If you live in Lawrence County, chances are you may have heard a ringing sound last weekend.

On Saturday and Sunday, hundreds of people took the opportunity to ring the county's Bicentennial Bell as it made its way across the county. The sound the bell made as it traveled from Proctorville to Ironton - stopping at all points in between - was more than just the sweet notes of a bell, it was the sound of a lot of hard work and dedication.

Thanks to the Bicentennial Bell Committee,

Lawrence County residents had the opportunity to ring the bell before it was placed at its final home at the Lawrence County Courthouse. All counties have had ceremonies to honor the casting of the bell and the breaking of the mold - as Lawrence County got to witness at the fair a couple of weeks ago - but our Bicentennial Bell Committee went the extra mile.

Starting in the eastern end of the county, the bell made several stops, including the historic Scottown Covered Bridge, Higgins farm in Linnville (the site of the county's Bicentennial Barn) and Collins Career Center, where an old-fashioned hoedown took place Saturday night.

In fact, Ohio Bicentennial officials took note of the effort Lawrence countians have made in celebrating the state's 200th birthday, and the creativity with which the county has done it. During the final ceremony for the county's bell pour at the Lawrence County Fairgrounds earlier this month, state committee member Bill Lowe said that while some other counties are doing tours, none have been as involved as Lawrence County's. Lowe said he plans to take some of Lawrence County's ideas with him when he visits other counties.

One such idea was the plaques the Lawrence County Bicentennial Committee presented to people and entities that participated in the local bicentennial effort.

The plaques had pieces of the ingot from the Bicentennial Bell.

If you had the opportunity to see the bell this past weekend, you already know of its beauty. If you didn't, you should make it a point to visit the courthouse soon.