Art, music, food and history were all part of the Sgt. York Cultural Arts and Heritage Celebration, a free event held May 7 at the Sgt. Alvin C. York State Historic Park in Pall Mall.Sponsored by the non-profit Sergeant York Patriotic Foundation (SYPF) and funded in part by an Arts Build Communities grant from the Tennessee Arts Commission, the event featured craftsmen and artisans demonstrating skills that would have been commonly engaged in throughout the Wolf River Valley and Cumberland Plateau during Sgt. Alvin C. York’s lifetime.
“Many of these skills are now preserved as arts,” said York General Store General Manager Sarah Voiles, coordinator for the event. “We were proud to showcase an impressive list of Tennessee artists and craftsman demonstrating and discussing their talents throughout the day as well as making their creations available for purchase.”
In addition to the arts, the Celebration offered World War I displays of artifacts, interpreters in period attire, a live, online genealogical research booth, book signings by local authors and tours of Sgt. York’s home, farm, mill, Bible School, nature trail and burial site.
Sgt. York’s three surviving children were present throughout the day to meet visitors and answer questions about their father. World War I military artifacts and other period pieces were presented and discussed by York Park Ranger Alison Vick from her extensive collection of historic artifacts. Mark Thompson demonstrated black powder shooting.
Presenting genealogical information was Bruce E. York, creator of York's Fentress County, Tenn., genealogy database. He shared information collected during 55 years of research, containing more than 301,000 names of deceased and living persons connected to the Cumberland Plateau.
Dressed in the appropriate uniform, SYPF advisory board member Joe Barkley assumed the persona of a World War I sergeant in the First Division.
The Fentress County Historical Society’s booth featured publications and displays about the history of the region.
Author and lecturer Dr. Calvin Dickinson discussed his new book, Soldiers, Spies and Spartans, which highlights the heroic efforts of children and women in Tennessee during the Civil War. The book is available for purchase at York General Store.