The Limestone County Archives is asking for the public’s help in identifying and mapping all the people, places and events that Limestone Countians have deemed worthy of memorializing for generations to come.

Limestone County Archivist Rebekah Davis has created a custom Google map, “Monuments, Memorials, and Markers of Limestone County,” to inventory and locate them. This includes not only historic markers and monuments, but also buildings, parks, stadiums, fields, and other places named for people, groups or events.

“We are excited about this resource, and we think it will be a handy tool to aid people in discovering and sharing the stories of our community,” Davis said.

A click of each point on the map reveals information about the memorial and the history behind it. Some marker points also include videos that share historic photos and greater detail about the historic events that took place there. These videos are part of an ongoing initiative by Limestone County Archives, Limestone County Commission and the county’s information technology employees to create a video for each historic marker in the county.

The map and the form to submit additions to it are linked on the Limestone County Archives website at www.limestonearchives.com.

Project presentation

Davis plans to present the map and commentary about Limestone County memorials as part of a panel at “Monuments, Memorials, Memory: A Symposium on Remembering the Past in Alabama,” at Auburn University’s Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts and Humanities at Pebble Hill. The public is invited to the symposium, set for 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Friday, June 14.

Dr. Michael Panhorst, director of the Landmarks Foundation of Montgomery, will discuss forms, types, styles and meaning of monuments and memorials in Alabama, followed by presentations on examples from three Alabama counties by Davis; Dr. Marty Olliff, Troy University Dothan; and Kerry Dunaway, Clarke County Museum.

Cristin Brawner of the David Mathews Center for Civic Life will moderate a panel discussion, “Preparing the Next Generation of Public Historians,” with Auburn University History Department faculty members Ken Noe, Keith Hebert and Elijah Gaddis.

Dr. Hilary Green, associate professor of history in the Department of Gender and Race Studies at the University of Alabama, will present “Reconciling the Memory of the University of Alabama’s Slave Past.” Kevin Levin of Boston, Massachusetts will present from a forthcoming book, “The Myths and Lies We Tell About Loyal Slaves and Black Confederates.”

The registration fee for the symposium is $25 and includes lunch provided by Wilton’s Catering. A limited number of students are able to register for free.

The deadline for registration is June 7 or until all seats are filled. For more information or to register, visit aub.ie/memory.

For more information on this or other Limestone County Archives projects, call 256-233-6404 or visit www.limestonearchives.com.