Uncle Remus Museum

ON July 20, 1879 an undersized thirty-year-old journalist from Atlanta known as Joe Harris began a journey from relative obscurity to interregional fame. On that day, the Atlanta Constitution published the young copy editor's "Story of Mr. Rabbit and Mr. Fox as told by Uncle Remus." Within months, magazines across the country were reprinting his tales, and after more than 1,000 written requests for a collection, the first Uncle Remus book was published in November, 1880.

THE UNCLE REMUS MUSEUM is located in Turner Park, three blocks south of the courthouse on Highway 441 in Eatonton, Georgia, birthplace of Joel Chandler Harris. The museum is a log cabin made from two original Putnam County slave cabins. The building is similar to the one occupied by Uncle Remus, the lovable character made famous by Mr. Harris. Colorful scenes in each of the windows depict the countryside of a southern plantation during the ante-bellum days. Shadow boxes containing delicate wood carvings of "de critters" capture the other world of Uncle Remus. The focal point of the cabin is a large portrait of Uncle Remus and the Little Boy.

A fireplace surrounded by mementos of the era occupy one end of the cabin. Evidences of the close affectionate relationship between the old man and his little friend are scattered about the fireside. Articles are authentic as to time and are mentioned in the stories.

First editions of many of Mr. Harris' works and numerous articles of interest occupy a counter near the center of the museum. Uncle Remus books and souvenirs can be purchased. Turner Park, site of the museum, has been acquired by the organization. It was a part of the original home place of Joseph Sidney Turner, the "Little Boy" in the tales of Uncle Remus.

Joel Chandler Harris, creator of Uncle Remus, was born in Eatonton in 1848. This small museum, located in an old slave cabin, averages 12,000 visitors a year. To appreciate the museum, it's best to have already read the once beloved book -- which is not easy, it being politically incorrect and out-of-print and all. Joel Chandler Harris's books and other souvenirs can be purchased at the museum.

From Wikipedia: "Joel Chandler Harris (December 9, 1845 – July 3, 1908) was an American journalist born in Eatonton, Georgia who wrote the Uncle Remus stories. His stories gained popular success and included Uncle Remus, His Songs and His Sayings: The Folk-Lore of the Old Plantation (1880), Nights with Uncle Remus (1881 and 1882), Uncle Remus and His friends (1892) and Uncle Remus and the Little Boy (1905)."

"The stories, based on the African-American oral storytelling tradition, were revolutionary in their use of dialect. They featured a trickster hero called Br'er Rabbit ("Brother" Rabbit), who used his wits against adversity, though his efforts did not always succeed."