North Carolina Secretary of Commerce Keith Crisco’s visit Friday to Murfreesboro crammed a lot into a short period of time and was a first class show of hospitality.

Crisco, accompanied by his wife, Jane, arrived at Chowan University and was greeted by officials from the university, the town, the Historical Association and the local Chamber of Commerce.

From there, the Commerce Secretary was treated to an array of sites that makes Murfreesboro so unique – a boat tour of the Meherrin River, a visit to the town’s historical district and a stop at the famous Jefcoat Museum.

The event also included a reception at the historic Hertford Academy where about 100 local people were gathered to greet this high-ranking North Carolina official. Crisco visited comfortably, one-on-one, with most of those at the reception.

When he spoke at the reception, Crisco said, “You have an obvious love of history and a sense of identity that shows. I wish every town in North Carolina had your love of history and sense of identity.”

Murfreesboro that afternoon also exhibited a hospitality most of the local people involved in never even thought about. That hospitality is natural and genuine. It is given freely not only to visiting dignitaries, but to any visitor or newcomer to the town.

If you asked a Murfreesboro resident to name the town’s greatest asset, he or she would probably make reference to some element of its history. We would submit that just as valuable is the entirely natural and unaffected outpouring of hospitality the town demonstrated last week.