The newest addition to Arcadia Publishing’s popular Images of America series is DeKalb County from local authors Judy Fuson and Ria Baker. The book, now available in book stores, boasts more than 200 vintage images and memories of days gone by.
Both Fuson and Baker will be available for a book signing at F.Z. Webb and Sons Pharmacy in downtown Alexandria on Friday, May 25 from 2:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m.
The book includes several photographs that have never before been published. The authors tried to include every community in the county in the book, and highlight families from all over. Many old houses are pictured, some that no longer stand and some that are more than 100 years old and still in use.
DeKalb County has a vast and interesting history spanning from Confederate general John Hunt Morgan’s raids on the North during the Civil War to the building of Center Hill Dam, which formed a beautiful lake that brings thousands of tourists to the county each year. The lake, encompassing 18,220 acres, displaced thousands of the earliest settlers’ descendants along the Caney Fork River.
The state legislature established DeKalb County from parts of surrounding counties in 1837. The county was named after Revolutionary War general Johann DeKalb, while the county seat of Smithville was named after state senator Samuel Granville Smith; neither man was from the county.
Authors Judy Fuson and Ria Baker are lifelong residents of DeKalb County, and many of their ancestors were early settlers of the county. Baker has been compiling historical photographs and information about her hometown of Alexandria for years, and she currently serves as the town’s mayor. Fuson taught in the county school system for 30 years, was yearbook advisor for 14 years, and is now retired.
The book is available at area bookstores, independent retailers, and online retailers, or through Arcadia Publishing at www.arcadiapublishing.com.
Arcadia Publishing is the leading publisher of local and regional history in the United States. The mission is to make history accessible and meaningful through the publication of books on the heritage of America’s people and places. Have we done a book on your town? Visit www.arcadiapublishing.com.
F.Z. Webb and Sons Pharmacy of Alexandria will have copies of the book for sale along with a wide selection of Willow Tree figurines, New Case knives and other Case brand items, Fenton Glassware, and more.
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