Speaker Sessions: Tom Vaughn on the Overmountain Men (copy)
The Birthplace of Country Music Museum will present a Speaker Session at the museum with Tom Vaughn and David Doan (possibly also joined by Jane Doan) on the Overmountain Men on Tuesday, Nov. 10, at 7 p.m.
The public is invited to join the Birthplace of Country Music Museum and storyteller Tom Vaughn as he shares the story of the Overmountain Men, whose victory at Kings Mountain helped to turn the tide of the American Revolution. This Speaker Session is a complementary program for the VA250 special exhibits on display at the museum: Give Me Liberty: Virginia & the Forging of a Nation (through Nov. 22) and We the People (through Dec. 6).
Vaughn has been a member of the Overmountain Victory Trail Association for 12 years and fills in as a storyteller as needed. He is a retired engineer who wanted to do the Annual Commemorative March along the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail ONCE, where his ancestors once rode to the Battle of Kings Mountain. Twelve years later, he has discovered how fascinating history can be. He has participated in two multi-day storytelling workshops, sponsored by the National Park Service and presented by the National Storytelling Center of Jonesborough. He has presented programs taken from the diary of Uzal Johnson, British surgeon assigned to Major Patrick Ferguson, as Col. William Campbell, and as General Evan Shelby, father of Issac Shelby, among others. He frequently has his horse with him at the Abingdon Muster Grounds.
David Doan has been a member of the Overmountain Victory Trail Association for around 15 years. He runs the Frontier Camp at Scout Camp Davy Crockett each summer in addition to his OVTA activities. His presentations include two-day storytelling training sessions presented by the National Storytelling Center of Jonesborough, Tennessee, along with programs at the Veterans Park in Abingdon, the Abingdon Muster Grounds, and all along the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail.
Jane Doan has attended the same storytelling workshops, and as a former teacher, has a talent for telling the stories at a level younger students can understand. She also does wool dying, fabric work, and presentations on the use and safety of firelocks. She is a certified NRA muzzleloader instructor and a certified NRA Range Safety Officer. With David, Jane runs the Frontier Camp activities at Scout Camp Davy Crockett.
Speaker Sessions are hosted monthly by the Birthplace of Country Music Museum and are designed to connect audiences with artists, scholars, historians, and other experts who explore the rich musical and cultural heritage of Appalachia and beyond. Through engaging presentations, conversations, and demonstrations, the series offers unique opportunities to learn more about the people, traditions, music, and stories that have shaped the region and country music. Every Speaker Session is free and open to the public.
November’s Speaker Session will be held in-person in the Performance Theater at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum from 7 – 8:30 p.m. and streamed on Radio Bristol’s YouTube. This event is free and open to the public. Anyone who is planning on attending can register via this link or visit BirthplaceOfCountryMusic.org/Main-Events.
