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Jackson Purchase Historical Society

The Jackson Purchase Historical Society prides itself
on presenting quality speakers and programs for the
benefit of its membership at each quarterly meeting.

Below are descriptions of the programs presented at the previous four meetings:

Fall 2008 - Held at Kenlake State Resort Park in Aurora, Kentucky

The 50th Anniversary of the Jackson Purchase Historical Society was celebrated with several past presidents of the Society in attendance. Dr. Harvey Elder, president from 1968-1969, spoke about wonderful memories of the early formative years of the Society. Several other long-time members recalled special events and people throughout the 50-year history of JPHS. All those attending received a special commemorative program, a notepad with the JPHS 50th Anniversary logo imprinted on it in gold, a gold pencil with "JPHS 50th Anniversary!" on it, and two specially marked 50th Anniversary Hershey's(r) almond kisses wrapped in gold foil. Each past president in attendance received lovely engraved paperweights marking the year(s) of their service to the Society. Past issues of the JPHS Journal were also available for guests to take to distribute or keep as desired. A vote to begin the incorporation process was passed and wishes were expressed for the future of the Society with hopes that the next 50 years will be as successful as the past 50!

Summer 2008 - Held at the Cat Fish Restaurant and Steak House in Martin, Tennessee

Dr. Wintfred Smith spoke on the topic "Reelfoot Lake, Tennessee: A Description of its Formation, Characteristics, and Development, Illustrated with Vintage Photographs and Documents from Lake and Obion Counties". In the middle 1970s Dr. Smith became interested in local history and saw the possibility of describing the ways in which the lake, and surrounding watershed, has changed over time, leading to its current condition. Since his retirement in 2001, his research has continued, along with the development of a computerized database including the historical materials found, and a comprehensive, thoroughly documented, website covering Reelfoot Lake and its watershed. Members and guests attending the meeting were treated to some delightful photographs of the area and learned much about Reelfoot Lake and its history. At the present time, Dr. Smith is compiling an illustrated history of Reelfoot Lake and its environs, with the support of the Lake County Historical Society. A manuscript dealing with the photographers of northwest Tennessee and southwest Kentucky is also in preparation.

Spring 2008 - Held at Whaler's Catch in Paducah, Kentucky

Odell Walker gave a wonderful program on Lyon County. His talk included information about the establishment of Eddyville and Kuttawa and their eventual relocation due to the building of the dam. He also included colorful character studies of many Lyon County citizens from the past and spoke of the "Castle", the Kentucky State Penitentiary located in the county. Named as the Lyon County Citizen of the Year in 1992, Mr. Walker was appointed the official Lyon County historian in 1994 and is the author of two books. His latest, In Lyon County, Saturday was Town Day was signed and presented to the JPHS after his presentation ended. Mr. Walker had a long career in education with his last position being that of Superintendent of Caldwell County Schools. Since retiring, he has been active in the Lyon County Historical Society and has done extensive research on local and area history.

Winter 2008 - Held at the Wrather Museum and Auditorium on the campus of Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky
Dr. Bob Lochte and Dr. Jim Gantt presented the program as part of the yearlong celebration for Nathan B. Stubblefield (November 22, 1860 – March 28, 1928) who was an American inventor and Kentucky melon farmer. It has been claimed that Stubblefield invented the radio before either Nikola Tesla or Guglielmo Marconi, but his devices seem to have worked by audio frequency induction or, later, audio frequency earth conduction (creating disturbances in the near-field region) rather than by radio frequency radiation for radio transmission telecommunications. Though there were contemporaneous experiments by others such as William Preece, Stubblefield has been proposed as a claimant for the invention of wireless telephony, or wireless transmission of the human voice. Stubblefield's inventions did not lead directly to radio as the technology works today, but the public demonstrations in 1902 and the press coverage in the New York Times, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Washington Post, the Louisville Courier-Journal, Scientific American, and elsewhere helped to spur public interest in the possibilities of wireless transmission of voice and music. Special note: Dr. Gantt had a working model of the Stubblefield invention at the meeting