By Staff
Staff Editorial
Williams Station Day is more than riding hay rides, shopping at the many arts and craft booths and eating the food from the many vendors who visit our town.
It's about our heritage.
It's about remembering how we started as a community and the people who made the decision to settle in this area.
It's a look at our history. A time for passing knowledge of our past onto future generations.
It's about building a sense of pride and community, about understanding why we call this place home.
We must never forget long before settlers came to this area, the Creek Indians lived here and called this area home. They fished the streams and rivers and hunted the forests.
We must never forget that William Larkin Williams established a supply stop along the railroad and as more settlers moved to this area it became known as Williams Station.
We must never forget the name was changed in 1897 in honor of Charles Pawson Atmore.
In putting together our annual Williams Station Day section, we heard many comments about Williams Station Day.
Most were positive. Many were filled with excitement, looking ahead to the events of the day.
But a few were not so bright.
Some said it's the "same ole', some ole'."
For those, we challenge you to look on this day with a different perspective.
As a community, we are fortunate to have such an event each year. We are also fortunate to have such a colorful history, one that's interesting, one that our youth enjoys hearing.
So as the 9th annual Williams Station Day approaches and we visit the same vendors and eat the same food, let's not forget the reason for the day.
As we remember our past and look to our future, let's be thankful we live in a community that values our heritage.
A place where our streets are safe.
A place where we can come together as a community for such an event.
A place where friends are more like family.
A place called Atmore.
A place called home.