A.T. Museum and significant A.T. individuals

[eArThworm]

The President of the Appalachian Trail Museum Society, Larry Luxenberg, has asked me to head up the "Priority Collections" committee. The charge for this committee is to identify significant A. T. figures whose memorabilia should be preserved, to gather contact information for those people or their families, and to be sure the contacts are made and documented. Too often people die and their A.T. items are discarded or scattered before the Museum knows to ask for them. Or contemporary hikers aren't aware that their "stuff" is of value to the Museum; or they don't know how to contact the Museum.

We are in the process of building a database of people who should be contacted. Of course Earl Shaffer's family is already on board. We have some items from Sam Waddle and we hope to have more when his family is ready to part with them. And there are others, such as Flyin' Brian Robinson, who have donated items. Some others we have in mind are the families of Myron Avery, William O. Douglas, Ruth Blackburn, O.W. Lacy, Roly Muesser, and Ed Garvey (if you know family contact people for any of those, please notify me).

I am writing to this List to ask for your input to this database. Please take some time for this vital task, and let me know all the names you can think of that need to be included. We need names of important (for any reason) past hikers, current hikers, hostels (or any other place that might have old registers), parks or associations personnel, trail angels, or any other trail-related people. Never mind if you think we already have the name, give it to us anyway. You never know what perfectly obvious name we may have overlooked.

The Museum is on the verge of getting some climate-controlled storage space in Harpers Ferry and, at an April planning retreat, a hired consultant gave the Museum Society a preliminary report on practical issues to be considered in setting up the Museum. So progress is being made.

Now we need your help, and hope you will respond. Email me off-list.
Thank you!

~~ Linda Patton/aka/eArThworm [email protected]
on behalf of the A.T. Museum's "Priority Collections" Committee

[Sly]

Sounds like the AT Museum is really coming along. Harpers Ferry is the perfect place. It will be intersting in how they set up the exhibits.

Here's my tip, Weathercarrot's snow map probably deserves to be in there! And perhaps some of the better DVD's played in a small studio. Takoma Tedd's music playing in the background!

[Lone Wolf]

Individual hikers shouldn't be singled out. Too elistist.

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

Granny Gatewood should be there.

[Lone Wolf]

Granny Gatewood should be there.

Why should she? Earl said she was a fraud.

[ed bell]

Individual hikers shouldn't be singled out. Too elistist.

Wise words considering the fact that many have put their energy into pioneering, preserving and maintaining the AT. Unique hikers do have a place in the history of the AT, but they should not be the focal point of this effort. I would love to see some authentic trail clearing tools and old photographs of trail blazing. The project sounds like a winner.

[saimyoji]

I think contacting these people or their families to collect memorabilia in the spirit of sharing history is a good one:


Caption found next to a well used Ion stove:

"This type of alcohol stove was popular among AT thruhikers for a period until the micro-nuclear-reactors were mainstreamed. This particular model was designed by "Sgt. Rock" and was donated by surviving family members."

No harm here.

Now, if there is a section on "Famous Hikers" or I think you may have a point about elitism. We all know that some hikers gain more noteriety for various reasons. Is it really so bad to record their existence?

[mdionne]

I am writing to this List to ask for your input to this database. Please take some time for this vital task, and let me know all the names you can think of that need to be included. We need names of important (for any reason) past hikers, current hikers, hostels (or any other place that might have old registers), parks or associations personnel, trail angels, or any other trail-related people.

~~ Linda Patton/aka/eArThworm [email protected]
on behalf of the A.T. Museum's "Priority Collections" Committee

Person: me

Reason: just because

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

Why should she? Earl said she was a fraud.

Well, Earl was entitled to his opinion. As the first woman to thru hike the AT(edited to add) solo, I feel she has earned a place in the history of the AT along side Earl.

BTW, if nobody has told you they love you today, I love your ornery self.

[Tin Man]

I hope they include famous books of the AT... my votes include

Model-T's = YES
A Walk in the Woods = NO

I heard they asked for Bryson's pack and he said, "what pack? I slacked".

[saimyoji]

Didn't Bryson wear jeans and a cotton sweater when he hiked Mt. Washington? How about boobs of the AT?

[DawnTreader]

gramma gatewood was the first woman to thru hike solo..
Peace Pilgram did it three years earlier with a companion..http://www.peacepilgrim.com/ap_trail.htm

[ed bell]

We all know that some hikers gain more noteriety for various reasons. Is it really so bad to record their existence?

Not at all, any characters that become part of the AT story are worthy of a little attention. How about a list of all past thru hikers?

[rickb]

While its kind of stating the obvious for those who have been around the AT for a while, but Warren Doyle would have to be very high up on the list.

History on the Trail didn't stop in 1970.

No one has walked more miles of Trail than Warren (even if some who post a lot around here hate that some of those miles were not walked in the proper way), and no one has hiked the complete trail more times, either.

And he posts here on White blaze from time to time!

I would ask him to donate the WD Memorial Bathtub.

[warren doyle]

Thanks Rick.
But I'm not dead yet.
There still is 'history' to be made.

I hope the ATC and the Museum come to their senses and move everything to Exit 54 of I-81 at the Groseclose trail crossing.

Plenty of space, great public access, lower living expenses and helping the local economy.

It would be an insightful decision that would have many long-range benefits.

Unfortunately, the original memorial bathtub whereabouts is unknown after it was removed by do-gooders. However, I do have another bathtub in storage awaiting it's future use as a 'live' piece of history.

[wilconow]

Why should she? Earl said she was a fraud.

Why did he think she was a fraud?

[eArThworm]

First of all, let me thank everyone who's come up with some good ideas. Secondly, let me assure everyone that the trail WORKERS will definitely be represented heavily in the museum...along with everyone else important to any aspect of Trail history. And yes, it's planned to have a library as part of the museum. That's where my book collection will be going. Let's see, did I leave anything out? .... Oh yes, Lone Wolf, can we have your beard for posterity? ;-))

[Nean]

Why did he think she was a fraud?

Did he think she was a yellowblazer? If so then 8o% ( I know Jack, thats low) of thru hikers are a fraud. I really don't care the color of the blaze either, but most skip somewhere, somehow. Nevermind the few who suck it up and endure.
So, a guy who does the A.T., in sections, once; well, besides the roadwalking, in two states already has his gear sent in. Sounds like you're all set! Actually, if you could get one of Warrens vans, even a couple of tires, you could double the price of addmission.

Really, I'm all for the museum: as long as there is a lager than life statue of LW out front!

[Smile]

How about a place there for folks to induct themselves?

If you thru hiked, and want to put together an account, scrapbook, whatever - how about small area of shelves for all to contribute as they see fit ;-)

[Sly]

Still wondering why Warren thinks the Groseclose exit off I-81 would be a better location than Harpers Ferry? It's where I first met his dad eating at the restaurant but that hardly gives it historical significance.