If you see an authentic stagecoach in downtown Statesboro this afternoon, I promise that your eyes are not playing tricks on you. One of  Wells Fargo's 25  stagecoaches is scheduled to come to the new Wells Fargo office on South Main Street from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.
    Local photographer Frank Fortune will be there taking pictures of those who wish to have their picture made beside a genuine symbol of the old West. The appearance of the stagecoach is part of the celebration marking the firm's move from Savannah Avenue and the changing of its name from Wachovia Securities to Wells Fargo Advisors.
    The Stagecoach Appearance Program has been in place since 1958, and is designed to show the company's support for the communities that it serves. Wells Fargo owns 11 historic stagecoaches which are currently on display in museums. The stagecoach that will be in Statesboro today is a replica.
    In an effort to move its customers' important business around the country, Wells Fargo came to own and operate the largest stagecoach empire in the world. Since then,  the company has been forever linked with the six-horse Concord Coach charging across the plains and mountains of the west.
    While the appearance of the stagecoach is exciting, the renovation of the building housing Wells Fargo Advisors is a much needed boost for downtown.
    More than 2,700 square feet of the 5,000 square foot building is now being occupied by the financial services firm.
"They are a great addition to downtown, and they appreciate the importance of having an office downtown,"   said Allen Muldrew, executive director of the Downtown Statesboro Authority.  "We feel like it gives them tremendous visibility and convenient parking. The renovation of that building has made all of downtown look nicer."
    As downtown struggles to regain its footing, this type of a renovation project is just what the area needs. And, what better way to celebrate the future, than to honor the past.
    Headquartered in San Francisco, Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a diversified financial services company providing banking, insurance, investments, mortgage and consumer finance through more than 10,000 Wells Fargo and Wachovia stores.
So, until next Tuesday, I bid you au revoir.

Got a scoop for Jan? Call her at (912) 489-9463 or email her at jmoore@statesboroherald.com