The Moultrie Observer celebrated its 125th anniversary back in March. We didn’t throw ourselves a party, but the Moultrie-Colquitt County Library System is giving a gift both to us and to the community at large through its Moultrie Observer Digitization Project.

The Ellen Payne Odom Genealogical Library has housed The Moultrie Observer’s archives for many years — some hard copies, but mostly on microfilm. A few years ago, library staff started digitizing the archives a little at a time as funds were available. The digital files are available at the library system’s website, mccls.org, where you can search for keywords and download entire pages in a PDF format.

The project is not finished, but library officials can see the light at the end of the tunnel. All of The Weekly Observer (1894-1988) is online. Newspapers from the first daily edition in 1905 through 1962 are online, and another batch from 1962 to 1986 are being digitized now. Meanwhile, daily editions from 2002 to 2017 have been uploaded too. The project so far has cost $51,000.

There are 79 rolls of microfilm left to go — daily papers from 1986 to 2002 — with an expected cost of about $10,000.

Two large gifts — $9,000 from the Tift County Genealogical Society and $10,000 from the Daughters of the American Revolution — have been critical to getting the project this far, as have smaller gifts and money from the library’s regular budget. Now, the library is reaching out to the community for help with the last big push.

Read more about the library’s effort and The Observer’s history in this issue of Moultrie Scene. The article includes two ways you can donate to help finish the project’s work, if you see fit to do so.

Also in this issue, we’re looking at the story behind the wings painted on the side of a downtown building. The Moultrie Wings were painted by the building’s owner, Lee Anne Campbell, as a gesture of remembrance to her father, Charlie Beck, who ran the Olde Harmony Antiques store until 2015.

From something “olde” to something new: Teachers at Colquitt County schools have formed a drumming group to take advantage of music therapy in working with students in the system. They’re still practicing, but they hope the group will particularly help students with attention deficits. Learn about their progress in this issue of Moultrie Scene.

And get a preview of the Calico Arts and Crafts Holiday Show, which will be held Nov. 9 and 10 at the Sunbelt Expo grounds on Spence Field. Calico attracts artists from across the Southeast in March and November, and the November show always has its eye on the upcoming Christmas season.

We have our eye on the season too: Moultrie Scene’s holiday issue is right around the corner. We hope you’ll be looking for it.

Sincerely,

Kevin C. Hall

Managing Editor

The Moultrie Observer and Moultrie Scene