The Whitley County Historical-Genealogical Society and Museum in Williamsburg, Ky. was open
for the public to explore on September 21 for its eighth annual Heritage Day.
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Lydia Huggins
On September 21, Heritage Day was held at the Whitley County Historical-Genealogical Society and Museum, which is housed in the old railroad depot in Williamsburg, Ky.
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"We want to
instill in people the value of history of the county," said Pat Jones, the
president of the Whitley County Historical and Genealogical Society.
About 130 people
attended the event. Jones talked about the first Heritage Day which boasted
about 350 people in attendance. The rain may have kept people away this year
and the society is considering moving their date back to October, she said.
The festivities
included exhibits of artifacts, door prizes, and vendors. Display cases
contained vintage patterns for dresses, china dishes, jewelry, books, farm
tools, old toys, and much more. The vendors were selling wares that were
inspired by historical items such as arrowhead bracelets, quilts, baskets, and
also food.
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Lydia Huggins
A display case in the museum that contains
a bowl, rolling pin, key, and gloves.
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Some of the vintage toys were made by Mary Alice Siler, the
society’s librarian. "I love it all. The museum brings back memories of
the old things I grew up with," said Siler.
The Whitley County Historical andGenealogical Society was formed in 1996, but recently moved into the old L & N
Railroad Depot on Main Street in 2005 and turned it into their museum.
"The University of the Cumberlands
provided a building for us to rent each month for our museum. We've really been
blessed," said Jones.
One of the rooms had a model
train that was built and operated by Darrell Meadors, a former train conductor
and currently a member of the historical society. Pictures, mementos, and
videos of the old train station and trains were also displayed in the room.
The museum also has many records such as birth certificates,
marriage licenses, family trees, cemetery records, and other county documents.
The records from Whitley County aren't exhaustive, but they also have a lot of records from Knox and McCreary Counties.
"Family history needs to be taught more in school," said
David Moore, a visitor at Heritage Day. He was a high school teacher for many
years and became very interested in his family history. He even found some
relatives in Williamsburg that he didn't know about until he started searching.
"Family history is fascinating," Moore said.
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