Museum getting ready for Christmas Tea

Published 2:47 pm Monday, October 18, 2010

The Fall Festival at the Lawrence County Historical Museum, held Oct. 9, was very successful. Good beans, cornbread, other food, games and items to buy. Live country music was the highlight of the afternoon. Thanks to Mike Patterson, Coal Grove Food Fair, Pick & Save, American Lube, and Thornton Cabinet, Inc. for their contributions to our Fall Festival. If the weather allows, we will have apple butter this weekend. It will be available for sale at the museum.

The museum will be closed the last two weeks of October to allow the workers to decorate the museum into a Victorian Christmas. The Christmas Tea, held Nov. 20, will be surrounded by the beautiful Christmas trimmings. If you wish to attend, the tickets are going fast. Call Mary Kay Rader at 534-9477 to reserve your tickets. The museum will reopen Sunday, Nov. 7 for the Christmas season. When you visit the museum, remember we have genealogy and historical books as well as other items that you may want to buy for your Christmas gifts.

Talking about books, the local history section of the library is at the top of the stairway and we have received the new Ohio magazine. There is a place to sit to read our books and magazines. The latest one featuring the State of Ohio is searching for the largest buckeye tree in the state. Please feel welcome to visit the library.

The following article was sent to me to share with you.

Historical Fact: Lt. James William Slater and Mary White Slater

Lt. James William Slater was born in Beverly, Ohio on Dec. 13, 1843, the son of Ellis Slater. After being orphaned along with a brother and sister at the age of 9, he was raised by an uncle in Beverly. He enlisted in the 18th Ohio Volunteer Infantry at the age of 18. He spent the first three years as a principal musician in Company H. After his first enlistment was up, he re-enlisted in the 18 OVI which was formed by men wishing to remain in the army. He was promoted to 1st

Sergeant on March 1, 1865. On May 27, 1865, he was transferred to Company A and promoted to 2nd Lieutenant. He was discharged Oct.9, 1865.

Returning to Beverly, he studied medicine two years and accepted a position as pharmacist in Parkersburg, W.Va. In 1870, he then moved to Ironton where he remained in the druggist business operating several successful ventures.

In 1880, he married Miss Mary. R. White of Cincinnati. She was born June 17, 1868, and died June 19, 1953, in Ironton. She was the daughter of James White and Harriet Harrison. Mary White Slater became a poet of national reputation. Three of her books are listed on Amazon.com today:

“The Child Book,” “The Vision of Bergson: An Essay,” and “Collected Poems,” which is unavailable at present.

James died on Oct. 20, 1929, at the age of 85 and was buried in the Woodland Cemetery on

Oct. 21. On Dec. 14, 1929, his body was disinterred and moved to the Greenlawn Cemetery Mausoleum where it remained until the mausoleum in Ironton was completed. He and Mary are buried together in the beautiful Woodland Abbey.

(Mary White Slater’s home still stands at the corner of Fifth and Washington streets.)

(Information from the Internet.)