Students in Eastern Lycoming County’s borough of Picture Rocks are learning about history.

It is a timely lesson, as the community is celebrating the 150th anniversary of its charter. Students and community members, as reported in Monday’s edition of the Sun-Gazette, opened a time capsule from 50 years ago and assembled a new time capsule to be opened in another 50 years.

“I think it’s just a testament to how amazing Ferrell Elementary is and to the community of Picture Rocks,” said Laura Barondeau, principal at Ferrell and Renn elementary schools.

In addition to being timely, it also is an important lesson.

The history of our communities and of our nation is instrumental in understanding the principles and ideals that make our society special.

Often, the importance of history is downplayed as the stories of influential figures, primarily men. But the lessons in Picture Rocks recently demonstrate that middle and working classes families were as much a part of our history as any politician or business titan.

The settling and survival of Picture Rocks and the hills and forests which surround it are stories of hard work, of perseverance and of families and neighbors helping each other and sacrificing for each other so that communities could live on.

These traits, if remembered and reflected upon by future generations, offer instruction on how to make the lives of our descendants and the conditions of our boroughs, cities and townships better.

Just as importantly, the ideals found within the details of our history can lead to better men and better women — to people in our communities and our nation dedicated to the notions of liberty and hard work