The Franklin News-Post
P. O. Box 250
310 Main Street, SW
Rocky Mount, Virginia 24151
540-483-5113
Fax: 540-483-8013
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| Family donates favorite items to county history museum |
Staff Photo by Joel Turner:
Several members of the family of Celestia Adelia Wade Butler Miss Essie Smith recently visited the Franklin County History Museum. From left are Ann Lewis Edmundson, Dr. Russell Davis Jr., Mitzi Noble, Paul Noble, Caroline Manseur and Leslie Linton. |
Friday, October 2, 2009
By JOEL TURNER - Staff Writer
Several members of the family of Celestia Adelia Wade Butler "Miss Essie" Smith recently visited the Franklin County History Museum to see items from Miss Essie's life and work, and to make donations to the museum.
Miss Essie, as she was known, was a sought-after speaker, researcher and historian, both locally and statewide.
She championed many projects and fostered the beginning of the Franklin County Historical Society.
She spent many years as librarian at the Franklin County Public Library.
Smith held several offices, both locally and statewide, in the United Daughters of the Confederacy and Daughters of the American Revolution.
Linda Stanley, museum director, said Smith was an interesting woman.
"Miss Essie continues to intrigue us today. We collect her saying and antics -- and she's a permanent fixture on our character tours," Stanley said.
"In fact, Miss Essie has been featured on each of our Ghosts & More tours and will be portrayed again on the seventh tour," Stanley said.
The recent visitors to the museum included Miss Essie's niece, Caroline Manseur of Florida, along with her daughter, Leslie Linton of New Mexico. They gave the museum two lithographs, which hung in the dining room of Ms. Manseur's home when Miss Essie lived with the family. One depicts Jefferson Davis, president of the Confederate States of America, and the other depicts Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee.
"We ate every meal with them," Manseur recalled.
Dr. Russell Davis Jr. of Radford, whose late mother was a niece of Miss Essie, brought a Davis family chart and photographs. He previously donated a number of items from Miss Essie's estate.
Paul Noble, a great nephew, and his wife, Mitzi, of Moneta donated Miss Essie's prayer book and a professionally researched family chart, beginning with Alfred the Great and continuing through the family to Miss Essie, her siblings, nieces and nephews.
Ann Lewis Edmundson of Rocky Mount, a niece of Miss Essie, donated a copy of a writing by Miss Essie. She has previously donated several of Miss Essie's belongings.
"We are so happy to add these valuable items to our collection," Stanley said.
"We think Miss Essie would be very pleased to know items she saved and enjoyed during her lifetime are on display for the public to enjoy," Stanley said.
In addition to visiting the museum, the family members also visited High Street Cemetery, where Miss Essie and other relatives are buried. |
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