Friends, I have great news. The Heritage of Autauga County is due this summer [this is a different book from Larry Nobles' book which is already available and which I also recommend]. The committee is completing the last batch of proofs (a task we have been working on since last May), the typesetting has been done, and the book is set to go to the printer by early March. We will then get what are known as the "blue-line proofs", which is a complete proof copy of the book. We will have to check this to make sure the photos are with the proper stories, layout is how we planned, and errors have been properly corrected. This will NOT be a long process. The publisher has assured me the book will be out by late spring or early summer. If you are not familiar with the Heritage of Autauga County, it is a part of a series of books being printed for every county in Alabama. Over half the counties in the state have already been published. The books are large format, hard-bound, and printed on archival paper to last a lifetime. The material for the Autauga book, like all of the others, was collected by a committee of local amateur genealogists and historians from folks like you. The book will be divided into two parts, topical and family. The topical section will have sections on county history, community histories, military history, church histories, business histories, organizations, and life in Autauga County. There are many photos included. The Life in Autauga County section was particulary interesting to me. We collected a marvelous series of stories from local people on growing up in this county, most of them from the days of the Depression. There are stories on farm life, courting, weddings, childhood fun, the first time electricity came to the farm, and many others. These are great stories that we need to share with our children. The Family section is just that, family histories from Autauga county written by the family members themselves or people with a special interest in that family. Submittion of stories was free up to 1000 words and two photos. Family histories were soliciated from the Autauga Geneaological Society members, the Autauga County Heritage Association, this mail list, and through the newspaper (mostly the Montgomery Advertiser as the Prattville Progress was of no help at all). It is the largest collection of Autauga County family histories available. Not complete by any means, but everyone had the opportunity to publish their family histories. The cost of the book is now $64.75 including shipping and may be ordered from: Autauga County Heritage Book Committee, P. O. Box 680295, Prattville, AL 36068. I want to thank the members of the committee who have worked, and continue to work tirelessly, on this book. And of course I want to thank all of you who submitted stories. I hope you enjoy the finished product and will realize the work that it took to bring it about. I know I am very much looking forward to seeing it!!!! John Chairman, Autauga Heritage Book Committee <(^-^)> ******************** John K. Brown Researching: BROWN, ABNEY, BURT, WATTS