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The Butler Museum Opening Day 2009
All photos and illustrations by Pat Johns ©2009 - present
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May 16th marked the opening of the 2009 season for the Butler Museum. This museum tells the story of the local citizens who were dramatically impacted by the building of the Watauga Dam and the creation of Watauga Lake in the 1940s. The buildings in the original town of Butler were taken down to their foundations and all citizens were moved above the level of the future lake. This award-winning museum has kept the story of the original town of Butler alive with exhibits filled with artifacts from businesses and homes from the town. Most of the museum guides have first-hand knowledge of the area before the lake. |
Several local authors participated in this years' opening day. Frances Henson VanLandingham from nearby Poga signed copies of several of her books, each a tribute to the interesting and hard-working families she grew up with in the area. Her books, Back on Nowhere Road, Mountain Women: Steel and Velvet, Children Will Play and Puttin' up Vittles are must-reads to those interested in local history. Michael and Lanette Depew, authors of Images of America Old Butler (from the Arcadia Publishing series) were also at the opening. They live in nearby Banner Elk North Carolina and their book about Old Butler has been a best seller in the area since it was published. |
Museum Board member and author Herman Tester was on-hand to show the new displays of historical maps throughout the museum. Like other Board members his family was impacted by the building of the Watauga Dam. Herman is the author of the book "Butler: Old, New and Carderview" a personal history of the people of the area during and after the building of the dam. (See links at the end of this article to learn more about these books.) Mary Ward, George Walker and others who work so diligently to keep this museum the center of the Watauga Lake community were on hand to meet with visitors on opening day. |
If you have not visited the Butler Museum yet, make this the year you stop by. A visit there will enrich your view of the Watauga Lake area and remind you that this part of East Tennessee is much more than just a beautiful lake. Their hours are Saturdays, 10:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. and Sundays 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. They offer special tours throughout the week. Call (423) 768-3880 to learn more.
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Recommended Links: |
Recommended Reading :
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Buy "Images Of America: Old Butler" on Amazon.com: |