Giles County Historical Society 2012 lecture series kicks off with “Mystery at Mountain Lake” (revisited)

Giles County Historical Society 2012 lecture series kicks off with “Mystery at Mountain Lake” (revisited)

The Historical Society’s 2012 lecture series gets underway with a talk by Giles County Sheriff’s Department Investigator Mark Skidmore, at 7:00 pm on Thursday, March 1st at the Pearisburg Town Hall. Last October Investigator Skidmore gave a talk at Mountain Lake Hotel about the mysterious remains found in Mountain Lake in 2008. The presentation was so popular that he’s been invited back for an encore! The event is free and open to the public.

Using photographs from the scene, Skidmore will describe the discovery, excavation and identification of the human remains and artifacts found at the bottom of the dried lakebed. After the talk, visitors will be able to view the artifacts, including clothing, an elegant monogrammed cigarette case, coins, a pocket watch and a college ring. The exhibit will then move to the
Historical Society museum, where it will remain on display until April 22.

Save the date for future lectures in the series, which will be held at the Historical Society Museum at 7:00 pm unless otherwise noted:

· March 27 – A talk and book signing by Sharyn McCrumb, award-winning Southern writer best known for her Appalachian “Ballad” novels. 7 pm, Palisades Restaurant, Eggleston.

· May 12 - “The Negro Spiritual: History and Performance” featuring Dr. Paula Seniors, Va. Tech. Dept. of Sociology and Africana Studies. Performance by the Spirits of Joy. 3:00 pm at the First Baptist Church, Virginia Heights, Pearisburg.

· June 7 - “The Battle of Giles Court House,” presentation and book signing by George A.
McLean Jr.

· July 19 – “Is There an Appalachian English?” Presentation and book signing by Dr. Anita
Puckett, Director of Appalachian Studies, Va. Tech.

· August 2 - “19th Century Regional Brick Architecture,” presentation and book signing by Mike Pulice, Virginia Dept. of Historic Resources

· September 6 – “Treasures in the Courthouse: How to Research County Records”

· October 4 – “Appalachian Storytelling and Ballads,” Ricky Cox, folklorist and instructor, Radford University.

· October 19 – “Ghosts of the Civil War,” tales told around a campfire by Dr. Richard Straw, Dept. of History at Radford, and Charles Lytton.


· November 1 – “When Being Appalachian was a Disease: Eugenical Sterilization During the Great Depression” Patricia Jacobs, Executive Director, Giles County Historical Society

The Giles County Historical Society works to preserve, interpret and exhibit Giles County’s rich historical and cultural heritage. It provides a repository for Giles County family histories, documents and artifacts, assists genealogical researchers, and supports the preservation of endangered Giles County artifacts, sites and records. The Giles County Historical Society and Museum (540-921-1050) are open Wed-Fri from 12-5 PM and Sat-Sun from 2-5 PM. Admission is free. The Research Office is open on Thursday from 12–5 PM. For more information, visit www.gilescountyhistorical.org.