Georgia`s Official Frontier and Southeastern Indian Interpretive Center

FUNK HERITAGE CENTER OF REINHARDT UNIVERSITY
7300 Reinhardt Circle
Waleska, GA 30183-2981
Phone: 770-720-5970
Fax: 770-720-5965
e-mail: [email protected]
website: www.reinhardt.edu/funkheritage
Volume 15
Issue 1
Winter 2014
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
www.reinhardt.edu/funkheritage
[email protected]
Newsletter of the Funk Heritage Center of Reinhardt University
Georgia’s Official Frontier and Southeastern Indian Interpretive Center
Celebrating Fifteen Years
UPCOMING EVENTS
Georgia’s Official Frontier and
Southeastern Indian Interpretive Center
If you are not already a member...
ENROLL NOW: FUNK HERITAGE CENTER ONE-YEAR MEMBERSHIP
(NOTE: If you are already a member, we will send you a renewal form when your membership is about to expire .)
_______ Individual Membership: $25.00
Free admission for one year · semi-annual newsletter
· half price admission for up to four guests per visit
· preferred pricing for special events
Please PRINT member name (s):
_______Family Membership: $50.00
· free admission for one year (immediate family incl. children under 18)
· semi-annual newsletter · preferred pricing for special events
· half price admission for up to four guests per family per visit
Today’s date:_________________________
member # 1:__________________________________member # 2:______________________________________
children under 18 years:_________________________________________________________________________
mailing address:_______________________________________________________________________________
city, state, zip: ________________________________________________________________________________
county:________________________
day phone:_________________ _night phone: _____________________e-mail______________________________
Form of payment: check (make payable to Reinhardt University): ck #:____________ amt:__________________
MasterCard or VISA (circle one): amt:_____________
card #:_______________________________ exp. date: ___________ signature: ___________________________
Please mail this form to: Funk Heritage Center, 7300 Reinhardt Circle, Waleska, GA 30183-2981
Funk Book Club
Second Tuesday each month
2:00 - 3:30 p.m.
History Beneath Our Feet
February 1, 2014
Registration & coffee 8:30 a.m.
Program 9—11:30 a.m.
Reservations required
Pioneer Days
School Field Trip
May 7-8, 2014 10 a.m -noon
It hardly seems possible,
but this year, we celebrate our
fifteenth anniversary. A brief
glance backwards is in order.
In the 1990s, Dr. James Funk
(pictured right) and his wife, Florrie,
collaborated with then Reinhardt president, Dr. Floyd Falany, to develop an
historic settlement and the idea grew to
include a museum. Dr. Funk's initial
inspiration was to share with the area’s
school children, the story of their local
heritage. Dr. Funk provided initial funding as did the John Bennett family of
Salacoa Valley. Others came forward
with donations, artifacts and even entire
collections for inclusion. Margaret and
Clarence Rogers of Marietta offered
their collection of Native American art.
The Alan Sellars family gave their
incredible collection of hand tools.
(see Center’s Fifteen Years on page 3)
“History Beneath Our Feet”
Saturday, February 1, 2014
We are pleased to present another
program in the series
commemorating the
150th anniversary of
the Trail of Tears in
1838. Tony Harris
(right) will discuss
how the ancient
knowledge of plants
allowed the Cherokee people to survive
their long trip to Oklahoma. Robert S.
Davis, a Professor in Genealogy and
History, (right) will
explain how to trace
a Cherokee family
during the removal
era. The program is
free. Registration and
coffee begins at 8:30
to 9 a.m. The program
begins at 9 and ends at 11:30 a.m.
(See February 1 Program on page 3)
Georgia History Timeline
School Field Trip
October 8—9, 2014
The mission of the Funk
Heritage Center is to tell the
story of the early Appalachian
settlers and Southeastern
Indians through educational
programming and the collection,
care and exhibition of
art and artifacts.
Funk Heritage Center
has hosted more than
138,000 visitors
since opening
November 16, 1999
Special Exhibit: The Rolling Hills of Cherokee County
This mural is on exhibit in the Bennett History Museum and will be on
display until June. It was painted by well-known, Italian-born artist Athos
Menaboni who was famous for his realistic treatment of birds. Menaboni’s
painting includes several birds familiar in our area and it depicts the Cherokee
countryside in the 1950’s. It was commissioned by Mills B. Lane, Jr. for the
Atlanta Citizens and Southern National Bank (Mitchell and Forsyth Streets,
Atlanta).
A National Park Service Trail of Tears Interpretive Site
Interesting Cherokee County History
Cherokee County was formed from Cherokee Indian
Territory in December 1831, after the discovery of gold in
the region in 1828. In December 1832, the area was
divided into ten counties including Cass (Bartow), Cherokee, Cobb, Floyd, Forsyth, Gilmer, Lumpkin, Murray,
Paulding, and Union. In 1853, Pickens County was formed
from the northern part of Cherokee and the southern part
of Gilmer Counties.
The Cherokee Indians were gathered into Fort
Buffington, east of Canton, before being forced on the
Trail of Tears to present-day Oklahoma in 1838-39.
The removal of the Cherokees opened up the new territory
for agricultural uses, especially the cotton cultivation,
raising corn, the mining of gold and marble, manufacture
of cotton and rope, and the construction of both a railroad in 1879 and highway for shipping goods.
THANK YOU, VOLUNTEERS!
In each issue of our newsletter, we feature a volunteer who explains their reason for selecting the Heritage
Center for their volunteer work. Joy Cook is a docent and
also a living history “pioneer” volunteer. She is an accomplished traditional Native American flute player and
often plays at special events including Pioneer Days.
“I have always worked with children as a librarian
and substitute teacher. I love learning about history. I can do it all-and play my flute, too-as a volunteer at Funk Heritage Center.”
Joy Cook
Meet Julie Shrout
Julie joined FHC in September as our new
school activities coordinator. She is a Reinhardt
graduate with a degree in education. Her daughter
will begin studies at Reinhardt this year. Julie home
Waleska
schooled her child and she is excited about adding
According to Wikipedia, Wale- some special opportunities for area home school students to the programs
ska was incorporated in 1889. It available at the Center. She is also interested in assisting teachers with social
was named after “Warluskee”
studies curriculum ideas they can incorporate into their classrooms before
who was the daughter of a
they bring their classes to FHC for a school field trip.
Cherokee Indian chief who once
If you have questions concerning school tours or home school prolived in the area. When the U.S. government forced
grams, contact Julie at (770) 720-5969 or email her at [email protected].
Warluskee, along with her people, to move West, the girl's
Home School Programs
friends, Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Reinhardt, named their settlement in her honor. In the past, industry in Waleska inThe Funk Heritage Center is pleased to offer guided tours
cluded gristmills, lumber processing, tobacco and some
and special programs for our growing home school population.
mining. The lumber industry is still active in the area, as is This opportunity is available for groups of ten or more children
agriculture. The chief "industry" of the town, however, has and their parents. The admission fee for student guided tours is
always been Reinhardt and Waleska is truly known as a
$5 for an hour tour or $6 for the hour and a half tour and $6 for
“college town.”
each adult in the group. Weather permitting, tours of the Appalachian Settlement may be added to the tour for an additional $2 fee. Also, a special home
school Settlement Day be held on Wednesday, April 16 from 10 a.m. until
Pioneer Days
noon. Please visit our website www.reinhardt.edu/funkheritage for more
Our annual Pioneer Days information about educational tours and special home school programs or
program will be offered May 7- contact Julie Shrout.
8. This two hour program is for
school children in grades K-5.
It begins at 10 a.m. and is held
in the Appalachian Settlement.
It features living history volunteers dressed in period clothing.
Children visit log cabins, the
blacksmith shop, sorghum
syrup mill and observe settlers demonstrating crafts.
Students will enjoy pioneer games and old-time
music. Home schooled students and their parents may
also register for this special event.
This field trip is a great way to celebrate the end
of the school year. Following the program, students
may eat at our picnic tables near the driveway. This
outdoor event does not include a tour of the Bennett
History Museum. One teacher per 20 students is admitted free. Reservations will be accepted beginning
in January. Make reservations early to reserve the
best day for your school. $7 per student/adult.
Funk Book Club
Meetings second Tuesday 2:00—3:30 p.m.
Book Club meetings are open to the public.
Director’s Corner ……..
The year just ending brought new relationships
and opportunities. In October we learned that we had
been added to the National Park Service Trail of
Tears as an interpretive site. And, we have the signs
to prove it: official signs provided by the National
Park Service through the efforts of the Georgia Chapter of Trail of Tears Association. (TOTA.) Jeff Bishop, president of
the Georgia TOTA, was one of several presenters at our “History
Beneath our Feet” symposium in September sponsored by the Georgia
Humanities Council. Another presenter, Paul Webb, headed up the
study of the Hickory Log archaeological material excavated during
the 1995 dig on land where construction of the Canton Walmart was
to start. We are currently raising money to bring this collection back
to Georgia so we can exhibit it in the county where it originated.
We have already raised $35,000 of the $50,000 needed and are
hopeful that a pending grant proposal will be approved and funded to
complete this challenging effort. Meanwhile, we encourage donations
to this effort. The importance of this collection to our region can
hardly be exaggerated. The entire Etowah River Valley is rich in
Native American history and archaeology. Our designation by the
National Park Service came at a perfect time, and we hope to utilize
the Hickory Log collection to tell a fuller story of what Cherokee life
was like on the eve of the great removal in the 1830s. Native American history is central to Georgia’s story.
The Funk hosted the Georgia TOTA Chapter meeting in November as part of our Native American Day observance. More than 200
people turned out for the event, many of them scouts, as well as
TOTA members. Inspired by the excitement surrounding our events,
I traveled to North Carolina to attend their TOTA chapter meeting
and their symposium on Cherokee removal studies. I came home more
convinced than ever that our museum has a wonderful opportunity to
help preserve a vital part of American history, the story of the Cherokee and the Trail of Tears. A remarkable community already exists to
do this, including nearby Georgia historical sites such as Etowah
Mounds, the Chief Vann House, the Chieftains Museum, and the
reconstructed capital of the old Cherokee nation at New Echota.
Our goal is to begin curation of the Hickory Log collection in the
spring of 2014 and have some materials exhibited by fall. An addition
to the Funk’s Bennett History Museum is already being planned to
provide the space needed to effectively display and interpret. Another
priority will be to provide online photos of the collection so teachers
and students can see and study even more of the collection. Science is
revolutionizing archaeology and at the same time making its findings
more accessible.
Joe Kitchens
Executive Director
January 14, 2014 -A Patchwork Planet
by Anne Tyler
February 11, 2014 -The Girls of Atomic City: The Untold
Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II
by Denise Kiernan
March 11, 2014 - Moon Over Taylor’s Ridge
by Janie Dempsey Watts
April 8, 2014 -That Used to be Us: How America Fell Behind in the
World It Invented and How We Can Come Back
by Thomas L. Friedman and Michael Mandelbaum
May 13, 2014 - Earl in the Yellow Shirt by Janice Daugharty
Volunteer!
The Funk Heritage Center relies on
volunteers who contribute thousands of
hours of service each year!
Volunteer docents provide guided tours for children and
adults. Gardeners and carpenters help with museum
landscaping and improvements. Living history volunteers
provide programs in the Appalachian Settlement!
Become a volunteer! Call 770-720-5970
www.reinhardt.edu/funkheritage
Center’s Fifteen Years (con’t from page
1)
Russell Cutts, a Reinhardt graduate, was hired to coordinate the museum project and Architect Garland Reynolds
designed the museum. Soon everything came together and a
Native American Festival was held in November of 1999 after
opening ceremonies. Dr. Joe Kitchens arrived in January of
2000 to become the museum's first executive director.
School and public visitation began in earnest and in 2004,
the Funk Heritage Center was designated by the state legislature
as Georgia's Official Frontier and Southeastern Indian Interpretive Center. Its programming brought recognition and in
2010, the Governor's Award in the Humanities was presented to
the Center. After collaboration with the Georgia Chapter of the
Trail of Tears, the Center was added as an interpretive site to the
National Park Service Trail of Tears. Participation in the
state's tourism program gave the Center a listing on the Explore
Georgia website and our brochures are distributed through the
state's network of visitor centers.
Since opening, FHC has welcomed over 138,000 visitors
from the United States and 52 other countries. Classes from area
schools plus home school students have flocked to the Center on
field trips and to attend our annual Georgia History Timeline.
Many teachers bring their classes year after year to take advantage of the Center's field trips designed to support their social
studies curriculum needs. Some students who attended our annual summer camp programs are now Reinhardt University students.
Key to our success has been the loyal corps of fifty five
volunteers who assist with tours, provide clerical support, living
history programs in the Appalachian Settlement and also help
with logistics for major events. In the past year, they have given
more than 2000 hours of their time to help the Center. Without
them, it would not be possible to accomplish the variety of
programs we offer the public.
If you belong to an organization that would be interested in
learning more about the Heritage Center, please call to schedule
a program for your group.
February 1 Program
(con’t from page 1)
Mr. Harris is a Cherokee Nation citizen who was born and
raised in Muskogee, OK. He graduated from Northeastern State
University, located in Tahlequah, OK. He is a Master Gardener
and a frequent speaker at local historical, civic, and garden
clubs. He has also spoken at the National Cherokee Ethnobotany
Conference and the National Park Service.
"Bob" Davis is director of the Family and Regional History
Program, Wallace State Community College, Hanceville, AL.
His program pioneers local and family history research in a college environment. He holds a Master of Education degree in
history from North Georgia College and a Master of Arts degree
from the University of AL at Birmingham. He is also a graduate
of the Institute of Documentary Editing of the National Historical Records Publications Commission. He was raised in Forest
Park, GA and is a former resident of Jasper, GA.
Due to limited seating, reservations are required. Sponsored
again by the Georgia Humanities Council, the National Endowment for the Humanities and through appropriations from the
Georgia General Assembly, the program is free to the public.
For additional information and reservations, call 770-720-5970.