Members and guests of the Jackson Purchase Historical Society met in Mayfield, Kentucky for their summer quarterly meeting. In a spacious room at the Purchase Area Development District Office, President Bill Mulligan opened the business meeting at 10:30 a.m. The newly formed membership committee had suggested the use of name badges and a sign-in sheet to help with identification of all those in attendance. This should prove to be a helpful addition to JPHS meetings in the future.
Marvin Downing, treasurer and interim secretary, distributed copies of the minutes from the April meeting and a current treasurer’s report. Prior business items discussed were: 1) Digitalization of the JPHS Journal; 2) Essay contest; 3) Membership; 4) Website; 5) Journal for 2016-17; and 6) Stamp proposal in recognition of the Jackson Purchase Bicentennial, 2018-19. New business items discussed included the election of officers for 2017-18 and a director. Lonnie Maness, whose term was completed as of June 30th, 2016, had agreed to continue to serve as a director. After a motion and second were obtained, the motion passed and he was elected to another term. Current officers for 2016-17 had consented to stay on if elected to provide continuity for some of the actions already in place. After a motion and second were obtained, the motion passed to accept the slate of officers as presented: President, Bill Mulligan; Vice President, Bob Lochte; Secretary, Melony Shemberger; Treasurer, Marvin Downing; and Member-at-Large, Melissa Earnest. President Mulligan suggested the possibility of adding a few more member-at-large positions to widen the scope of the area covered by the executive committee. This will be addressed in the future. President Mulligan ended the business session with remarks about the 2016-17 year and presenting a few ideas for the 60th anniversary of JPHS which will be in 2018 and the bicentennial of the Jackson Purchase treaty in 2018-19.
Guest speaker Bobbie Smith Bryant presented the program on “Farming in the Black Patch.” She noted how important it was to preserve and pass down family stories. Her family has had ten generations of farmers and some of the shared stories from her father provided the information for her first book. Bryant told the audience about the difference in burley tobacco, which is primarily grown for cigarette production, and dark-fired tobacco, which is primarily used for snuff and chewing tobacco. She expanded upon the local Black Patch War, including pictures from the era. Perhaps one of the most interesting points in her talk was the then and now pictures of the farm, her family and the migrant workers who return each year to help.
A few years ago, a film was produced about “the story of a family farm in Murray, Kentucky that for generations has grown dark-fired tobacco, only common to Western Kentucky and Tennessee.” This film about Bryant’s family is periodically shown on KET stations and is a Michael Breeding MEDIA production.
Bryant also suggested “Smoke” by David Alford, who was born in Nashville but raised on the family farm in Adams, Tennessee. “Smoke: A Ballad of the Night Riders” is a bluegrass musical that tells the dark story of the famous Night Riders and the Black Water Tobacco War. It is usually produced in conjunction with the Bell Witch Fall Festival in Adams. (Check their website for more information – http://www.bellwitchfallfestival.com.
Bryant had three books available for purchase at the meeting and held an impromptu book signing, including “Farming in the Black Patch,” “Passions of the Black Patch: Cooking and Quilting in Western Kentucky,” and “Forty Acres & A Red Belly Ford: The Smith Family of Calloway County.” Bryant’s books are available at many locations, including Amazon. The “Farming in the Black Patch” book is available here: https://www.amazon.com/Farming-Black-Patch-Bobbie-Bryant/dp/1942613067).
For more information about Bobbie Smith Bryant, visit http://www.bobbiesmithbryant.com. The JPHS would like to thank the Kentucky Humanities Council for helping to provide such speakers as Bobbie Smith Bryant to local organizations and educational institutions.
The next meeting of the JPHS will be held on Saturday, November 4th at 10:30 a.m. at the Weldon Public Library in Martin, Tennessee. Judge Tommy Moore will be the guest speaker.
