As many of you know, the Shelby County Reporter, with much help from the Shelby County Historical Society, published Shelby County:

Historic Images &045; The Early Years.

The book tells the story of the county&8217;s early years in pictures and raises awareness for the societ. The Historical Society&8217;s mission is to collect, preserve and share our county&8217;s rich history. Shelby County &045; The Early Years serves part of that mission.

Fewer that 100 copies of the book remain available for sale so if you are hoping to find one of these limited edition books under your tree Christmas morning, you might be wise to let Santa know soon.

The book is divided into nine sections and it is entirely fitting that the book&8217;s first section, titled &8220;Scenes,&8221; includes photographs of Shelby Springs which played a major role in our early recorded history.

The second section, &8220;Commerce,&8221; illustrates that commerce ran the gamut from tiny businesses to grand hotels and will include photos of horse-drawn wagons and carriages and early automobiles that lend the county&8217;s streets and air of otherness, of unfamiliarity.

The sections on &8220;Industry&8221; and Transportation&8221; show the collective power of labor to grow and harvest crops, cut stone from quarries and build bridges and communities.

The section on &8220;Public Service&8221; shows people who banded together to fight crime, fires and wars and to deliver the mail.

The sections on &8220;Education,&8221; &8220;Sports and Leisure,&8221; Home,&8221; and &8220;Community&8221; are full of group photos of classes, teams, marchers in parades; in short, the photos capture life as it was here long ago.

All in all, the book is a remarkable collection of photos from the Shelby County Historical Society achieves, from local and University of Montevallo libraries and personal collectors.

The book offers more than a peek into the past; it&8217;s a chance to linger there.

We are proud to have played a part in making this book available and hope that this keepsake edition is on your wish list year.

Should you or someone you know have an interest in purchasing a copy, please contact our office or look for the order form on page 12-A of today&8217;s newspaper