something else I've learned in fifteen years: bragging about this place, and the people in it, and the community that supports it, has become second nature.
This place wouldn't be here without the people in it and all of you, our friends and supporters. It's been a privilege to be a part of it, and I can't wait to see what the next fifteen years hold!"
- Glen Kyle
Last Month at the History Center
September was a great month for the History Center! In September we:
time traveled with students to meet historic characters during our live Webcasts
hosted our second virtual Homeschool History Club lesson about World War 2
debuted our Members Mini-Doc: The Legend of Nancy Hart
hosted our second Members Virtual Trivia Night about Georgia during the Civil War
and hosted our Founding of Georgia Family Day with over 300 visitors attending!
LoFi History: Ask a Historian!
Join us for our virtual program LoFi History on Tuesday, October 4th 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 highly encouraged to join to ask questions about what they’re learning in class.
YouTube: bit.ly/negahcyoutube
Facebook: www.facebook.com/negahc
Members Virtual Trivia Night:
The Civil War in Georgia
If you missed our Members Virtual Trivia, you can still watch to test your knowledge and learn new details about the Civil War in Georgia. This is a great program for teachers to share with students studying the Civil War!
Members Virtual Trivia Night: Edgar Allan Poe
Our next Members Virtual Trivia Night will be about the life and works of Edgar Allan Poe on Thursday, October 20th at 7:00 PM ET.
While only Members can officially play, the public is invited to watch the game on YouTube or Facebook. Great for all ages.
Become a Member to enjoy this benefit and more!
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.
Free Family Day: America in World War II
During our free Family Day on Sunday, October 9th, visitors will learn about the different branches of the American Military and their involvement in WWII as well as what life was like on the American Homefront through living history demonstrations and hands-on activities.
Meet reenactors portraying American Soldiers, Sailors, and even Rosie the Riveter with artifacts and historically accurate reproduction items. Receive a free souvenir photo with our Green Screen Time Machine too!
Join anytime between 1-4 PM on Sunday, October 9th.
All of the activities in this event align with the Georgia Standards of Excellence:
SS5H4 Explain America’s involvement in World War II.
Family Days are free to the public thanks to the Ada Mae Ivester Education Center.
Homeschool Day: Harvest Time on the Homestead
Homeschool families are invited to join the Northeast Georgia History Center's Homeschool Day on October 27th between 10 AM - 1 PM. This fun and interactive event will feature activities and crafts focused on the main crops in Northeast Georgia during the mid-1800s.
Meet our costumed Living History Interpreters, try your hand at corn grinding, make a corn husk doll to take home, taste homemade cornbread and wheat bread, and more!
Visitors are welcome to join anytime between 10 AM - 1 PM.
This program is included with admission to the Northeast Georgia History Center. No registration is required.
Visitors are encouraged to tour the exhibits after the program which features 10,000 years of Northeast Georgia history. A kids scavenger hunt through the galleries that is Fall themed is also included.
October Members Mini-Doc: Meet Mary Musgrove
When General James Oglethorpe arrived in the new Georgia colony, he sought the help of Mary Musgrove for her unique skills and position in the colony. Mary Musgrove spoke both the Creek language of Muskogee as well as English. She grew up among the Yamacraw Creek but also received a formal English education. And, quite uniquely, she owned and operated her own trading post with her husband. Mary Musgrove played an essential role for General Oglethorpe as a translator and mediator between the colonists and the native tribes, even becoming the official translator of the Georgia colony.
In this month’s Members Mini-Documentary, we will explore how Mary Musgrove rose to her position as a tradeswoman and translator, as well as the challenges she faced in her remarkable life. Actress Nicole Castereno will portray Musgrove from her trading post in colonial Savannah, Georgia.
This program will debut on Friday, October 21st.
FREE Nocturnal Night Hike:
Myths and Legends of the Appalachians
Join the Northeast Georgia History Center at the Elachee Nature Center for a free guided night hike about the myths and legends of Appalachia.
This event includes a guided hike along the Dodd Trail for a discussion on the myths of North Georgia, including Sasquatch, Fairy Crosses, Tree Spirits, and more! Participants should arrive dressed for physical activity. Flashlights will be provided. This program will take place on Saturday, October 29th from 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM. It is for ages 16 and up. Minors must be accompanied by an adult.
This program is free but pre-registration is requested: RSVP Link
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.
Members Ask a Historian Topic:
Old Fashioned Fun
Members are invited to submit their questions for our monthly “Ask a Historian” topic. This month’s topic is “old fashioned fun.” Have you ever wondered what folks did for fun and entertainment in old and ancient times? Submit your question about a specific time period and culture’s “past” times!
Use our Member Portal to submit your question, and we will release a video answer at the end of the month!
Then Again Podcast
In our latest episode of Then Again:
Can we summarize the entire Atlanta Campaign of the Civil War in under 30 min? Why was Atlanta so important, and how did all this affect the reelection of Abraham Lincoln? In this episode Glen and Marie pull it off... barely. There are of course battles and generals, but this series of events goes far beyond the military details, changing not just the course of the war, but American history.
Listen now at www.thenagainpodcast.com.
Take our listener survey at this link: Then Again Listener Survey
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
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.