We’ve talked — perhaps even preached — about the importance of looking to the past and how doing so can benefit society.

While some things are just out of our control and fall victim to circumstance, such as the fate of Butler’s Bantam building, the uplifting truth about this area is that we do have a lot of respect for the past.

Take the efforts to restore Foltz School as an example. The volunteers involved in saving that building for use at Jennings Environmental Education Center should be commended for their work. That building will be a source of and place for education for years to come.

Here at the Butler Eagle in just the last few weeks, reporters have rolled up their sleeves and burrowed through time for many of their stories, which include everything from the story of the principal who oversaw Foltz and other one-room schoolhouses in Butler County; the details of an excavation project focused on a long-gone oil boom town on Seven Hills Road; a centuries-old building on Main Street; all the way to the tale of how Ball’s Bend got its name.

Articles like these offer respect and awareness of how deep our roots dig into the land around us. We think it’s important for our reporters to delve into the past and tell stories about Butler County’s history.

In some cases, we do mean that literally. At the Butler County Historical Society’s “Digging Deeper” cemetery tour coming this September, they’ll shed a little light on some of the families that helped shape our community.

At the upcoming historical society event, groups will highlight three families of the past — Sullivan, Mitchell, and Lowry — at 10 and 11:15 a.m., as well as 12:30 p.m. Sept. 10 at the cemetery, 1002 North Main St.

In other cases, it may be less literal, but still important. Looking at the past can often provide historical context for the stories we are writing today.

Some may prefer the philosophy behind the mantra: “leave the past in the past.”

Yes, it’s important not to dwell in the past, but we must remember it. By remembering it we learn from it, and by learning we better ourselves. Places like Butler County have rich histories that may give us a new appreciation for our favorite landmarks and businesses.

—CM & TL