News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
The Cookeville History Museum wants to collect and document your stories and art to describe the community’s experiences during the global pandemic.
The museum created an online questionnaire for residents interested in telling their story. Cookeville History Museum Manager Beth Thompson said not all history happened 100 years ago. The coronavirus is making history right now.
“We do not want to get so caught up in experiencing it that we forget to document it,” Thompson said. “That is our job. We really want to collect these stories, and it really gives everyone a chance to be a local historian.”
Thompson said for now, all stories and items will be archived. Eventually, the museum will create an exhibit telling the stories of the coronavirus pandemic to the future generations.
“If people have a really interesting mask, that would be a fun thing to hold on to,” Thompson said. “Of course, people are still using those. We do not want anyone’s artifacts before they are finished with them. This is an ongoing project, so there is no rush.”
The East Tennessee Historical Society worked with the Cookeville History Museum to establish the program. The museum will accept any artwork, photographs, recording, poetry, journal or diary to add to the collection. One item Thompson really wants people to save are signs.
“We have seen a lot of signs, I think some of those sign would be really cool to hold on to,” Thompson said. “Thanking healthcare workers, jokes about the quarantine and signs saying we are all in this together. I think all of these are really nice.”
Thompson said the museum has received plenty of responses and questions. For more information, visit the Cookeville History Museum’s Facebook or call (931) 520-5455.
