The Ducktown Basin Museum was in its infancy when Ken Rush was hired as the first full time curator in 1989.
Now, 30 years later, the museum is a community icon, standing tall to record the area’s history – its people, places, tragedies and triumphs.
Rush steered the creation of this icon. To many people, Ken Rush is the museum.
He has been instrumental in guiding the physical progress of the buildings, records and sites, making the museum a tourist destination, and a place the community feels welcome. Its doors open for everything from a Kids’ Carnival to the Copper Basin High School prom.
As Rush prepares to move on to the next phase of his life, and leave what has literally been his life for 30 years, he will be taking something that cannot be replaced. His immense knowledge of the area, all the facts tucked away in his brain, have been an unmatched resource.
Rush has been the encyclopedia of area history for years. If anyone had a historical question that could not be answered by someone in the community, they were commonly told, “Go ask Ken at the museum. He’ll know.”
Hopefully, one day, he’ll write a book.
As Ken moves on, we thank him for all he has done for this community, the history of which winds through the roots of the people of the Copper Basin and Fannin County. He has accomplished a feat that few, if any, would have been able to match.
Thank you, Ken, for a job well done. And best of luck for the next 30 years.