Oak Ridge, Tenn. – (June 11, 2008) – This year’s Secret City Festival will feature a fascinating new exhibit on the heritage of local Native Americans and prehistoric local fossils. The display will be part of the larger Oak Ridge Heritage and Preservation Association Exhibit.
The ORHPA Exhibit will be open on Friday, June 20, from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm and Saturday, June 21, from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. The exhibit will be located in the A, B, and C rooms of the Oak Ridge Civic Center, just behind the Oak Ridge Public Library. It is open to the public and free of charge.
Long before the first European settlers arrived in East Tennessee, a variety of Native American cultures lived and thrived here. This year’s ORHPA exhibit will include a display by Mr. David Hackett which discusses these important people. Mr. Hackett is a noted local educator and heritage expert. Native American artifacts will be exhibited, including local arrow heads, pottery, pipes, and much more.
This year’s exhibit will also feature ancient fossils from some of the areas earliest “residents.” The fossils will include half-a-billion-year-old trilobites, prehistoric starfish, brachiopoda (marine bivalves), bryozoa (coral-like animals), gastropoda (snails), and pelecypoda (clams).
“This is the very first time the ORHPA festival exhibit has featured a Native American and ancient fossil display,” said ORHPA exhibit co-chair Bobbie Martin. “We are really excited that Mr. Hackett has joined us this year. We hope everyone can stop by and check it out.”
Mr. Hackett is a long-time Oak Ridge resident and a Yuchi Tribal Historian. He is also a Professional Engineer, forensic scientist, and licensed teacher. Mr. Hackett will be present at the Native American and ancient fossil display during the festival—to chat with visitors and answer questions.
In addition to the Native American and ancient fossil display, this year’s ORHPA exhibit contains first-time displays on submarines and a Manhattan Project vintage schoolroom (the latter is courtesy of the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge).
The whole family should enjoy the fascinating heritage displays at the ORHPA exhibit. The exhibit will be located within the Oak Ridge Civic Center, for air-conditioned comfort.
The Manhattan Project and the Secret City will continue to receive most of the attention at the ORHPA exhibit. During World War II, the Oak Ridge Complex was the very heart of this huge wartime effort, receiving over 60% of Manhattan Project funding.
Visitors who stop by this year’s exhibit will be given a free souvenir reproduction of an Official Manhattan Project Visitor Pass—a close replica of the official passes used to gain entry to the area during World War II. Visitors will also be able to purchase ink drawings of Manhattan Project structures in the Oak Ridge area, heritage souvenirs, books, and documentary DVDs.
For further information on the ORHPA Secret City Festival Exhibit, please contact Ms. Bobbie Martin at (865) 482-4327.
Contact: Bobbie Martin