Mr. Gilliam with just a few of the thousands of pictures available for
viewing. Mr. Gilliam says that if you or anyone in your family
attended any of these schools, he probably has a picture of them.
Mr. Gilliam showing a pair of football "cleats" from days gone by.
 The collection includes many
sports and band uniforms as well as school jackets.
An antique "pie safe" holds a complete collection of Annuals from Big Stone
Gap, East Stone Gap, and Powell Valley High Schools, as well as a growing
collection from Appalachia High School.
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Nestled on the second floor of the
June Tolliver House resides a treasure of information
about the schools in our area. Here, you will find school memorabilia,
monograms, sweaters, uniforms, musical instruments, school annuals (year
books), and thousands of pictures all telling the story of the Appalachia,
Big Stone Gap, Bland, Central, East Stone Gap, and Powell Valley High
Schools.
The curator of this exhibit is Mr. Garnett Gilliam, a retired Wise
County educator. Mr. Gilliam has a wealth of knowledge not only about
the schools of our area but also about our history and about the people
whose personal dedication and sacrifices made us who we are today.
A photograph collection honoring Mrs. McChesney, the founder of the
Appalachia and Big Stone Gap High School Bands. Mrs. McChesney
was the first female band director east of the Mississippi.
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