LCMSFieldTripMay2011

Lake City Middle School Mining History & Ecology Field Trip 11 May 2011		Lake City Middle School 7th graders plant American chestnuts on Coal Creek property in Beech Grove area
American chestnuts planted on Coal Creek property at Beech Grove		Juanita Melton’s 7^th grade class grew American chestnut seedlings in their classroom this spring and then planted them at a reclaimed mine site on land owned by The Coal Creek Company. In addition to potted seedlings, students also planted bare-root American chestnut seedlings. The students learned first-hand about the efforts of the American Chestnut Foundation and the Appalachian Regional Reforestation Initiative to restore the American chestnut on reclaimed mined land as described at this link: CLICK HERE After the planting event, students visited Briceville Church and Cemetery, Cross Mountain Miners’ Circle, and Drummond Bridge where Dick Drummond was lynched during the Coal Creek War. Some of Ms. Melton’s students are from Briceville and had participated in field trips to historic mine sites while at Briceville School as described at www.coalcreekaml.com/BricevilleElkValleyTripRESULTS.htm and www.coalcreekaml.com/BricevilleFieldTrip2009.htm. This trip gave them the opportunity to teach their classmates from Lake City about the rich coal mining history of the watershed.
Briceville Church & Cemetery At Briceville Cemetery, students saw the farewell message of Eugene Ault who died in the Cross Mountain Mine. His farewell message says, “Dear Father, Mother, Brothers, and Sisters, I guess I come to die. Well I started out and come to the side track and Alonzo Wood is with me. Air is not much now. Well, all be good and I aim to pray to God to save me and all of you. Tell Clarence to wear out my clothes, give him my trunk. I guess I'll never be with you any more. So goodbye. Give them all my love. Give Bessie Robbins a stickpin of mine. Tell her goodbye.”		Farewell message of Cross Mountain miner Eugene Ault on his headstone Students receive history lesson inside the historic Briceville Church
One Lake City student commented, “I am a history buff, but had no idea all these historical sites are located in my own backyard.”
		Bandanas!! *So why are students wearing bandanas?* Coal Creek miners fought the Tennessee Militia over the use of convict labor in the mines during the Coal Creek War from 1891 to 1892. Miners wore bandanas to show they were in the miners' army. We wear bandanas during our history field trips as the miners did during their war.
Trees grown in classroom	Tree planting site

		History lesson inside historic Briceville Church built in 1888 by Welsh immigrant coal miners
Visit to Drummond Bridge where miner Dick Drummond was hung during the Coal Creek War of 1891-1892			Notch where Dick Drummond was hung
Lunch at Cracker Barrel