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On July 20, the representatives from the Tupper Lightfoot Memorial Library and the City of Brundidge cut the ribbon that officially opened the city library’s SmartStart StoryStation at Ramage Park.

A group of 40 students, participating in the summer program at Pike County Elementary School, were the first to explore and enjoy the StoryStations.

The youngsters were challenged with putting a fallen Humpty Dumpty back together again, and viewing their surroundings through a telescope, playing a color-coded xylophone and reading word and picture stories.

Theresa Trawick, library director, said the SmartStart StoryStation is an outstanding learning opportunity for young readers.

And, there’s also a bit of history tied to the “StoryLand.”

Former Brundidge Mayor Jimmy Ramage attended the official opening of the StoryStations and shared the history of the park.

Ramage said the land for the baseball and softball fields at Ramage Park was donated to the city by Fox John Beam in memory of his mother, Mary Louise “Ouiser” Johnston Beam.

“Ouiser was the granddaughter of James T. Ramage,” he said. “The land was used in the early 1890s and the 1900s to receive and ship cattle from Brundidge to Texas and other destinations in the West.”

Ramage said the silos were used to store grain from one crop year to the next and to feed the cattle as they waited to be shipped or as they arrived. The cattle were grazed in Pronto during their stay in Brundidge.

Stories passed down tell of the cattle being driven, on foot, through Brundidge on their way “up the road” to Pronto.  Anyone having heard stories passed down or, perhaps, a rare photo of the “cattle drive” is encouraged to share it with “Tupper” by phone at 334-7352541 or at the library on South Main and Oak streets in downtown Brundidge.