SDMHA President Steve Smith, left, and treasurer Scott Brogdon stand in front of Brogdon’s display featuring the Soddy Bank building.A close eye was turned to the history of the Soddy-Daisy region recently when the Soddy, Daisy & Montlake Historical Society held a history fair that brought the communities together in celebration of their collective past. Officials of the society reported that the fair, which lasted seven hours and was attended by Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger, had nearly 600 guests that featured dozens of tables and booths to showcase and educate people on their own slice of Soddy-Daisy history.
“The quality of the displays were just super. We weren’t sure what to expect from the people we invited to set up, but it turned out fantastic,” said Society President Steve Smith. “There was just tons of information, documents and photographs that dated back pre-Civil War.”
The event, which was the Society’s first, drew such a positive response from the community that Smith said the group, which formed late last year, will be looking at making such fairs semiannual events.
“I have a feeling everyone will agree we don’t want to have to wait a year to do this again,” he said.
There has been budding interest in the area for a museum to catalog and highlight documents and historical artifacts from the Soddy, Daisy, Montlake, Flattop Mountain and Mowbray Mountain areas, he added. Smith said he and the rest of the Society are hopeful this first fair’s overwhelming response will spur more conversation.