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The
Appalachian Trail Museum Society (ATMS)
After
several years of initial discussions, the A.T. Museum
Society was formed during a general meeting of the Appalachian
Trail Conservancy at Shippensburg University in 2001.
On March 23, 2003 the first organizational meeting was
held at the headquarters of the Appalachian trail Conference.
Although originally occupying webspace as part of the
ALDHA website, the ATMS became an independent site with
the selection of atmuseum.org as the domain name
and a new site put up with Bridie Graham Smith as webmaster
to inform the public of their desire to acquire certain
hiking related artifacts and intention of building a
museum about the Appalachian Trail.
The
society achieved 501-c-3 non-profit status in 2003.
The group is governed by a thirteen - member board including
two representatives of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy,
two from the Appalachian Long Distance Hikers Association
and an observer from the National Park Service. The
board is geographically diverse, ranging from Connecticut
to Florida, Tennessee and Indiana and with two members
from Pennsylvania.
The
mission statement of the ATMS:
"The Appalachian Trail Museum Society serves the
Appalachian Trail community by telling the stories of
the founding, construction, preservation, maintenance,
protection, and enjoyment of the Trail since its creation.
The Museum will collect, preserve, and interpret materials
relevant to these subjects in an effort to portray not
only the history of the Trail, but also the essence
of the physical, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual
human experience of the Appalachian environment and
the culture of hiking."
Our
first electronic newsletter was distributed in August
of 2003 and announced a contest to develop a logo. The
chosen logo, selected in 2004 from about 60 entries,
was designed by Steve Casey.
The first website for the society got a facelift in
2004 by Alan "Gonzo!" Strackeljahn which include
beautiful graphics, information, and keywords to help
bring up the site when the public uses a search engine
to help them locate info about the Appalachian Trail.
About
the same time, membership dues are set at $20 to help
raise money for projects. Charter memberships, available
until the end of 2005, were provided at an increased
rate ($100) with the incentive of having one's name
inscribed on a plaque to be displayed at the site of
the new museum once it is up and running.
Our first printing of a professional brochure designed
to bring about awareness of the society hit the press
in the last half of 2004 featuring images from the ATC
and Gonzo!
Early
in 2007, the ATMS and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's
National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown,
W.V. signed a long-term memorandum of understanding
outlining procedures for documenting, packaging, and
accepting the ATMS's most important and fragile artifacts
into the NCTC's museum quality storage area, until the
ATMS has its own temperature and humidity controlled,
secure facility.
On
June 2, 2007, in conjunction with the 2007 National
Trails Day, the ATMS, in partnership with the ATC, celebrated
the opening of its first professional exhibit, the culmination
of an internship project with Pennsylvania State University
American Studies graduate student (and our newest Board
member), Gwen Loose. The exhibit covers the two most
important figures in the creation of the A.T., Benton
MacKaye and Myron Avery and was constructed in conjunction
with Graphic Masters of York, Pa.
The
dedication ceremony featured speakers from the NPS and
Trail-related organizations including ATC executive
director David Startzell, A.T. National Scenic Trail
Office director Pam Underhill and Potomac Appalachian
Trail Club president Lee Shaffer; a talk by MacKaye
biographer, Larry Anderson; a reception; and two interpretive
hikes on the A.T., one of which was designed for children
and offered them the opportunity to roll a measuring
wheel similar to Avery's homemade wheel featured in
the exhibit. Total attendance for the event included
well over 100 visitors, hikers and Trail supporters.
The
exhibition has been highlighted in Trail-related websites,
blogs, and media outlets, including The Washington Post
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/02/AR2007060201013.html),
and has already been viewed by more than 11,000 hikers
and other visitors to the ATC Visitors Center.
The
ATMS is in continuing discussions with the Earl Shaffer
Foundation, the ATC, the NPS, and the Susquehanna Appalachian
Trail Club to remove the Earl Shaffer Shelter (the only
one built by Earl still in existence) from Peters Mountain
in Pennsylvania to protect it from further deterioration
and possible vandalism. Currently, the NPS is working
on the required historic assessment and documentation,
which must be completed prior to removal. It is hoped
that the shelter will be a featured exhibit at the A.T.
Museum.
Membership
cards are printed for Trail Days 2008 in Damascus, Virginia
in hopes that this might encourage new memberships as
well as give something to those already members.
The
Earl Shaffer Memorial shelter was removed to storage
in August 2008.
ATMS
receives a $30,000 grant from the Quimby Family Foundation
to scan and preserve 12,600 Polaroids of hikers taken
at the Appalachian Trail conference headquarters since
1979.
Spring
of 2009: The Appalachian Trail Museum has found a home:
a 200-year-old grist mill at Pine Grove Furnace State
Park in Pennsylvania.
Contact
Information
Larry Luxenberg
10 Rugby Road
New City, NY 10956
Electronic mail
General Information: info@atmuseum.org
Copyright © 2008 Appalachian Trail Museum Society
Last Modified 09/04/08
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