Summer 2004 Newsletter

Antique Seminar on June 24

There will be a special seminar on antique preservation and valuation on Thursday, June 24 sponsored by Gail Tait’s Antique Shop. The presentation will be “Living with Antiques” by John Thompkins and William Germaine. Mr. Thompkins and Mr. Germaine will also be available to appraise “small” pieces that attendees may bring. Each attendee may bring one item to be valued. The meeting will be held at the Wilcox Female Institute. As noted the building has been recently painted and kitchen modifications have been made. Come and see the progress.

This will be a luncheon meeting which will catered by GainesRidge Dinner Club. The cost will be $10 per person. Lunch will be served at 12 noon, with the program to follow. There is a limit of 48 attendees, so please make your reservations as soon as possible by calling Betty Kennedy at 334-682-9707.

Pine Apple Front Porch Tour

This annual event, sponsored by Pine Apple Promotions, is coming up this coming Sunday, May 30. The attached leaflet provides details of the tour. Please note that several of the homes will have open parlors, and that there are two very historic homes that have not been featured on previous events. These are Dellmont in Mount Moriah and the Chesnut-Moore home in Allenton. Also, there are different homes in the Pine Apple National Historic District that are featured this year. This is a special event, so please make plans to attend.

Wilcox Historical Society 2004 Fall Pilgrimage - September 25

The homes, churches, and buildings to be featured on this year’s Pilgrimage have been finalized, and preparation of the color brochure is in progress. We have a great lineup for this year, and a special thank you is extended to Sister Curry for coordinating with the homeowners. The tour is on Saturday from 9:30 AM until 5:00 PM. Following are the featured structures:

o Dry Fork Plantation

o Bethea/Strother/Stewart Home (Pleasant Ridge)

o Beck/Bryant/Talbot Home

o Youpon Plantation

o Strother/Gibbs Home

o Canton Bend Methodist Church

o Camden Presbyterian Church

o Wilcox Female Institute

o Beck/Miller Law Office

o Dunn/Fairley/Bonner Home

Wilcox True Blues Flag Project

As reported in the last Newsletter, the flag is currently in the restoration process in Maryland. It is anticipated that it will be nearly another year before it is returned to the Department of Archives and History. It will then be available for display at our historical events.

Dunn-Fairley-Bonner Project

As noted in prior newsletters, we received a planning grant relating to the preservation of the home in the amount of $5,000 on August 2, 2001. Richard Hudgens, historical architect from Selma, has completed the preservation plans and drawings. We received notice from the Alabama Historical Commission on February 10, 2003 that our Society had received a grant in the amount of $25,000. This was a matching grant, and we had intended to start Phase I work in the summer of 2003, but the funds were withdrawn as part of the Governor’s cost cutting actions. Applications and information on other sources were received and have been pursued, but no funding sources have been located. With the national and state economies in dire straits, it is very unlikely that there will any funds forthcoming for several years. Therefore, the Executive Board of the Society has recommended the building and grounds be placed on the open market, with any buyer being required to follow the preservation guidelines established in Mr. Hudgens’ restoration package. This recommendation will be voted on at the June 24 meeting.

Dulaney Family Tribute

The Dulaney Family is sponsoring a tribute to Hardy Dulaney at the Bethel ARP Church Cemetery in Oak Hill on June 19, 2004. Mr. Dulaney life’s history is fascinating, and Dr. Marvin Dulaney, his great-great-great grandson will be presenting the family history. Mr. Dulaney participated in the Civil War, and if anyone has any other documented history of African-Americans from Wilcox County who were active in the War, please contact Millie Lee Dulaney at 5020 South Maryland Parkway, No. 9, Las Vegas, NV 89119. David Fuller, Mayor of Oak Hill, will welcome attendees at the event which will start at 12 noon. There will be a cemetery workshop to follow at the Dulaney Cemetery located east of Camden just north of Highway 10. Interested parties should contact Ms. Dulaney.

Other Projects Update

World War II Veterans Project - The boards which have been completed will be on display in the back room (historical display room) of the Beck-Miller-Bonner Law Office. They are currently displayed at the Historical Room at Moore Academy School in Pine Apple for the Front Porch Tour and are available for display at our locations upon request. The Miller Law Office room is open and available for not only these display boards but other memorabilia that may be available for exhibition. This building has been leased to Gail Tait, and you should coordinate any tour requests by calling Gail at 337-4756.

Society History

The Wilcox Historical Society was founded in the late 1960's with the initial goal to save and restore the Wilcox Female Institute. The primary goal of the Society continues to be to preserve the history of this region and to act in some degree as a clearing house and reference source to people searching for genealogical information. Our local Wilcox County Public Library is the best source of genealogical information and features one of the best genealogical rooms to be found anywhere. The library staff can be reached at 334-682-4355, 100 Broad Street, Camden, AL 36726, e-mail at wcl@pinebelt.net. If research is needed, they can refer you to a local historian who can perform the research for a fee. The Historical Society may be contacted at P.O. Box 464, Camden, AL 36726. You can also e-mail us at grsouth@frontiernet.net .Our web site link may be accessed through www.wilcoxwebworks.com. The cost to join the society is $10 per person, or $15 per couple annually. Payment of dues is due by September 1 of each year. Please plan to renew at this time so that we can keep our computer list of members current. You may use the attached cutout card to renew.

The current Wilcox Historical Society Officers:

Jeannie Hollinger, President

Garland Cook Smith, V.P./Program Chairperson

Lindsay Johnson, Secretary

Mary Charles Donald, Treasurer

Gail Tait, Curator

Don Donald, Grants Coordinator/Publicity

William Malone, WebMaster

Wilcox Historical Society.....dedicating to preserving the history of Wilcox County, Alabama.
P.O. BOX 464, CAMDEN, AL 36726 ~ PHONE 334-682-9825 ~ FAX 334-682-9387
E-MAIL: grsouth@frontiernet.net