By Pat Saxton
Director

On New Year’s Eve the great-great grandson of our famous Dennis Jeremiah Murphy, whose life and adventures are featured in our new exhibit The Golden Age of Grand Turk, visited the Museum. Dennis R. Murphy and Charlene, his wife, came with their three children: Ashley, Tracy, and Dennis Jeremiah Murphy II.

Dennis R. Murphy posing with the likeness of his great great Grandfather the famous Jeremiah Murphy.

Dennis R. gave the Museum a family tree that we greatly appreciate receiving because of the Murphy family connection to the many people living on Grand Turk today. Tim Dunn from the “Salt Cay White House” stopped in to talk to Dennis because they are actually related! We hope that the Murphy family can come back and stay a bit longer so that we can really show them Grand Turk hospitality.

Thank you Dennis and Charlene, for all that you and your family have donated and the stories that you always share!

The founder of the Footsteps4Good charity walk, Jill Beckingham, will walk across the main islands of the Turks and Caicos once again this year to raise money for charities in the islands. Last year the total raised was over $30,000 and Jill is hoping to increase that this year.

This year’s walk will start on 16th October at the lighthouse in Grand Turk. Jill will be joined by participants of all ages including children and students who will walk with her. “This year I would like to open the event to all children and students who would like to join me, and also raise funds for their schools”, said Jill.

Registration at the Road Runners desk in Provo.

The Provo Road Runners is partnering the event in Provo. They have already begun registration at IGA, IGA Gourmet and Quality supermarkets each Saturday. Paula Capehart, chair of Provo Road Runners said “We are very excited to be part of Footsteps again this year, which not only raises money for charity but encourages more people to start walking and running”. You can purchase a T-shirt and earmark your donation to the charity of your choice; you do not have to participate in the walk.

Last year the Museum received $2,000 from the event. This year our very own Museum team–Nicki, Angel, Fred, and Cecile on Grand Turk and Candianne on Provo–will be participating. Go TEAM!  We hope that all of the organizations and their members will come out and support the participants!

For more information about the walk or to make a donation in support of the Museum or other organization, contact Jill Beckingham or Provo Road Runners. If you are on Facebook, visit the TCI Governor’s Facebook page for photos and the event schedule.

Look for more news about the event in our blogs.

Working on a house that has almost 200 years of history isn’t always easy.

The Museum was closed from September 1-15 to enable us to put in two new exhibits on the second floor. The funding for these exhibits came from HE Governor Beckingham’s office and also from funds donated in the memory of Mr. Finbar Dempsey.

The new “19th Century Office and Government Room” showcases a typical colonial office from the 1800-1900s. Many of the objects were donated by the Hugh Hutchings family or from the Museum’s collection. Among the objects are an original TCI flag with the infamous “igloo”.

The second is an updated and expanded exhibit that blends the story of the US military on Grand Turk during the 1960s and 1970s and the role that Grand Turk played in the “Race for Space”. The exhibit now is in a brighter room, with new information about the bases and the men that served in TCI. Still planned is the addition of a monitor with photos and videos from ex-servicemen. We thank all of the men and families who have generously donated their memorabilia and stories to the Museum.

Neil Saxton and Charles Kesnel (seen here putting finishing touches on the John Glen exhibit) worked tirelessly to make sure we could open on September 16.

We will have a grand opening of the new exhibits in November and HE Governor Beckingham will do the honors of ribbon cutting.

Details and dates to follow, and make sure your membership is up to date as it will be a member’s only event!

On August 8 and again on August 15, Winston Parker of AND Construction came to the Museum campus in the Village at Grace Bay to cleanup the rubble left over from the construction of the wall surrounding the Caicos Heritage House garden. The wall was built using local materials and traditional methods. The cleanup is hugely appreciated and is an example of the voluntary community support for this important project highlighting the history of the Caicos Islands.

Cleaning up the area around the Caicos Heritage House garden wall after construction. Photo by Candianne Williams

Winston Parker of AND Construction clearing rubble away. Photo by Candianne Williams

Thank you AND Construction for your continued support of the Museum!

Thanks to all those that donated to refurbish our wonderful telephone box donated to the Museum by Seamus Day. So far we have collected $968 from movie nights and other donations towards the refurbishing costs, including shipping! Only $832 more to go.

When it is completed it will even have the old time beveled mirror and advertisements from that era on the backboard of the phone booth. Now all we need is a real phone!!

Watch for the Fall issue of the Astrolabe in the Times of the Islands for the complete story of how it came to be on Grand Turk, photos of this lovely relic from the 1930’s, and the special volunteers who are helping to restore it for the Museum!