Macon Prepares for National Spotlight in C-SPAN Cities Tour

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Macon is getting ready to go into the national spotlight, thanks to one cable network.

C-SPAN is digging into the city’s history as part of their cities tour.

Jonathan Poston is the director of the Johnston-Felton-Hay House. The house is a national historic landmark and it’s where C-SPAN producers think is the perfect place to begin their tour of the city.

“It is a real treasure of the city. People have come from all over the world to see it, but yet it’s still to some degree a hidden treasure,” Poston said.

“Well the Johnston-Felton-Hay House has stood on the site since 1860. It’s seen all of Macon’s major historical events since it was completed,” he said.

Macon was chosen as one of 24 communities around the country for the 2014 C-Span cities tour.

Videographers plan on showcasing the areas history from the first settlers at the Ocmulgee national Monument, to music legend Otis Redding.

“Well it’s hard to tell all of a city’s stories, so we kind of have to whittle down that list. But we like to tell the history of an area, we like to kind of encompass different eras of a city, and we also like to non-fiction authors as well, and visit local book stores,” Ashley Hill, a spokesperson for the cities tour said.

Macon-Bibb County Mayor Robert Reichert says the popularity of the city is growing, and he wants to take advantage of opportunities to show off its history.

“What makes us special is our people and our heritage. We’ve got a story to tell,” Reichert said.

“I’ll be willing to bet you that some of our local residents are going to learn something about their hometown that they didn’t know before,” he said.