As most of you know, we are celebrating Madison County’s 200th birthday this year. As some of you know, we are also commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Confederate States of America and the war for Southern Independence.
As a part of the county’s bicentennial, there will be a monthly program concerning the county’s history and heritage. I have been asked to present the program for February. It is set for 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 17, in the meeting room of the government complex. I am planning some surprises for you.
First, I will display an artifact found near my home in Hull that was lost by palio-Indians some 10,000 years ago. We know, then, that people have been living in and traveling through this area for at least that amount of time. I have some other artifacts from the woodland culture that dates about 3,000 years ago and a village site that has been identified as early Cherokee from just outside the county near Sandy Creek.
Then I will introduce you to a very unique family from Harrison District, I will explain how they came to settle there, what impact they have had on the county and reveal a very surprising fact about this family. The information I have for you comes from an unpublished but widely distributed book by my great uncle, a member of this family.
Of course, I will touch on the Confederacy, and how this and other Madison County families influenced events during the War Between the States. There were over 400 Madison Country men who fought for the Confederacy, many of them never came home.
Please come to this meeting and bring your own pictures, artifacts and stories. As much as I love telling these stories, I am equally anxious to hear yours. If your family has been here for several generations, I am sure you have stories to tell. And if you are a recent arrival, we would love to hear what brought you to our community.
I always enjoy talking to you anytime we run across each other. So I am looking forward to meeting more of you, and exchanging stories. We all have a share in the story of Madison County, and in order to gain a better understanding of our community, we need to exchange stories and opinions. That was my goal when I launched The Madison County Journal 25 years ago. I have always encouraged dialogue among our citizens. These monthly meetings are another way to encourage you to take part in the community’s life and culture.
Come to the meetings and let’s get to know each other better.
Frank Gillispie is founder of The Madison County Journal. His e-mail address is frank@frankgillispie.com. His website can be accessed at http://www.frankgillispie.com/gillispieonline.
