By JOYANNA LOVE/Senior Staff Writer

History is a major focus this year, as Chilton County celebrates 150 years of existence.

While many of the celebrations commemorating this event are set for October, governmental proclamations and support for the celebration are already being signed.

Committee members from various groups in the community are meeting to iron out specific plans, and key leaders in the planning have made appearances at other history-related festivities this year. These have included the annual Maplesville Heritage Day and Mulberry Baptist Church’s kick-off celebration to a year of jubilee marking the 200th anniversary of the first known year of existence of the congregation.

Mulberry Baptist Church is located in Isabella and was already firmly established even before Alabama received its designation as a state.

Attendees to this celebration were welcomed by the smell of the grill even before they crossed the street from the parking lot.

Throwing horseshoes and hatchets, horse riding and historic displays were enjoyed by attendees.

Many also enjoyed traveling back in time for a few minutes by looking at arrowheads and artifacts, watching church members churn butter and do laundry the old-fashioned way.

The church is also putting together a video highlighting different aspects of the church and surrounding area’s history.

Mulberry’s other historic celebrations will be the same month as the main celebration for the Chilton County 150th.

The church will host a banquet with historic exhibits on Oct 6, and celebration will climax with the 200th year Great Celebration Day on Oct. 14. At this event, a memorial will be set up at the estimated location of the original church building, and the church’s cornerstone time capsule from 1951 will be opened.

The climax of the Chilton County 150th will take place on Oct. 27 with a celebration in Goose Pond Park.