Material still sought for bicentennial volume

There's still a little time to submit photos and information for the Shelbyville bicentennial history book which will be published this summer by the Times-Gazette.

Former T-G editor René Capley is gathering content for the book, which will serve as a companion volume to Bedford County Bicentennial: Celebrating the Past 1807-2007.

Capley said she's already gathered many fascinating photos and histories, such as the story of Paul, Leonard, Thomas and Henry Haynes, all four of whom served on the U.S.S. Nevada at the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor, when the Nevada was anchored right beside the ill-fated Arizona. The brothers all helped the wounded on the ship and wore the same bloody clothes for several days afterward until they were able to change.

She's also compiled information about Wolf Meadows, the plantation begun by Civil War veteran S.E. Tillman but eventually owned by the Stewart family, which included the wife of future Tennessee governor Jim McCord; Caperton's Pharmacy, a well-remembered local landmark; W.H. Gosling, Shelbyville's first African-American lawyer; local pencil manufacturers; the Shelbyville police and fire departments; Shelbyville's namesake, Revolutionary War hero Isaac Shelby; and much, much more.

While Capley said she'd welcome any type of additional submission; she has a few specific requests:

* more information on the period between World War I and the Great Depression;

* more information about the history of local civic clubs and organizations;

* photos of everyday life and local places and personalities, including the former Pope's Café and the tea room once located in the Gunter Building;

* photos of barber shops and ice delivery.

Submissions are needed within the next week or so, as Capley prepares to finalize the book's content. Any photos should be well-identified; for example, don't just identify a subject as "Grandma," tell us her name. If you have material you believe would be suitable, contact Capley at (931) 437-2435 or thecapleys@aol.com for information on how to submit.

Materials submitted will be reviewed for inclusion in the book and available for pick up or return when the project is completed.

The book is scheduled to be released in early June, just in time for the July 10, 2010, anniversary of Shelbyville's founding.

The city was founded in 1810 but not chartered until 1819, which is why, as some readers have pointed out, the city and the Times-Gazette celebrated Shelbyville's 150th birthday in 1969. Both are significant dates, and either could rightly be seen as the town's birthday.

Because the Shelbyville book will be a companion to the earlier Bedford County volume, Capley is looking for fresh content that was not included in the first book.

Information about how to pre-order the book will be available soon.