Local historians bring to life The Way We Were
Features, Lifestyles, Z - TOP HOME
 By  Alison James Published 
4:50 pm Thursday, July 18, 2019

Local historians bring to life The Way We Were

FRANKLIN LIVING— When Alabama began its preparations for a three-year celebration of the state’s bicentennial, 2017-2019, Russellville and Franklin County started gearing up for special celebrations of their own. The bicentennial for Franklin County was last year, and Russellville’s is in 2019. Festivities have continued from month to month for more than a year now, and the latest efforts have been The Way We Were Saturdays at the Russellville Canteen.

Bicentennial commemorations have been driven largely by Chris Ozbirn, Franklin County Archives director and chairperson of the Russellville Bicentennial Committee, who cherishes a passion for the county’s history.

“You’ve got to preserve history every way you can, and you’ve got to tell it. That’s why we do what we do,” said Ozbirn – “we,” of course, being her fellow committee members, who share her passion for preserving the past. They conceived The Way We Were, a monthly series of historical demonstrations, exhibits and portrayals designed to inspire people’s interest in the history of Russellville and Franklin County.

The Way We Were kicked off with its first installment in May, and June brought the second in the series. Additional programs are scheduled throughout the summer: July 13, Aug. 10 and Sept. 14.

“Each event is different; we have different people and different time periods,” Ozbirn explained. “We’re working our way up to the big grand finale, Nov. 21. We’re wanting to show how people lived during this time, and not only how they lived – how they worked, entertained, every aspect of history that we can get out there.” Attendees to the first two Saturdays experienced the past through examining collections of quilts and arrowheads, taking a horse-and-buggy ride and “meeting” characters from the past like Washington socialite and Confederate spy Rose O’Neal Greenhow and “Aunt Jenny,” Jenny Brooks Johnson, a popular local figure from the Civil War era.

Ozbirn said this monthly series hearkens back to the committee’s Pioneer Day in 2018. “Trying to get that many people together at one time – that’s really a big job. So we decided we could actually show more and celebrate more aspects of it if we had it broken up into a series,” she explained. “Hopefully more people will come and see what we’re offering and learn how this area was way back then.”

Bicentennial Committee member Doris Hutcheson said they received numerous requests from the community to host a similar event to Pioneer Day. Hosting The Way We Were has been the answer.

“It’s a way of telling people about our history and preserving that history. Our younger generation has no clue what went on 200 years ago or even 50 years ago,” she said. “This is our way of trying to inform them about our history.”

“To me, history is something everybody has to know,” Ozbirn added. “You’ve got to know where you came from to get where you’re going … I love Franklin County with all of my heart, and that’s why I work so hard to get (the history) out there.”

Ozbirn said plenty of people share her fervor for sharing history with the community. She and her committee were able to fairly easily line up participants for the summer schedule of events – like Civil War historians Jerry Smith and Tim Kent, members of the Sons of Confederate Veterans who were among presenters at the June event.

“We are passionate about what we do because we know what we’re talking about,” said Smith. He and Kent do extensive research into Civil War history and focus on sharing the facts – especially the history that might be forgotten, overlooked or ignored. “We want to tell people the real truth.”

Alabama State President of the Order of the Confederate Rose Lisa Green – who is also president of the Jenny Brooks Johnston Chapter No. 18 – was another participant at the June session. Her association with the OCR is what drives her involvement in such events.

The Order of Confederate Rose is an independent Southern heritage organization whose main purpose is to support the Sons of Confederate Veterans in their service to the South,” Green explained. “The OCR promotes the honorable memory of the Confederate soldiers, Southern symbols, true history and true Southern heritage. We study, do programs at schools, museums and festivals. We honor those who served in the war with dedications, memorials, setting flags and even gravestones.”

The July 13 event will feature a number of craftsman who will demonstrate their skills. Glenn Rikard will be demonstrating chair caning, and Frank Richey will be making knives. Barbara Bishop will share her butter-churning skills, and Doris Alewine will be knitting. Additionally, Orland Britnell  and William Bishop  will be displaying old farm artifacts, cooking and household items; Joel Mize is going to do a presentation about Bylar Road; and Frank Stone will once again be giving wagon rides.

“It lets us see where we’ve come from – what our roots are and what we have built on all these years to get to where we are,” Hutcheson said. “We need to get back to appreciating our roots and our heritage, and maybe that way our future will be brighter – more the way it was intended to be.”

Aug. 10 will be a showcase of Native American culture, with guests Bob and Annie Perry, Randy Brown and Tony Turnbow demonstrating the way Native Americans lived and worked, and Stone will again offer wagon rides.

The Way We Were presentations and exhibits will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Russellville Canteen, 217 Washington Ave., with one additional Saturday scheduled for Sept. 14.

Also on Franklin County Times
Thorpe to play at Blue Mountain Christian
High School Sports, News, Russellville, ...
Brannon King For the FCT 
July 16, 2025
RUSSELLVILLE – Brennon Thorpe made his plans official to attend Blue Mountain Christian University and play baseball for the Toppers during a recent s...
Russellville High Class of 1967 gathers, reminisces
Columnists, News, Opinion, ...
HERE AND NOW
July 16, 2025
You can’t really go back to the good old days of high school, but you can pay them a visit now and then. That’s exactly what the RHS Class of 1967 has...
Former Cypress Lakes official to lead Guntersville State Park
Lifestyles, News
Bernie Delinski For the FCT 
July 16, 2025
GUNTERSVILLE — Heath Puckett had an Auburn University degree and golf course superintendent certification in his pocket when he arrived at Cypress Lak...
European travel builds bonds across cultures
Lifestyles, News, Russellville, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
July 16, 2025
RUSSELLVILLE -- A group of Franklin County travelers spent nine days this summer walking through catacombs, exploring castles and standing in places w...
Little Free Library welcomes readers in East Franklin
Lifestyles, News, Phil Campbell
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
July 16, 2025
PHIL CAMPBELL — Eleven-year-old Aiden Hall is an avid reader, but he doesn’t just want to read books. He also wants to share them, and the way he deci...
King becomes elementary curriculum director
Lifestyles, Russellville
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
July 16, 2025
RUSSELVILLE — Molly King says every child can learn, though not necessarily in the same way or on the same day — a belief she plans to carry into her ...
New Junior Leaders begin their training
Franklin County, News
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
July 16, 2025
FRANKLIN COUNTY — Forty-two high school students from across Franklin County are beginning 10 months of hands-on leadership training and community ser...
Fire destroys 2-story garage, guest suite
Main, News, Russellville, ...
Kevin Taylor For the FCT 
July 16, 2025
R U S S E L LV I L L E – Jason Gist leaned against the wall of his home with a look of disgust while dozens of firefighters worked to extinguish a fir...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest Stories
July 4, 2025Augusto Simon Diaz, 42, of Russellville, passed away July 4. Visitation and funeral were held at Spry Memorial Chapel on July 12 from 2pm ...
July 16, 2025
July 8, 2025Jamie Kerby Cummings, 41, of Russellville, passed away on July 8. Visitation took place July 13, at Spry Memorial Chapel from 1 pm to 3pm....
July 16, 2025
July 11,2025Julie “JuJu” Welch Black, 63, of Russellville, passed away on July 11.Graveside service was held at 1pm on July 13, at Belgreen Cemetery w...
July 16, 2025
July 9, 2025Scott Noel Benford, age 58, of Muscle Shoals, passed away on July 9. Visitation was held at Pinkard Funeral Home in Russellville on July 1...
July 16, 2025