by Roberta Barnes

Today is important, but have you ever wondered about the path that led to today? What challenges did those in the area face, and how did they deal with those challenges? How did China get its name? What were those amazing things done in the past that have been filed away in a diary? As you learn about the past of a community you can begin to feel the oneness of the community that blends yesterday with today.

The meetings of the China historical society, which wrote its bylaws in 1974, had stopped for numerous reasons. In October 2022 the China historical society began meeting again with the focus being on the oneness of the community. In April 2023 the society received its 501c3 non-profit status from the United States IRS.

During the colder months of the year the historical society members met in the accessible portable building behind the town office, but this last meeting was held in the unheated China Museum. Many things were discussed, including the July 13 meeting that will flow into elders of China telling interesting and fun details about the town’s history.

This July 13th meeting is open to everyone, so mark your calendar for 6 p.m.

Being at this evening meeting held in the China Baptist Church you might imagine yourself sitting around a campfire listening to elders of the community revealing forgotten details about those stories of the past that you have only heard bits and pieces.

You might think the China museum as just having a lot of old stuff. Much of that old stuff comes with intriguing stories. One of the things in the China museum comes with a story that shows the creative initiative actions of people in China’s past to take on challenges. A hundred years prior to ADA people still had physical limitations, buying needed adaptive equipment such as wheelchairs on eBay or Amazon was not an option. One person, recognizing the challenges that faced her grandfather, built a wheelchair completely out of wood.

Many other things in the museum show the nature and actions of the people in past decades that formed the beauty we see in China today.

One of the challenges the China historical society faces today is finding what can best be described as a vault in which to store relics of China’s past in a way that can stop deterioration. Another challenge is deciding on the historical relevance of various building within China.

As one of the members described to me, China covers a wide area that includes China Village, South China, Branch Mills, and Weeks Mills. All these areas together can provide fascinating history, which everyone is invited to hear on Thursday July 13.

Elders from all this area will be present at the China Baptist Church Thursday July 13 2023. The society’s brief initial meeting at 6 p.m., will naturally flow into these elders revealing and explaining to all those attending much of China’s intriguing history.