A Change of Seasons

This morning while doing some yard work I snapped a photo showing the yellow leaves of a buckeye in the edge of the woods behind my house. Leaves are just now turning in Itawamba County with autumn colors nearing their peak probably within the next two weeks.
 

A Very Special Event...

 

Genealogy Fair to be held in Fulton

The MSU-Itawamba County Extension Office invites local genealogy enthusiasts to participate in a Genealogy Fair to be held on November 6, 2009 at the MSU-Itawamba County Extension office. The Genealogy Fair will offer beginners a chance to learn more about conducting genealogical research. Guest speakers will cover a wide array of topics such as, beginning your genealogy search, using courthouse records, using military pensions and preserving family memorabilia.
The schedule is as follows:

12:00-1:15 PM Beginning Genealogy Research
1:30-2:45 PM Using Courthouse Records
3:00-4:15 PM Using Military Records
4:30-5:00 PM Preserving Memorabilia

Sessions will begin at 12 noon and go until 5 p.m. Bring a sack lunch and join us for a fun afternoon learning how to dig up your family history. Please call the Extension office at 662-862-3201 to sign up.
 

Magnolias on the Court Square in Fulton

Massive creamy white and extremely fragrant flowers grace the one of the magnolias on the Itawamba County Courthouse lawn during the summer each year. The magnolia is entwined with the history of the south and especially Mississippi. This majestic tree serves a dual role as the state flower and the state tree. There’s no wonder Mississippi is known as the Magnolia State.

Magnolia grandiflora, commonly known as the Southern magnolia or bull bay, is a native of the southeastern United States.

It is an ancient genus, having evolved before bees appeared. The flowers developed to encourage pollination by beetles and as a result the carpels of the magnolia flowers are tough in order to avoid damage by eating and crawling beetles.

The fragrant blooms of the courthouse magnolias are enjoyed by residents and visitors alike.
 

Autumn is on the Way

A maple tree's leaves are turning a golden yellow and vibrant orange in front of the Administration Building on the campus of Itawamba Community College in Fulton. This time of year, the days get shorter and we wake up to cool mornings with the hint that colder weather is on the way.
 

Bonds House Before Restoration

I snapped this photograph about 25 years ago before the historical society began restoration efforts to save the old structure. Today this ca. 1895 structure is Itawamba County's museum of history operated by the society and has seen thousands of visitors from most every state in the union, as well as several foreign countries.
 

Celebrate Alabama Archives Week at the Alabama Department of Archives and History

Itawamba County is one of the Alabama border counties of Mississippi and during 1836 when the Chickasaw Cession of 1834 opened up this region for settlement, settlers poured in from neighboring Alabama. Today many Itawamba County families have ancestral ties to Alabama.

As part of American Archives Month, the Alabama Department of Archives and History are presenting several special events. Below is an announcement from ADAH:

October is American Archives Month. The Alabama Department of Archives and History (ADAH) invites all Alabamians to celebrate Alabama Archives, October 14-17, 2009. Highlights of the activities include a Basics of Archives Workshop; an ArchiTreats presentation, The Civil Rights Movement in Alabama by Odessa Woolfolk; a discussion and book signing with author Hasan Kwame Jeffries; and a special Saturday opening on Archives Day, October 17, with museum tours and research opportunities.

All events will be held at the Alabama Department of Archives and History, 624 Washington Avenue. Join us Wednesday, October14, from 9:00 - 3:00 for the Basics of Archives Workshop presented by Archives staff. Individuals and organizations can learn how to care for personal photographs, diaries, and letters. A $35 registration fee includes lunch, break snacks, and a workbook.

On Thursday, October 15, at the noon ArchiTreats: Food for Thought program Odessa Woolfolk will present The Civil Rights Movement in Alabama. This presentation is part of a year-long lecture series providing a chronological history of the state of Alabama as part of the Year of Alabama History.

Hasan Kwame Jeffries will be on hand at noon, Friday, October 16, to discuss the research and writing of his new book, Bloody Lowndes: Civil Rights and Black Power in Alabama’s Black Belt. Books will be available for purchase and a book signing will follow.

The Archives Week activities will conclude on Saturday, October 17, from 8:30 - 4:30, when the Archives will open its doors for a rare weekend opportunity to explore the museum or visit the research room. Special activities will be available for children and the whole family. Guided tours of the museum will be offered at 9:00, 10:30, 12:30, and 2:30. The documents in the Archives will come alive throughout the day through Alabama Voices dramatic readings. Children’s activities will focus on family history and traditions and the Research Room will be open with staff available to help adults explore their family history or other research projects. Archives staff will also conduct mini-workshops to help researchers learn more about using on-line digital collections available on the Archives website to explore photographs, documents, publications, maps, and military records. All events are FREE and a complete schedule of events is available for download in PDF format.