Monte Sano Historical Association

4618 Panorama Drive, Huntsville, Al. 35801 Tel: 256-534-5698

October 24, 2011

Dear friends,

This is another exciting year! So often, when we think we’ve covered nearly everything historically available on Monte Sano, something comes to us “out of the blue.” First a telephone call from a graduate student at the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa requesting information on the John Martin home on Monte Sano ending with “Did you know the painting of the home will be at the Huntsville Art Museum in May?” No, I did not know that. I snail-mailed her a packet of information. I called the Huntsville Art Museum and was told the painting would be on display “Sometime in April.” April 5 I got an E-mail from Mike Marshall, Huntsville Times, requesting historical information on John Martin and his home at Cold Spring. The painting was already here and would not be on display for a month but only a few days. I hand-carried an envelope to the Huntsville Times. Another telephone call: could I come, as representative of the Monte Sano Historical Association, to the Art Museum in the morning for a photo shoot? The painting was going back to Tuscaloosa the next day. I had another appointment and could not go but Tom went and took a picture of the painting. A few days later, after the Huntsville Times article came out, Walter Terry called “Jane, I was a student of Hudson Strode.” Walter graciously agreed to write his connection with the grandson of the artist who did the painting.

With wheels continuing to turn we compiled:

1. Monte Sano Pre-History to Space, 142 Powerpoint slides on a DVD and 3 accompanying books.

2.Monte Sano Science, 331 Powerpoint slides on a DVD and accompanying books (3 volumes).

3.Monte Sano Historical Marker Tour. A 30-page booklet with markers plus Monte Sano listings on the National Register of Historic Places, National Historic Lookout Register and Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage.

We distributed the DVDs to our members, a neighbor who shared with the Sierra Club, a graduate student at UAH doing a hands-on program with Burritt Museum, Susan (Soos) Weber who needed photographs and more to get the Monte Sano Community listed on the National Wildlife Federation, Delia Siegrist for the Monte Sano Webpage, Mike Kotar working with the Keep Monte Sano Elementary School Open committee needing historical information on Monte Sano Elementary (I gave him the school information and the Science and History DVD’s), 2 copies to the Heritage Room, Huntsville Public Library (our best depository since our inception), and others in the community. Greg Wright requested a packet with information on the Monte Sano Historical Association and aforementioned DVD’s for the Monte Sano Civic Association to include in their Welcome Newcomer baskets. We’ve given them several packets and will continue. We contributed our DVD’s and more to the Museum/Original Gatehouse into Monte Sano State Park (off Bankhead Pkwy). We distributed the Monte Sano Historical Marker Tour booklet. We like to share!!!!

Thanks to Brenda Letson, we continue co-sponsoring the Monte Sano Elementary School History Club. They toured their school and learned about their school history. The rest of the trips were to Monte Sano State Park: Indian/Settler Trail, Outdoor Classroom At The Lake, the Fearn and O’Shaughnessy Home Sites, the Monte Sano Railway and the Amphitheater. The members planted more bulbs in the Memorial Garden in Monte Sano State Park. As they hiked down the trail one 4th grader cried out “This is the most fun!”

Sincerely, Jane Barr, President

“It’s not what you gather in life, it’s what you scatter.”