Scholars maintain link
with their past
Saturday
12 November 2011
Cleaning a church, clearing brush from a cemetery, and installing a trail bench were just routine activities for Coal Creek scholars on this crisp fall morning. What made the volunteer work day special was its link to the past.
The church is where a 100th anniversary memorial service will be held on 9 December 2011 to remember the miners who died or were rescued after the Cross Mountain Mine exploded. Built in 1888 by Welsh miners, Briceville Community Church is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Brush was cut and pink flagging was placed
on the headstones
of the Cross Mountain
miners
buried in historic Briceville Cemetery
The cemetery contains headstones of 20 of the Cross Mountain miners who died on 9 December 1911. Briceville Union Cemetery also contains headstones of two miners who died in the 1902 Fraterville Mine disaster and is listed on the National Register.
The trail bench overlooks the town of Coal Creek (now Lake City) at Fort Anderson on Militia Hill. 1n 1892, Tennessee National Guard troops fired on the town from here to restore order during the Coal Creek War. Nancy Montgomery, the great, granddaughter of George Camp, donated the property to CCWF in 2005 and it has been nominated for listing on the National Register. George Camp was superintendant of the Fraterville Mine when it exploded in 1902 and his quick action in 1911 was instrumental in five miners being rescued from the Cross Mountain Mine.
Bench installed at Ft. Anderson
overlooking the town of Coal Creek
Thanks to the work of the scholars on this and past work days, visitors can learn more about Coal Creek history from historical markers installed where the history occurred along the Fraterville Miners’ Memorial Highway (Rt. 116) and at Fort Anderson on Militia Hill off Vowell Mountain Road.
Photos of previous work days to install historic markers
Scholars clean historic Briceville Church
in
preparation for Cross Mountain Mine
disaster 100th anniversary service
scheduled for 9 December 2011
The old Coal Creek miners would be smiling today. In addition to the work by scholars, the current owners of George Camp’s old home place were installing a new flower bed. Also, the Courier News published three articles in its “A place called home” edition about the miners of Coal Creek and the scholars as a link between the past and the future.
Click for links to The Courier News articles:
images to
enlarge:
Bolinger, Tammy
Leniart, Kyle
Moore, Carol
Payne, Drew
Phillips, Emily
Phillips, Kimberly
The Mom of the Phillips Twins!
Randolph, Samantha
Roldan, Tallen
Taylor, Seth
Thacker, Barry
Vandergriff, Ryan
Special thanks to Briceville School's
Bobby McCoy, Kippie Leinart, and
Principal Sandra Patton for performing
their magic to get the heat and toilet working
at Briceville Church!!