Burlington, Kentucky
Autumn 2011
Preserving the Heritage of Five Kentucky Generations
The Dinsmore Dispatch
T H E
Q U A R T E R L Y
N E W S L E T T E R
O F
T H E
D I N S M O R E
H O M E S T E A D
F O U N D A T I O N
Director’s Note
T
he Dinsmore Homestead was full
of a lot of activity this spring and
summer. We hosted our Derby Day
Party in May, the New Orleans Concert
in early June, and three weeks of Day
Camps later that month.
In July,
Dinsmore and the Boone County Public
Library cosponsored, “Women and the
Civil War” on the grounds of the
Homestead. Busloads of seniors have
also visited, as well as various groups of
children and young adults.
As always, Mother Nature played a
powerful role here at the Homestead
this year. Our summer concert was held
in 90-degree temperatures, and heavy
storms challenged the day camp
counselors and kids, who managed to
have a great time while dodging the rain
drops.
The most dramatic natural event
occurred one June afternoon when
Dinsmore’s huge, 150-year-old cherry
tree fell on the road during a thunderstorm. It took down power, phone, and
cable lines, and blocked Route 18
traffic for over six hours. We were
relieved that no one was hurt in the
incident.
Between our wonderful
neighbors, the Belleview Fire Department, the Sherriff’s Department, two
trucks of State employees, and the
Duke Energy crew, the tree was out of
the road by 10 pm and our power was
back on before midnight.
Our autumn events were lively and well
attended again this year, beginning with
the Harvest Festival on September
24 and 25. More than 600 people of all
ages enjoyed the live music, heritage
crafters, bean soup with cornbread,
antique cars, pony rides, attic sale,
house tours, hearth cooking, and many
other attractions. The following week,
115 visitors were present for
Dinsmore's annual Gala fundraiser.
We hope our readers join us for our
Halloween celebration on Saturday
evening, October 29th and also for our
"Christmas in the Country" event,
December 3rd & 4th.
….Marty McDonald
Eric Thomas
Robin Lacy and DeZydeco bring the
bayou to the Summer Concert
I N S I D E
T H I S
I S S U E :
Dinsmore’s Day Camps
2
Ken Smith
Elisa Pyle
Reprint: Emma’s Corner
3
Calendar of Events
5
Dinsmore Foundation Info
6
Membership Form
6
Traditional music at Harvest Festival
In 1940’s costumes for Derby Day!
Best Wishes to Nora Meyer
After five years as Dinsmore’s part-time Programs and Events Assistant, Nora Meyer has resigned
in order to allow more time for traveling and visiting family. Her last work day was September
30th. Between Nora’s creativity and high energy level, she has been a positive force at the
Homestead. She has our gratitude and our very best wishes for all the adventures that lie ahead.
Thanks for all you have done here, Nora.
The Dinsmore is pleased to welcome Elysa Pyle as the new Programs and Events assistant.
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Summertime, Summertime
2011 Day Camps
T
he Dinsmore Homestead
sponsored three weeks of
camp this summer and they
were filled with rewarding
historical experiences for all the
children.
The first week was our “Miss
Julia’s Camp for Young Ladies,”
during which we celebrated
several holidays such as Decoration Day and Valentine’s Day,
with heritage activities. (The
flowers in the graveyard are still
alive!)
Each camper received a pinafore
that they embellished in a different way each day. Throughout
the week they also worked on
painting their own canvas floor
coverings.
Miss Sallie Bridley joined us on
Wednesday for a perfectly wonderful hearth cooking demonstration.
by Cathy Collopy, Education Director
We held two oneweek sessions of
“Pioneer to the Past
Camp.” This year we
“time traveled” from
the homestead to the
different parts of the
country and the
different time periods
where the Dinsmore
family spent their
lives.
Cathy Collopy
Miss
Susan
Kahmann came out Taking a splash in the creek at the Pioneer Day Camp
to talk about keeping
bees and making honey. Some Thanks to all the volunteers who
of the other activities included a made these weeks not only
pirate treasure hunt, a visit from possible, but FUN! (That would be
Dr. Christine, the phrenologist, a Nina, Maria, Stu, Robert, Jake,
trip to the 1904 St Louis World’s Scott, Steven, Cassidy, Kara, and
Fair, and a re-enactment of a Clare.) And most especially, a
World War One battle.
thanks to Ed and Jo Ann Sorensen
and Christine Henning for all the
We also went to the creek for a time and energy they put into the
good, old -fashioned , non camps this year.
chlorinated, dip!
When? Saturday evening, October 29th, 6:00 – 8:00 pm
Where? Dinsmore Homestead, 5656 Burlington Pike, 6.5 miles west of Burlington
Why? Because there will be so many FUN things to do – bonfire, crafts,
fortune-telling, trick-or-treating, hearth-cooking, and more!
The house will be open for a partial lantern tour. Food will be available.
Costumes are optional Prices: All humans over 4 years old, $2
Questions? Call 586-6117, or email [email protected]
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Emma’s Corner
Reflections from Emma “Sis” Brady Rogers Tucker
E
mma Mae, affectionately
known as “Sis” to most of
us around the Homestead,
passed away on July 17, 2011.
She was 82. Her vivid memories
and her love of everyone
connected with Dinsmore made
her a marvelous storyteller. She
had the capacity to bring the past
to life again.
family members.
was eleven at the time, lived in
Belleview. Her grandparents lived
Today I will tell you some of the
on the farm, so Mom knew Miss
things I know about Julia
Julia and was very much at home
Dinsmore. Born in 1833, Miss
when she visited. Miss Julia
Julia lived until 1926. She died
needed someone to be with her,
just a month before my mom and
so Mom came to the farm to help
dad were married. Many of you
her. After a short time,
already know that my mom lived
Grandfather Kelly died and my
with Miss Julia for about seven
grandmother and their twin
years, but I will repeat this story
daughters came to live at
Back in a 2004 newsletter, Sis
for those who haven’t heard it.
Dinsmore. They lived in the two
shared stories of Miss Julia
One day, Miss Patty (Julia’s niece) rooms on the second floor over
Dinsmore, as told to her by her
the kitchen, in the new addition.
was driving her car through the
mother. We can almost hear her
big white gates into the driveway They also had a living room and
voice in the following words,
their kitchen in the log cabin. Two
that leads to the house. Miss
which we have reprinted as a
years later, Grandmother Kelly
Julia had walked down through
tribute to this very special friend. the yard, on her way to the
died. The twins then went to live
mailbox. The grass was covered
—Marty McDonald
...CONTINUTED ON PAGE 4
with dew and Miss Julia was
Hello!
wearing her rubber
When I was asked to write some overshoes. As she
articles for the Dinsmore Dispatch stepped back out
of Miss Patty’s
I thought, “Oh, this will be so
easy.” I have been blessed with way, her feet
slipped and she
so many memories of living at
fell in front of the
Dinsmore as a child, but now I
car. Miss Patty ran
find it hard to decide which of
them might be interesting to all of over Miss Julia,
you. Also, time is passing quickly. and the car stalled
I’ve decided to finish my journal
on her leg!
that I started several years ago,
Harry Roseberry
so my days at Dinsmore can live
and another man
on for other little kids who want to
(probably Mr. Joe
learn about the old days.
West) lifted the
I have stories about the Roseberry
family, the creeks and springs, all
of the Homestead buildings, the
barnyard, “Grave Yard Hill,” the
years that my mother and Miss
Julia spent together, and
memories of other Dinsmore
front of the car and
got Miss Julia from
under the wheels.
Her leg was injured
in the accident.
My mother, who
Ray and Emma Mae Tucker on their wedding day.
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Emma’s Corner
Reflections from Emma “Sis” Brady Rogers Tucker
...CONTINUTED FROM PAGE 3
inherited the farm. She sent a
telegram to Susie Roseberry,
telling her to hold Mom’s and
Dad’s wedding as planned. Mom
Mom always told me such nice
Miss Julia was very good to my
had such a pretty white dress,
things about Miss Julia. Julia
mother. As Julia became more
trimmed with lace. Susie cooked
taught Mother many things. She feeble, she began to spend more
a great wedding dinner and
spent almost all of her time in the time with her niece, Sally
served it in the dining room for
dining room and her little office. Cutcheon, who lived in California.
the family. Harry decorated the
She liked to sew and had her
During this time Julia would rent
sewing machine in the dining
a room in Belleview, so that Mom house with crab apple blossoms.
room, in front of the window. Oh could attend school there. This
Mother’s bouquet was made of
Yes! Her telephone was also
allowed Mom to go to school
lily-of-the-valley flowers and ferns
beside the window. She was so
without having to walk in the cold from the yard.
short and couldn’t reach the
weather. (There were no buses
I missed meeting Miss Julia by 27
mouthpiece on the telephone, so then.)
months, but Mom used to read
Harry Roseberry made a little
Miss Julia was a great reader,
her poetry to me. I remember
stool for her to stand on. It was
and I think she instilled this love that she sometimes cried as she
about 18 inches in diameter and
in my mom. She gave mom a
read. Mother passed Miss Julia
was covered with a piece of green
copy of her collected poems,
on to me, and she still feels very
carpet, matching the rug on the
real. I believe Miss Julia had an
published
in
1910.
floor. Every week or two she
important part in making my
would call Gulley and tell him
In April 1926, my mom was
mom the great sweet lady that
what she needed from his
graduating from Belleview High
she was. Thank you, Miss Julia.
huckster wagon. He had a big
School. She was also going to
- Sis
wagon filled with groceries and
marry my dad on May 15th. Miss
Julia had spent the winter with
dry goods.
her niece, Sally. She was packing
Miss Julia had a small wooden
to come home when she tripped
cook stove in her new kitchen.
on a strap attached to one of her
She liked to make jellies, jams,
trunks. She broke her hip and
and other goodies on her little
never recovered from her injury.
stove. She had a big garden on
with their aunts, but Miss Julia
kept Mom with her.
friends around the farm. She
used to ride her horse, Kitty, to
visit friends.
the west end of the house. When
I was little, some of her
strawberries and asparagus
plants were still growing in the
field.
My mom was walking home from
school and she became ill. She
had a bad case of the measles
and had to miss her high school
graduation. Can you imagine
having to miss that, after twelve
Mom said that Miss Julia had
long years? There were five girls
many friends who used to visit for
in her class.
several weeks at a time. She
also had good neighbors and
After Miss Julia’s death, her niece
“Sis” and her brother “Bud”
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Dinsmore Homestead
2011 Calendar of Events
Tours: April 1 – December 15
Wednesday, Saturday, & Sunday
Admission: $5.00 for adults under 60
$3.00 for adults 60 +
$2.00 for ages 7 to 17
No charge for members & for children under 7
Saturday, October 29, 2011
HALLOWEEN CELEBRATION
6:00 to 8:00 pm Admission: $2.00 for ages 5 and older (including adults).
Crafts, trick-or-treating, storytelling, heritage activities.
Friday through Sunday, December 2 ,3,& 4, 2011
DINSMORE HOLIDAY GIFT SHOP IN BURLINGTON
Open for three days only at the Cabin Arts Cabinette, Jefferson Street in Burlington.
Saturday and Sunday, December 3-4, 2011
CHRISTMAS IN THE COUNTRY
1:00 – 5:00 pm both days and 7:00 – 9:00 pm Saturday evening
Admission: $5.00 for adults under 60. $3.00 for members and adults 60 and over.
$2.00 for ages 7 to 17.
$1.00 for ages 3 to 6.
No charge for children under 3.
Kroger Neighborhood Reward Program
We invite you to support Dinsmore by participating in a special gift card program offered by Kroger. Our friends load and re-load money onto their cards and use them
each time they shop at Kroger. Dinsmore receives $.04 for every dollar that is spent
through the program. If you would like to join in on this, please call or e-mail Marty at
the Homestead (859-586-6117 or [email protected]). She will mail you a card.
FROM JULIA DINSMORE’S JOURNAL September 10 1874
My sister Susy's birthday. How sweet their memory still. Lord love her soul. Hilda went to the
association. I didn't because Patty was worse. Sent for Dr. Jimmy Grant. Patty right sick threatened
with dysentery. R. E. and Miss Pauline Kirtley came and stayed all night.
PO Box 453, 5656 Burlington Pike, Burlington KY 41005
(859)586-6117
THE DINSMORE HOMESTEAD FOUNDATION
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
PO BOX 453
5656 Burlington Pike
Burlington, Kentucky
41005
Howard Tankersley, Vice-Chair
Phone: (859)586-6117
Fax:
(859) 334-3690
Keith Faber, Treasurer
Lee McNeely, Secretary
[CLICK HERE FOR
PRINTABLE
DIRECTIONS]
Web: www.dinsmorefarm.org
facebook: http://facebook.com/dinsmorehomestead
.
Michael Apgar
Kathy Haines
Patricia O’Hara
Gayle Pille
Marcia Schoeni
Susan Shuffett
Dr. Barbara Bardes, Chair
STAFF
Dr. Marty McDonald, Executive Director
Cathy Collopy, Education Coordinator (part-time)
Elisa Pyle, Programs & Events Assistant (part-time)
MaryAnn Rehkamp, Bookkeeper (part-time)
Sue Clare, Homestead Assistant (part-time)
DINSMORE homestead FOUNDATION
2011 Membership invitation
The Dinsmore Homestead Foundation is a 501(c)(3) Organization. All donations are tax deductible to the extent provided by law.
NAME ____________________________________________________________________________________
ADDRESS ____________________________________________________________________________________
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____ $60 Family
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JULIA DINSMORE SOCIETY LEVELS
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Dinsmore Homestead Foundation, PO Box 453, 5656 Burlington Pike, Burlington KY 41005