Brewton has been chosen as a Smithsonian “Hometown Teams” traveling exhibit site. And as such, locals may have an opportunity to forever immortalize their favorite “Battle of Murder Creek” or sports story.
The city joins 180 other small towns in 30 states in the exhibit’s six-year journey across the United States. The program works to celebrate the connection between sports and community by capturing “the stories that unfold on the neighborhood fields and courts, and the underdog heroics, larger-than-life legends, fierce rivalries and gut-wrenching defeats.”
And what better place to get those stories than the site of the Battle of Murder Creek, asked Brewton Mayor Yank Lovelace.
“This project gives communities an opportunity to share these stories, celebrate local legends and collect memorabilia from the community,” Lovelace said. “We are working now to develop a local complementary exhibit and to facilitate educational initiatives about sports and ideals such as team work, fair play, leadership and respect.
“We are thrilled that the Smithsonian has chosen Brewton to be a partner site,” he said.
While final logistics on the program such as the site location and official tour dates aren’t yet known, communities do have an opportunity now to share their stories through the “Stories from Main Street” website at storiesfrommainstreet.org or through the free mobile app available on the App Store or through Google Play. Both platforms record and map the location reflected in the submission and will accept written and audio stories, as well as videos and photos. Selected submitted stories will be featured on the website and app. The archived stories will serve as a searchable record of the unique experiences of life in American small towns.
Museum on Main Street is a partnership of the Smithsonian institution Traveling Exhibition Service and state humanities councils. It was created to serve museums, libraries and historical societies in rural areas, where one-fifth of all Americans live.