The Cash family at the Dyess home, courtesy Arkansas Tourism
Arkansas
Johnny Cash fans will delight in the restoration of the country music legend’s boyhood home and the Dyess Colony Administration Building in the small town of Dyess. Although group tours are always available, the project will be completed this fall. Dyess Colony emerged as an agricultural resettlement during the New Deal in the early 1930s. Cash’s family took up residence there in 1935.
Arkansas Heritage Sites staffers worked closely with the family and Cash’s younger brother and sister to track down items for the house. Three-dimensional models of each room were created for their critique. Cash’s siblings remember even small details about their life in the home, such as the places where everyone sat at the dinner table and the quilt patterns on the bedspreads.
“We’ve been able to pinpoint what everything looked like and go out and start acquiring those pieces,” said Ruth Hawkins, director of Arkansas Heritage Sites. “We’ve been sending pictures of virtual furniture to the family, and they say, ‘Oh my gosh, I’ve got that painting in my house, and I’ll donate it to you.’”
The administration building’s exhibits talk about a typical colonist family and focus on the Cash clan and the influence that growing up in the colony had on Cash’s music. Special arrangements for group meals and entertainment can be made through the city of Dyess.
“This restoration will put Johnny Cash and his childhood in the framework of the colony,” said Hawkins.
www.arkansas.com
Virginia
A new spotlight shines on Virginia’s substantial history this year, showcasing locations throughout the state.
Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster, Oscar-nominated movie “Lincoln” was filmed entirely in the Richmond/Petersburg area. The Lincoln Movie Trail pinpoints film locations, as well as sites favored and frequented by stars such as Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, Tommy Lee Jones and the producer/director himself.
Abraham Lincoln visited both Richmond and Petersburg in the closing days of the Civil War. Groups can follow his historic path on foot or via Richmond Segway tours.
“It makes Virginia the only place in the nation where history buffs and movie-lovers can walk in the steps of Abraham Lincoln and Steven Spielberg,” said Tamra Talmadge-Anderson, director of public relations for the Virginia Tourism Corporation. “It connects the actual filming locations, as well as the restaurants, bars and shops that the stars patronized, to the places Lincoln frequented during the Civil War.”
The Sara Belle and Neil November Theatre in downtown Richmond has been newly renovated. In 1911, it first opened as the Empire Theatre and featured stars like Lucille LaVerne and John Bunny.
Opening in mid-May, Roanoke’s Center in the Square has undergone a $27 million renovation. The cultural center is the home of Mill Mountain Theater, the Science Museum of Western Virginia, the Harrison Museum of African American Culture, and the History Museum and Historical Society of Western Virginia. A new butterfly habitat and a 5,500-gallon living coral aquarium will also be added attractions.
“Center in the Square offers a wonderful convergence of culture and history in the heart of downtown Roanoke, a very walkable town,” said Talmadge-Anderson.
www.virginia.org
