Volume 34, Number 2 - Fall 1994
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
by Lois Holman
Dear Friends,
It is time again to greet you from the president’s view.
We often go to the family backgrounds for a history which is truly the essence of traditional history. Our society evolves around the people of the area now and the many years gone by. Without the past, we could not understand the present, let alone imagine the future.
In our White River Valley we find that so many of us came from similar areas in the Eastern U.S. that we sometimes forget that other nationalities had a great part in our national development.
One striking example, remote from the White River country, was the Chinese in early California settlements. This has little or nothing to do with our Society, but serves as a reminder that comparable events happened in the Ozarks with other nationalities.
We take for granted, somewhat, that the Ozarks were settled by the Scotch-Irish, with a scattering of English and most followed Protestant persuasions.
But, this is not necessarily so! Some of our illustrious early citizens were of German, Welsh, Irish, Danish, Swedish, African and various other national and ethnic extractions.
In our own learning, we must remember these early people who lent their customs and values to our society and helped shape what we are today. From time to time we are reminded of this by stories and programs that point this out very dramatically. Our December program, focused upon Irish immigrants, is such a story.
Won’t each of you keep an open ear and eye for the uniqueness of our Ozarks and bring these distinctive stories to our attention?
Wishing you Happy Holidays and to see you December 15th for our Christmas meeting.
[2]
This volume: Next Article | Table of Contents | Other Issues
Other Volumes | Keyword Search | White River Valley Quarterly Home | Local History Home
Copyright © White River Valley Historical Quarterly
