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Lawrence County was settled by farmers and our history is deep in agriculture and rural life. The generation who worked the soil behind a horse, the families that butchered their own hogs, and the days of pumping water by hand may have disappeared, but the memories and photographs still exist.

A Historical Society publication, Growing Aware, is about this part of Lawrence County’s history. This book is a collection of articles and photographs about farming and farm life in Lawrence County through the years. Now predominately corn and soybeans are raised; once hay, oats, buckwheat, and sorghum were the crops of the day. Leading the state now in turkey production and state-of-the-art feeder hog production facilities, Lawrence County raised over 15,000 sheep during the Civil War to provide wool for northern army uniforms. Prairies that once grew cotton, now grow green beans and potatoes for chips. Before artificial Christmas trees, Lukin farmers not only grew the trees but pioneered the white snow-like flocking process. Driving through the countryside, one sees the remnants of osage orange hedge rows, once intentionally planted for escape-proof animal fencing. Mulberry trees now cause parked-car owners to curse the falling berries but once the mulberry leaves fed hungry silkworms. One of our high schools in the early 1900s even operated the only student-ran dairy in the downstate. These and many other stories, as well as over 125 vintage photographs and original illustrations by Ellen White are included in this publication.

In addition to articles about livestock, implements and crops by Donna White Burton, Dan and Holly Scherer have written about Lawrenceville Greenhouses, Janet Akin Faro about Clarence Akin and the Akin Seed Company, the late John Hamilton about an experience with Piper's bulls, James Allison about memories of his father, Dr. Allison, Barbara Burgoon Gognat about the Burgoon Pony Farm, Larry Curry about African American farmers, Nancy King about the organization of Home Bureau, John King about the history of Farm Bureau, and the late Flossie Price about FFA and FHA.

The retail price for the book is $25.00 and be purchased on our website store, or at the History Center or Research library in Lawrenceville. 

Speaking of books, if you have a school yearbook you don’t want anymore, please consider donating it for our up- coming fundraiser, “Yearbook Sale” on October 5, 2024 at the History Center 10am-2pm. Contact Donna Burton 908-208-2372 for more information.