Annual ‘Bemis Heritage Days’ celebration held this weekend

JACKSON, Tenn. – It has been a weekend of celebration as Bemis celebrates its heritage. Rich in history, it is known for the mill where its residents worked.

“Bemis started in 1900 in January actually and it was laid out as a complete mill town and housing, streets, sewers electricity. The people back in those days created their own electricity,” said Joel Jackson, chairman with the Bemis Historical.

As part of the event, a ribbon cutting ceremony was held to celebrate the grand opening of the Bemis Mill Memorial Park.

“We are memorializing the mill itself but we have the 21 pictures on the wall of the different phases of the mill, different machinery and people that worked in the mill,” said Jackson.

This painting inside the museum was made by Rosalee Gibbons with the Bemis Historical Society many years back.

“We decided to build part of the wagon on the wall to show the cotton and somebody said well can you paint the rest of it so I did,” said Gibbons.

Those in attendance say they have been attending Bemis heritage event for many years.

“Being from Bemis I think it is very nice. It’s something to enjoy and maybe some of the younger will get to learn how people lived back then,” said attendee, David Fisher.

“It’s a lot of good history behind Bemis. I am not from Bemis but I have spent a lot of time here and I have a lot of friends that live here in Bemis,” said attendee,Hershel Collins.

Jackson with the Bemis Historical Society says Bemis heritage days does bring back some great memories and its history will be remembered forever.