The Museum's the place to be!

I SOOOOOOO love working at the St. Francis County Museum. Where else can you go to work where they discover 100 year old blueprints under the roof decking? We are finally getting our roof replaced (Praise the Lord!) and some decking had to be removed where our worst leaks were. Our roofer found the wonderful old blueprints of the Crowley's Ridge Institute, (we think), which we have a picture of from 1905. Later the same day, he brought us a lithograph found rolled up in a mailing tube addressed to Mrs. J. O. Rush, the wife of the doctor who built the house in 1907. The print is titled, 'London Bridge is Falling Down', and is a black and white of children playing.

I Love my job!!!


I'd like for everyone to come share my favorite place on August 25, (a Saturday), from 11:00 to 3:00. Our 100th year celebration will be held at the museum, and we have singers coming from as far away as Conway, bluegrass and gospel groups, face painting, games, a "wienie dog race" in honor of the museum "wienie dog", Forrest, a peach pie baking contest, and many food vendors. Admission is free, with each vendor sharing profits with the museum. Our roof wiped out our bank account, so this event will help reestablish our operating budget. At least with the roof fixed, we can reopen the damaged rooms and display all of the artifacts. We look forward to adding an Al Green display (a native Forrest Citian), a music room which will be a stop on the Delta Music Heritage trail, featuring blues and rockabilly, a display of school history from St. Francis County, and an in-depth SFC timeline. Our plans' fate rests on the success of the celebration. Here's hopin'!

By the way, I feel a little clarification is needed. The museum has been in existence only a few years. The building housing the museum, the Rush-Gates house, is having its birthday. The doctor, JO Rush, built it and slowly amassed a large collection of Indian artifacts, fossils, and other oddities and antiquities. He passed them down through his family, and about ten years ago, his grandchildren, nieces, and nephews decided to turn their memories into a lasting legacy for this great doctor and historian. So began the Museum's residence at this wonderful home.