To help celebrate Tryons 125th birthday, the Friends of the Polk County Library will present a guest speaker program featuring two authors with roots/connections to Polk County on September 1 at 6 p.m.

Anna Pack Conner grew up in Polk County and taught high school business for 30 years, 24 of which were in Polk County. She attended Stearns Elementary and Tryon High School and received her BS from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Conner will speak about the two books she has published. Her first book was published in 2000 as Tryon: An Artists & Writers Sketchbook. She regained the copyright in 2008 and republished the book as Tryon: An Illustrated History. Her other more recent book is To Seem or to Be. This book contains some of her poetry and short stories.

Terry Hall, who has roots to the Cochran family in Polk County, currently lives in Asheville, N.C., where he spends his time reading and traveling the world with (his) wife Patricia.

Hall received his doctorate in educational administration from the University of North Carolina. He has had a variety of work experiences as a teacher, principal, minister, EMT, firefighter, drag racer and a pilot.

Hall will speak about the two books he has published, Time Marches On and A Matter of Conscience. The first is a story of the coming together of two families, the Halls and the Cochrans. These stories were orally passed down over the past one hundred years. His second book deals with how one man approached slavery and the Civil War on his own terms.

The public is invited to the program which will be presented on September 1 at 6 p.m.