Another exciting program to be held late this year will feature Herb Bridges and his new book about the premier of Gone With The Wind. December 1999 will mark the sixtieth anniversary of that glamorous evening. Herb Bridges is both knowledgeable and entertaining so the talk should be a memorable one. Copies of his book will be available for purchase and signing! More information will be shared about this event as details are finalized.

This year's theme is "In God We Trust" and includes a general look at life during the past one hundred years. Bill Parsons, Principal at Troup County Comprehensive High School, will be the Grand Marshall. The parade will be held on July 4^th at 2:30 p.m. Youth under the age of nineteen participate. (Special thanks to Annette Boyd for sharing the albums!)

Julie Turner of Heard County and Debbie Curtis Toole of Gainesville coordinated the meeting while Ann Petry and Kaye Minchew served as the Troup County contacts. Dixie Mill was included on the tour because it is our oldest operating mill and some of the original building structure is visible on the interior. Most members of the group ended up being fascinated with Dixie's process of making towels -- the modern machinery and processes proved enlightening.

Hills and Dales was included not because of the presence of vernacular architecture (meaning the architecture of the common man and not designed by an architect) but because of the connections of the Callaway Family with the textile industry.

One unexpected but memorable occurrence of the day was the sounding of the new weather alarms. Tornado watches were in effect for part of the afternoon and most of the evening. The sirens had just been in place for two days when suddenly they were filling the air! Fortunately, no tornadoes landed in our area and a good time was had by all!

The West Point Public School building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on April 1, 1999. The nomination was sponsored by the local preservation organization Our Town, Inc., which has owned the building since September 1998.

The Colonial Revival-style brick building was designed by the architectural firm of Dennis & Dennis of Macon, GA, and was constructed in 1930. Located on the highest point in town, it is at least the third school building to occupy the site. It was abandoned in 1986 when the West Point school system merged with Troup County, and suffered severe deterioration and vandalism over the next twelve years.

During January and February 1999, Daniel Construction Company of LaGrange worked to stabilize the building and prevent further deterioration. Windows were boarded up, and roof and floor damage repaired. Donations from alumni and local supporters were used to pay for the work.

Last fall, Our Town, Inc. received a matching predevelopment grant from the State of Georgia's Historic Preservation Division, which will be used to complete the architectural study necessary for renovation. Our Town, Inc. will be seeking additional grants to fund further renovation work, with the purpose of turning the building into a community center housing Senior Citizens' activities and other area needs.

As a necessary step in seeking funding from foundations, Our Town, Inc. has recently organized a support group, Friends of West Point Public School. Brochures have been mailed to all West Point residents and all alumni whose addresses are available, soliciting support in the form of an annual contribution. Membership contributions from Friends will help pay for necessary expenses like postage and insurance, and will serve as proof of significant local support for the renovation.

Brochures with membership applications are available at the Troup County Archives. Donations are accepted at Our Town, Inc., P.O. Box 168, West Point, GA 31833 or contact Stephen Johnson,(706)643-7851. All contributions are fully tax-deductible.

The fifteen teachers were all elementary teachers (the first time this has happened!) and were from Ethel Kight, Rosemont, Hollis Hand, Mountville, and Hillcrest Schools. Archives Director Kaye Minchew and Clark Johnson, Troup County Historian, led the class. Teachers receive staff development credit for their work during the week.

With each program, discussions were held as to possible ways to use the activity in the classroom. Specific activities of the week included:

-- a walking tour of Broad Street and a scavenger hunt of LaGrange College as teachers learned about local history and looked for details.

-- a workshop on bringing archeology into the classroom with presentations by State Archeologist David Crass and archeologist Rita Elliott.

-- reporting on the oral history interviews the teachers did before the class started. Their only instruction was to ask their interview subject about changes in transportation during their lifetime. A general discussion on how to best prepare for oral history interviews followed where the group agreed that having general topics in mind worked much better than having actual questions.

-- a walking tour of Hillview Cemetery. Clark Johnson pointed out particularly distinctive graves, history, and interesting features of the cemetery.

-- an exploration of the Beechwood Circle neighborhood. Located on the former Troup County fairgrounds land and on the old race track, the houses in Beechwood offered a great opportunity to compare houses that have been changed and altered over the years. The houses in this area were built soon after World War II to provide housing for veterans and their families.

-- lunch on Wednesday was at Ann and Bill Petry's home in Liberty Hill in northwestern Troup County. The effect of transportation changes on residents in this rural area were explored. While the home still seems far from town, the coming of automobiles has had a significant impact. Trips to town to get supplies once took at least two days -- a similar round trip today can be made in an hour or so!

--on Thursday, the teachers visited with five old cars and their drivers. Dr. Werner Linz, Bill Kennedy, Willis Ball, and Warren Erickson with his visiting son and grandson brought their old cars downtown for the morning. The cars were from different decades and teachers looked for similarities and differences with today's cars plus they talked to the drivers to explore the reality of driving old cars. Features we take for granted such as air conditioning, seat belts, comfortable seats, and heat were missing in many of these old cars. Teachers then had to write a creative essay or poem about the cars or scenes the cars may have witnessed over the years.

-- overheads of historical documents were used to show how transportation has impacted Troup County's development.

-- the highlight of the week (at least for the instructors) was the presentation of the projects. Teachers formed groups of three or four members and developed projects which they should be able to use in the classroom. Projects included a "live interview with ghosts" from the Thrash Cemetery as two of the teachers explained the joys and hardship of life in the late 1800s; a lively round of "Troup Trivia" (based on the Jeopardy game show); a "Troup Bingo" game; and a study of the Declaration of Independence which included a look at what was going on in Troup County at the time. (The Creek Indians were in the area then.)

The Troup County Historical Society provided lunch for the group on Thursday and most of the principals from the schools were able to join us. Historical Society President Glenda Major presided.

All in all, it was a very exciting week. What will be even more exciting will be when students start to benefit from these workshops this fall!

Teachers in this year's course included:

• Gail Walsh (a retired teacher)
• Jewell Albright
• Nancy Mann
• Kathy Sivell
• Mary Pauley
• Faith Lee
• Pam Pardue
• Debbie Lynn
• Beth Denney
• Barbara Whitten
• Ann Woodward
• Jim Humphries
• Gretta Wright
• Judy Miller
• Kay Davis

Coverlet, woven on Ridley Plantation, Heard County, c.1900. Donated by Donna Gannaway, Lake Mary, FL. Coverlet belonged to Mattie Clyde Lane Ridley, LaGrange native, b. 1888

Granite Farm Letters, Civil War Correspondence and Lachlan McGillivray, Indian Trader, donated by Martha Thom.

Keller, William Wates, Collection and Vernon Family Bible Records. Donated by Mrs. Julia Keller.

Mauldin, John. Life Prescription, (Troup County author) and Prominent Women of Georgia, c.1930, biographical sketches. Donated by Kaye Minchew

National Register application for Royal Theater, Hogansville, copy donated by Suzanne Cook, Hogansville.

One special component of the Celebrate 2000 activities will actually take place before and after New Year's Eve. The Heritage Subcommittee is planning a variety of activities to mark this occasion.

1) The Troup County Archives will host a special exhibit from the National Building Museum on Kress Stores and department stores in general. This exhibit will be at the Archives in December and January, 1999. The Archives will remain open until 10 or 11 p.m. on December 31st giving more people a chance to see the exhibit and a place to get warm or dry or just relax a little indoors! The National Building Museum, together with the Smithsonian, prepared the Barn Again exhibit which was on display at the Archives in Summer 1998.

2) A time capsule will be prepared and placed in downtown to be opened December 31, 2049 or January 1, 2050. Students who are part of the Celebrate 2000 Youth Committee will help decide what goes into the time capsule, with support from the Heritage Committee. What items will best represent the people of Troup County in 1999? If we put CD-Roms, video tapes, or computer disks in, will they be usable or playable?? If you have thoughts about what should go in, please call one of the Heritage 2000 committee members a call.

3) A photo contest will be held to document in the life of Troup County. Prizes will be given in two catagories -- individual photograph and photo album, documenting the life of a family, class or group of people. Copies of the winning entries will be placed in the time capsule. Other entries may become part of the collections of the Troup County Archives. Judges will include both professional photographers and historians. Deadline for entering will be November 1st.

4) An Essay Contest will be held to predict what Troup County and the world will be like in the year 2050. Essays should consist of 100 words or less and there will be two categories: essays and poems (which can include songs). There will be several winners: each school will be asked to choose a winner plus the contest will be opened to the general public. Copies of winning entries will be placed in the time capsule. Deadline for entering will be November 1st.

5) Encourage community residents to do Oral History Interviews with older citizens about changes witnessed during the twentieth century. We would love to have copies of either video tapes or audio tapes to add to the Troup County Archives collections. After careful consideration of the issue and discussion with our Heritage Education teachers who have done interviews, we have decided it would be best not to have sample questions -- it generally works best to let questions arise during the course of the conversation. Instead, we will ask interviews to focus on changes in life-styles, transportation, religion, education, etc. Perhaps you have a grandparent or other relative, neighbor, or a member of your church who would be a good person to interview! Call the Archives at 884-1828 and we can send you a release to have the person sign and general guidelines for doing an interview.

Celebrate 2000 Subcommittee members are:

• Kaye L. Minchew, Chair
• Peter Lukken
• Glenda Major
• Ethel Ault
• Laura Lewis

All of these activities will be special reminders of the significance of the new millennium. They will also be treasured resources for future generations of researchers at the Troup County Archives.

"Our Community LaGrange", 1931. Donated by Lillian Clark, written by freshmen civic class at LHS.

World War II experiences of Charles Maddox & Edgar Scott, 1941-1945. Newsclippings copied from Charles Maddox, LaGrange.

Membership in the TROUP COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY is open to all people interested in preserving Troup County's heritage. Membership entitles you to a free subscription to the newsletter and invitations to Society functions. The Historical Society is a nonprofit agency. All memberships are tax-deductible. Mail checks to the Society at P.O. Box 1051, LaGrange, GA 30241.

CATEGORIES OF MEMBERSHIP ARE:

Builder ............ $25_________ Patriot .......... $300_________

Sponsor ........... 50_________ Senator ......... 500_________

Sustaining ......... 100_________ Governor ........ 1000_________

Founder ............ 200_________ Marquis.......... 5000_________

NAME:_____________________________________________

ADDRESS:_______________________________________________

CITY:______________________________ STATE:______ ZIP:________