History Club
Have you ever heard of S&H green stamps? According to the Wikipedia website, S&H green stamps were popular in the U.S. from the 1930s to the 1980s, distributed as part of a rewards program operated by Thomas Sperry and Shelley Hutchison of the Sperry and Hutchinson Company which was founded in 1896. If you remember collecting those trading stamps or just want to find out more about the history of those stamps, join us at the museum at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 12, when retired history teacher Jeff McFarland of Bella Vista will have his trading stamp collection on display and share stories about his experiences in collecting these stamps. His unusual collection has been in the works for more than 20 years, and he has trading stamps from other countries in addition to the U.S. The History Club has no dues and admission is free. Everyone is invited. Refreshments will be provided by the evening's sponsor, Acorn Realty.
Pioneer Cabin project
A log cabin, originally built by Christopher Columbus Cooper and his wife George Annis Cooper (no relation to Cooper Communities) about 1912, has been made available to the museum by the present owner Scott Butler and his wife Angie Butler. The Chris Coopers' grandchildren have confirmed that it was originally built as a larger structure on a farm just inside the Highland gate, near the intersection of present-day Glasgow Road and Timbercrest Lane. It was moved by history buff Paul Parish in 1974 to its present location, where it was rebuilt as a smaller one-room cabin, now owned by the Butlers (although the logs in the present cabin may not be in their original configuration, they were all part of that 1912 log cabin). After Paul Parish died in 1997, his daughter sold his house and the log cabin to the Butlers, who are the ones now donating the cabin to the museum. If interested in making this project become a reality for the museum, please send a donation to the museum or check out our GoFundMe account, www.gofundme.com/cabinfever. There will also be a fundraising event for the cabin at the Artist Retreat Center from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, May 6.
Village on the Lakes Writers and Poets
In honor of April being National Poetry Month, the Village on the Lakes Writers and Poets Society will meet at the museum at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 15. The public is invited to hear a talk on the Poet Laureate of Bella Vista, "Uncle Henry," Henry Coffin Fellow of Wichita, Kan., who lived here in the 1920s and published several volumes of poetry, a few of which will be for sale following the talk. National Poetry Month is a celebration, introduced in 1996, of poetry organized by the Academy of American Poets as a way to increase awareness and appreciation of poetry in the U.S.
POA Spring Bazaar
The museum will participate in the POA Spring Bazaar at Riordan Hall on Saturday, April 21, from 9 am. to 1 p.m. Please stop by the museum table and see the latest items available in the museum gift shop. There is no paid staff at the museum, so all revenue from these sales goes toward operating expenses. There are jigsaw puzzles that feature Bella Vista area photos as well as magnets, mugs, T-shirts, postcards, books and more. Payment by cash, check, credit card or debit card are all accepted. Keep the museum in mind for birthday presents, anniversaries or other gift-giving occasions.
Citywide garage sale
The museum will also participate in the city of Bella Vista's citywide garage sale April 27-28. Check out the gift shop that weekend and have a look around the museum at the same time. Then go next door where Shop for a Cause will have a hot dog and sausage stand at the American Legion.
Private tours available
Private tours of the museum are available outside of normal open hours for church groups, students, civic clubs, businesses, etc. To arrange for a tour, leave a message at the museum, 479-855-2335, or contact Xyta Lucas at 479-876-6118.
Hours of operation
The Historical Museum is located at the corner of Highway 71 and Kingsland, next door to the American Legion, and is open 1 to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays. The phone number is 479-855-2335.
Community on 04/11/2018