Do you know someone who never throws anything away? From keeping a receipt for something returnable to treasuring family photographs from bygone eras, hanging on to items can prove useful. It’s also a great reference for historians as they attempt to piece together the past. Throughout her life, Franklin County resident Dorothy Cundiff collected a variety of memorabilia related to her hometown. She published more than 40 booklets on the county’s unique history. Following her passing at age 93 in 2021, the Blue Ridge Institute & Museum (BRIM) of Ferrum College received a large donation from Cundiff’s family. The collection included photographs, newspaper articles, bills, receipts, memos, books, pamphlets, and antiques. Together, those items helped museum studies students—and two recent graduates, Kelsey Smith and Caleb Bailey—plan and produce a new exhibit. The museum will feature “Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow: The Dorothy Cundiff Collection” through the end of June. The collection ...