Adamsville exhibit planned at Wayne museum
By Becky Barclay
Published in News on May 2, 2004 8:15 AM
To commemorate more than 100 years of history of the Adamsville community, there will be an exhibit at the Wayne County Museum.
It will begin with a reception June 13 and run until Sept. 1.
The exhibit will be titled "Remembering Adamsville" and include any items that are connected with the history of Adamsville.
Jenny Wilder, coordinator, said the museum is looking for these items for the exhibit: family histories, genealogies, documents, photographs, business letterheads, advertisements, invoices, newspaper articles, church bulletins.
"We need photographs of old Adamsville businesses," she said. "We would like to have any kind of documentation of these businesses, too, such as invoices, rubber stamps or anything else anyone might have."
If churches have bulletins, histories and photographs of the congregation, the Adams family would like to use these in the museum exhibit.
Ms. Wilder said that photographs of families that lived in the Adamsville community would be good for the exhibit. These can be old photographs from when the family lived in Adamsville or current ones.
"We are looking for anything to do with the old prison or the Department of Transportation's maintenance office," she said.
"And we would like to have anything to do with the old New Hope High School, where children from Adamsville were bused to school. That school is now Eastern Wayne High School."
If anyone has anything from Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, a baseball league, bowling league or any other organization that used to be in Adamsville, the family would like to display them. Items could include badges, trophies and such.
Anyone with any of these items should contact Dr. Lee Adams at 735-6874.
Ms. Wilder said the museum is showing the exhibit to help celebrate more than 100 years of history of Adamsville. "We want to remember that Adamsville existed because it doesn't exist anymore. Adamsville was a vital part of Wayne County in the '40s and '50s, and that part of history is probably lost to the newer generations.
"But people lived there and are proud to be a part of that history."
Ms. Wilder said the exhibit will become part of the Wayne County Historical Society and the Wayne County Public Library. Charles Ellis, a member of the museum board, is helping the Adams family with the exhibit.
"The museum wants other Wayne County communities to follow suit and eventually have exhibits such as this one," she said.
The Adams family is also trying to get an historical marker or other monument erected at the corner of Berkeley Boulevard and East Ash Street to document the existence of Adamsville.