Notable tales of yesteryear are about to come to life once again in Henry County.
The fourth annual Promenade Through History: A Visit with the Past is scheduled for April 27 at 2 p.m., and 5 p.m., in the Contemporary Chapel of Cannon-Cleveland Funeral Directors, 2580 Ga. Highway 42 in McDonough. Tickets are $15 each for adults, and $6 for children age 12 and under.
During the event, seven actors will portray individuals who had a significant impact on the history of the area.
Agnes Beers from Henry County’s past who will be portrayed at fourth annual Promenade Through History: A Visit with the Past. 
Frances Griffin from Henry County’s past who will be portrayed at fourth annual Promenade Through History: A Visit with the Past. 
Martin Luther King, Sr. from Henry County’s past who will be portrayed at fourth annual Promenade Through History: A Visit with the Past.
The Promenade Through History is the sole fundraiser each year for the Genealogical Society of Henry and Clayton Counties, said the group’s president, Amanda Beck. She described the occasion as a way to “bring history to life.”
We try to research the characters and get input from the families if we can, and we look for people who were important to local history, but also people who were memorable characters,” she said. “The audience always enjoys learning something new about either people they actually knew in real life or from the past.”
John Frank Ward, who worked for several decades as a pharmacist and fireman in McDonough, will be portrayed by Jeff Reeves in the Promenade Through History. Beck said she was particularly struck by Ward’s dedication to his work in the community.
“Apparently he wore two hats, as a pharmacist and a fireman from 1942 to 1980,” said Beck. “[Fellow firemen] would come down Hampton Street and pick him up at the pharmacy, and he would ride the fire truck to the fire. He also got up in the middle of the night and delivered medicine to people’s homes.”
Beck added that another character whose story stands out to her is schoolteacher Agnes Beers. She will be portrayed by Denise Sowell in the Promenade Through History.
“Agnes Beers taught home economics in Henry County,” said Beck. “People who had her as a teacher would remember her. She was 103 when she died in 2017.”
Last year’s Promenade Through History raised about $3,000 for the Genealogical Society. Beck said the community has shown increasing support for the event since its inception.
“We seem to have more and more people get involved every year,” said Beck. “We have a lot of community support for the event, and it does generate local interest in history, preservation and genealogy.”
McDonough City Clerk Janis Price will appear in her third Promenade Through History this year. She portrayed characters in the annual event in 2014 and 2017.
This time around, Price will take on the role of Frances Griffin, who worked as a stenographer in the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office.
“Frances lived on Macon Street, and she was a character,” said Price. “She would ride the bus every day to the Capitol and back. She was a talker. Frances worked, and she never married. Her sister stayed at home and took care of the house and all the cooking.”
Price said the Promenade provides a unique glimpse into the history of McDonough and Henry County.
“I really enjoy history in McDonough, and I think this is a wonderful way for newcomers to learn about the history of McDonough by learning about the history of the characters who grew up here,” said Price. “We hope we can be good stewards, and that people who come behind us will think we are good McDonough citizens.”
John Gilbert will take on the role of Capt. William A. Fuller, a Western & Atlantic Railroad conductor known for his role in the Great Locomotive Chase of 1863. Gilbert will use a script he actually wrote for the Promenade Through History.
Gilbert said what stands out to him about Fuller is his “tenacity.”
“Someone stole his train,” said Gilbert. “He didn’t know who, but he was determined to get it back. Broken rails, runaway box cars, and southbound traffic couldn’t stop him. Though little damage was done to the railroad, the fact that 24 Union spies could penetrate so deeply into the Confederacy, was highly demoralizing to the south.
“This lesson wasn’t lost on Adolf Hitler during World War II,” continued Gilbert. “He knew of the Andrews Raid into Georgia, and put thousands of soldiers to guard the railroad bridges, tunnels, and stations.”
Gilbert said he hopes that those who hear Fuller’s story at the Promenade Through History will “ appreciate the passion shown by both sides of of the conflict.”
“Each had a cause they were passionate about,” said Gilbert. “Each man – James J. Andrews and William A. Fuller – did his duty as he saw it. There was no right or wrong in this event. There was only duty.”
Additional characters who will be part of the Promenade are: minister and activist Martin Luther King, Sr., played by Phillip Hambrick; former McDonough Presbyterian Church pastor, the Rev. John A. Hayes, portrayed by Louis Ritter; and former McDonough Mayor and Chairman of the Henry County Board of Education, George C. Alexander, portrayed by John Teague.
Tickets for the event are available at the following locations: Holder Equipment in Locust Grove; Secret Garden in McDonough; Moseley Furniture in Stockbridge; the Genealogical Society’s Brown House facility in McDonough; or online at www.henryclaytongenealogy.com. Checks can also be made to the Genealogical Society of Henry & Clayton Counties, Inc.
