Will Walker, a 5th grade student at Findlay Elementary School, discovered this large railroad spike during the 5th grade field trip on September 7, 2018, at the Ravenscroft Mine and Walking Trail. The spike was added to the collection at the DeRossett Railroad Section House Museum where it will on permanent display. It is possible that visitors to the historic sites on Bon Air Mountain occasionally find historic artifacts. The Bon Air Mountain Historical Society would appreciate if any historic artifacts are discovered that they would be presented to the museum by contacting the staff through the “Contact Us” section of the website.
BAMHS Crowdrise Page Available for Online Contributions
As part of the fundraising campaign for the A Community Thrives (ACT) challenge, a profile page for the Bon Air Mountain Historical Society was created. Although the ACT challenge has ended, the profile page remains online is can be used for persons wishing to donate to the BAMHS online, linking the profile page to Facebook pages, or for future fundraising challenges. The link to the Bon Air Mountain Historical Society Crowdrise page is:
https://www.crowdrise.com/bonair-mountain
Contributions can be made by clicking on the orange "Donate" button in the center of the three buttons below the title. The page can also be linked to an individual Facebook page using the blue button with "Share" and the Facebook logo.
Gannett Foundation "A Community Thrives" Grant Winners Announced
The Bon Air Mountain Historical Society participated in the 2018 “A Community Thrives Challenge” sponsored by the Gannett Foundation. Over 500 submissions highlighting projects and initiatives qualified for $600,000 in grants awarded to assist in local projects. Together, organizations raised over $945,000 to help create change in communities across the nation through education, arts & culture, and wellness-related programs. The list of grant winners was announced on June 20, 2018. The winners list is below.
Although the BAMHS was not awarded a grant, contributions were received in the total amount of $3,805 which exceeded the established goal of $3,000. All donations have been received by the treasurer and deposited to the BAMHS checking account to be used for operating and maintenance expenses of the museum and other facilities operated by the society.
The system for donations established through the Crowdrise gofundme organization is available through the profile established online and can be used for anyone wishing to make a tax deductible contribution to the Bon Air Mountain Historical Society. The website link is: https://www.crowdrise.com/bonair-mountain
$100,000 Winners
Upward Intuition - Pensacola, FL
Walnut Hills Redevelopment Foundation - Cincinnati, OH
$50,000 Winners
Thero, - San Diego, CA
Fork Real Community Café - Rapid City, SD
Hope Hall School - Rochester, NY
HeatBound Ministries - Atlanta, GA
$25,000 Winners
Main Street Homer - Homer, LA
CrossPurpose – Denver, CO
$15,000 Winners
Oregon Children’s Foundation, OR
Saint Barnabas High School – Bronx, NY
$10,000 Winners
Operation Parent – LaGrange, KY
Point Blue Conservation Science – Petaluma, CA
Fan Favorites - $25,000 each (Most Money Raised)
CrossPurpose – Denver, CO
Independence Landing – Tallahassee, FL
13Thirty Cancer Connect – Rochester, NY
Montclair Film – Montclair, NJ
Bon Air Depot Project Presented to the steering committee of the White County Legislative Commission
Linda Mackie, President, and Dr. Sue Carmichael representing the Bon Air Mountain Historical Society presented a proposal for the construction of a historically accurate reproduction of the Bon Air Railroad Depot to the steering committee of the White County Legislative Commission on Monday, June 4, 2018. The proposed depot would be a multipurpose facility constructed on the campus of BonDeCroft Elementary School. If approved, the depot would serve as a museum, resource center, and trailhead for the history of the coal mining communities and other history of the Cumberland Plateau of White County, Tennessee.
2018 History Fair Photos Added
Photos have been added of the 2018 History Fair under the Bon Air Photos menu.