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old keepsakes
The recent discovery of hundreds of photos take by the late Mabel Prevatte, each meticulously labeled with dates, people and places on the backs, reminds us that the preserving or neglecting of history is just a toss into the dumpster away.
Just last week, several rolls of old 16 mm film were found in the attic of the Prevatte house. Some of it showed priceless documentation of how tobacco was cropped and cured in its early days. Priceless history.
Too often, the heirs of those who leave this world with trunks full of pictures or old videos toss these treasures into the trash. It’s simply the convenient thing to do, but oh, what a loss.
Before the printing press and photography, the only way to pass down history was word of mouth. We have that luxury now, but often it is forsaken.
First, we want to encourage everyone to consider saving anything that may be of historical value to the county.
Second, maybe it’s time to form a Columbus County Historical Preservation Society, a volunteer group that would start a repository for old pictures and documents.
We often take history for granted. What may not seem so important now will one day be seen as a treasure. It’s too bad that much of this ends up in the trash simply for the sake of expediency.