Thursday's Internet Edition, July 02, 2009.
in new location
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By JIM COOPER
Editor - The name certainly fits. Now the Roane Historical Society hopes the Heritage Park Community Building will be large enough to host its 14th annual Genealogy Fair this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
“We think it’s going to work,” event co-chair Johanna Nutter said. “We’re hoping it will give us enough room.”
More than 250 people attended last year’s fair across town at the Committee on Aging. Nutter said the move to the community building was made for economic reasons.
The room may be a little bit smaller, but the location is better for a variety of other reasons. It is within walking distance of both the society’s genealogy room in the Roane County Library and the record room at the courthouse, both of which will be open from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday.
“They have always been available before, but they were too far away,” Nutter said.
The move will also bring an added attraction to the fair. Organizers plan to have both the park’s one-room school and depot museum open to the public.
“We think that will be a good thing,” Nutter said. “A lot of people from out of town never get to see those things.”
The fair itself will feature representatives from historical societies including Kanawha Valley, Wirt County and Hacker Creek Pioneer Descendants as well as the usual array of vendors. A historical society publication on the county’s World War II veterans compiled by Judy Hildreth will be sold for the first time.
The historical society will give away door prizes each hour, including a special basket authorized two years ago to mark the county’s sesquicentennial.
The Auxiliary unit of American Legion Post 21 will sell concessions during the day.
Many people will come to the fair with the results of the research they have done on their family trees.
“The real purpose of the fair is to have people come and share their information,” Nutter explained. “They can compare theirs with what other people have.”
People came to last year’s fair from several states, Nutter said, noting that some made a special trip from either Minnesota or Wisconsin to study Greathouse family history compiled by historical society president Rick Greathouse.
Those who come this time will find the fair in a new location – signs will be posted to help out-of-towners – but with the same dedication to quality that has made the previous get-togethers a success.
“We work hard toward this,” Nutter said. “And we’ll be working right up until Saturday morning.”
