FRANKLIN, Tenn. (WTVF) — Williamson County is saying goodbye to a woman key in telling the stories of the area. Louise G. Lynch has just died at 92. Her legacy lives through books she wrote and even a place you can walk through and see her life's work.
"Here we have the medical center," said Williamson County historian Rick Warwick, showing exhibits at the Williamson County Archives and Museum. "County had a lot of distinguished medical people."
A lot of the exhibits spring from the tireless work of Louise. There was something about her. When she called for a favor, people wanted to help.
"You'll see this one behind me," Rick said, gesturing to a quilt.
Louise called on some local quilters to make the quilt, showcasing famous buildings around Williamson County.
"We have some landmarks in Franklin and also out in the county," Rick said, looking over the quilt.
Back in the 70s, Louise arrived to what was then a vacant jail building that held the county's old documents upstairs. She was doing work on her own family's genealogy. Rick said the document storage was nothing short of chaos then. Spending time up there, Louise began to see the potential all this material had in telling the story of Williamson County.
"She was the only one who had a key to it," Rick said. "It was a gold mine for her. She did a lot of this unpaid."
Louise founded the Williamson County Archives. She asked people to donate items to the museum, telling some local music history and history about every part of Williamson County.
"Sam and Kirk McGee," Rick said, showing an exhibit about the old-time performing duo. "These are their instruments."
"This is really a picture of [Louise's] husband Clyde," Rick continued, referring to a painting in an exhibit. "They were big tobacco farmers."
"Quilts tell a story," Rick said, turning down another aisle. "A lot of times, women's history can be neglected. These are quilts made by local women."
What's a particular point of pride for current archives director Bradley Boshers is the military room.
"It's dedicated to citizens who have served in the armed forces," he said. "The collection we have here is pretty much driven by Mrs. Lynch. When they opened it, she pioneered it."
All the work that started in an unorganized upstairs room has led to the Louise G. Lynch Williamson County Archives and Museum.
"She's the pioneer for Williamson County Archives," Rick said. "We owe a debt of gratitude to her."
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