Historical Photo collections, articles, musings, current events, Historical Society happenings, Museum and Archives Building updates, and assorted trivia and meanderings from the pen of Archivist and Historian Robbie Underwood. 

This page is half blog where I opine on a wide variety of subtopics, all related to our loveliest little town at the foot of the legendary Windrock Mountain, and half "What's New" where I post on current events in our group. We have a good many events over the course of the year, from music concerts featuring a variety of artists, local, regional and national, to the October Sky Fall Festival on the third Saturday in October each year. Our Archive team remains dead center of our mission, with full color quarterly newsletters with 16 pages of tantalizing tales from our rich past chronicling unsolved murder mysteries, updates on our archive and museum renovation progress, fundraising reports, stunning photographs of old town people and places, and feature articles that highlight a wide variety of historical reminiscences. We also create a yearly calendar, with each month featuring a previously unpublished photograph with article describing the featured photograph. Our work is never done, which is why we never run out of engaging photos and stories...

6/24/2024- Added 1958, 1963, 1964, and 1965 OSHS yearbooks!

6/6/2024- Added 1948, 1951, 1953, 1956 & 1957 Yearbooks to picture albums

*Note from Robbie* I have been super busy lately, both in the Archives and in my personal life (yes, I do have a personal life, but it ebbs and flows, and more often than not revolves around my Historical Society work). In addition to the 1948 yearbook, I have also uploaded the 1951, 1953, and 1956 & 1957 yearbooks.

Anyway, I wanted to announce that I have been busily uploading more pictorial content to this site. The latest is the 1948 Oliver Springs High School Yearbook! This yearbook is very special, being one of the very first "proper" yearbooks to be published in the history of our high school. I believe most if not all of the photos were taken by the late James "Jim" Hannah, who was for many years our resident professional photographer, and compiled a body of work without which we might have precious little pictorial heritage to celebrate.

2024 Ladies' Day

The Ladies' Day banquet turned out to be a rousing success last Saturday, May 18th, 2024. The banquet was held at the DAV building this year. Teresa Freels was one of the many ladies who worked hard to make this happen, and took these photos in addition to helping coordinate the whole soiree. This is truly an event where it takes a village to pull it off, and we were up to the task Saturday. Look below and see the photos Teresa took of the blessed day...

5/23/2024 Making great progress on this website. We have added two historical articles, with many more to come. We have also begun loading a host of photos pertaining to the Joseph Richards family. Joseph Richards was a true mover and shaker in his day, and he permanently shaped the tapestry of our town's history. Like almost any historical figure, Joseph Richards was not without his flaws; however, it seems that he strove to be faithful to his Presbyterian confession. Much of the progress and prosperity coming toward the twentieth century and away from the desperate days that had visited this town and area at the cessation of open hostilities in the Civil War could be traced back to the innovation and investments by Joseph Richards and his sons. The fabled mineral springs that emanated at various elevations up the side of "Winters Gap" in Walden Ridge had been a draw since before recorded history, but Joseph Richards and his associates had the vision to imagine a bona fide resort nestled in against the Walden Ridge backdrop. He also had the resources to make it happen. Many stories have been written about the Richards family, by this author and others. It cannot be said that they were free of haters and detractors, for to some longtime residents they represented the "Carpetbagger" stereotype that was so hated in the south following the great and bloody war......