Donation helps Bemis museum

BEMIS, Tenn.–The preservation of history in Bemis gets a financial boost from the state Friday.

For nearly 20 years The Bemis Mill Village Museum has been a showcase for community history. “It’s so good that we can get some help from the state,” Carolyn Davis with the museum said.

State leaders presented a check for $3,700 to the museum to help keep its mission alive. “It’s really just about shining a light on archives and the value of history in our great state,” Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett said.

Packed with class photos, medical equipment and original maps, the exhibit is funded largely by donations.

Volunteers said the grant will allow more visitors to turn back time and enjoy this “slice of life” look at how the groundbreaking community started. “These grant funds do require that we use them for the purpose of archives and to purchase devices that helps us preserve,” said Joel Jackson with the museum.

Jackson said the museum has about 5,000 photos to be archived. The grant will be used to purchase a scanner and help digitize the files, according to volunteers.

The museum plans to add a laptop and filing cabinets with a portion of the money.

In total, the state is giving away 29 of the grants. Dyer County archives also received a grant Friday for $7,000.