Memorial Day weekend is, perhaps more than any other day in the entire year, a celebration of Lawrence County’s and Ironton’s history and their place in American history.

To this end, the Lawrence County Historical Society will host a walking tour of the Rankin Historic District Saturday, May 26.

Historical society member Debbie Rogers said the tour will begin and end at the historical museum at 506 S. Sixth St.

It will encompass 12 to 14 blocks near the museum. It will be led by people portraying noted abolitionist, the Rev. John Rankin, and his granddaughter, Elizabeth Gray. They will lead participants past structures that have a prominent place in the city’s early days.

“We’ll point out the historic houses and give brief descriptions,” Rogers said. “This is a way for people to learn more about the city’s history and about the people who once lived here.”

Rogers said the houses on the tour will not be open to visitors and those who take the tour will not be allowed inside any house on the tour. The names of people living in the houses will not be disclosed.

At the conclusion of the tour, historian Jim Monte will be at the museum to share his John Campbell collection. Monte’s collection includes a compass that was used to map out the land that is now the city of Ironton.

Rogers said the tour will begin at 5 p.m. and will take approximately two hours. Participants are asked to wear comfortable walking shoes.