The Mt. Lebanon Historical Society held its annual meeting on February 20, 2022 at the Mt. Lebanon Baptist Church. The program was led by Steven Lyles. Special music was presented by Steven Lyles and Mary Claire Kettler. Our guest speaker was Jack Land who gave a local history presentation about his Smith family who emigrated from Ireland and settled in Isle of Wight County, Virginia, in 1689. His ancestor William Smith was given bounty land in Georgia for his service in the American Revolution. The family came to Mt. Lebanon in 1847, and William’s son Robert attended Mt. Lebanon College. They later bought property near Black Lake Swamp, where they lived until 1866 when a disastrous hailstorm killed most of their livestock and destroyed most of their buildings. They moved back to Mt. Lebanon where they purchased Stagecoach Inn. From 1853-1883, Stagecoach Inn was a stop on the stagecoach route from Trenton to Shreveport on the Old Wire Road. The inn provided food for guests and a place to change horses.
Larry Rhodes presented the annual membership report. Our society now has 244 members. Steven Lyles led the Remembrance Ceremony for members we have lost since our last meeting in 2020: Mr. John Agan, Mrs. Lessie Carter, Mrs. Virginia Clark, Mrs. Babb Dance Cross, Mr. John Paul Fields, Mrs. Lanita Johnson Kent, Mr. Roy Lilly, Mrs. Frances Thurmond McNair, Mr. Harvey Shaffer, Mr. Joe Storey, and Mrs. Elizabeth Towns.
At this meeting, the following Officers were elected: President Steven Lyles, Vice President Aaron Clark, Recording Secretary Marguerite Gray, Corresponding Secretary Larry Rhodes, Treasurer John Cole, and Publicity/Marketing Donna Sutton. The following Board Members were elected: Ann Barr and Joey Allen, Charles Butler, Lorris and Elaine Carter, Steve and Beth Fontenot, Wayne Gray, J.R. Johnson, Patti Joyner, Mary Claire Kettler, Philip Towns, Steve and Jennifer Towns, and Tommy and Vickie Youngblood. The following Homeowners Advisory Board was elected: Charles and Marsha Andrews, Roger Freeman, Herbert and Jennifer Newman, Jeff and Pam Stogsdill, and John C. Thurmond. Nominating Committee Members were Mary Claire Kettler (Chairman), Marsha Andrews, and Philip Towns.
Please mark your calendars for the following events: Stagecoach Trail Day Festival on May 7, 2022, and the annual Flag Raising Ceremony on July 4, 2022.