Dyer County Historical Society president Danny Walden shows club members a map of more than 80 country schoolhouses that were once located throughout Dyer County. Dyersburg City IT Director and GIS Manager Carmen Cupples created the map from information gathered by the organization. The Historical Society held its meeting at the Veterans' Museum, located on the former Dyersburg Army Air Base in Halls. [Click to enlarge]

Club members toured the facility before the meeting and were complimentary of the exhibits and lighting techniques used throughout the museum.

"The displays in this museum are impressive, the lighting is impressive," said Walden, who hopes to hold the August meeting at the Dyer County Museum so members of the Historical Society can discuss upcoming exhibits for their own facility.

At the meeting, club members awarded president Danny Walden the authority to create committees concerning upcoming elections within the organization and to oversee several ongoing projects. The elections will take place in January.

Members were updated on plans for a special event at the end of September at the Yates Auditorium featuring Ken Teutsch as Mark Twain. The performance, scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 27, will include door prizes for a plasma TV and other donations. Historical Society members may also dress up like Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn to usher the audience to their seats.

"For $10 per ticket, we'd like to see the place sold out," said Walden. "The plasma TV and performance can draw people in."

David Hayes said the event is still a work in progress, with plans to offer it in conjunction with the Main Street Fall Festival. Possible sponsors include the Mississippi River Corridor and Tennessee Humanities.

"The tickets are for the performance," said Hayes. "As a side benefit, those in attendance may win a door prize for the plasma TV. This is not a raffle. If you are there, you have an opportunity to win the door prize."

(Advertisement)

Transportation from the street festival in vans or golf carts, additional parking in the rear of the building, refreshments, Dyer County Museum tours and solicitations for membership were discussed for the event, as well.

"We want this to be a great event," said Hayes, "with the proceeds to benefit the Historical Society. We want to acknowledge those people who have given gifts in the past year."

Also discussed at the meeting:

* researching funding possibilities to repair damage to the fence of the City Cemetery through the Daughters of the Confederacy or other organizations established to preserving history.

* creating a presence at the Dyer County Fair.

* reported that the Humanities Tennessee oral-history project is on track for completion this fall.

* nurturing a relationship with other historical museums and points of interests to draw visitors to the entire area as a "destination."

* organizing a committee to spearhead work on the Dyersburg Fabrics safe and possibly create a Dyersburg Fabrics room in the museum.

* communicating needs to potential volunteers.

* upcoming efforts to promote the organization for the Breakfast Rotary Club and MedSouth.

The next meeting will take place at 4:30 p.m., on Tuesday, Aug. 12, at the Dyer County Museum, located at 120b McGaughey Ave. East, next door to the YMCA.