As Bill Hullander watched his family open gifts on Christmas Day, he smiled at the shocked looks on their faces.
Wrapped under the tree were copies of his book, “Apison: Our Community, Past and Present, 1956-2013” – an updated copy of the original informational pamphlet from the 1950s that provided a look at Apison’s history.
“I kept it a secret … and would come home and work on it a little bit every night, writing down little stories here and there,” Hullander said. “It’s always been on my bucket list, to write a book, and I’m happy to have done it. Apison is a special community.”
Hullander, former Hamilton County commissioner and current Hamilton County Trustee, has lived in Apison his entire life.
With so many new people moving into the small town, he thought it would be a nice gesture to update the pamphlet so people can learn more about Apison’s history.
“For example, I updated it with stories from the 2011 tornadoes, and it ended with the building of the house for wounded veteran Andrew Smith,” he said, “but I also included things and pictures from my childhood, like the old wagon trains that used to come through here.”
He also looked forward to the next 50 years, and he hopes someone will update the book by 2063.
“I think that we’ll see a four-lane road from I-75 to Apison, as well as a big fire hall with a safety room for future events,” he said. “I remember when Apison was only 300 people and now it’s nearly 3,700 people, so I know it will continue to grow.”
Hullander only had 1,000 copies of the book printed but will print more if demand calls for it. The book is available for $15 at Hullco Exteriors on East Brainerd Road.