(MURFREESBORO) You learn much about local history by seeing and learning about memorabilia that's treasured by fellow residents. The Rutherford County Historical Society's SHOW AND TELL BANQUET will be held at 6:30PM this Monday evening (3/20/2023) in Maney Hall at Oakland Mansion (900 N. Maney Avenue). 

Interest Growing

The Historical Society's membership is growing, but that's no surprise because the two dominant subjects of interest among Rutherford County residents have been SPORTS and HISTORY. 

In the March/April edition of Froe Chips, the group's newsletter, 138 persons attended the February meeting to hear retired Judge Ben Hall McFarlin's story about Civil War era's Captain Jack Hinson and his 50-caliber heavy-barreled sniper rifle. 

Historical Society President Pettus Read noted, "We're fortunate to have a historical location like Oakland Mansion in this community. The site's Maney Hall is large enough to allow the society space to grow out attendance."

The "Show and Tell" gathering is always popular, and there are always surprise finds that are displayed by the public. 

History of Local Air in April

By the way, next month's meeting takes everyone back to the romantic days of early flight, the era when barn storming shows along with air fields that took on a mysterious aura at night as rotating aeronautical beacons spread a circular-moving beam around the complex. 

MTSU's Director of Development Jared Bryson in the College of Basic and Applied Sciences has an interesting presentation for 7:00PM on Monday evening, April 17, 2023, at Oakland Mansion. Plus, it's free and open to the public. 

The Rutherford County Historical Society knows that this area was heavily involved in the early days of flight. This includes Sky Harbor off the Old Nashville Highway. Famous pilots like Jimmy Doolittle landed at Sky Harbor. 

The flight era brought more attention to Sky Harbor, including drop-ins by celibrities like Will Rogers. Ironically, Rogers later perished when a plane piloted by Wiley Post crashed.

Did you realize that history was made on the approximately 200 acres at Sky Harbor. That includes Interstate Airlines, later known as American Airlines. 

Aeronautical local history also surrounds the massive Sewart Air Force Base in Smyrna and Berry Field in nearby Nashville. 

For more information about the Rutherford County Historical Society, visit their website: https://rutherfordtnhistory.org/

You can also visit the old one-room Ransom Schoolhouse at 117 N. Academy Street, Murfreesboro, every Saturday morning (9:00AM-noon) for a casual conversation on local history. The topics discussed are guided by those in attendance. Free coffee and donuts are also available.