Laura Wilson Gary, 86 is the author of the newly released book, Let Me Tell You About Coal Creek, which describes the history and culture of African Americans in the early 20th century in Tennessee. Mrs. Gary, a lifelong resident of Lake City, Tennessee, says that Lake City has a rich African American heritage that has been neglected in most history books. In Let Me Tell You About Coal Creek Mrs. Gary sets the record straight, describing family life, farming methods, and grooming habits dating back to the time when Lake City was a small coal mining town called Coal Creek. She vividly recalls life on her grandparents' 120 acre farm, as well as the hazards of the coal mines where her father, brothers, and husband worked.

Mrs. Gary, a retired nurse, was honored in 1988 by the State of Tennessee's House of Representatives for her "good works, strength of character, and contributions to the community." She began writing the book after her retirement, and it was published in July 2000. Mrs. Gary's granddaughter and co-author, Genene M. Smith helped with the organization, editing, and other details. Let Me Tell You About Coal Creek has been featured in news articles in Tennessee and Louisiana, as well as a broadcast on the Knoxville channel 10 news. It has become popular because it functions as both an illuminating town history and a personal memoir highlighting Mrs. Gary's triumphs over poverty and adversity. A few of the libraries owning copies are the Lawson McGhee Library, the Lake City Public Library, and the Sullivan County Public Library in Tennessee, the Calcasieu Parish Public Library and the Lafayette Public Library, both in Louisiana, and the Public Library of Cincinnati in Ohio. Organizations owning copies include the Coal Creek Watershed Foundation and the Museum of Appalachia.

Let Me Tell You About Coal Creek includes an index, genealogy charts, and photographs. The purchase price is $26.00. Copies may be purchased in Lake City from Mrs. Gary's daughter, Elizabeth Pirtle, at the Miner's Museum, and at the Anderson County Welcome Center. Prepaid mail orders, and orders from organizations using a purchase order system should be sent directly to Genene Smith Thibodeaux at Classy Expressions, 990 Rigmaiden Cemetery Road, DeQuincy, Louisiana 70633. Click below for an order form.