VOLUME 3, NO. 1 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2023
Clarksville-Montgomery County, Tennessee
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Cultural Center. If you have an EBT (Electronic Benefit Transfer) card, simply show it when you arrive to receive our lowest-priced admission. Through Museums for All, we’re partnering with museums across the country to make sure everyone can experience the best museums have to offer. To find other participating museums, visit: www.Museums4All.org.
HISTORY, ARTS AND CULTURE INTERSECT AT THE CORNER OF SECOND & COMMERCE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Frank Lott MANAGING EDITOR Becky Wood ART DIRECTION & DESIGN April Papenfuss MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS Myranda Harrison CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Rick Gregory Cresta McGowan Tony Morris Jane Slate Kate Tallman The mission of this publication is to foster creativity and champion our area’s unique cultural diversity. SECOND & COMMERCE expands the Customs House Museum & Cultural Center’s purpose through supporting the arts community, exploring local history and telling stories about the past, present and future of Clarksville.
HOURS OF OPERATION Tuesdays–Saturdays 10 am–5 pm Sundays 1–5 pm
I’m a believer in Maya Angelou’s admonishment that if you don’t look back at the past, you don’t know where you are going (in the future). This not only applies to each of us as individuals, but also to organizations like museums, businesses and yes—even society at large. To illustrate my point, I’ll stick with museums, specifically the Customs House Frank Lott Museum & Cultural Center. Over the span of EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR nearly 40 years, our Museum has continued to define, refine and adapt to the expectations of our constituents, so long as we honor our charter: to collect, preserve and interpret the history of Clarksville and Montgomery County. In meeting this challenge, we must periodically look back and critique ourselves… addressing both the good and the bad. This in-depth selfanalysis has typically taken place at five- or six-year intervals. I have personally been involved with four of these strategic planning initiatives and the Museum is just wrapping up a new five-year plan. Plans are only as good as the commitment to actually implement them, and that is always a sticking point. No one likes change, but we must accept that often change is the only way forward. There is a saying… “If it’s not broke, then you better fix it.” For your Museum, our constant challenge is to remain relevant to the community we serve… to offer programs, exhibits, events and activities that appeal to all ages and interests. It is our hope that Museum members and supporters will let us know how we are doing. It is also our obligation to evaluate our efforts to assure we are meeting the challenge. To that end, the Board of Trustees, Museum Guild and Museum staff, along with the strategic planning team, updated and adopted new vision and mission statements. I am pleased to share these guideposts with you. You can read more about them on page 10. We will continue our work to be a relevant force in our community and for you. Enjoy this issue of Second & Commerce!
Closed Mondays customshousemuseum.org @customshousemuseum #customshousemuseum
CUSTOMS HOUSE MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER BOARD OF TRUSTEES Thomasa Ross, Chair Larry Richardson, Vice Chair Frazier Allen Dan Black Kell Black Christina Clark*
Joe Creek* Kyong Dawson Jim Diehr Jamie Durrett Darwin Eldridge Carolyn Ferrell*
Lawson Mabry Deanna McLaughlin* Linda Nichols Brendalyn Player Wes Sumner *denotes ex-officio
SECOND & COMMERCE / 1
TABLE OF CONTENTS CONTACT
Advertising Inquiries Arts & Culture Events Article Submissions
Please email Becky Wood at becky@customshousemuseum.org. customshousemuseum.org/ secondandcommerce
The Clarksville Montgomery County Historical Museum (d.b.a. Customs House Museum & Cultural Center) is designated by the IRS as a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization. © Customs House Museum & Cultural Center 2023-10/2023-4M
Roxy Regional Theatre
Rediscover The Fantasy October 12 - 28, 2023
Rediscover Oneself February 8 - 24, 2024
HAMLET Rediscover the Bard April 19 - 27, 2024
100 FRANKLIN STREET 2 / SECOND & COMMERCE
1 / Director’s Letter 4 / Happening at the Museum 10 / Board Spotlight 15 / Seasons: The Museum Store 28 / A Tribute to Historian Eleanor Williams 30 / The Postscript 32 / Connect with Us ON THE COVER: Minglewood Through the Gate Jackie Langford, 1994 Oil on canvas
Selection from the James T. Mann Art of Clarksville Collection
Rediscovered Season Forty-One
Rediscover the Holidays November 23 - December 16, 2023
Rediscover Your Childhood March 14 - 30, 2024
Rediscover Friendship May 9 - 18, 2024
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Rediscover Empowerment January 12 - 20, 2024
r summem AMitd a e Nigh 'sDr Rediscover the Bard April 18 - 27, 2024
Rediscover Your Voice June 13 - 29, 2024
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IN THIS ISSUE / FEATURES 5 / Flying High 39 Oh yes, it’s Flying High and the feeling’s right—relive the glamour of the grooviest party in town! In August, the Customs House Museum & Cultural Center hosted the 39th annual Flying High gala, raising nearly $200,000 for Museum programming, preservation and more.
8 / Undaunted: Flying High Signature Painting Finds a Way Home The 2023 Flying High Signature Artist was Clarksville’s own Jackie Langford, whose oil on linen landscape told a story of resiliency, strength and belonging. Follow the story of Undaunted, from initial inspiration to finding its new home.
12 / Jacob Lawrence: Three Series of Prints This November, the Customs House Museum & Cultural Center will host a special exhibition of prints by Jacob Lawrence, one of the most widely acclaimed artists of the 20th century. An icon of the Harlem Renaissance, Lawrence is known for illustrating the African American experience with vivid stylized realism.
16 / From Second Street to Sgt. Carter Known best as Gunnery Sergeant Vince Carter on Gomer Pyle, USMC, Clarksville native Frank Sutton made his way from Second Street to the silver screen, making a name for himself in both television and film. Read more about the life and career of the man who is immortalized in bronze on Franklin Street.
21 / The Bell Witch: In Myth and Memory A scratch, a knock, a whisper... and a story that has captivated people across the world for over 200 years. Part of Tennessee's vibrant oral history tradition, the story of the Bell Witch can teach us a lot about the power of folklore, and why we often believe in what we cannot prove.
26 / Collections Spotlight: A is for Arsenic Could poisonous prose be lurking on your bookshelves? In this Collections Spotlight, learn more about the bright green hue often found in Victorian book binding that occasionally contained arsenic. You know what they say: if books could kill...
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UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS Learn about Museum exhibits, programs and more at customshousemuseum.org.
Annual Staff Art Show THROUGH OCTOBER 17
Tennessee Craft: A Statewide Member Exhibition THROUGH OCTOBER 26
Todd Saal: Telling Stories THROUGH OCTOBER 29
The Art of Mike Lugger THROUGH OCTOBER 29
Monique Carr's Ethereal Abstractions: A Journey through Landscapes, Florals & Beyond THROUGH NOVEMBER 8
American Watercolor Society 156th Traveling Exhibition THROUGH JANUARY 2
Red Grooms: Selected Works from the Caldwell Collection THROUGH FEBRUARY 11
Vintage Holiday Collection OCTOBER 28 – JANUARY 3
Jacob Lawrence: Three Series of Prints
NOVEMBER 1 – DECEMBER 31
Juliette Aristides & Alan LeQuire: The Figure in Charcoal & Terra Cotta NOVEMBER 3 – JANUARY 28
Brenda Stein: A New View NOVEMBER 1 – FEBRUARY 24
Customs House Museum Christmas Village NOVEMBER 17 – JANUARY 14
They’re Back!
Dan Hanley Christmas Card Set of 12, $24.99
Limited Edition Dan Hanley Christmas Cards The Customs House Museum & Cultural Center is delighted to offer boxed sets of special edition Christmas cards featuring the illustrations of one of Clarksville’s favorite artists, Dan Hanley. For over 20 years, Dan created hand-colored works of art with festive themes and sent these cards to his family and friends. Anyone fortunate enough to be on his holiday list looked forward to receiving one of his special greetings with child-like anticipation. Now YOU can deliver this Christmas cheer by purchasing a boxed set of Dan Hanley card reproductions. This year’s set features six new designs, and all proceeds benefit the Customs House Museum & Cultural Center. Quantities are limited! Pre-order now by calling Seasons: The Museum Store at 931.648.5780 ext. 2039.
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FAR-OUT FUNDRAISER
SUPPORTS CUSTOMS HOUSE MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER BY BECKY WOOD, MANAGING EDITOR The summer night was set ablaze with glittering disco decor, a lively auction and the irresistible beat of the 1970s at the 39th annual Flying High fundraiser. On August 19, over 450 Museum supporters and guests gathered at Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel to celebrate good times and raise money for the Customs House Museum & Cultural Center and its mission. Led by the 2023 Museum Guild (consisting of Cherie Arellano, Desiree Cherry, Christina Clark, Regina Clift, Donna Huffman, Julie Johnson, Beth Mabry, Rossana McClure, McClure Poland, Pam Telfer and Marydith Young), this year’s gala was one of the most successful yet—altogether, a total of $198,791 was raised for the Museum’s exhibits, educational programming, artifact preservation and more. Against the backdrop of a glamorous disco-inspired event, attendees brought out their grooviest moves and most dazzling outfits for an unforgettable evening celebrating creativity and community. Guests had the opportunity to bid on a variety of unique art and experiences through live and silent auctions—everything from international trips to a signed lithograph by the Queen of Disco herself, Donna Summer. The bidding culminated in this year’s signature artwork: Undaunted, a stunning oil painting by local artist Jackie Langford. “Seeing it all come together reaffirmed what I’ve always believed, which is that Flying High's purpose goes beyond fundraising,” said 2023 Flying High Chair Desiree Cherry. “It's about growing a community where people generously give their time, attention and dedication to support the Museum and its cause.” SECOND & COMMERCE / 5
Much like NYC’s Studio 54, Flying High had its own menagerie of “celebrity guests.” From Andy Warhol to Diana Ross and Berry Gordy, the spirit of the 1970s was alive and well. (Who knew Jeff Bibb looks so much like Barry Gibb?) A highlight of the evening was the presentation of the distinguished Gracey Award to Sue Lewis, who recently retired as the Museum’s Curator of Education after 33 years. This award recognizes exceptional and loyal friendship to the Museum, expressed through the gifts of time, treasure and talent. Lewis was rightfully recognized for her dedication to encouraging curiosity, which is at the heart of the Museum’s mission and where she believes learning truly begins. Already, sights are set on 2024—the Museum’s 40th anniversary. "We are so excited for what this next year has in store,” said Guild President Christina Clark. “The Museum Guild is eager to keep this momentum going into 2024, celebrating four decades of history and creativity at this community institution. Mark your calendars for the biggest and best Flying High yet!” Photos by Jon Duncan
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UNDAUNTED:
FLYING HIGH SIGNATURE PAINTING FINDS A WAY HOME BY BECKY WOOD, MANAGING EDITOR
Jackie Langford has always been a wanderer. “My husband jokingly has me wear a really bright raincoat—safety green—when we travel, so he knows where I am,” she explained with a laugh. Growing up in Wyoming, places like Yellowstone National Park were her own personal playground. “My parents could turn me loose. The mountains, canyons and wideopen spaces... it was better than Disneyland.” Going back to chasing jackrabbits, collecting rocks and building snow forts with her trusted toothless companion Tussy, an English springer spaniel, Jackie’s life has been filled with a neverending sense of adventure since childhood. She has also held on to an enduring passion to make art. Each year, the Customs House Museum & Cultural Center selects an artist to create a signature art piece for their annual Flying High fundraiser. Jackie previously held the honor of being a Flying High Signature Artist back in 1998, and has always used her talents and contributed her work to various good causes around town. Her father moved her family to Clarksville in 1963 to open Grandpa’s, a community fixture for outdoor supplies, hardware and more. Jackie attended Austin Peay State University and studied art under professors like Max Hochstetler and Olen Bryant. She then followed in the family business and went on to become Grandpa’s vice president, before retiring and closing the store in 2016 after 53 years on Fort Campbell Boulevard.
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“I was a single mother raising two kids, so art got sidelined. It was important to me not to lose touch with that part of my soul.” Jackie credits institutions like the Museum and the Downtown Artists Co-op for helping to keep her artistic spirit animated. When Executive Director Frank Lott asked her to consider being this year’s Signature Artist, she was enthusiastic about the challenge. When determining a subject, she recalled a trip to Utah in the fall of 2020 with her husband, photographer Tom Langford. Feeling like she was back on her home turf, just as grand and glorious as it felt at five years old, the couple encountered an extraordinary mountain driving near Rockville. “He was a little bit out of place... like hands punched up out of the earth, the ground parted and specifically made room for this mountain,” she recalled. “It made no apology to being there, to existing.” Nearly jumping out of the truck, against Tom’s pleas, Jackie approached the mountain and perched herself against a fence to snap as many pictures as she could, soaking up every detail. In that moment, with the sun so bright it made her eyes water, Jackie felt five years old again. “The wind was blowing; I could hear the songs I used to sing with my
parents as we drove around. I saw that mountain… and I felt like I had come home." Back home in Clarksville, with a palette knife in hand, a symphony of oil paints leapt from her hands to the linen canvas, building the scene piece by piece. She had
" You get a chance to feel humble, because it’s bigger than you. It's been here longer than you, and it will be here after you." also recently taken some classes and read more about dynamic symmetry, a compositional grid system to organize subjects within a frame to create rhythm, balance and unity throughout an artwork. Jackie named the resulting painting Undaunted, a tribute to that mountain’s majesty, resiliency and command—feelings that may have been born from a personal moment, but carry a sentiment that is universal. “It just takes being there and letting yourself see it, letting yourself feel
a part of something,” said Jackie. “You get a chance to feel humble, because it’s bigger than you. It's been here longer than you, and it will be here after you.” At the 39th annual Flying High, Undaunted found a home with the Telfer family: Stuart, a captain with Clarksville Fire Rescue, and Pam, the director of Immaculate Conception Preschool. “Unlike most of my friends who went to the beach each summer, my childhood vacations were spent in the mountains. I never even saw the ocean until I was in high school for a school band trip,” explained Pam. “My parents would drive the scenic routes and we would marvel at their grandeur and beautiful mist. My brother and I would wonder how many bears were out there, too.” As soon as the bidding started, Stuart knew he wasn’t leaving Flying High without that painting. “When I saw Undaunted, it took me back to staring at those mountaintops with my family. When Stuart saw me lost in the stare and I explained to him where I was, he knew it was coming home with us.” Jackie believes that paintings, like people, have a tendency to find their own way home. “I named it Undaunted—that one knows how to take care of itself,” she mused. “That painting knew the family it wanted, and it got it.”
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BOARD OF TRUSTEES SPOTLIGHT: CUSTOMS HOUSE MUSEUM DEVELOPS NEW STRATEGIC PLAN “While preserving the past, we must also
look ahead to a vibrant future as we continue to interpret the history, reflect the heritage and celebrate the artistry of this community.” THOMASA ROSS, BOARD CHAIR
Every nonprofit must have a board of directors or trustees to provide foresight, oversight and insight into the organization’s policies and procedures. It’s not an inherently glamorous gig—lots of sitting around long boardroom tables, listening to financial reports, approving (or opposing) various business functions. But it is an essential piece of a much larger puzzle. While the day-to-day management of an institution like the Museum is in the hands of its staff, the Board is responsible for seeing to aspects of the organization’s continuance, improvement and expansion behind-the-scenes. The Customs House Museum & Cultural Center’s Board of Trustees is a group of dreamers and doers that are part of the backstage crew to the Museum’s show and tell. Board members are educators, bankers, veterans, lawyers, artists and other community advocates that have a vested interest in Clarksville’s history and arts community. Coming from diverse backgrounds, industries and life experiences, this group of seventeen individuals provides valuable input into Museum happenings—working on strategy, managing risks and setting various goals and objectives. Most recently, they assisted in the creation of the Museum’s new strategic plan. "It was time to revise the previous plan for the Customs House Museum, which is normal for documents like this,” explained Larry Richardson, Chair of the Strategic Planning Committee. He worked closely with Executive Director Frank Lott, Office Manager Vicki Parker and Board Chair Thomasa Ross to oversee the creation and implementation of the new plan. “We employed a facilitator, Tina Brown, who had served as interim Customs House Museum director in 2019 and has experience in leading the process. We solicited input from Museum staff, the Board of Trustees, the Guild and local residents from various backgrounds.” Ultimately, looking inward brings us back to one core question: how can we better serve this community? The strategic plan is a roadmap to building trust with constituents and keeping the Museum sustainable and relevant, preserving values like stewardship, relevance, professionalism, integrity, innovation and fairness. The result is series of action steps assigned through a number of strategic pillars, including outreach, visibility and inclusion to broaden community engagement while committing to access
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and equality; continuing to create exhibits and programs that are diverse, interactive and multidisciplinary; funding to ensure the financial future of the Museum; facility improvements and more. “The resulting document will act as a template for planning and executing daily and long-term activities for the Museum,” said Richardson. “It will be constantly reviewed and adapted to the changing business environment.” The plan is a living document, malleable to the needs of the community and the time. With that comes refreshed
mission and vision statements that will usher in the next era of preservation, interpretation and exploration. “While preserving the past, we must also look ahead to a vibrant future as we continue to interpret the history, reflect the heritage and celebrate the artistry of this community,” said Board Chair Thomasa Ross. "The strategic plan allows us to have an impact that is both measurable and transformative, and each member of the Board of Trustees is proud to be part of the team that makes the Customs House Museum an inspiring and welcoming place to visit.”
Proud to serve the community that we love so much.
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SECOND & COMMERCE / 11
JACOB LAWRENCE:
THREE SERIES OF PRINTS BY DR. TONY MORRIS, APSU ASSOCIATE DEAN OF THE COLLEGE OF ARTS & LETTERS AND PROFESSOR OF ART HISTORY
Jacob Lawrence (1917-2000) was a noted social realist and modernist painter affiliated with the Harlem Renaissance, whose artwork communicated nuanced Black histories in the United States. This November, the Customs House Museum & Cultural Center will host Jacob Lawrence: Three Series of Prints, which brings together his 1983 Hiroshima series, his 1990 Eight Studies for the Book of Genesis series and selected prints from his 1986-1993 Toussaint L’Ouverture series. TOP: In the Beginning All Was Void Jacob Lawrence, 1989 From the Eight Studies for the Book of Genesis series ABOVE: Jacob Lawrence, later in his career Courtesy of the U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office
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Lawrence’s family moved to New York City when he was a teenager, where he attended the Harlem Art Workshop, the Harlem Community Art Center and the American Artists School. During the Great Depression, he found employment as an artist with the Works Progress Administration. After serving in an interracial unit of the United States Coast Guard during World War II, he accepted a fellowship through the
Guggenheim Foundation and was invited to join the faculty at the experimental arts program at Black Mountain College in North Carolina. He later taught at the New School for Social Research, the Art Students League, the Pratt Institute and the University of Washington. In his paintings and prints, Lawrence simplified his subjects into flat shapes of pure color with little to no tonal range, leaving them with little highlight or shadow. This process is akin to cubist collage, which was developed by Pablo Picasso in the early 20th century and influenced by forms found in West African art. While Picasso’s interpretation of African art was superficial, artists of the Harlem Renaissance borrowed from and modified the cubist style to claim ownership of the aesthetic in celebration of Black culture. Simple form and vibrant color allowed Lawrence to express challenging histories with beautiful imagery. Lawrence is best-known for his Migration series of sixty tempera paintings that illustrated the societal circumstances at the turn of the 20th century that caused Black Americans to relocate from the South to cities like Chicago, New York and Philadelphia in large numbers. Between the 1910s and 1970s, roughly six million Black Americans moved to northern and western states to escape racial violence and Jim Crow oppression, and to pursue greater economic opportunities. Harlem was a popular destination, quickly becoming a cultural hub and ushering in a golden age of art, literature, music and more. Lawrence’s paintings depict inequities of labor, segregation, housing and race riots and are all represented with faceless figures, allowing the viewer to see the subjects as an expression of fairly universal Black experience instead of the lived experience of an individual. The series also describes the societal conditions of overcrowding and discrimination they met upon arrival in the North. There is a family history told through the Migration series, as Lawrence’s mother moved north from Virginia and his father from South Carolina. In Lawrence’s Hiroshima print series, he made the decision to represent the people of Japan going about daily activities on the day of the nuclear bombing—August 6, 1945. Families sit around a kitchen table, farmers work the land, shoppers visit a market and children fly kites and frolic on a playground. But the figures are depicted as though the skin has been removed from their faces, which foreshadows the horrific tragedy that occurred suddenly and unexpectedly. While this communicates the bodily harm they suffered, it also allowed Lawrence to describe the event without locating it specifically in Japan or happening to a specific group of people. Because the figures could be anyone and anywhere, Lawrence hoped it would move society away from nuclear escalation during the Cold War between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. In Lawrence’s Eight Studies for the Book of Genesis, he recalls impassioned ministers from his youth. Each print depicts a dynamic preacher proselytizing before a congregation about the origins of the world as told in the Bible. Through the windows of the church are depicted newly created elements like man and woman, day and night and the beasts of the earth. This series also represents the subjects without discernable faces, allowing the viewer to see themselves or people they know as the churchgoers. This important print series demonstrates that Lawrence was not only focused on injustice, but also celebrates Black culture through nostalgic memories. TOP: No. 3. Family | Jacob Lawrence, 1983 From the Hiroshima series BOTTOM: To Preserve Their Freedom | Jacob Lawrence, 1988 From The Life of Toussaint L'Ouverture series
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JACOB LAWRENCE: STORYTELLER OF COURAGE, RESISTANCE AND FREEDOM Lecture with Dr. Leslie King Hammond Sunday, December 3 | 1:30 – 3:30 Customs House Museum & Cultural Center Turner Auditorium
Dr. Leslie King Hammond is an American artist, curator and art historian who is the Founding Director of the Center for Race and Culture at the Maryland Institute College of Art, where she is also Graduate Dean Emeritus.
The Opener | Jacob Lawrence, 1997 | From The Life of Toussaint L'Ouverture series
With the Toussaint L’Ouverture series, Lawrence describes the historical events of L’Ouverture’s ascension from a Haitian slave to revolutionary general to his imprisonment and death. General L’Overture was instrumental in developing Haiti’s first democratic constitution and eventual position as the first Black Western republic. Through this series, Lawrence celebrates L’Ouverture and his army with the same narrative visual devices through which he commemorated Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglas decades earlier. Here again, the faces of the figures are missing details and specificity, allowing the viewer to see themselves as a heroic force of change. Jacob Lawrence is an important figure in the history of art in the United States. He provides a remarkable perspective on American history, art and culture that predates the
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Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 60s. While he is considered among the greatest African American artists of his time, heralded among the likes of Aaron Douglas and Romare Bearden, their notoriety is not limited by qualifiers. He is among the great American artists of his time. Jacob Lawrence: Three Series of Prints is on view in the Crouch Gallery from November 1 through December 31. The works in the exhibition come from the collection of Alitash Kebede of Los Angeles, CA. Kebede was a friend and associate of Jacob Lawrence. The exhibition and national museum tour were organized by Landau Traveling Exhibitions of Los Angeles, CA. Landau Traveling Exhibitions organizes and circulates exhibitions to and for museums, universities, foundations and private collections.
VENDOR SPOTLIGHT:
SARAH SPILLERS Sarah Spillers is an award-winning contemporary painter and art educator residing here in Clarksville. In 2020-2022, her work depicted Nashville living through the COVID-19 pandemic. Her recent work highlights local businesses and aims to capture a scene's lively energy through the use of color. She was named Nashville’s “Best Visual Artist” in 2022 by the Nashville Scene and is a member of both COOP Gallery in Nashville and the Downtown Artists Co-op in Clarksville. Sarah currently teaches middle school art in Clarksville and is the Community School of the Arts painting instructor at Austin Peay State University. Her work can be found throughout businesses along Nashville’s iconic Broadway, at GEODIS Park, in APSU’s permanent collection and at Seasons: The Museum Store. Sarah's work aims to bring together her communities through shared experiences and workshops.
STICKERS $3 • SMALL PRINTS $12 • LARGE PRINTS $100 – $250
Be the first to see the 2023 Customs House Museum & Cultural Center ornament featuring Sarah’s artwork at
Noel Night THURS, DEC 7 5-8 PM
Enjoy free Museum admission, live music, great food, store discounts and more!
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FROM SECOND STREET TO SGT. CARTER FRANK SUTTON’S JOURNEY TO SHOWBUSINESS SUCCESS BY FRED GOSS
This bronze statue of Frank Sutton as Sgt. Vince Carter, brought to life by local sculptor Scott Wise, was unveiled on Franklin Street in May 2017. The project was led by Mark Holleman, who worked closely with the City of Clarksville and local relatives of Sutton’s to raise the money and make it a reality. Photo by Lucas Chadwick
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A leisurely stroll down Franklin Street downtown will take you to a bench, just across the street from the Roxy Theatre. Every Clarksvillian has likely taken that trek. If you opt to rest a spell on that bench, lift your chin and gaze slightly to your right, you’ll catch the eye of what appears to be an angry Marine Drill Sergeant in mid-sentence, ordering you to your feet and to keep marching. Just who is this intimidating disciplinarian anyway? In the 1960s, the CBS Television Network struck ratings gold with a series of what can best be described as “rural” comedies. Beginning with The Andy Griffith Show, CBS discovered that America found a lot of country folks to be quite entertaining. Later, shows like The Beverly Hillbillies begat other sitcoms with a Southern twang like Petticoat Junction, Green Acres and a country music Laugh-In called Hee Haw. The concept of spin-offs was in its infancy. A character on Griffith’s show, gas station attendant and mechanic Gomer Pyle, created by Jim Nabors as part of his nightclub act, was an immediate hit when he was introduced in season three. His catch phrases like “Shazam!” or “Surprise, surprise, surprise!” became part of the lexicon. His expression of “Golllll-eee,” was particularly memorable. The character would go on to appear in 23 episodes. The Gomer character became so popular, the idea of a sitcom based on his character was perhaps too obvious, but they had to get him out of Mayberry and away from Wally’s Filling Station.
It’s important to point out that Gomer Pyle was likely not his high school’s valedictorian. His sense of right and wrong was spot-on, but his logic and decision-making sometimes left some folks a little confused. What better environment to make the most of Gomer’s charm and naivete than
" The first time I walked out on stage I had this warm feeling. I knew then I wanted to be an actor." - Frank Sutton
having him join the United States Marine Corps? So, in the fall of 1964 CBS premiered Gomer Pyle, USMC on Friday night, September 25. Gomer, the new Marine, needed a foil, a superior officer whose goal was to develop a new crop of Marines, ready to storm the beaches if called upon. The man selected to portray Pyle’s drill instructor was not only a seasoned professional character, but a World War II veteran who was himself a Southern boy, Clarksville native Frank Sutton. Cast as Sgt. Vince Carter, Sutton was an ex-Army vet who served from 1943 to 1946 in the 293rd Joint Assault Signal Company.
He was awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart. As Carter, Sutton had a face like a clenched fist, a military flat-top haircut and a voice to match. It was inspired casting. Once the Pyle-Carter dynamic was introduced, the chemistry was obvious. Gomer, the innocent but wellmeaning country boy, couldn’t seem to quite master the Marine way of doing things, and Sgt. Carter’s mission was to find a way to make sure Pyle never made it to the shores of Tripoli. As much as Carter expressed his anger and disgust with Pyle, the more Gomer seemed to genuinely love and respect his sergeant. Frank Spencer Sutton’s journey from Clarksville began 100 years ago, when he was born on October 23, 1923. He and his mother, Thelma, moved to Nashville following the death of his father. His acting career began at East Nashville High School, when he joined the Drama Club. In a later interview, he said “The first time I walked out on stage I had this warm feeling. I knew then I wanted to be an actor.” Frank would return to Clarksville during the summer to spend time with family, especially relatives like Richard Powers, a cousin on his mother’s side who was only three months younger. Richard’s younger brother John still lives in Clarksville and clearly remembers those summer days along Second Street. “He’d come back and spend every summer running the streets with my brother Richard,” recalled John. “Those two were something else... but one
LEFT/RIGHT: Gomer Pyle, USMC ran on CBS from 1964 to 1969. The show aired a total of 150 half-hour episodes over five seasons, following the naïve but kind Gomer Pyle as he joins the Marines—and consistently exasperates his drill instructor, Sgt. Vince Carter. CENTER: On site of the filming of Gomer Pyle, USMC at the U.S. Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego, California with Jim Nabors (Gomer Pyle), Senior Drill Instructor Edwin J. Kues (USMC Technical Advisor) and Frank Sutton (Sgt. Vince Carter). Courtesy of D. Kues, CC BY-SA 4.0
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FROM LEFT: Four Boys and a Gun lobby card, 1957 United Artists, Security Pictures, Inc. Courtesy of the Wood Family TOP RIGHT: Frank Sutton with daughter Amanda in 1965. Articles and interviews with Sutton from the era often showcased Sutton as a sensitive family man, doting father to daughter Amanda Lee and son Joseph David (Joey). BOTTOM RIGHT: Frank Sutton poses with Rebecca Powers Ladd and Fran Powers Traughber, daughters of John Powers, at Channel 5 in Nashville, ca. 1969. Courtesy of Pat Powers
day a week, he’d go back to Nashville for his piano lesson. Aunt Thelma made sure of that. He was a mama’s boy.” Once the United States entered the second World War, Frank enlisted in the U.S. Army and served in the South Pacific, taking part in 14 assault landings. Following his military discharge—as a sergeant—he enrolled at Columbia University in New York, majoring in drama. He graduated with honors in 1952, but during his collegiate days, he also acted for a paycheck in early television. Tom Corbett, Space Cadet aired on all four TV networks (CBS, NBC, ABC and DuMont) at one time or another between 1950 and 1955. Produced in New York, the show aired six days a week—15-minute episodes Monday through Friday, and 30 minutes on Saturday. Sutton portrayed Cadet Eric Rattison. An almost-daily program gave Frank Sutton a solid head start on learning lines on the fly, especially coupled with his studies at Columbia. As Cadet Rattison’s space adventures were winding down, in 1954 Frank was cast in the motion picture Marty, starring Ernest Borgnine and written by Paddy Chayefsky, which went on to be nominated for eight Academy Awards, winning four—including Best Picture. Though uncredited, Sutton’s role was critical to the plot, and he received many positive reviews. Frank’s first starring role, in which he received top billing, was Four Boys and a Gun, a United Artists film noir released in January 1957. The film shows up occasionally on Turner Classic Movies Noir Alley. In 1961, Sutton was cast as Sgt. Chuck Snyder, a genuinely bad guy, in the motion picture Town Without Pity. This whole “sergeant” thing seemed to be a 18 / SECOND & COMMERCE
continuing theme. Throughout the late 1950s and early 1960s, Sutton turned up in multiple television dramas, including Armstrong Circle Theatre, The Twilight Zone, The Untouchables, The Fugitive, Naked City, Gunsmoke and Route 66. His status as a successful character actor was solid, but the guaranteed income that would come with a weekly network series had so far escaped his grasp. As a result, he never bought a house, despite the fact that he was a married man. He tied the knot with his Columbia classmate Toby Igler in 1946 and his son Joe had arrived in the mid-1950s. A daughter, Amanda, arrived just before the premiere of Gomer Pyle. Then, in 1964: “Surprise, surprise, surprise.” Gomer Pyle from Mayberry, North Carolina, was joining the United States Marine Corps, and joining the CBS Friday Night Prime Time lineup. Gomer Pyle, USMC was an immediate hit. For the fall 1964 television season, it ranked third overall ratings-wise, just behind Bonanza (NBC) and Bewitched (ABC). Number four overall was The Andy Griffith Show, and The Fugitive (ABC) rounded out the Top Five. Over five seasons and 150 episodes, Gomer Pyle, USMC never ranked lower than tenth in the Nielsen television ratings. Frank Sutton was a genuine television star, and a clear hometown hero back in Middle Tennessee. “When I was seven or eight, Frank and his wife came over for Thanksgiving dinner” recalled Bill Powers, son of Richard and current state senator to Tennessee’s 22nd district. “He was so popular then that all the neighborhood kids were gathering around our house trying to get a look at him.”
This April 1965 letter from Frank Sutton in Los Angeles to cousin Richard Powers in Clarksville details the day-to-day schedule of filming an episode of Gomer Pyle, USMC, along with updates about his wife and kids and memories from childhood. Archives Collection, Customs House Museum & Cultural Center
Frank didn’t make it back to Clarksville too often, but kept in touch with those closest to him. In an April 1965 letter to Richard Powers and his wife Mary, Frank details the day-to-day happenings of filming the sitcom along with family updates, as both cousins had welcomed new children. Reminiscing, Frank declared “If they are anything like Richard and myself, the Clarksville School System doesn’t know what it’s in for.” The dynamic between Carter and Pyle was magic. A genuine comedy team. Ronnie Schell, who played fellow Marine Duke Slater on the show, said it was an extremely close cast over its five-year run. In a 2022 interview, Schell said “Frank and Jim got along great. They were quite close until Frank died.” Schell added that Sutton would occasionally come up with a suggestion or two to tweak the script, “but he knew it was Jim’s show, and he wasn’t going to try to make waves.” The show’s success finally allowed the Suttons to buy a house in Beverly Hills. When Jim Nabors wanted to wrap up the sitcom, he approached CBS about hosting a variety show. The network created The Jim Nabors Hour, which ran for two seasons. Nabors insisted that Sutton be part of the ensemble on the show, turning Frank into, for want of a better term, a song-and-dance man. The Carter-Pyle situation was brought along, though it was part of a continuing sketch in which Sutton and Nabors played brothers-in-law who operated a boarding house. Sutton threw himself into the new role, taking singing and dancing lessons. While never achieving Fred Astaire status, he was able to create a nightclub act with his new skills when the new Nabors’ show was canceled two years later. Following his seven-year run with Jim Nabors, Frank was able to return to his first love, the stage. In a 1969 interview, he said “I never thought I wanted to do a series. There were too many interesting shows to do, some real solid television dramas. I hit Gomer at just the right time when all those shows disappeared.” His preference for dramatic roles was also reflected in his annual demand that his agent find him a dramatic film role when filming for Gomer Pyle would shut down at season’s end.
RIGHT: CBS Television publicity photo of Frank Sutton in 1969, the year The Jim Nabors Hour began. In an interview that year with television critic Cecil Smith, Sutton explained “There was this challenge to try something new, something I’d never done before. Few guys in mid-career get such an opportunity. I couldn’t pass it up.”
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Whether due to bad timing or typecasting, that never happened, but Sutton was philosophical about it, saying “Maybe all my years of training in drama were simply a foundation that enabled me to see the brighter side of life.” Thanks to Gomer Pyle, Frank Sutton’s legacy as a comic actor is secure. Throughout the early 1970s, Frank Sutton appeared in nightclubs and dinner theater productions across the United States. He portrayed the wronged husband George in No Hard Feelings and sportswriter (and slob) Oscar Madison in The Odd Couple, to name just a couple. In May 1974, he arrived in Shreveport, Louisiana to begin rehearsals for Luv, a 1964 absurdist comedy about a guy who tries to connect his wife to an old college buddy so he can run away with his mistress. On Friday night, June 28, 1974, Luv was into its third week at the Beverly Barn (“Shreveport’s Best Entertainment Value, Dinner and a Show Only $7.50”). Dinner had been served, busboys were clearing the tables and the audience was ready for a show. Frank Sutton was in his dressing room when tragedy struck. Sutton suffered a massive heart attack and died, four months shy of his 51st birthday. Elizabeth Ives, his co-star in the play, had the task of informing the audience. She relayed that during rehearsals, Frank had made the comment more than once “If any actor has to die, that a theater is the place for him to die.” Reactions from his former Gomer Pyle, USMC co-stars were as expected. Jim Nabors, his close friend for many years, said “I’m really shocked,” adding, “He was a very great man as far as I’m concerned. A great talent and a great human being. He was a fine person and a very dedicated actor and a terrific family man. We worked together every day, fourteen hours a day, for eight years.” After memorial services in Los Angeles, in accordance with his wishes his body was transported to Clarksville and buried in Greenwood Cemetery. In 1986, his mother was laid to rest next to him. “Aunt Thelma was a pistol,” said John Powers. “She did everything to make him what he was... all the way back to those piano lessons.” That statue on Franklin, across from the Roxy? Sculpted by local artist Scott Wise, it’s a lasting tribute to a man who produced a remarkable body of work over what turned out to be a fairly short career. If you find yourself on the bench and concentrate, you might hear Sgt. Carter telling you to “Move it! Move it! Move it!” TOP: This May 1933 program for a “Recital given by Piano Pupils of Miss Nan Northington” of Clarksville’s Women’s Club lists both Frank Sutton and Richard Powers as participating students. Despite his years of piano lessons, Sutton was later quoted stating “I have a completely tin ear.” Courtesy of Bill Powers RIGHT: Frank Sutton was laid to rest in Clarksville’s Greenwood Cemetery in 1974, close to family. Visitors to his grave will often leave flowers, flags, photographs and especially coins—a tradition for military members. Photo by Lucas Chadwick
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THE BELL WITCH:
IN MYTH AND MEMORY BY DR. RICK GREGORY
I believe that stories are some of the best gifts that we give to each other. Some stories are humorous, some are sentimental, some are scary. Some of the scariest of them all, especially in this region, are Bell Witch stories. “The Bell Witch is regarded as America’s most celebrated supernatural mystery.” “The most terrifying ghost story in the world.” “America’s No. 1 Ghost.”
IF HISTORY WAS WRITTEN IN THE FORM OF STORIES, IT WOULD NEVER BE FORGOTTEN. -Attributed to Rudyard Kipling
These are just samples of hundreds of newspaper article quotes from around the country spanning the last few decades. In ancient Greek literature, a comedy had a happy ending even if some sad events occurred in the story. A tragedy had a sad ending, even if happy scenes appeared. The Bell Witch legend is a tragedy that includes some comedic events. The core of the Bell Witch saga begins with a scratch, a knock and a whisper... and ends in a death.
Courtesy of Historic Bell Witch Cave
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According to various versions of the Bell Witch story, the Spirit vowed to return. In a 1937 issue of the Tennessean, Nashville journalist T. H. Alexander wrote that the infamous poltergeist was “practically certain to return to this earth in this good year 1937,” setting off a year of Bell Witch mania throughout the state—radio plays, stage productions and more. Washington C. H. Record-Herald, April 1937
There is a good chance that you are already familiar with this story. Perhaps you participated in the Bloody Mary-style sleepover ritual of chanting “I don’t believe in the Bell Witch” into a mirror as a child. You may have toured Bell Witch Cave. Maybe you are even a big fan of the 1993 Danish heavy metal song named after the legend. This leads us to ask some questions. What happened at the Bell House from 1817 to 1820? Why do people believe the stories when they cannot prove them to be true? What was so scary about the Bell Witch story, and how did it travel worldwide? There is not a singular Bell Witch legend—there are several versions with multiple variations. The three best-known renditions come from Tennessee, North Carolina and Mississippi. Of the three, the version from Adams, Tennessee and along the Red River is the best known. Even so, this version also has variations. Here is what we do know: John Bell sold 360 acres of land in Edgecombe County, North Carolina, in October 1804. In late 1804 or early 1805, the Bell family moved to the Red River community close to present-day Adams. Bell and his wife, Lucy Williams Bell, traveled with their 22 / SECOND & COMMERCE
six children: Jesse, John Jr., Drewry, Benjamin, Esther and Zadok. They also brought enslaved people with them, including a man named Dean who had many encounters with the malevolent entity that would come to be known as the “Spirit.” For over a decade, the Bell family had a good life in their new Tennessee home. They knew some of their neighbors from North Carolina and met families they had not known before. With the help of enslaved people, they cleared land and began farming. Three children were added to their flesh and blood line: Elizabeth (Betsy), Richard Williams and Joel Egbert. And then, life changed. Members of the Bell family started seeing strange animals unlike those they knew in North Carolina. They reasoned that since they were living in a new part of the world, they would see different-looking creatures. And then Betsy saw the hanging girl. It was a young girl in a green dress swinging by her neck from a limb on an oak tree close to the house. She tried to communicate with the child but received no response. She went to the house to get family members to witness the sighting, but when they returned to the tree, the girl in the green dress was gone.
There was worse to come. Soon after the sightings, strange things began to happen in the Bell home. Family members began hearing strange sounds: soft whispering, slight knocking on doors and windows, choking and strangling and gentle rat-like scratching. They repeatedly searched for the source of the noises, especially when they grew louder and kept them awake at night. Even so, they could not discover the origin of the disturbances. Things became more chaotic. The rat’s gnawing sounds started on their bed posts. They heard wings flapping on the ceiling, chains being dragged across floors and loud, invisible dog fights inside the house. When family members finally fell asleep, their bed covers would be mysteriously pulled off each of them, especially Betsy. Just when Bell family members thought things could not get worse, physical abuse started. The Spirit was especially cruel to John Sr. and Betsy, while Joel and Richard Williams were tortured to a lesser degree. The Spirit was easier on John Jr. and even showed affection and respect for Lucy. When it began verbally communicating with people, the Spirit is said to have exclaimed that Lucy was “the most perfect woman living.”
The Historic Bell Witch Cave in Adams, Tennessee offers tours of the Bell Witch Cave and replica of the Bell family cabin home. In 2023, they began offering public paranormal investigations for ghost hunting enthusiasts.
The Spirit, also known as “Old Kate,” never gave a clear explanation for why she haunted the family, but it became clear that she had it out for John Sr. and Betsy specifically. The Spirit vowed that she would eventually kill John Bell when she grew tired of torturing him. When asked why, she would answer with a disembodied voice, “because he deserved killing.” The Spirit would regularly physically abuse Betsy and warned her not to marry her beau, Joshua Gardner. At the beginning of the haunting, John Bell refused to let family members tell neighbors and friends about the occurrences in the Bell home. Eventually, he relented, and the events became known to most of the people in Red River. One of the best-known Bell Witch stories concerned General Andrew Jackson. John Jr. fought with Jackson at the Battle of New Orleans during the War of 1812. Jackson decided to go to Red River to see for himself what was going on at the Bell house. The Spirit did not give him a friendly welcome, and Jackson left after one day. As folklore had it, the General said, “I would rather fight the British ten times over than to ever face the Bell Witch again.”
This cabin, built around 1810 by John Bell's family, is believed to be the only surviving structure from the original Bell farm. Likely used as a tenant house, slave quarters or an outbuilding, the cabin was later moved to the grounds of the Bell School. Courtesy of Jerrod Johnson
These are just a few of hundreds of Bell Witch stories. These tales were not only heard by many people, but believed as well. This continues to be true for many people in the present. At the climax of this tale, the Witch is said to have killed John Bell Sr. on December 20, 1820. After doing what she declared she had come to do, she left Red River. She also promised (or perhaps threatened) that she would return in seven years. Other versions of the story suggest different numbers of years. Some people claim that she has returned, and the legend continues.
John Bell’s grave marker sits on private property still owned by the Bell family. His original tombstone disappeared around 1951, and a new marker was placed in 1957. Descendents of the Bell family are buried in nearby Bellwood Cemetery, which includes a monument to John Bell. Sr., his children and further descendants. Courtesy of Jerrod Johnson
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In 1894, Martin Van Buren Ingram (founder of the Clarksville Tobacco Leaf newspaper and later editor at the Leaf-Chronicle) published the succinctly-named book An Authenticated History of the Famous Bell Witch. The Wonder of the 19th Century, and Unexplained Phenomenon of the Christian Era. The Mysterious Talking Goblin that Terrorized the West End of Robertson County, Tennessee, Tormenting John Bell to His Death. The Story of Betsy Bell, Her Lover and the Haunting Sphinx. It was presented as a factual account. Customs House Museum & Cultural Center Collections llustrations from Ingram’s 1894 publication depict scenes like the Bell home as it stood in 1820, Dean’s encounter with a two-headed canine and the death of John Bell. An Authenticated History of the Famous Bell Witch, 1894
The question of why people believe what they cannot prove is as old as civilization. The best answer is because we are humans, and humans like and need stories. One writer suggested that “The need to tell and hear stories might be embedded in our collective DNA.” Another proposed that “A need to tell and hear stories is essential to the species homo sapiens; second in necessity apparently after nourishment.” The Bell Witch legend has endured for over 200 years because it transcended the spoken word. The story has appeared in hundreds of books, magazines and newspaper articles, as well as radio and television programs, movies and online. Songs about the witch have crossed genres from country to heavy metal. The Bell Witch appeared in Playboy magazine and in an opera that opened at Carnegie Hall. More recently, a non-profit organization named Community Spirit, Inc. in Adams, Tennessee has sponsored an outdoor play about the Bell Witch since 2002. Over the last few years, the play has continually drawn approximately two thousand people to Adams.
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From word of mouth two centuries ago to stage and screen today, the story of the Bell Witch continues to frighten and entertain. Regardless of its medium, the legend has an uncanny ability to stick with people. But there is another reason that many people will not deny that the Bell Witch myth is true. In 2019, I was a speaker for the Robertson County Historical Society that was having a meeting in Adams. I was asked to speak about the Tobacco Night Riders and the Bell Witch legend. I was standing on the pavilion’s outdoor stage on land that was owned by the Bell family when I denied that the tale was true, though conceded that it was one of the bestknown stories of its genre in the world. Part of the Bell Witch legend is that if you deny that she is real, she will “get you.” Over the next week following my denial, my wife got over one hundred seed tick bites, my daughter (who is a nurse) contracted MRSA, our refrigerator quit working and I broke two toes while I was cutting a tree. And that was just the beginning. Maybe, just maybe, there is truth woven into the fabric of this folklore.
For more than two decades, on the grounds of the old Bell Family Farm, the theatrical thriller SPIRIT: The Authentic Story of the Bell Witch of Tennessee by writer David Alford has thrust audiences into the haunting events that terrorized the Bell Family over 200 years ago. Courtesy of Community Spirit, Inc.
Rick Gregory received MA and PhD degrees in history from Vanderbilt University. He is a local historian and lives in Adams, Tennessee, the home of the Bell Witch Legend. For a deeper dive into the Bell Witch story, check out Gregory’s new book, The Bell Witch: In Myth and Memory, published by the University of Tennessee Press. Also, plan a visit to Adams and see David Alford’s play, SPIRIT: The Authentic Story of the Bell Witch of Tennessee on October 19-21 and October 26-28. For more information, visit Community Spirit, Inc.’s website: bellwitchfallfestival.com.
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COLLECTIONS SPOTLIGHT:
A IS FOR ARSENIC BY KATE TALLMAN, COLLECTIONS ASSOCIATE
In the late 19th century, Robert Brudenell Carter, a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, reported he had reason to believe two of his children died from arsenical wallpaper in their nursery. His story was part of growing alarm surrounding death, injury and the vivid green hue that was so popular in Victorian homes and clothing. Despite its notoriety as a particularly efficient poison as early as the first century, in Victorian England, small doses of arsenic were widely considered safe and used in all manner of products, including food, cosmetics, textiles, medicine and household pesticides. Concurrently, book publishers were moving away from the expense of personally bound leather covers, with embossed or gold illustrations on fabric becoming more and more common. Aimed at highlighting the contents of the book, the title gradually appeared on the front of the book alone, or in the middle of intricate designs. Advances in color printing technology ushered in a new wave of graphic design featuring vibrant jewel-toned book covers and end pages. An intense green pigment, a trademark of the time, was popular during this period. The use of arsenic to achieve the bright emerald green was widely known to be used in textiles and wallpaper, but book covers were a closely guarded trade secret, making arsenic’s involvement in bookmaking a more recent discovery. These books from the Customs House Museum & Cultural Center’s collection are examples of the vivid green hue that may be indicative of arsenic book bindings. The Heart of the Mid-Lothian by Sir Walter Scott, published in 1879, drew staff attention due to publication date and coloring. The cover design bears a thistle, the national flower of Scotland, a nod to the author’s heritage. These books have been deemed likely to be safe through research by Museum staff, but are handled and displayed with care. Customs House Museum & Cultural Center Collections
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The Poetical Works of Alfred Lord Tennyson was published in Boston by Thomas Y. Crowell & Co. in 1897. Its coloring, gilded details and publisher raise the chances that arsenic may have been used in the book bindings and decoration. Customs House Museum & Cultural Center Collections
Aside from their coloring, the location of publishing, decoration and dating can all aid in assessing risk. British and North American publishing imprints, gold, gilded or blind stamped decoration, and a publishing date between 1840-1870 all increase the chance that arsenic was used in the coloring process. Typically, arsenic detection in book bindings is analyzed with x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy. This is a non-destructive, rapid-result method that measures energy in order to identify materials. If you don’t have an x-ray fluorescence spectrometer handy, check out the Poison Book Project, a research initiative at the Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library and the University of Delaware. It is largely responsible for the recent knowledge surrounding the prevalence of heavy metals in book covers. They have produced a convenient visual comparison tool for those interested in assessing books in their collection. If you would like a free color swatch bookmark, email reference@winterthur.org and write “Emerald Green Bookmark” in the subject line. Please include your name and postal address in the body of the email. If you think you may have some toxic tomes on your library shelves, avoid opportunities for ingestion, inhalation or skin contact with the emerald pigment. With proper handling and storage, these books can continue to be enjoyed as snapshots of the time in which they were written and bound.
This bookmark from the Poison Book Project is a visual assessment tool created by Winterthur Library. The colors in this reproduced image may not be true to the original bookmark printing. Courtesy of the Winterthur Library
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ELEANOR WILLIAMS (1931 - 2023)
A WOMAN FOR ALL SEASONS BY JANE SLATE
Prominent Tennessee historian Eleanor S. Williams is no longer with us, though her decades of outstanding scholarship, community commitment and leadership leave a legacy that lives on. Eleanor's 30 years of service as the Montgomery County historian leaves a rich and copious archive for future historians to build upon. Eleanor loved history. Both she and her mentor, the extraordinary Miss Ursula Smith Beach, passionately opened the doors of life as lived. My favorite book of Eleanor’s is Homes and Happenings, which, as her preface stated, “was written to preserve events that have influenced Clarksville and Montgomery County.” The book reflects the storytelling talents expected of Southerners and features dramatic narratives of local architecture, wharf boats and steamboats, tobacco houses, railroad successes and catastrophes, floods and much more. She also captured historic moments like the first automobile to appear in Clarksville in 1902. She held a deep appreciation for moments in Clarksville’s history, big and small.
New Directions
By 1955, the young couple parted ways. Eleanor and her daughters stayed with her mother Lyma and grandmother Helen Cobb Taylor, where she deepened her Clarksville roots. Eleanor was introduced to James Warren (Jimmy) Williams—a most engaging farmer and owner of the successful Springfield Glass Company. They were married in 1957 at First Baptist Church, where they remained active for the rest of their lives. The couple built a new home on Jimmy’s 135-acre farm in Cheatham County. Jimmy adopted Eleanor’s two daughters. Though they lived outside of Montgomery County, Eleanor paid fees for the girls to attend Clarksville schools and drove them in daily. Later, friends would joke that the Montgomery County historian lived in the next county over.
Formative Years
Eleanor Ruth Shepherd was born on May 23, 1931, to James Edward and Lyma Taylor Shepherd, both from Stewart County. Married in Clarksville in 1928, James opened a downtown restaurant and found a home on Main Street. In 1935, he moved to Palmyra Road for another chef position, and Lyma worked in shirt manufacturing. The family returned to downtown Clarksville after 1940 and established a cafe on Third Street. They lived on West Avenue, where the Austin Peay campus is today. Eleanor was outgoing—at Clarksville High School, she was voted “#1 best prospective wife,” “#2 most intelligent girl” and “#3 most original girl.” She earned Purple and Gold Letters for editorial work on the yearbook, and was active in speech, debate, theatre, National Honor Society and Red Cross projects. Following her marriage to Frank Patton Gracey, Jr., Eleanor graduated from CHS in May 1949. While Frank enlisted in the Navy, Eleanor worked as a stenographer at a Clarksville law firm. Their first child, Eleanor Gayle, was born in 1951, followed by Donna Patricia in 1953. 28 / SECOND & COMMERCE
Gayle and Donna both married after graduation from CHS and presented Eleanor and Jimmy with grandsons. Gayle and Harry Lee Williams welcomed Wade and Jake; Donna and Jerome James Page welcomed James. During the 1980s, Eleanor attended Austin Peay State University alongside her daughters—a fact that she was proud to share. Here, Eleanor formalized her interest in history.
Montgomery County Historian
Following her studies, Eleanor delved directly into local history. Working with Miss Ursula, she developed a series of three books, Nineteenth Century Heritage, Clarksville, Tennessee in 1989; the aforementioned Homes and Happenings in 1990; and Cabins to Castles in 1992. In 1995, Eleanor published Worship Along the Warioto, an inspired listing of organizations from 1793
“who established places of worship, many of which are still in existence.” Other publications include A Child’s History of Montgomery County and Henrietta Heritage. More recently, Eleanor joined colleagues Minoa Uffelman, Ellen Kanervo and Phyllis Smith as editors for The Diary of Nannie Haskins Williams. “Collaborating with Eleanor on the Civil War diaries was a pleasure. She had an incredibly deep and expansive knowledge of Montgomery County history,” said Uffelman. “The breadth of her knowledge was invaluable in editing and annotating the books. She was a pleasure to work with and a dear friend.” Eleanor was called upon regularly to consult on heritage projects, including the latest edition of Historic Clarksville: 1784–2004. She served on just about every historical preservation board and committee in town, and dedicated decades of active membership in the First Baptist Church.
A
RESO LU T I O N
REM EM BERI NG
ELE A N O R W I LLI A M S
1931 – 2023
We, the Board of Trustees of the Customs House Museum & Cultural Center of Clarksville, Tennessee, wish the family of Eleanor Williams to know that we gather together with them to mourn the passing of an exceptional person. Eleanor contributed much to the community and to the betterment of society. Whereas Eleanor Williams was a great leader and highly esteemed member of this community; whereas Eleanor Williams honorably served as a member and ex-officio member of the Customs House Museum & Cultural Center’s Board of Trustees;
She spent extensive time traveling throughout the 1980s and 90s, spending time in Europe, the Mediterranean, Israel and Egypt. Eleanor the historian did not always adhere to established touring schedules, breaking away from the group to pursue her own adventures and finding ways to make the most of her journeys. Eleanor’s natural strength was called upon when she put to rest her daughter Gayle in 2015, her brother James “Shep” Shepherd in 2018, her daughter Donna in 2019 and her husband of 54 years, James Williams, in 2020. Her former son-in-law Harry Lee Williams and his sons Wade and Jake closely cared for their grandparents.
whereas Eleanor Williams was appointed Montgomery County Historian in 1993 and worked with diligence and vigor to achieve the goals of the county; whereas Eleanor Williams passionately shared her love of history and authored several books, Homes and Happenings, Happenings, 1990; Cabins to Castles, Castles, 1992; Worship Along the Warioto, Warioto, 1995; and recently co-edited The Diary of Nannie Haskins Williams with Minoa Uffelman, Ellen Kanervo and Phyllis Smith; whereas Eleanor Williams was a researcher and contributing writer for the 2004 edition of the book Historic Clarksville; Clarksville; whereas the passing of Eleanor Williams, a pillar of the community, has caused a deep void and sadness to those blessed to know her and to those who experienced her work; whereas Eleanor Williams served God and community well and faithfully; and
“Grandmother was always there when we were growing up. She took us to First Baptist and did everything possible for our family,” said Wade. “It was our turn to switch places and take care of her.” Though Eleanor outlived those closest to her, she maintained a life worth living to the end. Her dedication to local history was unmatched, and her service to Montgomery County is treasured by the community.
whereas Eleanor Williams loved her family and served with a kind heart and generous spirit.
An extended version of this tribute to Eleanor Williams is available at customshousemuseum.org/blog.
The Customs House Museum & Cultural Center Board of Trustees
Therefore, be it resolved, that we as a community will mourn with the family and continue the great work of Eleanor Williams.
SEPTEMBER 19, 2023 SECOND & COMMERCE / 29
THE POSTSCRIPT
ARSENIC & OLD PAGES BY CRESTA MCGOWAN
Three years ago, I stood in a small shop that sold décor and bric-a-brac; the things that make a home feel lived in and loved. I like to pick up unique items here and there to add to my bookshelves. These small trinkets enhance the essence of the book spines—they say, “look at me... I am the guardian of pages and ideas.” I have statues of readers, angels, teacups, wine glasses, even an old typewriter for which there seems no hope in fixing. My eyes roved the shelves of the shop, not looking for anything, but simply enjoying the scene until I came upon a set of Charles Dickens novels being used as book ends to prop up an aesthetically pleasing mantel display. This stopped me fast. These were not just any novels: I had stumbled upon an original copy of The Life of Charles Dickens, volumes I and II, by Frederic G. Kitton with illustrations published sometime in the late 1800s by Hazell, Watson and Viney, LD. London and Aylesbury, England. I immediately sought out the shop owner and asked if the books were for sale. They were only decoration and I deflated, but pressed on: “Would you consider selling them and for how much?” She eyed me anew and asked why I would want old books about Charles Dickens. Enter here my ability to expound at length upon my profound preoccupation with Victorian literature. Was she expecting the answer? Probably not. Did she sell me the books for $5.00 each? Yes, she did. Even when I protested they were worth much more. I’m not entirely sure if the two volumes I have were bound with arsenic, as the Victorian era commonly practiced, but I can attest to their green hue with hints of yellow sheen in the light, as well as darkly yellowed pages. Some individual pages are not cut and to read the text I’ve had to peek through the slits at the bottom, because I don’t want to tamper with the original publication. However, I don’t think they have arsenic in them. Even after a bit of research, I could not find true confirmation that the original publishing company is part of The Poison Book Project, an independent international professional institute bringing together conservation professionals from around the world. I love having them all the same, because with or without the arsenic compound, the works themselves are invaluable. The purpose of arsenic in bookbinding rooted itself in creating long-lasting color and resistance to fading; it was affordable and readily available. And while they did not
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know the dangers of this process, the initial goal stemmed from a desire to preserve the written word, the detailed illustrations. This is literature and arts at its finest. To create something that withstands the tests of time so that readers can appreciate the depth of devotion in bringing the written word to the masses.
the characters in his books; he wrote about the pressing social issues of poverty, industrialization and the plight of the working class. He tackled ethical and moral issues embedded in the narratives. These “old pages” of the Victorian era depicted everyday life, detailed descriptions of settings and the influence of environment and heredity.
The Victorian era is well-known for its contribution to the novel’s popular form as more and more people became literate and desired to read. Especially Charles Dickens, of whom we can all thank for the concept of serialized storytelling still seen in modern television shows today. His first book, The Pickwick Papers, published by Chapman & Hall, was released in monthly installments from March of 1836 until November 1837.
Three years ago, I was in graduate school discovering this passion for the Victorian era. Walking into that store now feels kismet in finding something so precious and unique that I can almost sense Charles giving me a gentle nudge toward the mantel, “Open your eyes—see what is there.” Maybe on that day, the books sparkled with the essence of Paris Green, the common color compound that included arsenic to make the books. They lured me in with their dazzling hue, but more for their dazzling author. A small angel protects this treasure on my shelves, one that I’m sure is impervious to danger and maybe sneaks in a bit of reading from time to time, smells the pages that hint at grass and vanilla and almonds and takes comfort in the classics—books that never finish saying what they have to say.
Whether his books are part of the arsenic binding seen in the Victorian period or not is far from the most interesting thing about the treasures I own. Should arsenic be discovered, I may have to remove them from my home and lose a treasure I found on a whim. For me, it’s more about the “old pages.” His words are still weighty and reading and re-reading them sheds light on more than
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