On Monday June 8th, 2009, Joan Andress Williamson was the sixth guest speaker for the 2009 season to pack Christopher’s on Main. Speaking to a standing room only crowd, Mrs. Williamson spoke from the memoirs written by her mother Treeby Miller Andress and her grandmother Treeby Chaffee Miller.
This night was truly a look back at Minden’s history; the stories written so many years ago brought back memories and unveiled a glimpse of the past for many. Joan’s grandmother was the daughter of Christopher Chaffe, one of Minden’s early pioneer families. Joan’s mother, also named Treeby, was equally interesting and filled with many stories from the 20s, 30s and 40s era of Minden. “These stories reflected a bygone era that most of us would never have known anything about. These two women were not professional writers but were very gifted writers and conveyed their life experiences with the written word in a manner that was spell-binding. The Andress family is very fortunate to have this connection to their past in this form.” commented museum director Schelley Brown.
Brown also stated, “This kind of response is what we hoped for when we started this in 2008. We want to teach history in a fun and exciting way and I think we are doing that. We are also capturing these history lessons on DVD. These are a valuable tool for learning, as well as fundraising. The events have included a wide range of subjects from the Civil War, WWII, the 1940’s and 50’s recreation at Hunter’s Playhouse, Black American history and each is available for $10 each or the entire 2008 series for $75.”
The museum has an exciting list of speakers lined up for its history filled 2009 schedule. The events will be held at Christopher’s, located at 615 Main Street, in Minden on the 2nd Monday of the month. Doors open around 5:30, refreshments are served at 6:00 p.m, and speakers begin their programs at 6:30. No admission is charged for the events, but donations to the museum are welcomed. It is recommended that you bring a lawn chair due to the large crowds. Seating goes quickly. For more information on the museum you can visit the web site at http://www.museuminminden.blogspot.com/ or call Schelley Brown at 318-423-0192.
This night was truly a look back at Minden’s history; the stories written so many years ago brought back memories and unveiled a glimpse of the past for many. Joan’s grandmother was the daughter of Christopher Chaffe, one of Minden’s early pioneer families. Joan’s mother, also named Treeby, was equally interesting and filled with many stories from the 20s, 30s and 40s era of Minden. “These stories reflected a bygone era that most of us would never have known anything about. These two women were not professional writers but were very gifted writers and conveyed their life experiences with the written word in a manner that was spell-binding. The Andress family is very fortunate to have this connection to their past in this form.” commented museum director Schelley Brown.
Brown also stated, “This kind of response is what we hoped for when we started this in 2008. We want to teach history in a fun and exciting way and I think we are doing that. We are also capturing these history lessons on DVD. These are a valuable tool for learning, as well as fundraising. The events have included a wide range of subjects from the Civil War, WWII, the 1940’s and 50’s recreation at Hunter’s Playhouse, Black American history and each is available for $10 each or the entire 2008 series for $75.”
The museum has an exciting list of speakers lined up for its history filled 2009 schedule. The events will be held at Christopher’s, located at 615 Main Street, in Minden on the 2nd Monday of the month. Doors open around 5:30, refreshments are served at 6:00 p.m, and speakers begin their programs at 6:30. No admission is charged for the events, but donations to the museum are welcomed. It is recommended that you bring a lawn chair due to the large crowds. Seating goes quickly. For more information on the museum you can visit the web site at http://www.museuminminden.blogspot.com/ or call Schelley Brown at 318-423-0192.
Miller Andress, Joan Andress Williamson, and Thad Andress
