Friends of Historic Woolsey

When I was younger, I loved stories; my favorite was Gene Zion’s Harry the Dirty Dog. I loved reading about Harry’s adventures and the trouble he found himself in. My son’s most treasured book was Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are; when he was little, I would try to skip a few pages as we read because I was so tired after a long day at work. However, my son knew the words by heart and exclaimed,  “Mommy, Mommy, you skipped some pages!” He always wanted to “read” his favorite line on the last page. 

Stories – we love hearing them and we love telling them – there’s something comforting about hearing the same ones over and over. My father loved reading, history, and stories. He visited courthouses, relatives, cemeteries, and towns to record our family history. And, as a little girl, I would go with my dad on many of his adventures. He told me stories, and oftentimes the same ones; but as most of us have done, I didn’t pay attention as much I should have. I would give almost anything to hear my dad tell me the same stories once more. 

Daddy told me how his great, great grandfather, Isaac Gray Woolsey, along with his wife and four children, left Tennessee in a buggy with everything they owned to start a new life in Georgia. He shared that when his great grandfather, Charles Reagan Woolsey, was a young man, his father gave him the choice of college or land; Charles chose an education. My father knew and loved his great grandfather; he loved to ride his bike four miles on the weekends to hear him tell his tales. 

I can, as if it were yesterday, hear Daddy telling me how Rev. Dr. I. G. Woolsey, who cherished the town of Woolsey, specified in the property’s deed that if the church no longer used the historic building and property, both would revert to his descendants. One hundred and twenty years after his death, Rev. Dr. I. G. Woolsey is bringing a family and a community together with his request.  We are honored to continue his work in the town with our nonprofit Friends of Historic Woolsey. 

People want to be remembered which is why cavemen left their handprints, why movie stars left their footprints in Grauman's Chinese Theatre, and why we tell stories. Stories are an integral part of history; they teach, inspire, motivate, and can even caution. They are the link between the living and the dead and that is why stories must be preserved. Woolsey's yesterdays matter; we hope that you will join us on our journey, one that will connect us with our ancestors through their stories and lives.

Please share your stories with us so we can help preserve them for future generations. They are threads in the fabric of our collective history, and by sharing and preserving them, we ensure that our past continues to illuminate our path forward.