1 May 1901: "a grab bag, a fish pond, a tug of war, and the like"

On this afternoon in 1901, Emmanuel Episcopal Church, recently relocated to Prince Avenue, held a May Day Festival for the local children.

Admission to the festival was 10 cents, and included refreshments, a variety of games, a Maypole dance, and a baseball match "between the Milledge avenue and Prince avenue nines." 

According to the account published in the Banner the next day, "scores of children" attended the festival, and the whole endeavor was a "lovely" and "beautiful" success. with everyone enjoying "an evening of rare pleasure" that included the Milledge avenue boys winning a "very exciting" baseball game. 

Also of note was that Jennie Wilson Fears, seven-year-old daughter of livery owners Elliot and Leila Fears of Hull Street was crowned as "Queen of Love and Beauty," and Harriet White Benedict, seven-year-old great-niece of College of Agriculture president H.C. White, also won a prize for "the most beautifully decorated baby carriage."

Learn More:

• Athens Daily Banner, Feb. 1901 - Oct. 1901 on Microfilm in the Heritage collection.
• Athens Historic Newspaper Archive collection in the Digital Library of Georgia.
• A History of Emmanuel Church, 1943-1993 in the Heritage collection.
• 1900 U.S. Census in Ancestry Library Edition via GALILEO.
• Chemistry at the University of Georgia by W. H. Waggoner in the Heritage and general collections.
• History of Athens and Clarke County Georgia by H. J. Rowe in the Heritage and general collections.
• A World of Flowers by Clay Perry in the general collection.
• The Folklore of American Holidays, edited by Hennig Cohen and Tristam Potter Coffin in the Reference collection.
• A Book of Flowers by Kathleen N. Daly in the Heritage and general collections.
• The American Book of Days by Jane M. Hatch in the Reference collection.
• Celebrating with Flowers by Jane Packer in the general collection.

Heritage Room Newsletters Keep Your Research Moving Forward!

On this day we'd like to remind you to subscribe to our two fantastic Heritage Room newsletters. They will be delivered to your email Inbox, and are a great way to keep up with all that is going on in genealogy and history throughout the year.

Our Genealogy and History Events newsletter covers everything from classes about using the 1940 Census when it is release in April and tours of Civil War battle sites to museum exhibitions of local woodworkers and Brown Bag lunch programs at the Georgia Archives. Many organizations are noting the Civil War Sesquicentennial with events, and this newsletter is an excellent way to avoid missing any of the great learning opportunities available.

Our Genealogy News and Tips newsletter makes sure you will not miss out on new resources and discoveries, even as everyone's schedule speeds up with spring. With news about the latest collections available through Family Search and new archival collections now online to news about summer genealogy programs and opportunities to contribute to new collections.


Click here (or either newsletter link above) to subscribe. It couldn't be easier, so sign up today!

Don't Miss Out! Sign Up for Our Newsletters!

On this day, we'd like to remind you to subscribe to our two free Heritage Room newsletters. 

Our Genealogy and History Events newsletter covers everything from webinars by the National Archives in Atlanta about the 1940 Census and lock-in research evenings at the Oconee County Library in Watkinsville to exhibitions about George Washington Carver at the Carter Presidential Library in Atlanta and furniture by Athenian Henry Eugene Thomas at the Georgia Museum of Art here in town. Rather than keep up with a million postcards, flyers, and emails, we put all the coming events of the month into a neat package or two that you can use to ensure you don't miss a thing.

Our Genealogy News and Tips newsletter keeps you in the loop with the latest resources available for research, such as the Tennessee Death Records recently added to the Ancestry database and a link to the new searchable online index of Alabama probate records. It also covers updates about the release of the 1940 Census (available on April 2, 2012, at 9am EDT) and fun things, like the new Henry Louis Gates PBS program, Finding Your Roots, and when the new season of Who Do You Think You Are? returns.


Click here (or either of the above newletter links) to read the current newsletter and subscribe to have them delivered. It couldn't be easier, and is a great time saver, so sign up today!

Newsletters for You!

On this day, we'd like to remind you about our two Heritage Room newsletters, free updates of information that land easily in your email inbox and make keeping up the world of genealogy and history research and events easy as can be.


Our History & Genealogy Events newsletter offers you a schedule of  the upcoming tours, classes, fairs, festivals, meetings, book signings, lectures, and other happenings in Athens and around Georgia. We also include webinars sponsored by genealogy companies such as Legacy Family Tree  in which you can participate from your own home. As items are added to the month's calendar, we will send out updates so you state current with all the historical events.

Our Genealogy News & Tips newsletter provides you a round up of recent genealogy and research information, such as newly published books, new online resources, ways to get past your brick wall, tricks for researching ancestors in other parts of the nation and world, the way various records can be used, and free software available for doing your family tree. It's a great, concise way to keep up with all the ways you can research without spending all your time seeking out information yourself.

Click here (or either newsletter link above) to read the current newsletters and subscribe to have them delivered to your email Inbox. They are a free service of the Heritage Room, and it couldn't be easier, so sign up today!

News You Can Use!

On this day, we'd like to remind you about the two Heritage Room newsletters offered free of charge and delivered right into your Inbox!


Our History & Genealogy Events newsletter offers you a schedule of  the upcoming tours, classes, fairs, festivals, meetings, book signings, lectures, and other happenings in Athens and around Georgia. We also include webinars sponsored by genealogy companies such as Legacy Family Tree  in which you can participate from your own home. As items are added to the month's calendar, we will send out updates so you state current with all the historical events.


Our Genealogy News & Tips newsletter provides you a round up of recent genealogy and research information, such as newly published books, new online resources, ways to get past your brick wall, tricks for researching ancestors in other parts of the nation and world, the way various records can be used, and free software available for doing your family tree. It's a great, concise way to keep up with all the ways you can research without spending all your time seeking out information yourself. 


Click here (or either newsletter link above) to read the current newsletters and subscribe to have them delivered to your email Inbox. They are a free service of the Heritage Room, and it couldn't be easier, so sign up today!

Heritage Room Newsletters Keep You in the Loop!

On this day, we'd like to remind you to subscribe to our two Heritage Room newsletters. They will be delivered to your email Inbox, and are a great way to keep up with genealogy and history throughout the year.

Our Genealogy and History Events newsletter covers everything from seminars on using land records and deeds for your family research to the latest Athens-Clarke Heritage Foundation tours and twilight tours of Oakland Cemetery.  Our area has many fantastic educational and research opportunities, and we also let you know about distance learning opportunities with webinars and online courses provided by other historical and genealogical societies.

Our Genealogy Tips and News newsletter makes sure you will not miss out on newly available resources and discoveries. With information and links to how to organize a box of inherited family records, new newspapers added to free resources such as the Library of Congress's Chronicling America site, the name change of Footnote to Fold3, and what is available in our Heritage Room collection during construction (quite a lot!), we make sure you know what is new, what is available, and what can be helpful for the family researcher.

Click here (or either of the above newletter links) to read the current newsletter and subscribe to have them delivered. It couldn't be easier, and is a great time saver, so sign up today!

Glean Information Galore from Our Newsletters!

On this day we'd like to remind you about our two Heritage Room newsletters, available for free, convenient delivery to your email Inbox.


Our Genealogy & History Events newsletter covers classes, speakers, book signings, tours, festivals, expos, exhibits, demonstrations, workshops, and other programs for family historians and just lovers of history. It's also a great way to keep up with news about the renovation plans here at the Athens-Clarke County library.


Our Genealogy Tips newsletter keeps you up to date with newly available books and compilations, collections now available online, ways to make your research trips go a little easier, technology that makes genealogy work easier, and links to articles about different types of records. It's a great way to keep up with the changing world of historical records and methods in a busy world.


Simply click HERE (or the links above) to read the current newsletters and sign up today! 

Don't Forget Our Newsletters!

On this day, we'd like to remind you to subscribe to our two Heritage Room newsletters. They will be delivered to your email Inbox, and are a great way to keep up with genealogy and history throughout the year. Now that the sequicentennial of the Civil War has begun, there are more and more opportunities you don't want to miss.

Our Genealogy and History Events newsletter covers everything from cemetery tours to book repair sessions and classes for everything from how to do genealogical research to how to make ancient tools and weaponry. Our area has many fantastic educational and research opportunities, and we also let you know about distance learning opportunities with webinars and online courses provided by other historical and genealogical societies.

Our Genealogy Tips and News newsletter makes sure you will not miss out on newly available resources and discoveries. With information and links to new obituary collections, how to register for Atlanta History Center summer camp, new resources available online on FamilySearch.org, and even an Historic Markers of Georgia app from Georgia Historical Society, we make sure you know what is new, what is available, and what can be helpful for the family researcher and historian.

Click here (or either of the above newletter links) to read the current newsletter and subscribe to have them delivered. It couldn't be easier, and is a great time saver, so sign up today!

Get Your Newsletters!

On this day, we'd like to remind you to subscribe to our two Heritage Room newsletters. They will be delivered to your email Inbox, and are a great way to keep up with genealogy and history throughout the year.

Our Genealogy and History Events newsletter covers everything from historical programs at Andersonville Historic Site and quilt displays at the Macon Cherry Blossom Festival to free lectures about Lafayette in Georiga and using U.S. Serial Sets and other government documents. Our area has many fantastic educational and research opportunities, and we also let you know about distance learning opportunities with webinars and online courses provided by other historical and genealogical societies.

Our Genealogy Tips and News newsletter makes sure you will not miss out on newly available resources and discoveries. With information and links to using Second Life for genealogy research and how to write a family history to details about how to safely remove photographs from magnetic photo albums, we make sure you know what is new, what is available, and what can be helpful for the family researcher.

Click here (or either of the above newletter links) to read the current newsletter and subscribe to have them delivered. It couldn't be easier, and is a great time saver, so sign up today!

Newsletters!

On this day, we'd like to remind you to subscribe to our two Heritage Room newsletters. They will be delivered to your email Inbox, and are a great way to keep up with genealogy and history throughout the year.

Our Genealogy and History Events newsletter covers everything from historical re-enactments of the Underground Railroad and library book sales to free lectures about Mitchell's Thunderbolts and using DNA for your family history research. Our area has many fantastic educational and research opportunities, and we also let you know about distance learning opportunities with webinars and online courses provided by other historical and genealogical societies.

Our Genealogy Tips and News newsletter makes sure you will not miss out on newly available resources and discoveries. With information and links to new searchable collections of city directories and military indices to details about the 2012 release of the 1940 U.S. Census, we make sure you know what is new, what is available, and what can be helpful for the family researcher.

Click here (or either of the above newletter links) to read the current newsletter and subscribe to have them delivered. It couldn't be easier, and is a great time saver, so sign up today!

Heritage Room Newsletters Open the Door to a Great Research Year!

On this day, we'd like to remind you to subscribe to our two Heritage Room email newsletters. They will be delivered to your email Inbox, and are a great way to keep up with all that is going on in genealogy and history throughout the year.

Our Genealogy and History Events newsletter covers everything from author events and genealogy classes to historic exhibits and battlefield tours. Many societies are commemorating the sesquicentennial of the Civil War, and this newsletter makes sure you won't miss any of the great learning opportunities available.

Our Genealogy Tips and News newsletter makes sure that you will not miss out on new resources and discoveries, even as your schedule picks up speed with the new year. With news about new online collections from large organizations like Family Search and Ancestry to smaller groups like genealogical and historical societies, dates for summer genealogical research vacation cruises, and restructuring of government resources so you will always know where to look, it's an indispensable resource for the family researcher.

Click here (or either newsletter link above) to read the current newsletter and subscribe. It couldn't be easier, so sign up today!

Heritage Room Newsletters Help Start the Year Right!

On this day, we'd like to remind you to sign up for the Heritage Room newsletters that are delivered directly to your email Inbox.

Our Genealogy and History Events newsletter covers everything from the Genealogy Lock-in at Oconee County Library to the Georgia Historical Society unveiling of the new Secession Convention historic marker in Milledgeville to author and historian Edmund Morris speaking about Theodore Roosevelt at the Atlanta History Center, with basic genealogy classes, booksales, meeting and tours inbetween. You don't want to miss it, or you'll miss out on the great programs and events for the curious, the researcher, and the entire family!

Our Genealogy News and Tips newsletter makes sure you are kept up-to-date with the world of genealogy and history, covering topics ranging from how to introduce kids to genealogy and new collections added to the Ancestry Library Edition database to television shows about genealogy and redesigned sites such as FamilySearch.org and Archives.gov. There's something for everyone in the News and Tips newsletter!

Click here (or either newsletter link above) to read the current newsletter and subscribe. It couldn't be easier, so sign up today!

Newsletters Make Managing a Busy Holiday Season Easy!

On this day, we'd like to remind you to subscribe to our two Heritage Room email newsletters. They will be delivered to your email Inbox, and are a great way to keep up with all that is going on in genealogy and history during the hectic holidays, and throughout the year.

Our Genealogy and History Events newsletter covers everything from author lectures and genealogy classes to the many historic home and candlelight tours the occur every December. This is a great time of year to learn about the past while looking forward to the future, and this newsletter makes sure you won't miss any of the great opportunities available.

Our Genealogy Tips and News newsletter makes sure that you will not miss out on new resources and discoveries, even as your schedule keeps you on the run. With news about new database collections, research angles, and books, you could even find the perfect gift for the researcher on your list!

Click here (or either newsletter link above) to read the current newsletter and subscribe. It couldn't be easier, so sign up today!

Fantastic Free Newsletters From the Heritage Room!

On this day, we'd like to remind you to sign up for the Heritage Room newsletters that are delivered directly to your email Inbox.

Our Genealogy and History Events newsletter covers everything from Archives Month displays outside the Heritage Room to Lunch and Learn Series at the Georgia Archives and Augusta Historical Society to basic genealogy classes to booksales and ghost tours. You don't want to miss it, or you'll miss out on the great programs and events for the researcher and the entire family!

Our Genealogy News and Tips newsletter makes sure you are kept up-to-date with the world of genealogy and history, covering topics ranging from the new hours for the Georgia Archives and how to organize your research to DNA testing programs and archeological finds at historic sites. There's something for everyone in the News and Tips newsletter!

Click here (or either newsletter link above) to read the current newsletter and subscribe. It couldn't be easier, so sign up today!

"Hands That Can Do: A Centennial Celebration of Harriet Powers"

On this day, we'd like to remind you of events at the Athens-Clarke County Library associated with our week of events celebrating the life of Harriet Powers. This Friday is the 137th anniversary of her birth.

This afternoon from 4-5pm in YA downstairs, teens are welcome to come make their own felt quilt squares that will be displayed in the library. Free and open to first 15 teens, aged 11-18.

Tomorrow evening at 7pm in the library's auditorium, is a gospel concert featuring the groups Voices of Praise and Teresa Haynes & Spiritual Harmony. This concert is free and open to the public.

"Hands That Can Do" is a partnership between the Athens-Clarke County Library and Lyndon House Arts Center, with support from the Georgia Humanities Council.

Get Your Newsletters!

On this day, we'd like to remind you about two newsletters from the Heritage Room that you can have delivered to your email Inbox.

Our Genealogy Events newsletter comes out near the end of each month. It includes events in the Athens area and all around Georgia related to historical research, events, people, and places; history- or genealogy-related exhibits and displays; as well as meeting information for area history and genealogy groups. It's a great way to stay on top of what is happening.

We will also have a Genealogy Tips newsletter that will be sent every few weeks with news of new resources, programs, or developments in the wider genealogy world. That world is growing larger every day!

Simply follow the links above (or click here) to see the current newsletters and sign up today!

Newsletters!

On this day, we'd like to remind you about two newsletters from the Heritage Room that you can have delivered to your email Inbox.

Our Genealogy Events newsletter comes out near the end of each month. It includes events in the Athens area and all around Georgia related to historical research, events, people, and places; history- or genealogy-related exhibits and displays; as well as meeting information for area history and genealogy groups. It's a great way to stay on top of what is happening.

We will also have a Genealogy Tips newsletter that will be sent every few weeks with news of new resources, programs, or developments in the wider genealogy world. That world is growing larger every day!

Simply follow the links above (or click here) to see the current newsletters and sign up today!

Don't Miss A Thing!

On this day, we'd like to remind you about two newsletters from the Heritage Room that you can have delivered to your email Inbox.

Our Genealogy Events newsletter comes out at the end of each month. It includes events in the Athens area and from around Georgia related to historical research, events, people, and places; history- or genealogy-related exhibits and displays; as well as meeting information for area history and genealogy groups. It's a great way to plan ahead for trips and activities as the fall whirlwind begins.

We will also have a Genealogy Tips newsletter that will be sent every few weeks with news of new resources, programs, or developments in the wider genealogy world. It's a one-stop collection of the most interesting and useful genealogy information from the previous month.

Simply follow the links above (or click here) to see the current newsletters and sign up today!

6 June 1939: A World's Fair of Books for the Vacation Reading Club

On this day in 1939, the Athens Banner-Herald alerted the public to the different programs and areas set up at the Athens-Clarke County Public Library for their summer Vacation Reading Club.

The overall theme was "A World's Fair in Books," building on the national interest in the 1939 World's Fair in New York. Different areas of the library were set up with different areas of emphasis, such as "The Palace of Enchantment" where books of fairy tales and myths were available, and "The Home of Modern Youth" for juvenile fiction.

One could also visit "The House of Earth" for semi-fiction, the "Gallery of Famous Persons" for biographies and memoirs, and "'The Children's Playhouse' for little tots." Groups interested in "visiting" a foreign country could sign up for their own program to be provided by the librarians, and a clipping club would be sponsored once 10 people registered.

Students who registered in the Vacation Reading Club, read 10 approved books, and made written or oral reports about those books, would receive proof of their summer accomplishments to bring their teachers in the fall. Those who read 25 approved books would also receive "a gold star certificate."

It's 71 years later, and the Athens-Clarke Library is still sponsoring Summer Reading Clubs. This year, for children, we have Make a Splash: READ! with prizes ranging from 10 books or five hours to 50 books or 25 hours, as well as puppet shows, concerts, story times, sing-a-longs, and even a Pirate School on June 11th.

Teens can participate in the Making Waves @Your Library programs, where they can win a tshirt and invitation to an End of Summer Party for reading 10 books, enter the art contest and Teen Film Festival, and attend workshops covering music, movies, bellydancing, and crafts such as Duct Tape Craft on June 17th.

The Adult program, Explore Your Community @Your Library, includes online scavenger hunts, opportunities to submit your photographs of Athens for a library exhibit, programs to help you find books you'll love (June 9th) or start your own book club (July 8th), and drawings each week for a prize from area businesses, with a grand prize at the end of July. Each book you read acts as an entry form.

Learn More:

• Athens-Clarke Library Summer Reading Programs website.
• Reading Suggestions, Reviews, and eBooks available through GALILEO. (call for password)
• Athens Banner-Herald, May 1939 - Sep. 1939 on Microfilm in the Heritage collection.
• Remembering Athens by Susan Frances Barrow Tate in the Heritage and general collection.
• The Book Whisperer: Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child by Donalyn Miller in the general collection.
• How to Get Your Child to Love Reading by Esme Raji Codell in the general collection.
• Books Every Child Should Know: A Literature Quizbook by Nancy Polette in the children's collection.
• Book Crush for Kids and Teens: Recommended Reading for Every Mood, Moment, or Interest by Nancy Pearl in the young adult collection.
  
• Shelf Discovery: Teen Classics We Never Stopped Reading by Lizzie Skurnick in the general collection.
• Good Books Lately: The One-Stop Resource for Book Groups and Other Greedy Readers by Ellen Moore in the general collection.
• Book Lust: Recommended Reading for Every Mood, Moment, or Interest by Nancy Pearl in the general collection.
• More Book Lust: Recommended Reading for Every Mood, Moment, or Interest by Nancy Pearl in the general collection.
• World's Fair by E. L. Doctorow in the fiction collection.
• Life Magazine photographs of the 1939 World's Fair in New York.
• Silent movies of the 1939 World Fairs in New York and San Francisco on the University of Pennsylvania Archives website.

Treat Yourself to Free Heritage Room Newsletters

On this day, we'd like to remind you about two newsletters from the Heritage Room that you can have delivered to your email Inbox.

Our Genealogy Events newsletter comes out at the end of each month. It includes events in the Athens area and from around Georgia related to historical research, events, people, and places; history- or genealogy-related exhibits and displays; as well as meeting information for area history and genealogy groups. Some items from previous Events newsletters included Historic Augusta loft tours, a lecture about the Kennesaw City Cemetery, topics for the Georgia Archives Lunch & Learn series, and workshops on writing and publishing genealogy. It's a great way to get a head's up on what is being offered over the next few weeks so you don't miss anything you might enjoy.

We will also have a Genealogy Tips newsletter that will be sent every few weeks with news of new resources, programs, or developments in the wider genealogy world. Recent Tips included information about the National Archive plan to digitize 180,000 War of 1812 pension records, the expanded Atlanta Historic Newspapers available in the Digital Library of Georgia, resources for doing Hispanic Genealogy, and ways to preserve all your research. It's an easy way to keep up with your hobby without reading dozens of blogs and websites, or catch items you might have otherwise missed.

Simply follow the links above (or click here) to see the current newsletters and sign up today!