Most schools teach U.S. history and world history, but many people do not know a lot of history concerning their own state or community. In honor of the Alabama Bicentennial, the bicentennial traveling exhibit Making Alabama is visiting all 67 counties in Alabama – and Franklin County’s turn is coming up.

The Making Alabama exhibit will make its stop in Franklin County at the Red Bay Museum Sept. 9-28.

“What an exciting opportunity for our city and our county,” said Making Alabama Red Bay director Tracie Clark. “This is not only a chance for us to learn more about the history of Alabama and its story of becoming a state, it also gives us a chance to showcase our community’s own history and story.”

There is no charge to view the exhibit, but those who are interested in making donations can donate to the Red Bay Museum.

“This will be the only place in Franklin County to host the exhibit, so we really encourage everyone from all over the county to come out and see it,” said Red Bay Museum director Scotty Kennedy.

The exhibit will consist of stations with kiosks where visitors will learn about a specific area, including pre-history to the 1700s, the Creek War and  Alabama becoming a state, settlement and slavery, secession, civil war and reconstruction, political power and the constitution of 1901, world wars and civil rights, economic and social adjustments and the final chapter from 1990 to the present, showcasing current-day Alabama.

There will also be an area specific to Franklin County, beginning with the Red Bay Hotel and ending with a display on Tammy Wynette.

“From Alabama’s beginnings, when Native Americans roamed our land, traversed our mountain and navigated our waters to today’s melting pot of cultures, ideas and technology, Making Alabama will indeed be the history of our people,” said executive director for the Alabama Humanities Foundation Armand DeKeyser in the Making Alabama press release.

The Making Alabama exhibit began traveling in April 2018 and will visit all remaining counties in Alabama by December 2019.

For more information visit www.makingalabama.org.