Okay so maybe our project/site is not exactly alive yet, but it most certainly is beginning to look and feel that way. We are nearly complete when it comes to digitizing and scanning all the appropriate material with a few exceptions of some images at the CRHC. Recently we have messed around on the website and have made some significant progress when it comes to the layout and aesthetics of the site. We have found some great plugins that have helped us with pictures and creating image galleries. So if you would like to have some awesome picture plugins for your own site please let me know and I will be happy to share them with you!
This past week Leah and I went back to the CRHC to finalize some scanning and for me to take a look at some material on Dr. Urbane Bass. As you may recall in one of my earlier post we visited the Masonic Lodge downtown and came up short while going through a strange experience of possible recruitment and history of the Masons. Well as I was researching and looking through the Dr. Bass files one of the first notes that appeared stated, “Bass-See Masons”. Leah and I were quite alarmed upon discovering this note and it reminded us of nightmares past. However, it is quite possible that Dr. Bass was a Mason here in Fredericksburg because those in attendance at his funeral were prominent Masons from the area that were also wealthy white men, which included the mayor. Numerous times did newspapers from the time mention that Bass was well liked amongst the black and white communities. Thus it is strongly possible that Bass was maybe one of the few black members of the Free Masons at the time. Intriguing to say the least and creepy to think we may have to make an additional trip to the Masonic Lodge downtown.
Nonetheless, I believe we can say the project is ahead of schedule or at least on time. We should make a tremendous amount progress in the following week once we complete all our write-ups for the project allowing us to have a time to mess around with the website more. I can for myself say that I am excited to finish researching all the material and writing the story of Fredericksburg and the State Normal School and start working on the site itself.
