History – what is it and why should we care about it?
The 5th edition of the American Heritage® Dictionary gives 7 definitions for history. The following 5 have some applicability to Mountain Home.
- A chronological record of events, as of the life or development of a people or institution, often including an explanation of or commentary on those events.
- An established condition or pattern of behavior.
- The branch of knowledge that records and analyzes past events.
- The past events relating to a particular thing.
- The aggregate of past events or human affairs.
While our personal and family history is unique to each of us, Mountain Home is a juncture where roots of many families intersect. These intersections comprised of family by blood, brothers and sisters through Christ Jesus, bonds of friendship and brotherly love and community, and love of country.
History provides context if we study it. It sheds light on major events that helped shape the lives of our ancestors, and how they responded to everyday challenges and to the winds of change events they encountered. Historical facts and family stories past from one generation to the next often affords glimpses of their personalities, their talents, their strengths, their tenacity, their character, and the true nature of their heart.
If you have ever wondered how you got through a time of great trouble or grief, or why you are drawn to those favorite pastimes or hobbies – maybe the answer awaits you in the history of the family into which you were born.
Consider two of the most important questions about the historical past of your family, community, religious beliefs, and your country. Why? How?
Our deepest level of understanding comes from answering why and how. It can also help us understand how our time in history is similar to or different from other periods in history.
It also allows us to see the world around us in a new way – generally with a greater understanding of challenges our ancestors faced, insights into some of their triumphs and some of their greatest losses.
No matter how much you know or don’t know about the history of your family, the community they lived in, or how the events of their lives eventually led to you, it is unmistakable that there are many gems in our collective history that intersect at Mountain Home.
In the days and months prior to formally establishing the Heirs of Mountain Home as an Alabama nonprofit corporation, we began research to determine veterans buried at Mountain Home that were unknown because the grave did not include a military marker. Not only did that effort identify may veterans, it also revealed the tip of a deep and diverse history that converges here. That is why we included a history program so we could continue the search.
We have included pages for the history of Mountain Home and Local History which pertains most directly our community and its history. We also include some limited information for Regional and National History – primarily to provide additional context for our primary history pages. All of these pages will be updated as additional information is found and verified.