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Key Corner Chapter of the DAR officially opens The American Revolution Experience at DSCC
WILLIAM NORTHCUTT
The Key Corner Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR) and Dyersburg State Community College (DSCC) officially opened The American Revolution Experience exhibit on Tuesday, July 23. A traveling exhibit commemorating the experiences of the people during the fight for independence, it can be seen in DSCC’s Learning Recourse Center.
The official opening and ribbon cutting was attended by members of the local and district NSDAR, members of Dyersburg Middle School’s Junior American Citizens club, Tennessee State Representative Rusty Grills, Dyer County Mayor David Quick, Dyer County Commissioner Dob Johnson, DSCC President Dr. Scott Cook, Chamber of Commerce CEO-President Slater Barr, as well as community leaders and interested citizens.
Key Corner Regent Laura McCulloch stated, “The exhibit itself came about from a collaboration between the American Battlefield Trust and the NSDAR.”
She explained the exhibit’s theme, saying, “The idea was to tell the stories of ordinary people, the everyday people who made our nation, the battles that were fought and won, the people of that area, and the effects of the revolution on what they really went through to gain the freedom that we value.”
Noting the exhibit’s exclusivity, she said that it will travel to only 27 cities. “It’s going all over the country, up and down the Eastern seaboard…North Dakota,” she added, “but Dyersburg is its only stop in Tennessee.”
She said too, “We submitted our application which involved having an exceptional site, and which we have here at Dyersburg State. And we had to show that we could draw a large audience and impact a diverse area. I thought, ‘Why not Dyersburg? We are the center—Western Kentucky, Southeast Missouri, Arkansas—we can do this.’...I feel like this area is so deserving of something of this caliber.”
As the ceremony began, Cook welcomed visitors, saying, “We are thrilled to have this exhibit at our Learning Resource Center...In many ways this will serve as a mirror of who we are, where we came from, and viewed critically and with an open mind, can show us where we’re going.” He continued, “This extraordinary display brings the American struggle for independence to life, connecting the present with our past.” He concluded, “We are always honored here at Dyersburg State Community College to partner with the Daughters of the American Revolution, to keep our nation’s history alive.”
Junior American Citizens member Lexey Hardy led the Pledge of Allegiance, and Grace Hartman sang the “Star Spangled Banner.”
Passing a framed proclamation to McCulloch, Quick stated, “The Dyersburg-Dyer County Chamber of Commerce presents this certificate of recognition to the Key Corner chapter of the NSDAR to commemorate this ribbon cutting on this this day, the 23rd of July 2024.”
Barr addressed the Key Corner members, saying, “Thank you for all your hard work in bringing exhibits like this that honor our past. Honestly, it’s a past that is a key to our future, and that’s where we want to get. On behalf of the almost 500 members of the Chamber of Commerce...thank you...for making us a part of this ribbon cutting.”
Before the exhibit travels on after August 16, the Key Corner Chapter and DSCC plan to announce several special, related events.