MARK YOUR CALENDAR
THURSDAY, FEB. 3
The regular monthly meeting of Walker County Democrats will be on Thursday, Feb. 3, at 7:30 p.m. on Zoom. The link may be obtained through the email list or on the Facebook page. The theme of the meeting will be recruiting candidates. For more information, call 706-7642801, email walkercodems@ gmail.com or go to https:// walkercogadems.com or https://www.facebook.com/ walkercogadems.
FRIDAY, FEB. 4
Walker County Farm Bureau will host the Blood Assurance Bloodmobile for a blood drive Friday, Feb 4, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Walker County Farm Bureau is at 101 S. Cherokee St., LaFayette. To schedule an appointment, visit bloodassurance.org/ WCFB. Save time by answering health history questions before arrival. Download BA QuickScreen on your phone or answer questions online at bloodassurance. org/quickscreen. Donors will receive a heartthrob T-shirt when they donate during February. Please eat a good meal, drink additional water, avoid energy drinks and bring identification when making a donation.
SATURDAY, FEB. 5
On Saturday, Feb. 5, at 2 p.m., Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park will present a special one-hourand-45-minute rangerled car caravan tour that will explore the story of the 1864 Libby Prison break and its connection to Chickamauga Battlefield. This program will begin at the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center and will caravan to the program locations. Please dress accordingly for weather conditions. In February 1864, 109 United States officers held as prisoners of war at the infamous Libby Prison in Richmond, Va., escaped into the night from what one prisoner styled as, “the Inferno of the…Confederacy.” With tracking dogs and troops on their trail, the escaped prisoners fled through the frozen countryside in search of friendly lines in the largest and most famous prison break of the Civil War. Among the leadership and escapees were several officers captured during the Battle of Chickamauga. This tour will look at the men’s battle experiences and how they ended up as prisoners of war, as well as the role they played in the breakout. After the tour, visit the Visitor Center and check out the temporary exhibit about Libby Prison. For more information about programs at Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, contact the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center at 706-8669241, the Lookout Mountain Battlefield Visitor Center at 423-821-7786, or visit the park website at www.nps. gov/chch.
SUNDAY, FEB. 6
The Chief Vann House Historic Site is offering free admission Sunday, Feb. 6, from 1-5 p.m. Families can enjoy a free open-house style tour of the historic Vann House, the Chambers Museum, Visitor Center and outdoor exhibits: a 19th century Cherokee farmstead, a Vann workhouse/ kitchen two- story cabin, a 1920s spring/ bathhouse atop a natural fresh-water springs, and a one-mile medium difficulty nature trail to God’s Acre Cemetery. Arrive by 4 p.m. to best enjoy the experience; museum and grounds close at 5 p.m. The Vann House is the lavish plantation home built in 1804 by James Vann, the son of a Cherokee woman and a Scottish trader. At the time of his death in 1809, he was the wealthiest Cherokee on the former Cherokee Nation with the largest plantation and holdings. His son, “Rich Joe” Vann, inherited and expanded his father’s land and businesses. During a visit to the Vann House, learn about Chief James Vann’s life and achievements, the Moravian Missionaries’ records that tell the entire story, and the fate of the Vann Family after the 1830s Indian Removal Act and the Cherokee Trail of Tears. To learn more about the Chief Vann House, visit GaStateParks.org/ChiefVannHouse, call 706-6952598 or go to Facebook @ FriendsoftheChief Vann House and Instagram @ vann_ house_ park. The Vann House is at 82 Highway 225 N., Chatsworth.