Work Day at Potts Inn

     Early Saturday will find most of us sleeping in.  A few of us might brave the aisles of Wal-mart just to get a jump on the weekend rush.  But few of us are volunteering to preserve our local history.  That is just what a group of Pottsville Citizens did a couple of weeks ago.  A handful of dedicated citizens cleaned, raked, clipped and mowed the buildings and grounds of Potts Inn Museum in readiness for the summer season.

     I enjoyed a personal tour from one of the board members who proudly showed me the progress that was being made in the converted caretakers cabin/office. I was privy to a tour of the newly acquired Pottsville Grocery Building where Mrs. Margaret Motley, Potts Inn Board Member, shared future plans for the building and for the historic downtown area. Big changes are on the way for the museum and I'll share a few of those here!

This is the sign on the Caretaker's Cabin.  The cabin once housed an onsite full-time caretaker.  Now the cabin will house an office and gift shop.  The upstairs will be an area for museum archivists to preserve atrifacts.

Inside the newly rennovated office/giftshop, rough logs are exposed on the walls.

Souvenirs will be available for purchase from this corner of the Office.

The entry to the Pottsville Grocery Building.  The list denotes donors who made its purchase possible.

List of donors who made the purchase of the Pottsville Grocery Building possible.

Inside the Pottsville Grocery Building, Mrs. Motley shares the vision for rennovating/restoring the store.

Members of the Pottsville Community like Mr. George Woolf spent their Saturday cleaning, clipping, and cutting on the grounds of Potts Inn Museum.

Mr. Van Tyson and Mrs. Pam Scarber pause in their groundskeeping tasks.

The Grocery Building promotional ad.

Potts Inn Day, 4th Grade Pottsville Middle Grades

Friday, May 6, was the 3rd annual Potts Inn Day for Pottsville fourth graders.  The fourth grade students were led through the museum by Pottsville Junior High School eighth grade students in Mrs. Tina Taylor's class.  As the students toured, the leaders taught them about the history and folklore of the museum and of their home town.  These kinds of activities foster a sense of history and heritage in our Pottsville students.  There is a real sense of "ownership" among these kids that this is "their" history, and this program helps to instill that.  This program will hopefully be remembered by these students and teachers for the rest of their lives. 

Students were required by their teachers to dress in period costume for this event.  They all looked so precious in their outfits!  Pottsville is so lucky to have the teachers and parents that are willing to go the extra mile to help their students have an outstanding pioneer experience!  They are so fortunate to have a community that supports this kind of activity.  From city hall to the Potts Inn Museum Board, everyone has been so supportive and enthusiastic.  A great big thank-you to all the people who helped make this possible!

Following the tours, students experienced an afternoon of pioneer and Civil War activities.  Students rotated through several stations in which they experienced square dancing, Civil War "fan language," snacks, quilt-making, music, a Civil War soldier, "old-timey" photos, and building log cabins with Lincoln Logs.

The project was funded by a grant from the Department of Arkansas Heritage as an Arkansas Heritage Month Event.