March 4, 2008

The Spencer County Historical Society met on Tuesday, March 4, 2008 in the Rockport Library Genealogy Room.

The meeting was called to order by the President at 6:30 PM with six members and one guest present.

The minutes from the last meeting were read.

The president turned the meeting over to a member from the Friends of Lincoln Pioneer Village.  She presented a list of activities that the Village would be having this year.

She also mentioned that the right side of the entrance was going to be designated as the George Honig Museum to honor the creator and supervisor of the Lincoln Pioneer Village. 

They want the Society to help find historical pictures of Spencer Countians to place in the Village museum.  They would like pictures with an identification or description of the picture and people in them.

She concluded by saying that the members are at the museum every Saturday morning if anyone wants to come in and help or look around.

A member asked about the situation of contacting the person with the Honig manuscript.  The president had tried to talk with him, but he hasn’t returned any recent calls.  It was felt that to pursue the matter any further would be futile.

The treasurer’s report was given.

A member showed a sample size of the plaque that they want to place on the stone at the Lower Landing of the 1958 flatboat trip to New Orleans.  The cost is approximately $811.00.  The Parks Board has approved $300.00 toward the plaque.  A motion was made and seconded that the Society help pay for the plaque.  The motion carried.

A member told of a project he was working on to get a 3” commemorative coin made for the Lincoln celebration but he wasn’t having any luck.  He had contacted New Salem, Illinois to find out where they had their coins made, but he hadn’t heard from them.

The president mentioned the grant for the printer/copier.  The library hadn’t been informed yet if they would be receiving the grant.

The president read a letter from Kris Manley.  She wanted a recommendation from the Society to help her be chosen as the Spencer County Genealogist as part of the Indiana Genealogical Society.  The president was going to write the recommendation.

It was mentioned that the library wanted to give a copy of the book “The Missing Chapter in the Life of Abraham Lincoln” by Bess Ehrmann to the first fifty people that signed up for the “How Far Would You Walk for a Book” on April 25, 2009.  As the Society has only thirty-one copies of the book on hand, they asked us to have the book reprinted and they would purchase fifty of the books from us.

After much discussion, it was decided that with the Lincoln celebration coming up to reprint several books.  A motion was made and seconded to reprint 100 copies of the “1968 Rockport-Spencer County Sesquicentennial” and 150 copies of “The Missing Chapter in the Life of Abraham Lincoln” by Bess Ehrmann.  The motion carried.  The president was going to contact the Evansville Bindery to have the books reprinted.

The president had been contacted by Don Rebel.  Mr. Rebel agreed to give the presentation for the commemorative historian of the year, Mr. J. B. Chrisney.

There was another discussion about the Society having copies made of C. T. Baker’s manuscript that told about the Lincolns coming into Indiana at Sandy Creek Landing.  The manuscript will have a cover page and preface telling about Mr. Baker’s background.  A motion was made and seconded to print ten copies.  The motion carried. 

A member told about a cabinet that he had examined earlier that day.  As there was no definite proof, it may or may not have been made by Thomas Lincoln.  The cabinet will be on the Antiques Road Show on May 5, 2008.

The Historian of the Year Banquet was discussed.  The treasurer is to contact Martin-Serrin Co., Inc. to get the one-day event insurance.

A member mentioned that the tour of the Col. Jones House was very informative and he would like to see the Society have more tours, but have them separate from the regular meeting.

A motion was made and seconded to adjourn the meeting.  The motion carried.  The meeting adjourned at 8:45 PM.

The next meeting will be April 1, 2008 at 6:30 PM in the Genealogy Room.