3 months ago
Jane Hampton certainly hasn't let the past slip away.
"I have probably 30 of these notebooks. One for every surname in my family and my husband's family," she said of a giant spiral-bound book she plopped down onto a table.
Her husband's family, the Tylers, have deep roots in Monroe County, back to the 1800's.
"Betty Tyler, one of the daughters of Thomas Tyler, found a baby on their doorstep. She decided that was a message from God that she needed to have an orphanage and she named the orphanage Hephzibah," said Hampton.
The Hephzibah Home still helps children, but now it's on Zebulon Road in Bibb County. When Hampton heard the Monroe County Reporter was collecting pictures for a photo history of the county, she brought hers right in.
"We've got pictures from the 1800s, the 1900s and the 21st century. Monroe County was created in 1822, and we've got stories and history from all along that time span," said the Reporter's editor, Will Davis.
Davis was hoping for about 240 pictures for the 96-page book, but more than 300 came rushing in.
From the first Boy Scout troop south of the Mason-Dixon line, to the first pictures of the brick courthouse, the photos of Monroe County give an important picture of the past.
"Every town, no matter how big or how small, has a history," said Hampton.
She hopes that history will inspire today's generation for the future.
"If we don't know where we've come from, how do we know where we're going?"
The history book won't be available until March, but if you want to reserve a copy, you can do that by contacting the Reporter at (478) 994-2358.
