Wise County Historical Society
Meetings  and Photos

Meeting at Lonesome Pine Library in Wise

Guest Speaker-Buck Henson
Topic: Joe Smiddy -The Politics of Culture

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Scroll down to see photos of WWII Book and Native American-Melungeon Museum

The Wise County Newsletter-June 1995: The Wise County Historical Society is still involved in the on-going project of compiling cemetery records for Wise County, Virginia.

100th Anniversary of the completion of the Wise County Courthouse. 1996 will mark the 100th anniversary of the completion of the building of the current Wise County courthouse. The Wise County Historical Society is planning a series of celebrations of this historic event. So far the Society has planned a calendar in conjunction with the 100th anniversary for release in 1996.  

School Bells From The Past-Volume Two. by Bill Porter, containing many pictures of early school groups from many of the Wise County Schools that no longer exist. Also the 1905 Wise County School Census.

Denver Osborne of the Wise County Historical Society and an apple grower himself, is preparing a history of apple growing in Wise County.

The 1996 Calendar is available for $6.00 plus tax.  This years calendar contains old photos of the towns of Wise, Appalachia, Big Stone Gap, St. Paul, Coeburn, Pound and the City of Norton. The calendar also lists all the important club and civic meeting dates.

Calendar Celebrates Courthouse Centennial by Rob Kilgore.  "Nestled within the 1896 wing of the Wise County Courthouse can be found the combined office and gift shop of the Wise County Historical Society.  Bill Porter is there, promoting the society's new 1996 Wise Courthouse Centennial Calendar.
"With the Christmas shopping season drawing to an end, one gift for that hard-to-buy for family member or friend may be the new centennial calendar.  On sale for $6, the calendar features old photographs of Wise County localities and gives the times and dates of current Wise County organizations meetings and events.  Bill Porter spearheaded the project, springing off the success of last year's World War II calendar.  He wanted to create a calendar of events for 1996-and he did so. securing permission for photos and compiling event information.  Tim Cox, Gladys Stallard, Dorothy Witt, Bill Hendricks, Bud Osborne and Leroy Hilton contributed photos for the project.."  
"The calendar includes a lot already.  Know when the Wise Planning  Commission meets?  Or how about when the John Fox, Jr. Festival or Pound Heritage Days are celebrated?  Know when the Turner family reunion is?  The calendar combines these current events with pictures of historical scenes such as Norton's park Avenue in 1904 and Coeburn's train tracks of 1912.  The Society staffs the office in the courthouse to keep open their doors to researchers.  People come from all over the country  to research  the  historical and genealogical records, according to society charter member Fannie Steele.  The office also has for sale books and other wares of Southwest Virginia history..."

WISE COUNTY, VIRGINIA'S WORLD    WAR II VETERANS: ...A Tribute...  Over 6,000 veterans, Over 3,600 photos, 926 pages. Compiled and edited by Rhonda Robertson and Wanda Rose. Published by The Wise County Historical Society.
 

Photos: Wise County Virginia's Men and Women In World War II
 Members of Wise County Historical Society and Guests

January 4, 1996: Meeting. Sale of World War II Books

Bill Porter was voted  to be a Liaison officer to the Chamber of Commerce and the Tourist Department to help promote our Society.  He was voted to be the publicity person for the Society. 

Fannie Steele has made a list of the contents of our archives to be kept in the office so it can be ready available.  Fannie will add to this list as we get more books.

Rhonda Robertson is interested in our Society writing a quarterly paper. Should this come about it would replace the newsletters and the bulletins. Members asked to think of names for the Quarterly.  Ganell Marshall has volunteered her services in printing the paper.

Paul Kilgore is still working on the Wise County Cemeteries and has found that several Cemeteries have been destroyed. 

Bud Osborne reported that there will be a meeting next Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Mt. View Church on Pole Bridge road for those people interested in the "Apple Orchard of Wise County" book.

March 5, 1996: Rhonda Robertson made the motion will put an advertisement in the magazine, The Genealogical Helper.  She also made the motion that we send something by Caynor Smith when he goes to Turkey on March 9th.  May 1st. will be the deadline for getting articles in for the June Appalachian Quarterly

May 7, 1996:  Chris Jones of the Norton Kiwanis Club was the guest speaker and spoke in detail of the upcoming Indian get-together, the Best Friends Festival, the museum in Norton and Camp Rock, the great motel on High Knob in the 1700's.  A museum is planned to house artifacts from Southwest VA.  volunteers are needed to help man the museum. The date of the Best Friend Festival is June 9th, 1996.  Get in touch with Gentle Bear of Dink Shakleford. Volunteers to help are Bud Osborne, Bill Porter, Bill Gobble and Rhonda Robertson.  They will also promote our Appalachian Quarterly and sell our book.  It is said that more people return to Wise County than do to Williamsburg, VA.  It is announced that the Guest River Rally will be held in September on Labor Day weekend. 

May 20, 1996: Wise County Historical Society will have their books and calendars at the museum for sale. It was voted that we get one business card size advertisement published in the supplement, Mountain Wonder. 

Rhonda Robertson asked if we want to see if we can get more books to sell for Over-mountain Press and it was agreed that we would do this. Special Focus for the September Appalachian Quarterly will be on the Cherokee Indians. June Quarterly is already typed and ready for the printers.

 Wanda Rose reported that the Wise Historical Quilt will be taken to the Best Friend Festival for display.  She has taken many old pictures depicting Wise County and put on the quilt.  Tickets are $1.00 each for chances on the quilt. 

July 2, 1996: Money made at Museum for Book sales will be used to purchase laser printer.

Native American and Melungeon Museum - June 1996

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