Remembering history is important. Not only do we learn from history in order to avoid making mistakes, but it is also a way of maintaining connections with what was.

That second reason can be doubly important in areas that have experienced much change in time.

This describes the Greater Valley Area perfectly.

The Valley area currently has a number of locations and landmarks that are meant to preserve history. The Cobb Archives and West Point Depot and Museum, along with area visitor centers and the local libraries all serve this purpose to some degree, as do those individuals that have been around long enough to see the changes wrought by time. But with the demolition of historic buildings, we are losing some of that history to progress.

This is a double-edged sword. Yes, we are losing some of the more visible forms of historical reminders, but we are gaining much more in commercial growth.

With that said, we can always do more to remember our past. In this quest, the efforts of one citizen in particular should be emulated, local professional photographer Dave Shirley.

Last Friday, Shirley donated a number of antique publications and photos to the Cobb Archives he discovered while cleaning out his grandparents’ home in Lanett.

The most interesting items were photos of local flooding in the 1920s.

Now that the items have been turned over, they are likely to the cataloged and stored for preservation.

If a local photographer could find photos in an old house, who knows what might be lying around in any one of the old homes that dot the landscape?

Residents of the Greater Valley Area are attached to the history of the area, as well they should be. In an attempt to preserve this history as best we can, all should make a point to comb through older homes when possible. Hidden gems could be anywhere.

We need to take stock of what items of historical significance we have.