A little Jazz on a cool June evening
by June 6, 2009 10:43 am 116 views
story and photos by Linda Kaufenberg
Lighting up the evening of June 5 at the Bonneville House was the music of John Lindquist and Larry B as guests enjoyed Jazz in June, the major fundraising event for 20 years.
“The proceeds from Jazz in June provide us with money for general upkeep of the house,” said Mark Linam, President of the Booneville House Association. “We just finished renovating the kitchen. With any older house, there is always a laundry list of things to do.”
The mission of the Bonneville House Association is to preserve, protect and maintain the Bonneville House and its history. The association actively manages the marketing, funding and general business of the house with a 15-member Board of Directors.”
The Bonneville House has a rich past and distinctive place in the history books of our city, state, and nation. This house was built in 1868 and occupied by the David McKibben family for 10 years. It was later sold to Sue Neis Bonneville, widow of General Benjamin Louis Eulalie de Bonneville (1796-1878), for whom the Bonneville Dam, Bonneville Salt Flats and Bonneville Elementary School were named.
In 1962, Melanie Holt Speer, recognizing its historic value and potential for restoration, purchased the old house and began renovations to restore the house to its former grace. In 1967, the Bonneville House was placed in a foundation and a group of Fort Smith women formed the Bonneville House Association. In 1997, the Melanie Holt Speer Foundation gave the Bonneville House to the association and her husband, Ralph Speer, Jr., established an endowment trust to be used to maintain the house.
“We are recognizing all past presidents with a pencil drawing of the house by Lisa James,” said Kate Maurras, chair of the event. “This year the format was changed a little with catered food and no silent auction. This event is our way of saying thanks to members and guests.”
“Jazz in June seems to signal that Spring and Summer are here,” Linam added.
Past presidents recognized at the event were: Mary Udouj (1985), Rose Bethel (1988), Becca Yarbrough (1989), Jacquelyn Wallace (1996 & 1997), Margaret Carter (2001 & 2002), Alice Honea (2005), Max Correll (2007), David Craig (2008) and Mark Linam (2009).
