2024 Preservation Awards Highlight: Two Stellar Volunteers

Since 1975, the Cherokee County Historical Society, now known as History Cherokee, has had the immense privilege of leading many exceptional volunteers. At this year's Historic Preservation Awards Banquet, we commemorated Bruce Baker as the Volunteer of the Year and awarded Juanita Hughes with the Judson W. Roberts Lifetime Service Award.

Originally from the Chicago area, Bruce Baker holds a doctorate of chemistry and spent 30 years in the field, including 17 years with Dupont. And while he pursued a distinguished career in chemistry, Bruce has always had an interest in history. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Classical Studies with a concentration in Ancient Rome, and has traced his own genealogy as far back as the mid-1300's.

While presenting the award, Board President Rebecca Johnston said, quote:

"I have had the privilege of working with Bruce on the Historic Canton magazine, where he is one of the writers, and know first hand his love of Cherokee County history. Bruce may not have been born here, but he is a great example of someone who has embraced our history and made it his own."

Juanita Hughes' devotion to preserving, writing about, and sharing the history of Cherokee County and her adopted hometown of Woodstock is legendary. While she grew up in Dalton, for the last 60 years she has been an unwavering advocate in preserving the history of her beloved Woodstock. Whether it was celebrating the city’s 150th anniversary, or sharing the history of Enon Baptist Church, or heading efforts at the city’s Visitors Center at the Historic Dean’s Store, her work has been significant and impactful.

When Juanita and her husband Homer moved to Woodstock in 1965 with their three young daughters, Woodstock had a population of only 750. After a few years as a stay-at-home mom and a couple of semesters at Kennesaw Junior College, she began a 20-year career with the Cherokee County Public Library System, where she retired as branch manager at the Woodstock Library in 1999.

In 2001, she became the first docent/tourism director at the Woodstock Visitors Center at Historic Dean’s Store. The visitor’s center has grown a lot since then, and you can still find her there often continuing her research.

She is an ambitious researcher and writer and has authored three books, dabbles in music, and has been writing columns for The Cherokee Tribune since 1988. The impact Juanita has on our county is far and wide. At 89 years young, she still brings to life the history and the day to day happens of Woodstock each week in her columns. She made a significant donation of time, money, and artifacts to the new Cherokee County History Center.

While presenting the award, Rebecca Johnston had this to say:

"My dear friend Juanita Hughes is also the reason that I became interested in our county’s history. Juanita is one of the first people I met when Harry and I returned to Canton in 1980 after college. Harry was working for Georgia Power, where Juanita’s husband also worked. She sort of adopted me, and soon both of us were writing for the Cherokee Tribune. For years she would bug me to join the Historical Society, and I had no interest. But finally she shamed me into joining, and the rest, as they say, is history."

We want to congratulate our Volunteer of the Year, Bruce Baker, and our Judson Roberts Lifetime Service Award Winner, Juanita Hughes, for their impactful work!