I’m having a wonderful time writing a book about life in Hall County in the 1930s and 1940s. Dr. James Dorsey’s latest history book has been a tremendous help. In writing this new book, it occurred to me for the first time that two things have happened in Hall County’s recorded history that totally changed local lifestyles. First, tornadoes destroyed the downtown business center and about 500 residents on April 6, 1936. Twenty years later, Lake Lanier covered hundreds of acres of Hall County farmland. In both instances, residents grieved for what had been, pulled themselves together and continued to move forward. After the tornadoes, Gainesville was completely rebuilt, better than ever. After water covered the land, beautiful parks began to dot the shoreline. Now speed boats, sail boats, and fishing boats are common sites.