Every community has a story to tell.
And when a community strives to promote tourism and economic development, it’s important to distinguish itself from other communities by telling its story.
At UGA, two campus units are working together to help capture local histories in Georgia as a way of preserving the past and boosting economic development.
The Archway Partnership is helping take the Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies’ oral history program, the First Person Project, to communities across the state to record interviews in Georgia counties.
The First Person Project documents the experiences of everyday Georgians. To date, the Archway-Russell Library collaboration has taken the project to Sumter and Pulaski counties.
Oral history and media archivists from the Russell Library traveled to Pulaski County to record stories about the Ocmulgee River. Interviews were recorded with 12 community members and included stories about Indian artifacts, the steamboat days, the motorboat club in the 1950s and 1960s, and the more recent Ocmulgee Water Trails Partnership.
In Sumter County, the First Person Project recorded eight interviews with citizens who talked about the history of downtown Americus, the tornado of 2007, education in rural communities, industry and business growth, and historic preservation. Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, who grew up in Sumter County, participated in the project by telling stories about his hometown of Plains, his family, his presidency and his return to Georgia.
To listen to audio excerpts from the project, visit https://soundcloud.com/russelllibraryoralhistory/sets/fpp_ontheroad
To see former President Carter’s interview, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVPu01WCMuM&feature=youtu.be.