Hometown Taken for Granted?

When giving tours, I am frequently asked what it was like growing up in a Hallmark town. It still shocks me after all this time. Madison, while growing up, was just our hometown, a place that was a bit boring at times. We did not have a designated Historic District until 1974, so until then, everyone did whatever they pleased with their own property and little was done to promote the history of what I now realize is a special, special place. Living out in the country most likely added to my not realizing the pure history we lived among. Schools did not share the stories with us either. Times are different now. I may have taken it for granted when I was younger, but I am trying with all my might to share what the Hallmark of the South has to offer. Better late than never, I suppose.