Bemis Heritage Day will be held on Saturday, May 21, 2022, at the Bemis Mill Village Museum which was built
in 1921-1922 as the Bemis Auditorium. The centennial celebration will honor this beautiful building located at 2
North Missouri Street in Jackson, TN (formerly Bemis). We will also celebrate the bicentennial anniversaries of
the City of Jackson and Madison County. Special guests will be Jackson Mayor Scott Conger and Madison
County Mayor Jimmy Harris.
Museum doors will open at 10:00 a.m. with free admission. Browse the museum to visit with friends and to view
artifacts and vintage photos. Visit the museum’s Company Store to purchase a cookbook, coloring book,
keepsake hand-held fan, historical ornaments, baseball caps (Historic Bemis and Chat ‘N Chew), DVDs of
vintage photos, and other items listed on our website.
At 10:10 a.m., there will be a grand opening of the new playground equipment purchased from funds donated by
Amerigroup Corporation for the Stella Duncan Park of Bemis at 110 South Missouri Street. The grand opening
will be led by Tony Black, Director of the Jackson Recreation & Parks Department, with special guests:
Amerigroup President Chad Pendleton and Amerigroup staff members Madeline Mays, Psasha Taylor, Evan
Swafford, and Kelly Shearin.
From 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m., Bobby McAlexander will display his impressive and detailed ceramic replica of
the Chat ‘N Chew, a well-known hangout, that was located beside South Side High School on South Highland
Avenue from 1958 until 1972. Rhonda Young will have a display for historic preservation, “Archives R Us:
Preserving Our Family Archives.”
From 10:30 until 11:00 a.m., a program inside the museum will include a joint proclamation by Mayor Conger
and Mayor Harris. There will be a portrayal of Ransom Hammond, Employee of Bemis Bro. Bag Company,
portrayed by his grandson Greg M. Hammond, and a portrayal of a Bemis Book Club Founder from 1930,
portrayed by current member Judy Roach Dorris. The Jackson-Madison Chapter, National Society Daughters of
the American Revolution, will recognize our United States veterans on Armed Forces Day. The City of Jackson
Fire Department will display a large flag of the United States of America in front of the museum.
Lunch will be available under the tent on the front lawn of the museum from 11:00 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. (or
until sold out) with delicious barbecue plates by Gaylon Cooper for $10 per plate (including soft drink). Will
Kemp from R & J Feed Supply will provide homemade strawberry ice cream (made in an ice cream maker
powered by a John Deere motor) for $3 per cup with all proceeds to Bemis Historical Society. Enjoy live music
from the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s performed by the Bemis Boogie Blues Band – Willi X Evans, Steve Patterson,
Tony McCaslin, and Bobby Cleary.
From 1:00 to 2:00 p.m., Joel Jackson, Chairman of Bemis Historical Society, will present a slideshow of photos
and a video about the Bemis Auditorium/Museum, including the entire building – attic, balcony, main floor,
basement, and tunnel.
Children can enjoy the splash pad at the Bemis Mill Memorial Park located at 7 A Street and the playground at
the Stella Duncan Park. Games will also be available at the museum for children and the young at heart under
the direction of the Jackson Recreation & Parks Department with Recreation Manager Bridgett Parham and
staff. Get ready for a game of washers, cornhole, and other fun games.
Bemis Historical Society looks forward to sharing our Bemis heritage on May 21. Anyone interested in the
history of Bemis, Jackson, and Madison County is welcome to attend