Buford Pusser Home and Museum, Adamsville, Tennessee A Heritage Development Plan
Prepared by the Center for Historic Preservation, Middle Tennessee State University
Carroll Van West, Project Supervisor Heather Bailey, Project Coordinator
Karen Hargrove, Jiin-Ling Lin, Betsy Snowden
At the Request of the Buford Pusser Home and Museum May 2008
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. Why this Historic Site Matters 3
II. How can you better manage your artifacts and furniture? 12
III. How can you preserve your papers and photographs? 15
IV. What is the best way to digitize your collections? 28
V. How can the furnishings and artifacts be best displayed? 36
VI. Are there preservation needs for the house and its grounds? 43
VII. What is the potential of heritage tourism and marketing? 48
VIII. What are recommended next steps? 51
IX. Appendices and Sources 54 3
I. Why this Historic Site Matters
The Sheriff Buford Pusser House and Museum memorializes and interprets the story and contributions of Buford H. Pusser (1937-1974), a legendary late twentieth century
McNairy County sheriff, whose life and career impacted not only his community, but also his state and his nation through the long popularity of the Walking Tall movies and television program. This humble one-story brick home and its furnishings reflect the lifestyle of the majority of Tennesseans, Southerners, and Americans during the turbulent decades of the 1960s and 1970s. What sets this place beyond the average is the story of
Pusser, and the courageous steps he took to make his county and his state a better place to live. The property gains value as a place that reminds us of the background of many law enforcements officers across the country. They are unassuming, middle-class public servants who put their lives, and sometimes, like Pusser, their property and family, in the 4 the line of fire every day. It comes at no surprise that the Pusser Home and Museum has been, and continues to be, a shrine for law enforcement officers.
Five significant themes should guide future interpretation and exhibits at the Pusser
Home and Museum.
1. Making the Man
The museum presently has an impressive collection of photographs and artifacts of
Pusser’s childhood and early adult career. His dad, Carl Pusser, was a law enforcement officer in Adamsville and a dedicated Republican in a Democratic county. Buford attended local schools and played football and basketball at Adamsville high school. He had his first encounter with the “State Line Mob” in 1953 when he and high school buddies went to the
White Iris Club for beer, and witnessed a brutal murder.
Pusser joined the Marines in 1956, but his stay at boot camp on Parris Island was brief. The Marines discharged Pusser, who suffered from constant difficulties with asthma, in November 1956. After the beginning of the year, Pusser had his first documented run-in with the State Line Mob, when he went to the Plantation Club, operated by W. O. Hathcock, and got beat up, with his money stolen. He left Tennessee later in the year and made a new life in Chicago, where he took classes at a mortician school and worked in a local paper mill.
He joined a local professional wrestling circuit and took the name “Buford the Bull.” In
December 1959, he married Pauline Mullins, who had a son, Mike, from a previous marriage.
One month later, the long arm of the State Line Mob touched Pusser in Chicago.
Officers arrested Pusser on an extradition order from Corinth, Mississippi, charging Pusser 5 and two friends for the attempted murder of W. O. Hathcock. The charges were spurious—
Pusser had his paper mill time card as evidence and eyewitnesses in Chicago who placed him in the Windy City at the time of the alleged crime—but serious due to the corruption then rampant in the Corinth area. A jury found Pusser not guilty, and he returned to his family in Chicago.
Later, in 1960, the family moved back to McNairy County. Pauline and Buford’s daughter, Dwana, was born in 1961. By this time, Pusser had resumed his wrestling career on the local circuit. Pusser next followed his dad on the Adamsville police force, serving as the town police chief from 1962 to 1964. In 1962, he sought and won his first election, as a county constable. Two years later, Pusser successfully ran as a Republican for Sheriff of
McNairy County; at the age of 26, Pusser was one of the youngest sheriffs in Tennessee history.
2. The Sheriff Who Made a Difference
During his term as McNairy County Sheriff, from 1964 to 1970, Pusser proved to be a youthful, courageous reformer. He transformed law enforcement in McNairy County by integrating the force with its first African American deputies since Reconstruction. He began to bring law and order to the chaotic strip of businesses at the Mississippi-Tennessee border, operated by a group known as the State Line Mob, for its moonshining, drug trade, illegal gambling, and prostitution. William N. Grigg in The New American of July 12, 2004, points out: “In the late 1950s, circuit-riding mob hit men and thugs for hire for all varieties—including Lee Harvey Oswald—could be seen sampling the state line’s illicit 6 delights.” By taking on the State Line Mob, Pusser gained some powerful, and dangerous, enemies.
In November 1964, a knife assault, assumed to be ordered by the State Line Mob, left
Pusser near death. Once he recovered, Pusser struck back, raiding many moonshine stills and arresting some 75 citizens associated with the ‘shine trade. The fight for law and order was on in McNairy County.
After Pusser won a second term of office, he attempted to arrest Louise Hathcock, who had taken over the Plantation Club and ran it and other businesses with the noted underworld figure “Towhead” White. Hathcock resisted arrest, pulled a gun, shot but missed, and Pusser returned fire, killing Hathcock. In retaliation, White and the State Line
Mob attempted to kill Pusser. In January 1967 unknown assailants pumped four bullets into Pusser, but the sheriff soon recovered.
On August 12, 1967, Pusser received a phone call about a domestic disturbance out on New Hope Road in the county. Pusser left immediately to investigate, accompanied by his wife Pauline. Before they ever reached the “disturbance,” the couple was ambushed; multiple shots left Pauline dead, and Buford, with most of his jaw shot away, was presumed dead. The killers left and were never prosecuted. This vicious attack caught the attention of the national media.
For the first time, but not the last, Buford Pusser entered the national headlines. On
August 13, 1967, the New York Times published an Associated Press account of the attack.
Ben Pusser, Buford’s uncle, reported that “`They’ve been out to get him a long time.’ He said he meant `the bootlegging and criminal element along the state line.’”
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3. A Murder Changes a Family
The death of Pauline Pusser shattered the family. The funeral was a major community event at the Adamsville Church of Christ, and her murder led most community doubters to finally accept the danger posed by the State Line Mob. Buford Pusser rebuilt his home so that his quarters were in the basement, away from his family, and in a space that had no exterior windows. A bunker mentality became part of the family’s daily routine.
Pusser’s mother Helen became the family’s matriarch and tried to create as much normal home life as possible for the children, Mike, one of Pauline’s children from her first marriage, and Dwana. Many neighbors and family members helped through the years. The present Pusser house has many items and rooms that document the impact Helen Pusser had on the family and the property.
Once he recovered from the wounds, Pusser went through multiple surgeries to attempt to reconstruct his shattered jaw and regain a normal look to his face. He also resumed his duties as sheriff. With strong community support, Pusser stepped up the pressure on the state line businesses. Most closed, and moved their illegal enterprises elsewhere. In 1968, he was re-elected as sheriff. The following year, in 1969, “Towhead”
White was killed, with no known involvement by Pusser.
4. A Legend in His Time
In 1969, the Tennessee General Assembly praised Pusser for his accomplishments and made him a honorary sergeant at arms. With the power of the State Line Mob in
McNairy County effectively crushed, and with the notoriety of Pusser’s surviving so many 8 attempts on his life, the legend of Buford Pusser began to grow across the state and region.
At a time when President Richard Nixon and Vice-President Spiro Agnew were praising the virtues of a “silent majority” and calling for a real commitment to law and order, Pusser was viewed as a courageous embodiment of those national images. Law enforcement officers lionized him; local and state politicians sought a close association so they could be viewed as friends of this giant in law and order.
5. A Folk Hero for the Nation
Attracted by the story, and banking on being able to sell the story to a regional southern audience, Hollywood came calling in 1972. Bing Crosby Productions, best recognized for its early work on Crosby’s “road” movies and its later work in television, approached Pusser about filming his life story. The producers wanted to film the story locally, but McNairy County officials wanted nothing to do with it—the movie eventually was shot mostly in neighboring Chester and Madison counties. 9
“Walking Tall,” directed by Phil Karlson and featuring Joe Don Baker as Pusser, was given a limited release on February 22, 1973. An effective ad campaign encouraged customers, but word-of-mouth did more. Soon, throughout the South, “Walking Tall,” which was produced for an estimated $500,000, became a major box office hit—eventually the movie made millions of dollars (published estimates range from $23 million to $35 million in 1973 dollars).
By 1974 a regional film—a “hick flick” in Hollywood parlance—was a national hit.
Reports came in from theaters of audiences cheering every time Pusser busted a bad guy.
Many audiences gave the movie a standing ovation. Pusser, in words of historian Jack T.
Kirby in his book Media-Made Dixie, “redefined” southern violence and reaffirmed the region’s “savage ideal.” The original “Walking Tall” movie told Pusser’s story from his return to McNairy County in 1960 to the murder of Pauline Pusser in 1967. The image of
Pusser wielding a huge stick became a lasting symbol of the man and the movie. 10
In August 1974 Pusser died in an automobile accident (or many still insist the
“accident” was staged by his enemies who forced him off the road) just as he was finishing negotiations to star in the planned sequel for “Walking Tall, Part II.” Pusser’s fame was such that the Washington Post published a feature story on the crash and former sheriff, titled
“Famed Lawman Dies in Fiery Crash,” on August 22, 1974. His funeral was a community, and popular culture, event with country music notables and politicians in attendance, as well as Elvis Presley (who stayed secluded at the Pusser home).
Despite’s Pusser’s death, Bing Crosby Productions moved forward to produce
“Walking Tall: Part II,” with Bo Svenson in the starring role. Earl Bellamy was the director and Howard B. Kreitsek was the writer. The movie portrays Pusser’s search for his wife’s killers. Released on September 28, 1975, and filmed in Chester County, Tennessee, the movie never gathered the audience numbers of the original film. But it gained considerable critical praise. Roger Ebert, writing in Chicago Sun-Times on January 1, 1975, called it “a well-crafted action film with some good performances and a nice feeling for its characters.”
Critics were not so kind to the third Walking Tall film, titled “Final Chapter: Walking
Tall,” which was released on August 31, 1977, just past the third anniversary of Pusser’s death. The movie focused on Pusser’s life after he had become famous and the events that occurred from 1972 to his death. Vincent Canby, writing in the New York Times on
September 1, 1977, exclaimed: “they’ve already used up all of the cinematic facts of
Pusser’s life but are unwilling to let a good thing go without getting the last bleeding buck out of it.”
The three films of the 1970s made Pusser nationally known. Historian James C.
Cobb wrote in the November 1991 issue of the Journal of Southern History: “The box-office 11 success of the Walking Tall movies suggested broad popular receptivity to the violent expediency of Buford Pusser, who wielded a mean club and his search warrant in his boots that he used to kick in the doors of illegal booze and gambling joints.” Helen Pusser, however, complained of how Hollywood had twisted her son’s legacy. On April 16, 1981 she told the Boston Globe: “The movies are just bug dust. . . Buford wasn’t anything like the pictures. He never treated people like that. He wouldn’t hit you unless you hit him first three times. But if you hit him that third time, you better look out because you’d be on the floor.”
Helen Pusser never believed that Pusser had died in a car accident and in the 1980s she hired Larry Britt to investigate the death. She later sued Britt for swindling her of
$500,000 (the case was settled out of court). In June 1986, Britt was murdered at a
Nashville office “execution style,” according to a United Press story. Helen Pusser died in
Adamsville about six months later.
At the first of May 1988, the city of Adamsville, with support from the Tennessee
General Assembly, bought the Pusser home and furnishings for $150,000 and announced plans to quickly open the house as a museum. It did so at the end of May, beginning a long tradition of Memorial Day celebrations in Adamsville centered on the life and legacy of
Buford Pusser.
The rush to make the house accessible to the public, however, had its price. The collections of the house were never adequately documented, and today this lack of professional record-keeping is one the primary challenges that the museum faces as it enters its second generation of operation.
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II. How can you better manage your artifacts and furniture?
The Center recommends three different actions for the museum to implement over the next two years: prepare a room-by-room inventory of all of your historic items; begin the process of cataloging your collection; and develop a plan to rotate items on display so to ensure their future conservation and safety.
Preparing the Room-By-Room Inventory
With the hand-written list of what is in each room that was prepared probably in the late 1980s, you already have a start on the inventory process. But, as we discovered as we took the inventory and looked at all of the historical items in each room, many items were either missing or present in the room but not listed in the inventory.
Therefore, we recommend that you develop a new inventory that can be used every year (typically at the end of the holiday season, in January, when visitation is not so heavy) to ensure that the items that are on display are where they are supposed to be. When you conduct the inventory, you will notice whether items need to be taken from display, for repair and/or needed conservation work.
Cataloging Your Collection:
The inventory becomes a crucial part of your museum’s overall recordkeeping of its historical items. Good recordkeeping helps you can keep track of your materials. Having a handle on what you have ensures: 13
• Security: If you know what you have, you’ll know if something has been lost or stolen. • Access and Preservation: Knowing where things are allows you to store things properly, which promotes preservation, and you know where to find things when you need them, which saves lots of time.
Past Perfect software is good cataloging option, since you’ll be able to use it for your artifacts and your archival materials. Each section has specific types of information to enter, as well as space for you to include additional information. Though you may decide not to use every information field in each section, you will want to include the same types of information for each object, whether it is “artifact” or “archival.” Deciding on a minimum amount of information at the outset will make your records more consistent and useful.
Fields like “location of the item” are especially important.
Entering in your catalog information to a database program like Past Perfect allows you to manage your records efficiently and to print out numerous forms related to your collections. The Center will be happy in the future to conduct training on using Past
Perfect, if necessary.
As you develop an electronic cataloging system, please remember not rely to entirely on an electronic copy. When you enter in data, it is important to print out a paper copy of the catalog. With this form containing the data, it is also highly useful to include a photograph (or digital print) of the artifact to clear up any confusion in the future. A verbal description is useful, but a photograph is an essential part of a museum catalog.
When you begin to digitize archival items, the catalog record will include information on the digital file as well. With photos, Past Perfect has a special section for cataloging. 14
This includes an “Image Management” program. While useful for reference images within
Past Perfect, this is not what you will want to use for your digitization project. With papers, it will probably be easier to use the artifact database, rather than the archives database, since the information fields in the artifact section are geared towards items (the archival section in the program is geared toward archival collections, which is probably less helpful for you). The catalog record will include all the details, so you can put as little information as possible on the actual item. Write the catalog i.d. number with a soft pencil (or an archival/acid-free pen for photographs that do not take pencil marks easily) in brackets on back of item, (brackets show that you did it, not whoever took the picture or wrote the letter). You should also put this number on the archival storage envelope or folder where the item is stored.
When you digitize the photograph or document, the digital file should have the same i.d. number as the catalog entry and the physical item—it makes things a lot simpler. For more information on archival cataloging and digital files, see the digitizing section of the packet. 15
III. How can you preserve your papers and photographs?
The archival materials at the Buford Pusser Museum fall into three categories: personal papers, newsprint materials, and photographs. The small group of sound recordings also falls in the “archival” category. The following information offers some suggestions for thinking about, preserving and organizing these materials in ways that will help you handle them and keep them in good condition.
The first section includes some general ideas and recommendations and the next two sections, on Preservation and Digitization, address issues in more detail. Information on archival suppliers, and useful books and websites are also included.
A. Types of Archival Materials at the Pusser Museum
Personal Papers:
This category encompasses a variety of papers and documents, including letters, framed certificates, sympathy cards, guest books for the museum, sign-in books from 16 funerals, calling cards, and personal documents like Pusser’s social security card. Most of these materials are in fairly good shape but would benefit from being rotated so they are not on constant display and placed in proper archival storage. Addressing storage, light and temperature problems would ensure that they stay in good condition.
Newspaper Clippings:
Newspaper clippings are displayed throughout the museum, and by their very nature deteriorate more rapidly than other types of paper. If possible, photocopies or scans could be made of these items and printed on acid free paper. A conservator should be consulted about removing these items when they are glued and taped to backing.
Photographs:
These items represent the majority of the museum’s archival materials and are one of the best ways to tell the story of Buford Pusser. Many of the color photos, particularly those from the 1970s, are fading. We recommend that they be digitized, with the copies placed on display and the original stored in an archival safe manner. Photos that are adhered to surfaces should not be removed by staff—a conservator should be contacted. 17
Sound Recordings:
Most of the commercial LPs and eight tracks on display are of interest because they were Pusser’s personal possessions, but the recordings about Pusser have potential for audio preservation and possibly play in the exhibit. As with papers, the sound recordings that are adhered to surfaces for display should not be forcibly removed (though if they are adhered with putty, removal might be relatively easy). If they need to be cleaned, it would be best to consult a conservator.
If the museum desires to play these songs in their
exhibits, CD copies might be available, but audio transfer
is possible if they cannot be found. Since they are
commercial recordings, the museum should determine if
they can be played without violating copyright law. If
audio restoration is necessary, the Association of
Recorded Sound Collectors (ARSC) has a directory of
companies that do this. This directory can be found on
their website: http://www.arsc-audio.org/
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B. Archival Issues to Consider
Storage: Currently, all materials are on display in “open storage,” which is not the best way to store archival materials like papers and photographs. These materials are extremely sensitive to UV light, found in sunlight and fluorescent lighting. Display cases should not be made of wood, since they off-gas chemicals that are harmful to archival materials as well.
Recommendations: Since archival materials, particularly photographs, can be damaged by continuous display, these items should be rotated out of display and given a
“rest” in proper archival storage. Eventually digital copies of images could be used in exhibits, particularly in brightly lit areas.
Using the right kinds of folders and boxes will ensure that your items are safe from damaging light and will not stain otherwise damage them. Proper storage for your materials includes acid-free envelopes for photos, acid free file folders for papers, and storage boxes. “Safe” materials can be ordered from archival suppliers. See the
“Preservation” section of this packet for more details.
Display: Many of the images and news clippings are glued to various surfaces in collage formats. Adhesives damage and stain archival materials, so this practice should be avoided in the future.
Recommendations: With items that are already adhered to backing, staff should not attempt to remove the items themselves, since it might damage the materials. A conservator should be consulted (contact information can be found in the Preservation 19 section). The Northeast Document Conservation Center has five simple rules for displaying archival materials:
1. Use copies when possible;
2. Do not display a valuable paper artifact permanently;
3. Keep light levels as low possible;
4. Minimize exposure to ultraviolet light with filters;
5. Insure that case and frames are enclosed, sealed and made of materials that
will not damage their contents.
Organization: A good organization system does much more than help you to keep track of things (although that is extremely helpful!). An organizational system also provides security—if you know what you have and where it is, you’ll know if it goes missing. An organizational system can also provide a place for you to access information about the item.
Recommendation: Past Perfect Museum Software will be able to meet your cataloging needs for both your regular artifacts and your “archival artifacts.” The databases in Past
Perfect have fields where you enter different types of information that will help you locate items and will include other types of information. Once you learn a little about the program and decide what types of information will be most useful to you, cataloging will be very straightforward, and very helpful for you and future employees of the museum.
Digitization: Digitization—scanning photos and documents and using the digital files—is a good way to help preserve materials and to access them for a variety of projects, 20 like research or brochures and websites. Digitization is a big undertaking though, so before you start you need to plan. A Digitization Manual is included in this packet and it is a good starting point for this process.
Archival Preservation Guidelines: There are many basic steps you can take to prolong the life of your materials. For more complicated problems, you will need to call a conservation expert, but considering some basic issues will prevent many problems and ultimately save money. The golden rule of preservation: Don’t do anything to your materials that you can’t undo!
C. The Collection Environment
The most important and least expensive part of preservation is controlling the environment that your materials live in. Environmental factors can prolong the life of your materials, or cause them to rapidly deteriorate. Here are a few things to consider:
Temperature: Higher temperatures speed up chemical reactions—and make your materials deteriorate. By keeping the temperature low and steady, around 70 degrees you can slow down deterioration. Keeping the temperature steady is important because rapid temperature changes can cause even more damage than a slightly higher average temperature. Try and choose a temperature that you can maintain 365 days a year.
Humidity: Humidity goes hand in hand with temperature, and like temperature, it can speed up chemical reactions in your materials. High humidity encourages mold growth and creates a good environment for bugs. On the other hand, if humidity is too low, paper materials can become brittle. Ideal relative humidity is around 45%, but ultimately, like 21 temperature, you want to shoot for steadiness. Rapid changes in humidity make paper expand and contract, which is not good!
Air Quality: Pollution can also damage materials, so you might want to think about the kind of air filters you use. Fumes from fresh paint, plywood, wooden shelving, some cleaning agents and insecticides can damage your materials as well.
Light: Light speeds up the chemical breakdown of paper (like when you leave a newspaper out in the sun and it turns yellow). UV light, found in sunlight and fluorescent light bulbs, is especially bad for paper and photographs. The good news is that minimizing light damage is pretty easy. Store materials away from windows and fluorescent lights—or cover lights and windows with UV filters. You can also think about ways of minimizing direct light in display cases. Using digital printouts instead of originals in your displays will also prolong the lives of your original materials.
Biological Agents: Otherwise known as mold and bugs, this problem will in part be dealt with by proper temperature and humidity control. Other ways to prevent this problem include good housekeeping—no eating, drinking or smoking, taking out the trash every day, and just keeping the place clean! If you find items with mold on them, separate them from your collection immediately to prevent it from spreading, and contact a conservator.
The Materials Themselves: Even a perfect preservation environment can’t stop papers from eventually deteriorating, simply because of what they are made of. Newsprint, in particular, decays very quickly, because of the high acid content in the wood pulp used to make it. Most archives photocopy (or scan) news clippings onto acid free paper and throw away the originals. However, if you want to keep them, they can be sprayed with a 22 deacidification spray, which will neutralize the acid (but will not make the paper stronger or repair it). For use in displays, printouts of scanned clippings might work well. Color photographs fade more rapidly than black and white, which makes them good candidates for scanning. UV light accelerates the fading process, so proper archival storage of photographs is important.
D. Proper Handling
Another way to preserve your materials is to handle them properly.
• Always use clean hands, and cotton gloves can be used with photographs to
prevent accidental contact with the image (these can be purchased through
archival suppliers).
• Do not eat or drink while handling. Spills can damage materials and attract insects.
• Also think about your workspaces—is it big enough? Flat? Clean?
• Hold items lightly but securely with both hands. Support the items when you move
them.
• With photos, do not touch the image. Hold the photo by its edges.
• Avoid leaning on, taking notes on, or placing objects on items
• When writing identification numbers on the backs of items, use soft pencils. (Most
archives don’t even keep pens in their workspaces, to prevent them from
accidentally being used)
• Do not use tape or adhesives of any kind on ANY of your materials. (If items are
already glued down, don’t try and remove them yourself!!! Talk to a conservator) 23
• Do not use office supplies like post-it notes, rubber bands or manila envelopes on
your materials.
• If you need quick information from an item, consult a surrogate (your catalog
record, or research photocopy). The less you handle an item, the longer it will last.
• And finally, take your time!
E. Storage
When your materials are not on display, you will want to store them in a safe place.
This means avoiding attics and basements, which usually have temperature and humidity problems. Do not store materials next to water sources, like pipes. You will also want to think about what’s in the room above your storage area. Materials should be stored off the floor, to prevent potential water damage if a pipe bursts.
F. Housing for Materials
Materials should be stored in enclosures that protect them from dust and light. When you purchase supplies like storage boxes, folders, and envelopes, look for words like acid- free or lignin-free—not just “archivally safe.” The suppliers listed in this section are well- known and reliable sources and are your best bet for good supplies.
• With photos, storing each photo in its own envelope is beneficial. Archival
suppliers sell plastic and paper enclosures. If you choose plastic, make sure its not
PVC or vinyl. Good plastics are “Mylar D” and “Mellinex.” Paper envelopes are just
as effective and less expensive. These should be made from non-acidic, lignin-free
paper (they can be buffered or unbuffered)—materials from a good archival 24
supplier should meet these criteria. If you can, avoid envelopes with a seam down
the middle. If they do have a seam, place the image side of the photo away from
the seam. Paper envelopes are especially helpful because you can write (in
pencil!) identification information on them.
• If you frame photos, make sure you mat them in high quality, acid-free rag board
or mat board.
• Papers should be stored in acid-free, archival quality file folders, not in envelopes.
Make sure the items aren’t folded, since eventually they will break and tear along
the folds. The goal is to provide support, so you don’t want to use hanging
folders—they slump and your papers will too!
• Once you have your materials in folders or envelopes, they need to be stored in
archival quality boxes, which you can buy from the suppliers listed in this section.
When possible, items that are the same size should be stored together; this can
reduce abrasion, breaking and misplacing smaller items. The items should be
about the same size as the box, so they’re not squeezed in too tightly in a small box
or flopping around in a big box. You also want to avoid over-filling boxes so items
don’t get folded or bent. If the item is “oversized” don’t trim, fold, or roll—just get
a bigger box.
• Storage shelves: like exhibit cases, you want to avoid wood which can off-gas
harmful chemicals.
G. Pitfalls to Avoid in Caring for Your Materials 25
• Overexposing archival materials to light in your exhibits. Think about rotating
them out and giving them a rest or using digital surrogates
• Fixing tears with tape. Tapes, glues and other adhesives are acidic and can stain
and damage your materials. Picture albums with adhesive pages should also be
avoided.
• Staples and paperclips can rust and stain your materials. If something must be
paper clipped, use stainless steel or plastic clips.
• Using pens—stick with soft pencils. Ink is frequently acidic, but a softer lead pencil
won’t scratch or damage an item—and it’s reversible.
• Laminating materials—while it may prevent them from handling damage, the
lamination itself damages materials, and it’s not reversible.
• If something has been glued, taped or otherwise adhered don’t try and remove it
yourself, because it is extremely easy to damage the item. Talk to a conservator.
H. Preservation of Inkjet Prints
While printouts of digital images are a good option for display because they preserve the originals from damaging light, the printouts themselves are not preservation quality and may not last very long. But as long as you keep the original digital format, you can of course just print out another copy.
I. Photocopying for Research or Frequent Reference
If there are images or newspaper articles that you or visitors use for frequently or for research, try making photocopies or printouts and placing them in a notebook. That way, 26 your materials are saved from frequent handling AND access to the information is much quicker and easier.
J. Conservation
Beyond preventative preservation, you can do a little bit of cleaning/dusting, if your items are in good shape. If papers or photographs are dirty, don’t use a dust cloth because that will push the dirt into the fibers. Archival suppliers have soft brushes that work well for this—start at the center of the items and lightly brush outwards. Make sure the brush is clean so you’re not just moving dirt from one item to another. This should only be done if the item is in good condition.
Other than some light cleaning…don’t try conservation at home! Since your golden rule is don’t do anything to your materials that you can’t undo, if you have serious issues you need to talk to a conservator.
Preservation Services at the Tennessee State Library and Archives:
615.741.2997
Preservation Services at TSLA can answer conservation questions.
Archival Suppliers:
• Gaylord Brothers: www.gaylord.com 1-800-962-9580
• Metal Edge, Inc.: www.metaledgeinc.com 800-862-2228
• University Products: www.universityproducts.com 800-628-1912 27
Websites:
Much of the information in this section was taken from the following websites, so if you would like more information, try starting here:
• Library of Congress, Preservation: http://www.loc.gov/preserv/
• The National Archives:
“Preserving Your Family Archives” http://archives.gov/preservation/family-
archives/
Preservation Information by Format: http://archives.gov/preservation/formats/
• Northeast Document Conservation Center’s Preservation leaflets:
http://www.nedcc.org/resources/leaflets.list.php
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IV. What is the best way to digitize your collections?
Introduction
Digitization is time consuming, but it will enhance preservation of your originals documents and photographs and improve access at the same time. There are many benefits of digitizing your archival materials:
• The items will be much easier to access,
• Accessing the digital image can enhance preservation since handling of the
original will decrease and fragile materials will be given a rest from exhibition
• Digitizing will also help you with collections management, since it will give a
much better idea of what you have and help you to organize it
• You will have increased options for display in the museum
• And if you own the copyright for the images, they will be much easier to use in
promotion of the museum
Since digitization can be a long process, you should take the time to do it right so that you won’t have to go back and re-scan items. This “scan once” philosophy will ultimately save you time and money.
It will be extremely helpful if you document your activities—for yourself and those who come after you! Leave a trail of breadcrumbs, so you five years down the road you’ll have an idea of why you made certain decisions.
What follows is a basic manual for digitizing your materials and includes some recommendations for starting your digitization project, seeing it through and maintaining your digital images for future use. A list of books and websites is also included if you want more detailed information. 29
General Information about Scanning
Digital images are made up of pixels, a cell or dot on the computer screen that contains color. Before you begin your scanning project you will make decisions about how the image will be scanned:
• Resolution describes the clarity of the image. The higher resolution, the clearer
the image (and the larger the file is) Your scanner measures (spatial) resolution
in ppi (pixels per inch) or dpi (dots per inch)
• Bit-depth determines the number of colors in the image, usually 8-bit for
grayscale and 24-bit for color
• Color: Most scanners use RGB scanning, which can be converted for printing, if
necessary. (For more information see the “Handbook for Digital for Digital
Projects”—the web address is listed at the end of this section)
When you scan, your image will be a high quality “master” image. This file will be large, but it will be the best copy. These master files should be unmanipulated and should look like the original that you scanned (even if the original doesn’t look so hot). If you want to enhance the image in any way, it is best to do that as a different file, and preserve the integrity of the original. Smaller “derivative” files can be made for various uses, like websites.
Materials should generally be scanned at between 300 and 600 dpi or 3,000 to 5,000 lines (per row of pixels), though ultimately you will make decisions about specifications for your scans. You will save your scanned images in a file format such as a JPEG or TIFF. For your master images, TIFF is the better option. The file will be larger than a JPEG, but the quality will be higher. 30
Hardware
You will need a scanner. There are many different options to choose from; for example, Microtek has a wide range of scanners at varying costs. Ultimately, will decide what hardware fits your specifications and your budget. You will also need a computer with a lot of memory, and scanning and image editing software.
Storage
Hopefully you will have a computer dedicated to the project, and you can work with images and store them on the hard drive. There are many storage options, and you will want to use more than one, so you always have back-up copies. For example, if primary storage is on your (dedicated) computer’s hard drive, back-up storage could be on CDs. If you choose to only store the information on CDs, make a “master” copy and a “use” copy, since the “use” copy might get scratched from handling. The master copy should be stored offsite for security purposes. They should also be stored in a cool, dry environment, away from UV light, just like your archival materials. It’s also best to write the label on the clear
“spindle” part of the CD rather than the larger part.
You can estimate the amount of digital storage you will need by using this calculation: Total storage needed = # of image files x average file size x 1.25
Quality Control
This is a necessary activity throughout your digitization process. From time to time you need to check that the processes are running smoothly and that you are achieving the end 31 product you agreed upon at the beginning. A regular check can assure that you don’t reach the end of your project and find a problem with all of your files.
Set Goals
What do you want as your end product? At the Sheriff Buford Pusser Home, digitizing the large collections of news clippings and photographs could meet several goals. For example, newsprint decays very quickly, so scanning this material will preserve the information. In addition to this, you could also use high quality digital printouts in exhibits.
With the museum’s photographs, displaying the originals shortens their lifespan, so you should consider using digital prints of the photos or LCD digital picture frames and give your originals a “rest” in proper archival storage.
Costs
Some issues to consider: the cost of hardware and software, and maintenance.
Scanning your materials on-site can have larger start-up costs than hiring a contractor, but it does allow you to retain control over the process.
If you do decide to have someone scan materials for you, sometimes the contractor can scan at the museum. If scanning is done offsite, then plan carefully to ensure the safety of your materials and that you get the results you want. If scanning is off-site, you still want ultimate storage of digital files to be at the Museum, with back-up at local off-site locations.
Also, if scanning occurs offsite, you might want to think about cataloging the items first.
They will be much easier to keep track of. But again, even if someone else does the work, scanning onsite is a simpler operation. 32
Prioritize
Once you have decided what your ultimate goal is, the next step is to think about your priorities. Since the museum has so many photos and news clippings, it would be easiest to approach them as smaller, more manageable sets. One way of prioritizing material is through preservation needs —the materials in the worst shape are scanned first. Another option is thinking about your materials in terms of use—things that are used the most or are most prominent in your displays could be scanned first.
Copyright
Before you scan, you need to make sure you own the copyright to the image. If the copyright does not belong to the museum, we recommend that you do not scan it. If the item is being scanned for preservation purposes, you’ll want to note in your catalog entry that the item can’t be reproduced without the permission of the copyright holder.
Organizing the Information
You will also need a basic organizational system to help you keep track of the items you scan and keep important information that will accompany the digital file. It will be easiest to assign an identification number (the i.d. number in the catalog entry in PastPerfect) to the digital file. This will link the item to a larger description—a catalog entry. You will also use this identification number to keep track of the physical item by writing it on its archival storage envelope (and very lightly on the back of the item with a soft pencil). By matching up the physical image and the digital image file with one catalog number, it will be much easier to locate things. 33
In this database you will enter information about the item that is not available or obvious in the digital file, such as the physical location of the original, the “title” of the item, its physical dimensions, or even who scanned the image originally. Before you start the project you should make a list of what information you want to include in this catalog.
Ultimately, the catalog will help to monitor the location and status of the physical item and its digital counterpart.
Long-Term Storage: Making It All Worthwhile
Now that you have digitized your archival collections and cataloged them, you can now begin to use them: as stand-ins in your exhibits, as copies for researchers, on your websites and in your publications.
Digital storage, however, is fragile and formats can be short-lived (remember floppy disks?) Since you’ve spent so much time scanning your materials, you want to ensure that the digital information will be usable for many years to come. This “enduring care” includes the way that you store your information and how you update that as technology evolves—which it will! Long term survival requires a comprehensive plan that includes attention to media lifespan, storage environment, handling procedures, error detection, backup, disaster response, and monitoring for hardware, media and format obsolescence.
Since no one can tell what new developments in technology will occur, your best bet is to follow some steps to ensure your digital files have a long life:
• Use several different types of storage and check media periodically for their
readability. If your primary storage is the computer’s hard drive, CDs can be a
backup storage mechanism. The CDs should be “refreshed” –put on a new CD or 34
a new medium every five years or so, because the physical medium will
eventually deteriorate. This should take place within the minimum time
specified by the supplier for the media's lifespan, when new storage devices are
installed, or when an audit discloses significant temporary or read "errors" in a
data resource.
• Migration plan: Eventually, you will need to transfer files to new software and
hardware as it becomes readily available, so your files won’t get left behind!
Migration can also be format-based, to move image files from an obsolete file
format or to increase their functionality.
• You will need to keep an eye on major changes in computer technology, so your
new digital files won’t get left behind as technology evolves. Though this might
seem like a lot to do, making a simple plan and putting it into your routine will
ensure that your digital collection is well cared for.
Conclusion
Though are a lot of things to consider when you decide to digitize your archival materials, the preservation and access benefits make it all worthwhile. It isimportant to plan and think about details, but if you take it one step at a time and plan ahead, digitization is completely doable in a small museum. And remember, there are plenty of people and organizations out there if you have questions. A few useful books and websites are listed below, if you want more information.
Books and Websites 35
• Canadian Heritage Information Network, Capture Your Collections: Small Museum
Version,
http://www.chin.gc.ca/English/Digital_Content/Small_Museum/index.html
• Stuart D. Lee, Digital Imaging: A Practical Handbook. Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc.
2001.
• Maxine K. Sitts, editor. Handbook for Digital Projects: A Management Tool for
Preservation and Access. Northeast Document Conservation Center, 2000. Can also
be found online at: http://www.nedcc.org/oldnedccsite/digital/dighome.htm
• National Initiative for a Networked Cultural Heritage (NINCH)
http://www.nyu.edu/its/humanities/ninchguide/index.html
36
V. How can the furnishings and artifacts be best displayed?
While there are some general rules about artifact conservation and display that hold true for most museum settings, there are some specialized needs at the Buford Pusser
Home and Museum. This section is broken in to two major sections: conservation needs and display issues. In addition to some general guidelines, there are some recommendations to fit the needs and interpretation at the Buford Pusser Museum.
Conservation
General Conservation Issues
While the ideal conservation environment for most artifacts is to be in storage, a museum needs to balance conservation concerns with making pieces of history accessible to the public. Nothing tells the story of history better than genuine artifacts and authentic settings, and the Buford Pusser Museum has both of those elements. This museum has two categories of artifacts in its collection: those that need limited use, and those that need to be used in order to maintain them.
For all items in the collection, there are some general conservation rules. Collections need a stable environment, and that means limited changes in temperature and moisture.
The museum has already addressed this by installing modern HVAC systems. In order to conserve artifacts, they need to have limited light exposure (both through sun and electrical lighting) and the heat that light produces. For items that are exposed to sunlight, the museum needs to consider installing UV filters in the windows.
The interior lighting needs attention to address more critical issues. Many of the current lights are too bright (thereby bleaching the color from artifacts) and produce too 37 much heat (in some cases melting artifacts). Some of the adverse effects of the current lighting could be mitigated with UV filters, but some of the lighting needs to be removed and replaced. See the appendices for specifics on museum light levels.
Limited Use Artifacts
Limited use artifacts include all of the furniture and most of the artifacts in the museum’s collection. In the past, some of the furniture was available for visitors to sit on.
The wear and tear of constant use cannot be reversed on items such as the sectional couch.
In general, guests should not use the furniture or handle the artifacts. Yet, just as use can wear on the surfaces, dust also has long term consequences. Harsh cleaning products will deteriorate artifacts, but there are museum grade vacuum cleaners that the museum could purchase to clean furniture and draperies.
In terms of how to handle artifacts, some conservators recommend using cotton gloves, while others recommend washing the oils off of hands and then handling artifacts. With gloves, the oils on hands are not a problem. Without gloves, a person has the tactile 38 sensations that reduce the risk of tearing or breaking a delicate artifact. In either case, limited handling is the best course for ensuring the longevity of any artifact. And this is of key importance to museums, because an authentic artifact is much more compelling than a reproduction or a substituted period piece.
Periodic Use Artifacts
While most artifacts degrade from usage, mechanical items need to run periodically in order to maintain their original functions, and hence their historic integrity. The vehicles at the Buford Pusser Museum and even the kitchen appliances fall in to this category.
Under the right sort of circumstances, even Pusser’s AK-47 could fall in to this category
(with very limited use, perhaps only once a year at most). These items tell their story best by performing their original functions. They also offer a more dynamic experience to visitors by allowing for some interaction. The cars could run in parades and be the ultimate traveling exhibit and promotional piece. Image the reactions from visitors when they are offered the opportunity to get a bottle of water out of Buford’s fridge. 39
Display
The Visitor Experience
Visitors are looking for an authentic, informative, and exhilarating experience. A quality museum setting sets the stage for the most compelling experience as possible through an authentic setting. To do this, the Buford Pusser Museum needs to reevaluate their collections and how they display them. For most of the rooms, the museum should only include authentic items and arrange the rooms as they would have looked in Buford’s time.
More recent acquisitions that were meant as filler generally just distract from the real artifacts.
This caveat also includes fan donated items. Rather than incorporating them throughout the house, it would be more advisable to relocate those to the front room that welcomes visitors (or put some of them in storage and rotate them out periodically). This would also mean removing the original couch from that room and relocating it to its original location in the den next to the kitchen (and removing the newer couch entirely).
Rather than trying to reshape history to look the way we would like it to look today, it is more appealing to visitors if they know that they are seeing the house exactly as Buford left it. Then the visitors can move from the front room where they are introduced to the full story of Buford, his family, and his fan following, to the real world of his home life. 40
In order to allow this, most of the cases need to be removed from the house as well. It is not necessary to display all of the items in the collection all at once. Changing out artifacts periodically not only aids in their conservation, but visitors can return to see something new. While the display cases detract from the historic integrity of the home, they also damage the items stored within. For most of the cases, the lights are too bright, too hot, and the cases do not allow for ventilation. The wood cases are an additional concern because wood off gases and those gases damage the items stored inside, especially those in direct contact with the wood. Typically cases are not the best way for visitors to view or interact with artifacts, and they limit the options for interpretation or telling an authentic story. 41
Security
Perhaps the greatest appeal of display cases is the inherent security features that a case can provide. It is possible to limit access to artifacts and furniture without walling them behind glass and putting them into corrosive environments. Currently some of the furniture is cordoned off with stanchions and rope. While this limits access, it also detracts from the authenticity of the setting. The velvet rope preventing access to the rooms is less intrusive, but a simple sign placed on sitting surfaces requesting that guest do not sit on the furniture can limit access without adding the additional furniture (the stanchions) into the setting.
Currently the stanchions are supposed to prevent visitors from reaching across and pocketing artifacts, but that has met with limited success. It is possible to secure items unobtrusively with clear fishing line. This will prevent a quick removal by thieves without detracting from the historic integrity of the display.
Also, the museum currently has several signs that tell the history of a particular artifact and its significance to Buford Pusser. Rather than including all of these additional pieces of paper in to the setting, the museum could create a narrative inventory of each room and 42 then the tour guides could tell visitors the significance of artifacts. The personal touch of a story told by a docent is more compelling that a piece of paper. The additional benefit of a narrative inventory is that it allows the tour guides to keep track of which items are on display and helps them to quickly recognize when something has gone missing.
In addition to removing the narrative labels for the artifacts, all stickers need to be removed from artifacts. While photos can be marked on soft pencil, museum artifacts can be labeled (with a tag or India Ink) in an unobtrusive place (underneath an artifact and/or out of view of the public). This will aid the museum staff in keeping up with the inventory, especially when they make changes to any displays.
An additional part of any security measures are pest control. While closets are the best place to store unused artifacts within the house, they need the same amount of care and maintenance as the public areas. Currently the closet spaces are a bit disorganized and are very dusty. Maintaining clean conditions will prevent pests from making homes in the closets and help to conserve the items stored there.
Of course, the ultimate security measure is to make sure that all items are covered by insurance. This requires a detailed inventory (complete with images of artifacts). While 43 these items are one-of-a-kind originals and could never be replaced, the museum needs to have insurance to make sure that there is compensation for any stolen or damaged items. 44
VI. What are the preservation needs of the house and grounds?
Our recommendations focus on immediate needs (such as water damage control) and long-term possibilities for the property to maintain its mid-1970s appearance.
A. Front of House
1. Statuary lions on the driveway are not original to the house. Besides not being original, they could pose a problem to visitor vehicles and might contribute to insurance issues.
Recommendation: Remove lions.
2. The heat pump is exposed at the right of the museum as visitors face it from the street. This unit was probably not original to the house, but is now necessary to maintain proper temperature to preserve the collection, provide comfort for the staff, and provide comfortable experience for visitors.
Recommendation: Plant shrubbery in front to conceal the heat pump from the street and side view. Since the city does the yard work, could they provide these plants? 45
Another suggestion: Walmart will make $25 donations, usually no more frequently than once a month per group. That might be a way to get the bushes donated if the city cannot provide.
B. Rear of House
In the rear of the house, several building elements need attention.
1. The concrete driveway in back has sustained water damage. Three downspouts without hoses run to the yard from garage gutters. Water damage inside garage corner (near copper still display) is evident; look at the bottom left corner as you go out of the house to the backyard. 46
Recommendation: Add an in-ground gutter across the width of the driveway near the house, draining to the side yard, covered with heavy mesh screening to provide runoff from driveway to yard. This should prevent water standing in the low part of the driveway after rain.
2. Flooring in gift shop buckling.
Recommendation: Flatten or provide a pad if this is vinyl flooring over the original 47 concrete garage floor.
3. Vinyl siding has been installed over original wood siding.
Recommendation: (when you have increased funding) Remove vinyl siding and restore wood siding, painted in the original color when the house was bought by the Pusser family. If the original wood is underneath, the vinyl siding simply holds in the moisture and increases the rate of decay for the original wood siding. The vinyl siding also detracts from the historic look of the structure, making it look contemporary. The building is the museum’s largest and most valuable artifact in the collection, so maintaining its authenticity and historic integrity is crucial.
C. The Grounds
The large lot of the Pusser Home also is potential area for further development.
Future considerations should include:
1. Pavilion with picnic tables and electrical outlets, located toward the rear of the house lot. This place would allow bus groups to relax or have a picnic lunch. It also 48 would be an excellent venue for events for donors and the site’s advisory board ('thank- you' teas or barbeque dinners or luncheons).
2. Try to avoid the addition of new structures or landscaping elements near the house that do not relate to the dwelling’s appearance when Buford Pusser lived here. Certainly you want to consider visitor comfort, but push conveniences to the area of the parking lot, or north of the parking lot, more on the edges of the historic house lot. 49
VII. What is the potential of heritage tourism and marketing?
Compared to many of its peers among historic house museums in rural Tennessee, the Buford Pusser House and Museum does an excellent job of promoting its location and its story in West Tennessee. Good signage within Adamsville allows tourists and visitors to find the site easily. The museum’s rack card can be found at visitor centers in the region.
However, considering the fame of Buford Pusser and how Hollywood and television continue to fictionalize his life and career, we believe that the heritage tourism potential of the property has not been fully realized. Here are some questions for the Advisory Board to consider as they envision a new heritage tourism campaign for the Buford Pusser
Museum
• How big of an audience do you envision? (attracting people in West
Tennessee, West Tennessee and northern Mississippi, statewide, national?)
• What is the best story to focus on so to attract those audiences and make
those connections and communications?
• Which ‘best practices’ for house museums within tourism industry (see
attached 'Best Practices') do you want to follow?
• Can new partnerships with the community, businesses, and schools be
achieved? Can you be a larger economic player?
• How can your property promote others in the community? In the region?
Are there possibilities for cross-promotion?
Recommendations:
1. Make connections to other heritage/natural resources sites (Pickwick Landing & other parks, see attached) to take advantage of other attractions in the area such as Civil War 50 sites, hunting and fishing events and seasons, craft shows/sales/artist tours.
2. Make connections with other museums in West Tennessee, Savannah, Jackson, and
Corinth, Mississippi. An example is the Casey Jones Museum—make sure in their renovations they retain the Buford Pusser mural.
3. Provide rack cards to all local and later, regional, venues such as restaurants, interstate rest stops, and market store (rack cards discussed under 'Marketing')
4. Develop Specialty Tours (see also Marketing, Heritage Tourism)
• Shorter walking tour to the nearby park & monument
• It may be possible to include in a longer walking tour the church, school,
favorite eatery, other sites in Adamsville within one mile of the house that
are associated with Buford Pusser and/or his family
• Driving tour: include any of the above, church where the ambush occured
and state line buildings/sites
• Walking and driving tours may be conducted on a “request basis” or for a
pre-determined minimum number of participants, or may be a special
feature of the museum only during the “Walking Tall” festival.
5. Develop Better Communication with Visitors
• Museum staff needs to compile a list of contacts at those sites to regularly
• Revise Guest Book at museum to include email and mailing addresses for
updates on new items, events, exhibits
Marketing Recommendations 51
Better marketing tools are a must if the Buford Pusser House and Museum is going to compete effectively in the highly competitive heritage tourism industry. We recommend the following steps:
• A newly designed rack card and website
• The museum’s introductory video needs to be revised into two versions, one for
You-Tube, the second for sale at the gift shop and through the website.
• Promote the Museum as the new Dwana Pusser book is promoted this next year.
• Internet site---establish ONE official website for the Buford Pusser House
Museum, its tours, festivals, events, etc. as well as its gift shop and MAINTAIN it.
Other sites of friends and family can be accessed either separately or from this
main site. (It's impossible to determine at the present time which of the
available sites is the “go-to” site for up to the minute information about the
museum.) Maintenance could be through interns or local high school computer
technician through a service-learning program.
• Blog developed in official website: Provide a space for tourists to share their
experience at the museum.
• Design community package tours (highway trip, food trip, or other types of
destinations), coordinating with local business groups and sharing benefits
together.
• Use past guest lists to “profile” visitors for more effective targeted marketing in
the future.
• Design and implement a short guest survey, such as which exhibitions they liked
most, what was satisfying about their visit, and what additional travel needs they 52
might have
VIII. What are the recommended next steps?
The Buford Pusser Home and Museum has the potential for being a longstanding cultural institution in Tennessee. It has demonstrated staying power by continuing to be a tourist draw as an operating museum for the last twenty years, and drawing in fans nearly thirty-five years after the death of Buford Pusser. All museums have the potential to grow and must constantly evaluate if they are meeting the needs of the public. This report is meant to be an overview of some larger areas where the museum can grow and refine their visitor experience.
In brief, here are the primary areas where the museum staff needs to begin:
• Inventory and Catalog collection: Current inventory is outdated and is missing
some important information (such as images). A new inventory is necessary, but
there are several software options to make this possible.
o PastPerfect — ideal for all museums, but the initial cost may require the
museum to raise the necessary funds to purchase the required package.
o Excel — or any other simple database software allows you enter your own
fields. Be sure to print out each sheet and print out an image of each artifact
to include in a “hard copy” for your files.
• Store archival material: Currently archival items are in “open storage” and
deteriorating as a result. Purchase archival boxes and folders to store items for
future use and research.
• Digitize archives, especially photographs for which you own the copyright: A
digital resource will allow the museum to print copies of archival items for display 53
and provide access to researchers, while allowing for the preservation of the
originals. This is a long term process, so the most used items should be digitized
first for immediate use.
• Thematic interpretation: The museum would benefit from reorganizing their
interpretation to better tell a complete, compelling, and comprehensive story about
Buford Pusser’s life and significance. This will increase the impact of the site and
encourage return visitation.
o Themes:
▪ Making the Main
▪ The Sheriff Who Made a Difference
▪ A Murder Changes a Family
▪ A Legend in His Time
▪ A Folk Hero for the Nation
• Reorganize furniture and look of rooms: To reflect the new interpretation, the
main entrance to the museum can serve as an orientation room (its original
purpose), where guests can view the orientation film, read interpretive panels, and
view fan memorabilia. When guests enter the original part of the house (the den
and kitchen), they can then enter the “real world” of Buford Pusser and his family.
These rooms would need to only have authentic pieces and to be laid out reflect its
original look. The ideal is to make it recognizable to Buford if he were able to walk
in and see it for himself. This also means removing most (if not all) interpretive
signage within these spaces. Authenticity is the key. 54
• Maintain exterior and grounds: The house is your most valuable artifact. There
are some minor maintenance issues that need to be addressed, but largely the
museum has done a very solid job of maintaining this resource. There is also the
possibility of further utilizing the grounds and incorporating the entire site in to the
visitor experience rather than just the inside of the building.
• Tourism and Marketing: The museum’s current promotional items have some
copyright issues, but they can also utilize local resources to better spread the word
about the Buford Pusser Museum.
o New rack card: simplify and consolidate
o New driving tour
o New orientation video: simplify and shorten
o Develop You Tube presence
o Update Website: simplify and tell a story rather than listing biographical facts
o Network with regional tourist destinations
o Begin to think about specific audiences
• Making the Museum More Professional: It may be time to reevaluate exactly
what the purpose of this museum is and then put it down in writing. Most museums
have a mission statement to keep it on track, but the Buford Pusser Museum does
not. Detailing the purpose of the museum, the duties of staff, and how the museum
plans to grow will help to make the museum a sustainable operation. Having a
better grasp of the organizational structure and operation will also assist and
applying for future grants, which require information on organizational structure
and finances. 55
56
IX. Appendices and Sources
This section contains additional information for your reference on general practices or other sources of information. Generally the best sources of information are the larger agencies (typically governmental) such as the National Park Service, National Archives,
Library of Congress, and National Trust for Historic Preservation as well as major statewide heritage organizations. 57
Sample Marketing Plan
This marketing plan was completed as a draft student project by Heather Bailey, a
PhD student in the Public History Program at Middle Tennessee State University. This is an unpublished draft and the purpose of the assignment was to develop a marketing plan and focus on a niche market. The market in this sample marketing plan is the regional African
American tourist audience. This would be a secondary or tertiary market for the Buford
Pusser Museum, but it is still a strong market for the museum to consider in the long term.
The primary audience for initial marketing campaigns would most likely be a regional general tourist audience, and then a more specialized focus on the law enforcement market. 58
Buford Pusser Home and Museum
Reaching the African American Market
Heather L. Bailey April 2008
Completed in partial fulfillment of Rec. 6510: Financial Management & Marketing of Leisure Services Dr. JoeyGray 59
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...... 60 AGENCY ASSESSMENT ...... 61 HISTORY OF THE MUSEUM ...... 62 ORGANIZATIONAL PHILOSOPHY ...... 62 FACILITIES, PROGRAMS, PRODUCTS, AND SERVICES ...... 62 STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES/GOALS ...... 63 MARKETING MATERIALS ...... 63 SWOT ANALYSIS ...... 68 RESEARCH ASSESSMENT ...... 69 GLOBAL ASSESSMENT ...... 70 INDUSTRY ASSESSMENT...... 70 MARKET ASSESSMENT ...... 71 RESEARCH PROJECT ...... 72 SUMMARY ...... 73 TARGET MARKET ASSESSMENT ...... 74 AFRICAN AMERICAN BABY BOOMERS ...... 75 COMPETITORS ...... 77 SWOT ANALYSIS ...... 77 MARKETING, PROMOTIONAL, AND COMMUNICATION MIX ...... 78 MARKETING MIX ...... 79 PROMOTIONAL MIX ...... 79 COMMUNICATION MIX ...... 81 MARKETING PLAN BUDGET ...... 84 REFERENCES ...... 86
60
Introduction
The purpose of this marketing plan is to analyze the current state of marketing and financial planning efforts of the Buford Pusser Home and Museum, evaluate possible changes in general, and provide recommendations on expanding into the African American tourist audience. 61
Agency Assessment
• History of the Museum • Organizational Philosophy • Facilities, Programs, Products, and Services • Strategic Objectives/Goals • Marketing Materials • SWOT Analysis 62
Agency Assessment
History of the Museum In 1987, the State of Tennessee acquired two properties that they deemed significant to the history of Tennessee: the Buford Pusser home and the Loraine Motel. The Pusser home is currently a house museum administered by the city of Adamsville, and the Loraine Motel houses the National Civil Rights museum and tells the story of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. While King and Pusser had no personal connection, they both serve as compelling figures who stood against corruption and injustice.
The Buford Pusser Home and Museum opened to the public in 1988 and has remained in continuous operation since that time. The museum is located in the home of Buford Pusser, who gained fame as a lawman in McNairy County, TN, from 1962-1970. His story reached a larger fan base through three popular Walking Tall films that released before his death in 1974,and a television documentary and primetime mini-series in the 1980s. These films helped to solidify his position as a local and regional hero, but it also made him a long standing hero in the law enforcement community.
Organizational Philosophy The Buford Pusser Museum is currently operating without a mission statement, but is in the process of reevaluating its purpose, mission, and goals. The museum has worked to preserve the home and artifacts of Sheriff Buford Pusser, and celebrate his story. In order to more effectively and efficiently direct the museum’s efforts in the future, the museum will need to adopt a focused mission statement.
Facilities, Programs, Products, and Services The Buford Pusser Museum is housed on the former home of Sheriff Buford Pusser in Adamsville, TN. It is a 1960s ranch-style house located in a residential neighborhood. The building itself is two stories and houses both the museum and the administrative offices. Through the front gate, visitors can drive behind the building to a small parking lot and then walk to the front door of the house. The first floor features the administrative offices and the family living spaces. The basement floor houses Buford’s bedroom and living space, a recreation of his Sheriff’s office, the gift shop, and the garage with two original cars.
When guests enter the museum, they have the opportunity to watch an abbreviated version of a locally made documentary that serves as the orientation film. Then visitors enter the house museum and tour through both floors, finally ending the tour in the gift shop. The gift shop in this museum actually does a great deal of business and is very fitting for this site. Their most popular item is the “Buford Stick,” a recreation of the famed stick used by the sherrif in a real- life incident and popularized by a fictionalized scene in the popular 1973 Walking Tall film.
The museum has evolved over the years and is currently a combination of a house museum that recreates the home during Buford’s life, and a repository for Pusser-related memorabilia that the museum has collected over the years. In addition to the museum itself, there is a nearby Buford 63
Pusser Park, an annual Buford Pusser Festival that has run for as long as the museum has been open to the public, and an annual walking horse competition known as the Walking Tall Classic. While a driving tour of sites relating to the Pusser story was developed years ago, this is no longer widely distributed or a program featured by the museum.
In terms of their marketing endeavors, there is a need to more effectively spread the word of their museum in order to maintain a sustainable operation. While they have developed brochures over the years, those have a limited distribution and the current brochure features copyrighted materials. Otherwise, the museum continues to generate business primarily from the popularity of the films from three decades ago.
Strategic Objectives/Goals Current efforts signal a reinvigorated focus of the museum, with a new website and a partnership with the MTSU Center for Historic Preservation to move the museum towards best practices. Recently the staff attended the Tennessee Association of Museums conference and is beginning to network with other museum and granting institutions.
Marketing Materials Current and historic marketing materials have prominently featured images of Buford Pusser and have branded his image and the museum with the slogan “Sheriff of McNairy County,” “Of Walking Tall Fame,” and “Legendary Law Man.” The multiple slogans may have confused the branding message, but they also serve to reach different audiences. The slogan that identifies him as the Sheriff of McNairy County makes him recognizable to people who knew him as a folk hero of the 1960s and 1970s; identifying him with Walking Tall draws attention to fans of American popular cinema and cult-classics; and the lawman focus reaches the large law enforcement fan base.
A problem with several of the marketing pieces is that they look dated and would benefit from professional editing. The current brochure contains possible copyright infringement, and tries to include too many pictures and too much text. Although the brochure and new locally made documentary carry a certain local flavor, in order to compete with a savvy tourist audience, the quality of all promotional pieces needs to increase. While the website has a quality look to it, it also is packed with too much text and is currently set to not be accessible by search engines (with both a “no-cache” and “no index” coding in the page source). A general problem with both the interpretation at the museum and with all promotional pieces is that the museum tries to tell an exhaustively comprehensive story rather than a manageable one.
Museum Website 64
Section in “Southwest Tennessee Official Visitor’s Guide”
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Current Brochure
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67
Driving Tour
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SWOT Analysis Strengths Opportunities • Authenticity • Partnerships with regional museums • Collections depth and breadth • Partnerships with local tourist • Personal touch and recollections destinations • Devoted fan base • Marketing assistance from TN • Promotion through popular films Department of Tourism • Excellent signage • Professional services from the MTSU CHP Weaknesses • Funding for a new orientation film and • Quality control issues documentary • Inappropriate display cases • Leveraging on past movie success • Distance from interstate • Information overload Threats • Too much of collection on display • Rising gas prices hindering tourist • Lack of differentiation between travel authentic artifacts and fan tributes • Decay of collections • Loss of local connection to Buford over time
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Research Assessment
• Global Assessment • Industry Assessment • Market Assessment • Research Project • Summary 70
Research Assessment
Global Assessment Rising oil prices, inflation, and a possible recession are problems for many industries, but tourism is an industry that will see a direct impact of high gasoline prices. While the economy is a specific concern in the United States, all countries are seeing the impacts of rising oil prices, including the rise in food prices and a reduction of discretionary spending. Experts in the field of tourism research are suggesting that destinations, and tourist attractions in general, begin to consider the fossil fuel needs of the consumers from all of the markets they serve — be it local, regional, national, or international. Because the current tourism industry is dependent on the availability of oil-based fuel, the new peak oil prices make that factor a necessary part of any market analysis (Becken, 2007).
Because the Buford Pusser Museum is located well off of any major interstates and is in the heart of rural West Tennessee, they will need to consider the high oil prices as a factor when developing a marketing plan. Visitors will want to make the most of their time and package several experiences into one trip. This means that the Buford Pusser Museum should consider partnerships with diverse tourist destinations in the region.
Industry Assessment Two possible target markets for the Buford Pusser Museum are the law enforcement community and the African American tourist audience. The law enforcement audience is already one of the largest market segments visiting the museum, so efforts to further court this audience would most likely meet with a good reception. While there is a large African American tourist audience in the region, the Buford Pusser Museum has not sought to actively seek out this audience or to capitalize upon the civil rights related storyline inherent in their site.
For the heritage and cultural tourism industry, many destinations and sites are seeking to actively pursue the African American tourist. The African American market is one of the three fastest growing markets in the travel industry and is ranked as the most stable and resilient market segment. Also of interest to cultural attractions, African American tourists are more likely to travel in groups and 73% of African American households travel yearly (Sylvester, 2008).
Perhaps the largest trend setter for this phenomenon in heritage tourism is the city of Philadelphia. In 1988 the city decided to corner the minority tourist market and it is currently the top destination for African American tourists, bringing in $400 million annually. Aside from the tourist dollars this market brings in to the city, the way that they have reshaped themselves to be appealing to that tourist audience has increased diversity, cultural enrichment, and quality of life for all of Philadelphia’s residents. All of those factors have created a more stable business community in Philadelphia, so the benefits are profound in both direct and indirect ways (Grant, 2005),
Because the Buford Pusser Museum has several interpretive avenues to reach the African American audience, it makes sound business sense to seek to draw on the large African American population in the region. 71
Market Assessment West Tennessee is the least populous of the three grand regions of the state and it is also the most economically depressed. On the other hand, it also has the largest African American population and already has several African American tourist draws. West Tennessee is also a major component in the larger region for African American tourists who visit Civil Rights and Blues landmarks in Mississippi and Alabama.
Memphis and Jackson are the two major population centers in West Tennessee, and both feature major African American tourist destinations and events. Both Memphis and Jackson celebrate Juneteenth, and Jackson’s annual Black Street Festival has continually grown over the last twenty years. Lane College is a historic African American college that continues to serve as a popular educational institution for African Americans on that side of the state. The most prominent attractions, though, would be the National Civil Rights Museum (formerly the Lorraine Motel where Martin Luther King, Jr., was shot), and Beale Street. If tourists ventured north of Memphis, they could also visit the Alex Haley (author of Roots) home in Ripley.
There are currently 1,020,558 African Americans in Tennessee. With gas prices at all time highs, rather than traveling all the way to Philadelphia, African American tourists will most likely be looking to stay closer to home. In order to reach this audience, the Buford Pusser museum could either launch an expensive advertising campaign, or make the most of its resources by leveraging on regional partnerships.
FY 2007
Travel Generated Local Sales Tax
Local Tax 7,000,000
6,000,000
5,000,000 Select Counties 4,000,000 ..East Grand Division ..Mid Grand Division 3,000,000 ..West Grand Division 2,000,000
1,000,000
0 Jul-06 Aug-06 Sep-06 Oct-06 Nov-06 Dec-06 Jan-07 Feb-07 M ar-07 Apr-07 M ay-07 Jun-07 ..East Grand Division 5,900,083 4,610,709 4,462,019 4,961,206 4,244,476 4,751,508 3,171,204 3,175,135 4,301,798 4,515,559 4,515,878 5,577,767 ..M id Grand Division 4,663,512 4,501,234 4,588,610 4,877,186 4,615,159 5,251,236 3,886,451 3,978,449 5,014,673 4,640,979 5,140,509 5,264,705 ..West Grand Division 2,312,040 2,231,394 2,200,542 2,314,167 2,297,496 2,630,470 2,178,325 2,139,127 2,523,677 2,367,156 2,472,332 2,536,818
Date
(Tennessee Department of Tourism, 2007)
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FY 2007
Travel Generated Local Sales Tax
Local Tax 3,000,000
2,500,000
2,000,000 Select Counties 1,500,000 ..West Grand Division McNairy County 1,000,000
500,000
0 Jul-06 Aug-06 Sep-06 Oct-06 Nov-06 Dec-06 Jan-07 Feb-07 M ar-07 Apr-07 M ay-07 Jun-07 ..West Grand Division 2,312,040 2,231,394 2,200,542 2,314,167 2,297,496 2,630,470 2,178,325 2,139,127 2,523,677 2,367,156 2,472,332 2,536,818 M cNairy County 12,604 12,044 13,192 12,370 12,070 14,108 11,726 11,579 15,383 12,924 13,938 15,010
Date (Tennessee Department of Tourism, 2007)
Considering the current finances of both the Buford Pusser Museum and McNairy County as a whole, the museum needs to look at economical and creative ways to reach this audience that they have not courted in the past. Even with the strong tourist draws in Memphis and Jackson, because tourism will be geographically limited for the foreseeable future, the African American tourist audience would benefit from a wider selection of choices. The Buford Pusser Museum could consider providing promotional materials at popular African American tourist venues in Memphis and Jackson, and should even consider Corinth, MS.
Research Project While the goal is to reach an African American tourist audience, by advertising in African American tourist venues, the Buford Pusser Museum would attract the attention of those interested in African American history and culture. The easiest way to measure the effectiveness of any advertising campaign to reach an African American audience would be to ask visitors where they heard about the museum. The Buford Pusser Museum could then track the effectiveness of placing promotional materials or traveling exhibits at African American tourist attractions.
If the museum would like to learn about how the story at their museum would connect with an African American audience, the could consider forming an exhibit review panel consisting of area African American residents and leaders, and even staff members from the African American tourist attractions in the area. This review panel would evaluate the exhibits and storyline, and then submit their feedback on how well the museum serves the African American audience and the Civil Rights storyline connected to Buford Pusser. Based upon their narrative evaluations, the museum could then make alterations to their overall tour to widen and enrich their current storyline.
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Summary While the Buford Pusser Museum could do more to attract the law enforcement tourists that are its primary draw at the moment, the museum is also ideally placed to bring in a number of African American tourists. There are ideal partners and a sizeable nearby audience to make this happen. Because Buford Pusser created the first integrated sheriff’s department in the state during the turmoil of the Civil Rights movement, that is a significant storyline in Tennessee’s history and to African American history in general.
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Target Market Assessment
• African American Baby Boomers • Competitors • SWOT Analysis 75
Target Market Assessment
African American Baby Boomers The Baby Boomer generation is currently aged 45-65. This generation is approaching or is retired and typically is the most financially affluent of any age group. All age groups tend to retain their interests over time and as tourists they will visit sites that had a powerful impact on their generation. For the Boomer generation, particularly African American Boomers, the Civil Rights movement was pivotal to their identity.
In Tennessee, there are 168,491 African American Baby Boomers, and they account for 18% of the African American population (U.S. Census, 2000). Geographically, African Americans tend to be centralized in urban areas or in the southwest corner of West Tennessee. Because people from this age bracket would be more likely to visit a historic attraction, particularly one that speaks to their generation, this is the market segment to gear programming and advertising towards.
As previously mentioned, African American tourists tend to travel in family groups and will visit sites that speak to their heritage. Rather than reaching an individual tourist, by reaching the African American Boomer, the Buford Pusser Museum would also attract the family that they would bring with them. And, considering the budget restraints, the museum would make the most of its resources by providing promotional materials at the venues that are already major tourist draws for African Americans in the region.
The proximity of the museum to this demographic group and the opportunity to tell a significant, but often overlooked part of the Buford Pusser story, makes marketing to African Americans an enticing option for the museum.
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(U.S. Census, 2000) 77
Competitors Although the museum would make best use of its resources by building partnerships, the reality of the situation is that all locations are competitors for tourist time and money. Because of the museum’s unique geographic location and storyline, a full a competitive analysis is difficult. The largest nearby tourist attraction is Shiloh National Military Park. While many National Park Service run battlefields have fleshed out their interpretation of the role of slavery in the Civil War and the role of African Americans in both the war and home-front stories, Shiloh has resisted those mandates and African Americans are not well integrated into the story at this location.
The National Civil Rights Museum has such a drastically different focus, budget, and geographic setting, that it is also not a solid choice for comparison. The Alex Haley house in Ripley, TN, is more fitting for comparison because of the size of the town, rural setting, and relative budget. The main difference is that the Buford Pusser Home has maintained a website, has regular hours of operation, conducts community programming, and is continuing to grow and expand as a heritage tourism industry. The Alex Haley home has fallen on hard times, does not maintain its own website, and frequently is not open during its normal business hours.
As a small museum in a rural setting, the Buford Pusser Museum can partner with larger institutions who are not direct competitors and hopefully use the visibility of those locations to draw tourists to the radically different experience that tourists would find in Adamsville.
SWOT Analysis Strengths Opportunities • Unique selling position • Untapped African American market • New story • Refresh storyline • Rural setting • Develop new audience • Geographic proximity • Develop new generations of fans
Weaknesses Threats • Rural setting • Overpowering pull of urban areas • Race as side story, not main • Overpowering pull of traditional • Limited budget African American attractions • Possibly losing sight of main storyline
Marketing, Promotional, and Communication Mix
• Marketing Mix • Promotional Mix • Communication Mix 79
Marketing, Promotional, and Communication Mix
Marketing Mix The primary focus of the museum is to interpret the home and its artifacts, and there is no reason for that to change as a priority. Within the museum, it is time to refocus the interpretation and develop a tour that tells a comprehensive story. The welcoming room in the home is ideal for reorganization that would allow for interpretive panels that set the stage for the tour, and then the tour would consist of only authentic artifacts in the home space. This requires removing much of the “filler” pieces and relocating much of the fan donations that have accumulated over the years.
The museum could provide a more compelling visitor experience by moving its programming to beyond the physical walls of the museum. The grounds are large and could be an ideal picnicking space, or even a place for some outdoor interpretation. In addition, the site might consider developing a self-guided walking tour of sites within easy walking distance of the museum.
Moving further afield, the museum would benefit from retooling their driving tour and making it more widely available. Aside from the self-guided tours, the museum could offer personal guides for the driving tour as part of a special event. These guided tours would be a significant draw to Pusser fans and the museum could reasonably set the rate for these special tours at $20 a person.
While the museum currently relies on visitors who search them out, they could offer tours and educational programming for school and senior groups. At present the museum charges $5 for adults and $2 for children for tours of the home, but considering current market conditions, a rate increase to $7 for adults and $5 for students is reasonable.
Summary • Revamp home tour and interpretation • Interpret grounds • Develop walking tour • Provide guided driving tours • Increase rates
Promotional Mix Buford Pusser was a noted popular culture icon in the 1960s and 1970s. The item that become most closely associated with him was the “Buford stick.” He was known as a lawman who faced down a monolithic system of crime and corruption while using unconventional methods to reinstate law and order. He became an icon in the tradition of Wyatt Earp and Elliot Ness. The Walking Tall movies and television series helped to solidify Pusser’s position in American folklore.
The museum has continued to run off of the fame and folk hero status of Buford Pusser, but the message and branding of Buford Pusser has become confused. Through the museum’s website and Dwana Pusser’s (Buford’s daughter) website, the Buford Brand goes by several different 80 slogans, including “Sherriff of McNairy County,” “Legendary Law Man,” and “of Walking Tall Fame.” In addition to the numerous slogans, there are a number of images used in promotional materials rather than one image used as a recognizable brand piece.
In addition to the slogans, there are at least two visual icons that are identifiable with the Buford Brand. Both feature Buford carrying a stick, but one has a definite law enforcement appeal by including a sheriff’s badge. The law version could understandably be separated as being the branding for the museum itself, but the silhouette of Buford with the stick is found in numerous places, and most recently was used on the cast iron gates for the museum’s main entrance.
Buford Pusser Museum Logo
Logo from the “Official Buford Pusser website” maintained by Dwana Pusser
For the sake of clarity, the museum could use their logo to specify the museum itself, but then use the sihloette for all promotional pieces where they seek to further establish the Buford Brand. While “Walking Tall” will continue to be associated with Buford, this branding should be secondary and used as a lead in to the main branding of “Buford Pusser, Sheriff of McNairy County.” The image of a man with a long stick was so heavily identified with Buford Pusser, that most promotional pieces for the most recent film adaptation of Buford’s life featured Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in a similar pose.
The best seller in the museum’s gift shop is the “Buford Stick” and this item should continue to be a mainstay. Currently the museum sells this for $12, but the price could easily be increased to $20.
There are also several events that bear the Buford Brand: the annual Buford Pusser Festival, and the Walking Tall Classic. The annual festival features an award for a lawman every year and is a celebration of the community that Buford helped to fight to preserve. The walking horse show that bears his branding is a little more difficult to reasonably associate with Buford. The event does not seem to detract or confuse the brand and it does help in that the event provides community enrichment.
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Summary • Buford as folkhero • Reduce number of slogans • Separate two logos • Keeping focus of the brand
Communication Mix While the museum could benefit from streamlining, polishing, and professionalizing their services, there are several new avenues available for them to reach new audiences. The majority of the population is internet savvy and researches tourist destinations electronically. Presently the museum website is set to not be searchable by any type of search engine, and changing that setting would help to make the website more accessible. Aside from making any types of changes to the website, the museum could make the most of their resources by availing themselves of the You-tube phenomenon. For a relatively low price, the museum could develop a mini-documentary or a “teaser” tour of the house led by Dwana Pusser, and post both or one of those on You-tube and their own website. This provides some interactivity, but also provides for the possibility of becoming a viral video phenomenon.
To reach a more traditional audience, the museum can reach those people through rack cards. The current rack card needs updating, and when doing that, the museum could expand the interpretation to address the unique nature of Buford’s integrated sheriff’s department. This new card would draw a wider crowd and be appropriate for many different venues. Using the technique of Ambush marketing (marketing to people wherever they look), this rack card should go to all Tennessee welcome centers; tourist locations in Memphis, Jackson, and Corinth; and be made available at African American tourist destination in these locations as well.
A more expensive option (but one that has several prospects for grant funds) would be to develop a traveling exhibit that provides a short but complex look at the life of Buford Pusser. Included in this would be the civil rights issues that Buford addressed in his own department. This traveling exhibit would be ideal for African American tourist venues in West Tennessee, but could also travel to universities with Criminal Justice programs and police academies. This would not only get the story out to a wider audience, but it would build interest and encourage those who saw the exhibit to visit the museum for a complete experience.
Finally, simply getting the word out about changes at the museum would provide a news story. A revamped interpretation, overhaul of the tour, and change in the look of the museum would be a news story to air at both the Buford Pusser Festival and the Walking Tall Classic. In addition, the Tennessee Department of Tourism provides a news bureau where individual sites can post stories of interest that then are picked up by numerous media outlets. This press release could build interest and it is likely to be featured in museum, historic preservation, heritage tourism, and local interest publications. This sort of press release also garners the attention of public television affiliates who are always looking for interesting stories that impact regions in Tennessee.
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For each of these promotional pieces, the best way to judge the effectiveness of them is to ask visitors where they heard about the museum or what inspired them to visit. The visitor log at the main entrance to the museum could be adjusted to record that information, and the docents could gather more narrative information as visitors describe their reactions to the promotional pieces.
Summary • You-tube tour and documentary • New rack cards in new places • Traveling exhibit • Press release on new interpretation
Sample Press Release
Buford Pusser Home and Museum
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Renee 342 Pusser Street Adamsville, Tennessee 38310 Phone: (731) 632-4080 [email protected]
WHAT’S NEW IN WALKING TALL COUNTRY Exciting Changes at the Buford Pusser Museum
Nestled in rural West Tennessee, the Buford Pusser museum stands as a tribute to by-gone years of strife and turmoil. This now peaceful small town was once the scene of a large crime syndicate that ran moonshine and prostitution out of Tennessee and Mississippi. One man led the charge in reclaiming law and order, and that man was Buford Pusser, Sheriff of McNairy County. Along with his hand-picked deputies, Pusser and his men helped to create the town of Adamsville as it is today.
Popularized by the Walking Tall films of the 1970s, a television series in the 1980s, and a film remake in 2004, Buford Pusser’s has the staying power of a real Tennessee folk hero. After Buford died in 1974, the home became a shrine for fans of the unconventional lawman. In 1987, the state bought two historic properties: the Buford Pusser home and the Loraine Motel (now the National Civil Rights Museum). The state turned operation of the home over to the city of Adamsville and the site as continued as a popular small museum for twenty years.
Recently the museum has sought out services to refocus their interpretation and return to telling the truly compelling story of the Sheriff of McNairy County. Utilizing services for the Middle Tennessee State University Center for Historic Preservation, the Tennessee State Museum, and the Tennessee State Library and Archives, the Buford Pusser museum is taking steps to preserve their collection and tell the authentic story to a whole new generation.
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The new look of the museum is really returning the home to how it looked when Buford lived there. The new interpretation tell the personal stories of the Pusser family, the first integrated sheriff’s department in the state, and the trials of a region under siege by crime in the mid- twentieth century.
In addition to the updates at the museum, there are new walking and driving tours so that visitors can get the full experience of Walking Tall Country.
For our hours of operation and directions, visit online at: www.bufordpussermuseum.com
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Sample Letterhead
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Marketing Plan Budget
• Summary • Proposal 85
Marketing Plan Budget Summary Because new rack cards seem to be the most pressing need in terms of promotional materials, this should be a foundational piece for the new marketing efforts. While the small museum is a department of the City of Adamsville, the city’s budget for the museum simply includes money for salaries and utilities, but the museum pays back the money allocated each year through money generated by admissions, gift shop sales, and donations from the affiliated friends group: the Pusser Foundation. As such, the museum does not currently have a budget in the traditional sense.
This budget will be part of a proposal for a grant either through the MTSU Center for Historic Preservation, or the Tennessee State Department of Tourism
Proposal 4x9 Rack Card Full color front, offset printing Black and white reverse Design donated by MTSU Center for Historic Preservation
Printing (price quote from Franklin Graphics, Nashville, TN) Cost Quantity $947 5,000 $4817 150,000
Shipping (price quote from UPS) Item Freight Quantity (13 Tennessee Welcome Centers) 40lb box $17.00 13 Total = $221
Project total (small) $1168
Project total (large) $5038 86
References 87
References
Buford Pusser Museum & Home. (2006). Welcome to the Buford Pusser Museum & Home. Retrieved February 19, 2008, from http://www.bufordpussermuseum.com/
Grant, E. (2005). Race and tourism in America’s first city. Journal of Urban History, 31 (6), 850-871.
National Civil Rights Museum. (2003). The National Civil Rights Museum. Retrieved February 19, 2008, from http://www.civilrightsmuseum.org
SheriffBufordPusser.com. (2008). The official home of the famous Tennessee lawman. Retrieved February 19, 2008, from http://www.sheriffbufordpusser.com
Shiloh National Military Park. (2007). Shiloh National Military Park. Retrieved February 19, 2008, from http://www.nps.gov/shil Side Step: The traveler’s search engine. (2008). African-American heritage in Memphis. Retrieved February 19, 2008, from http://www.sidestep.com/travel-info-g2885888- t19138-african-american_heritage_in_memphis_memphis_tn
Sylvester, A. (2008, January). What’s the black travel market worth? Black Enterprise, 38, 54.
Tennessee Department of Tourism. (2007). 2005-2006 annual report & marketing plan. Retrieved February 10, 2008, from http://state.tn.us/tourdev/reports.html
Tennessee Department of Tourism. (2007). Local tax trend report. Retrieved February 10, 2008, from http://state.tn.us/tourdev/reports.html
Tennessee Vacation. (2004). African American heritage. Retrieved February 19, 2008, from http://www.tnvacation.com/listing/african_american/?region=1&results=15
U.S. Census Bureau: State and County QuickFacts. (2006).
U.S. Census Bureau: The Black Population: 2000. (2000). 88
Texas Historical Commission Museum Assistance
The state of Texas offers a wealth of information to assist small museums with technical questions. While some of their services do not apply in the state of Tennessee, their general recommendations about museum management and collections care are true for any museum. For more involved information, refer to their website:
http://www.thc.state.tx.us/museums/musassist.shtml 89
National Park Service Conserve O Grams
The NPS continually updates and publishes new information on museum best practices. Many of the publications in the Conserve O Grams series are directed towards park service staff at park service sites, but their general guidelines and recommendations are applicable for any historic site. They have the budget and expert staff to keep pace with the latest information on how to best preserve artifacts and historic structures.
Included here are the most pertinent publications for the current needs of the
Buford Pusser Museum. For a full list of publications, visit their website:
http://www.nps.gov/history/museum/publications/conserveogram/cons_toc.html
or
http://www.nps.gov/history/museum/publications/index.htm