2026 is an important year for our country as we prepare to celebrate the United States Semiquincentennial on July 4th! Here you will find all kinds of activities and events leading up to the special day. The Historical Research Center and RCLS as a whole are excited to participate in this one-time celebration.
RCLS Calendar Genealogy Resources 250th PassportUpcoming 250th Events:
America 250 Lecture Series
Walking Through History (An America 250 Event at Smyrna Public Library)
Revolutionary Rutherford:
The Rutherford County Library System presents Revolutionary Rutherford, a 5-panel traveling exhibit that will premiere at Linebaugh Public Library
on Saturday, May 30, through July 13.
This exhibit was made possible by funding through the Tennessee America 250 Commission and Middle Tennessee State University Honors College,
and its grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. The panels were developed by the Rutherford County Library System and the Rutherford County Archives. The exhibit will be available to travel to different institutions throughout the country to celebrate America 250 and Rutherford County’s history. If interested in hosting the exhibit, please fill out the form below.
250th Reading Challenges:
This is a system-wide reading challenge running from January 4th until July 4th that includes reading and/or listening. There will be a prize drawing at the end, and participants who complete the Road to Reading challenge will receive a commemorative coin.
Maps to help you track progress are available at your local library branch.
Road to Reading Instructions:
Participants will read for 250 minutes per week, 30 minutes a day, which includes reading or listening. Each dot on the map represents 200 minutes read. By July 4th, participants should have read for at least 6000 minutes. Once completed, they’ll turn in their paper after July 4th to receive their coin.
50 State Reading Challenge:
Participants have the option to read a book from each of the 50 states. To keep track of what they’ve read, they can color in a star for that state. Participants who finish this challenge will have an honorary 250th book plate in their name to be placed into a new book.
All America250 Lectures Available on YouTube!
Please enjoy access to all of our past America250 lectures on our YouTube channel!
Genealogy Resources
Want to learn more about your family history? Look into our First Families program? Are you just a history buff who wants to learn more about Tennessee and Rutherford County? Check out the library’s genealogical resources here!
Smyrna Public Library is a recipient of a $25,000.00 grant for Tennessee America 250 initiatives from the Tennessee Commission for the United States Semiquincentennial. The grant award will be used to organize a community event Walking Through History: An America 250 Festival at Smyrna Public Library, a free, large-scale community heritage event commemorating Tennessee’s America 250 on August 1, 2026, from 10 AM to 3 PM.
Funding prioritizes high-quality historical and cultural programming, professional presentation infrastructure, and accessible, family-friendly experiences that encourage public engagement with local and national history through public performances, historical reenactments, cultural exhibits, and more. The Town of Smyrna serves as a primary community partner for this project, integrating the festival into the town’s event calendar and providing additional support by allowing Smyrna Public Library to utilize the Old Rock School Park in Smyrna, Tennessee, for this event.