BOYKINS
Back in October, the cast and crew of History Channel’s “American Pickers” was in Boykins filming an episode. That segment will air tonight at 9 o’clock.

When they were here, they were seen visiting the Boykins Depot Museum and filming their entrance into the town from the North Carolina border.

“Hopefully, people will see some of the things that Hank Snow had accumulated in his life,” said Boykins Mayor Spier Edwards. “I am glad they were able to come to town, I just wish they could have come earlier while he was living, so he could have given the history of what he had found.”

Eric Coard, who is the vice president of the Boykins Main Street Initiative, said he put it on Facebook Monday, and by Tuesday morning it had garnered 40,000 views.

“Previously, our biggest was a paid post for the Pumpkin Festival, which only reached around 19,000 timelines,” he said. “This thing has taken a life of its own, just from people sharing, posting and liking it.

“There’s so much excitement about it, that I wouldn’t be surprised if it goes over 50,000 by airtime.”

One of the best things about this, Coard said, is that it helps highlight some of the positive changes that have gone into the town over the past decade.

“There was a time where it seems like there was more negativity published about the town than positive,” he said. “I think all of the work we have done over the past decade to kind of rebrand the town has really paid off. People love coming to our Pumpkin Fest — we get nothing but tons of positive remarks about our Pumpkin Fest — and the other local events we do to promote the town and merchants.

“This is just another positive thing about Boykins to share.”

Coard wasn’t able to meet the hosts or crew, but he said people have given him a positive report about them.

“My understanding is that they really made an effort to walk around to meet the merchants, locals and the people at the town office,” he said. “They took the time to take a lot of pictures, and they signed a lot of autographs. It was just a great day.”

Kristen Livingston of Newsoms, who has family that lives in Boykins, took her children up that day in October.

“We had a lot of fun that day, it was something big that came to our little town,” she said. “The guys were very nice and took their time talking to the entire crowd that had gathered. We will be watching!”

Edwards said he was able to talk to one of the shows stars, Mike Wolfe.

“Since they came, I have been looking at the History Channel,” he said. “I’ve been looking at it, and I hadn’t been before. Not just because I know they are going to have a show on Boykins, but because there are some interesting things that they go around the country and find.”

And of course, Edwards said, he’d be glued to the couch tonight.

“I’m excited to see it — I’m going to be sitting there waiting for it,” he said, adding with a laugh: “We will be put on the map.”