Throughout my 10 years as a resident of Marietta, I've learned that it's a place filled with many fascinating people. Connie Huddleston is among them. Her knowledge of history intrigued me and just made me want to know more about her. I found out there's plenty to know.
Listening to Huddleston talk about the busy subject of her next book is a reflection of how she described her own busy and varied life to me recently. Huddleston is writing a book about James Stephens Bulloch, the grandfather of Theodore Roosevelt.
Bulloch was a banker, lawyer, and farm commodities broker based in Savannah and later Roswell in the early to mid-1800s. He was also a primary investor in the Steamship Savannah, the first steam-powered ship to cross the Atlantic, and served in the Georgia Militia attaining the rank of major.
That Huddleston, a long-time resident of Marietta, identifies with the very active Bulloch is no surprise.
Her husband, Major Charles "Charlie" V. Huddleston, retired from the U.S. Army in 1992 and currently teaches Junior ROTC at Douglas County High School.
Huddleston was a teacher herself, having taught fifth and sixth grades in Hinesville, near Fort Stewart. From there, she taught with the U.S. Department of Defense school system in Germany.
Her labors now take her to other places closer by, not just geographically but through what she is able to interpret about history and bring to life. Her published works include histories on the Civilian Conservation Corps in Georgia and in Kentucky and a pictorial history of Marshall County in Kentucky.
Huddleston doesn’t just dabble in writing, though. She is chief proprietor of Interpreting Time’s Past LLC in Marietta. She’s a one-woman history consultant, period garment maker, archaeological adviser, interpretive panels designer, drama writer, and grants consultant all rolled into one business.
Some of Huddleston’s current and recent collaborations include working with the Hardman Farm Historic Park, Bulloch Hall in Roswell, Panola Mountain State Park visitor’s center in Rockdale County, the 6th Cavalry Museum in Fort Oglethorpe, and the list goes on.
Her work even extends to the craft of making period clothing. While other companies fashion period garments, Huddleston offers the advantage of being on hand for initial fittings. “It’s going fit you like a glove,” she said of her finished product, which she sews herself, a skill learned from her mother, a professional seamstress.
As a grants consultant, Huddleston offers advice on where historical societies and other groups might obtain funding for their projects. She said budget cuts over the years in this recession have hit hard.
Even so, Bulloch Hall, which she consults with, is planning a commemoration of the War of 1812 on its 200th anniversary next year to remind visitors of James Bulloch’s service as an ensign in that war.
No doubt, the commemoration is sure to come alive through the interpretive skills of the very active Connie Huddleston.
Craig Allen has lived in Marietta for 10 years. He can be reached at alle3257@bellsouth.net.
