HERITAGE PRESERVATION, INC.

Minutes of Meeting, 5-22-06

Those present:  Iva Mcclure, Betty Champion, Bill McDonald, Lee Freeman, Brett Wood, Charlotte Dean, Cathy Myers, Billy Warren

1. Since there was not a quorum present for the meeting, the minutes of the 4-25-06 meeting and the treasurer’s report could not be approved.
   
    
2. The entire Board of Directors congratulated Bill McDonald on his being awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters at the recent commencement at the University of North Alabama.  There was hearty applause for Bill from the group.  Iva McClure distributed copies of the text used at the commencement when his degree was awarded.
   
    
3. Billy Warren reported that he has not yet received a response from Terry Pace regarding the invitation to Terry’s theatrical group, Pillar of Fire, to stage HPI’s Cemetery Stroll.  Board members agreed that if Terry responds negatively or not at all, Billy should invite, in this order:  (a) Keith Haeger, (b) Andy Betterton.
   
    
4. Billy Warren reported that Robert Redd has made some important contacts, including officials with the FDR Foundation, regarding the proposed statue of FDR on the new River Walk being constructed between the Renaissance Tower and O’Neal Bridge.  More reports on this project will be forthcoming.
   
    
5. Bob Torbert (in absentia) reported through Bill McDonald that all work at the Florence Cemetery which he described at HPI’s meeting in April has been completed.  The family of Dr. Wyatt Simpson has agreed to finance the restoration work in the Simpson plot.  Under Bob’s direction, work continues on this important project.  (Two separate articles in the Times Daily within the past week have highlighted Bob’s work.)
   
    
6. Billy Warren reported that HPI has placed the following book in the public library in memory of Barbara and Earl White:  New Life for Old Houses:  A Guide to Restoration and Repair by George Stephen.
   
    
7. Bill McDonald reported that Bob Torbert continues to sort and catalogue Bill McDonald’s archival collection which is being donated to the Archival Center in Collier Library on the campus of the University of North Alabama.
   
    
8. Lee Freeman stated that he will talk with Pat Mahan today and ask her to get in touch with Jim Ingrum to get photographs of the Wood family portraits that are in the Florence Masonic Lodge.
   
    
9. Lee Freeman reported that he and some public library volunteers continue to research the story of Mattie Dube, the artist whose birthplace in art history books is listed as Florence, Alabama.  At this point in the search, it appears that she was born in 1854 in Arkansas.  Lee distributed copies of a packet of the research results.
   
    
10. After the research on the Oak Street House is complete and conclusive, Bill McDonald stated that a historic marker should be installed at the house.
    
     
11. All Board members agreed that we should go forward with the agreement with Martin Dean to get the interviews with Rev. Hiram Douglass transferred to CD’s.  (See minutes of the October, 2005, HPI meeting.)
    
     
12. Lee Freeman announced that a huge quantity of records from the office of the Lauderdale County Circuit Court need a permanent home, preferably in a County Archival Center.  It was agreed that HPI should provide a representative to a “Thinktank” to determine a way to create such a center.  Representatives from these groups will probably participate as well in the “Thinktake”: 
    1. Florence Historical Board,
    2. Natchez Trace Genealogical Society,
    3. Florence-Lauderdale Public Library, and
    4. Archival Center at the University of North Alabama.
       
        
13. Iva McClure reported that the recent celebration, Waterloo Heritage Days, was the most successful ever.  More people with Waterloo connections returned for the event than ever before.  School groups from Waterloo School attended on Friday, which boosted Friday’s attendance considerably.
    
     
14. Lee Freeman reported that the Wagon Festival last weekend was successful, especially the parade and the shuttle service between McFarland Park and the Arts Alive celebration in Wilson Park.
    
     
15. Billy Warren encouraged everyone to visit the “Pocket Museum” in the window of Bella Capelli, the beauty salon on Tuscaloosa Street just behind Lori Davis’s Art Gallery.  The current exhibit features vintage political ephemera from the state of Alabama; the next one will highlight Boy Scout memorabilia.  Plans call for the exhibit to change in conjunction with each “First Friday” event.  John Harris, the chairman of this exciting project, welcomes suggestions for future exhibits.  (It’s an idea that John Harris saw first in Brooklyn, New York, via the internet.)
    
     
16. Bill McDonald stated that he has a collection of documents related to the old Mountain Mills near Barton, Alabama.  He asked for assistance with transcribing the documents.  Lee Freeman stated that he has volunteers at the library who will work on these transcriptions.
    
     
17. Billy Warren complimented the article in the 5-20-06 edition of the Times-Daily regarding the history of the Jewish community in the Shoals.  He also complimented Erwin Coleman who recently published a book on this topic, noting that Erwin’s inscription in Lee Freeman’s copy of the book gives Lee credit for suggesting that the book be written.