CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — School's back in session, but the teaching at one museum here in the midstate is constant. One area of the building is helping kids learn about a city's history.
"There's these little sidebar stories to this whole area," said Frank Lott, executive director for the Customs House Museum and Cultural Center in Clarksville.
"Tells you all about Clarksville, how it started," added education associate Kathleen Silva.
Here's what they mean. Leading into a play area of a grocery store is a picture of the old McGregor's market in downtown Clarksville.
"You went up to the grocery counter with a list, and you gave it to the clerk," Kathleen said.
What the room shows is a revolution by Clarence Saunders who lived in Clarksville. He's the man who founded Piggly Wiggly in 1916.
"It was an innovative thing in its day when he conceived of self service grocery shopping," Frank added.
"You had a grocery cart where you could buy more than what would fit in a basket on your arm," Kathleen continued.
"As an organization, everything we do is directed to the children of the community," said Daniel Black, past president of the Kiwanis Club of Clarksville.
The Kiwanis Club partnered with the Customs House Museum to get this Exploring Our Town space designed and built.
"We have a woodland theme of animals that are native to this area," Kathleen said.
"Kids can, with little magnetic fishing poles, fish for the fish they'd find in the Cumberland River without having to put a real worm on a hook," Frank added.
Then there's a space referencing Dunbar Cave complete with an adjacent room for bubbles. That's the general idea; a space for fun that's also teaching about the places and people that help make the story of a city.
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Fostering Hope provides Christmas for kids in foster care. I'm delighted to see Fostering Hope expand this year to expand their reach to now include kids in Foster care in metro AND foster kids in East TN hard hit by Helene.
-Bree Smith
