The following is a rather long article, not for the faint of heart I might add, and if you have a short fuse--DON'T READ IT! If something like this were to happen in Morgan County, Indiana, I can assure you that I would do all in my power as a member of the Morgan County, Indiana, Council, to reduce the County Commissioners Budget to Zero thus requiring them to request every penny that they needed to spend from the Council as they needed it. Including the destruction of valuable County Records. Thank goodness we in Indiana have legislation that has created a Commission On Public Records for all 92 counties. With final destruction authority vested in the State Commission on Public Records. Shame on you Marion County, West Virginia, County Commissioners!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sam Cline Morgan County Council ~ http://www.scican.net/government/mc-gov/councilm.html Morgan County Indiana Historian - IHB/IHS ~ http://www2.ihs1830.org/ihs1830/cohist.htm Indiana Genealogical Society ~ http://www.indgensoc.org/ Greene County Indiana INGenWeb ~ http://www.rootsweb.com/~ingreene/greenegw.htm Knox County Indiana INGenWeb ~ http://www.rootsweb.com/~inknox/knox.htm Lawrence County Indiana INGenWeb ~ http://www.rootsweb.com/~inlawren/lawrengw.htm Morgan County Indiana INGenWeb ~ http://www.rootsweb.com/~inmorgan/index.html INGenWeb Links ~ http://www.rootsweb.com/~inmorgan/igwcclnk.html Greene County Indiana Genealogical Society ~ http://www.rootsweb.com/~ingreene/gcgs.htm HoosierWeb ~ http://www.hoosierweb.org Morgan County History And Genealogy Association ~ http://www.rootsweb.com/~inmchaga/mchagai.html The candle light will always be gleaming through the sycamores. The latch string is always out. -----Original Message----- From: Celia G. Snyder <cgsnyder@uiuc.edu> To: USGENWEB-ALL-L@rootsweb.com <USGENWEB-ALL-L@rootsweb.com> Date: Friday, June 26, 1998 2:18 PM Subject: [USGENWEB-ALL-L] [BP2000-L] CALL TO ARMS >Please forward the news of this Marion County, West Virginia travesty to >every >genealogy group or historical society that you belong to. Also, if you >have any >media contacts or government contacts please forward this information to them. >Let's make Cody Starcher infamous! > > > >From: Pam Mullinax >E-Mail: pmullinax@mindspring.com > >Fairmont -- Leatherbound books recording transactions between 1842 to >1880 have been important to local genealogist, but now the historical >books are gone - buried with the five bins of trash the Marion County >Commission hauled away from the Jacob's building last week. > >Along with books were, boxes and files of papers dating back to Marion >County's inception in 1942. There were five floors that had books, boxes >and files to be removed. > >Some of the books were Wills; others were Justice of the Peace books. >There may have been other records, but the article didn't say what all >had been destoyed, because they didn't know. The article was a large >article for the paper. The historical and genealogical societies were >NOT notified that the county had planned to discard the handwritten >record books, files and other etcs. > >It seems the decision was made by the county commissioners (namely, Cody >Starcher) to clear out several floors from the Jacobs building (scheduled >for renovation) in which these historical documents were stored. They >decided on their own that no one would want to go through all the files to >separate out the salvagable and so decided to not tell anyone. They then >had the local garbage collectors come and clear out the books and documents. > >************* > >The story about the above first appeared in the Times West Virginian >(Fairmont, WV)Sunday,June 21, 1998. On Thursday, June 25, 1998 the >below follow-up story was published. > > >* * * >Dump off limits to historians > >By Theresa Haynes >Times West Virginian Staff Writer > >FAIRMONT - >Genealogists who wanted to dig through the landfill in search of the >county's discarded pre-Civil War record books will not be allowed to >excavate the dump. ÝÝRon Chrislip, a local historian who has researched >Marion County's past for more than 30 years, said he and four other people >were prepared to go to the Meadowfill Landfill in Bridgeport to search for >the record books tossed last week. > >But landfill officials halted the group's plans at the request of the >Marion County Commission. > >The day books dating back to 1842 were among several tons of outdated >files, books and papers the commission removed from the historic Jacob's >building, which is undergoing renovation. > >Chrislip said he and other genealogists wanted to dig up the historically >valuable record books when they learned the books had been hauled away to >the dump, but the landfill told them there were confidential files among >the garbage. > >Commissioner Cody Starcher said in an interview last week that the county >had received special permission from the state to include old juvenile >records in the six BFI Dumpster trash bins hauled to the dump. > >"We are allowed to throw the juvenile records away after 20 years," he >said. "But they usually have to be shredded and burned." > >Now local historians are concerned they will never see the priceless, >handwritten books again. > >"I don't see how they will be retrieved," Chrislip said. "As a historian I >have to be realistic. Now hopefully the county will preserve what is left." >ÝÝChrislip said the leather-bound books were particularly valuable because >they recorded everything from the county clerk's office. > >"Record keeping then was a very different process," he said. "We were still >in Virginia and documents like that are very, very rare." > >The historian said the records gave insight into a lifestyle long gone. > >"There is no oral history from that time, no photography and very little >written history. Through the day books we had a great deal of information >to interpret history," he said. > >Chrislip agrees with the county commission that the books had no monetary >value, but he said the county has lost something culturally valuable. > >He said 20 years ago he had searched for day books like the ones thrown >away and was told they did not exist. Years later he learned they were in >existence, but in "dead" storage. > >The historian said he and other people interested in genealogy would have >liked to have been given access to the books before they were discarded. > >County Commission President James Sago and Starcher were not available for >comment Wednesday evening. >* * * > >If you'd like to write the Editor of the WV Times, > >The email address is: >timeswv@timeswv.com > >LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: >All letters for publication should be so stated. >Requests for publication must include address & telephone number. >phone: (304) 367-2500 * Fax: (304) 367-2569 > >Or postal mail to: >Times West Virginian >PO Box 2530 >Fairmont, WV 26555-2530 > > > > > >==== BP2000 Mailing List ==== >Have you considered joining the Rootsweb Genealogical Data Cooperative? > Voluntary support helps keep access free. > > http://www.rootsweb.com/rootsweb/how-to-subscribe.html > > For us forgetful types there is new on-line credit card option. > > Someday YOU'LL be an ancestor too! > ------------------------------------------------------------------- Celia G. Snyder, Graduate Programs Coordinator (mailto:cgsnyder@uiuc.edu) Dept. of Mech. and Indus. Engr., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 140 Mechanical Engineering Building (MC-244), 1206 West Green Street, Urbana, IL 61801 UIUC WEB SITES RELATED TO GRADUATE SCHOOL: UIUC: http://www.uiuc.edu Mechanical and Industrial Engineering: http://www.mie.uiuc.edu Graduate College: http://www.grad.uiuc.edu M&IE Graduate Program Information: http://www.mie.uiuc.edu/academic-programs/graduate/grad.html Financial Aid: http://www.grad.uiuc.edu/financial_aid Off-Campus Housing: http://www.news-gazette.com/ ==== USGENWEB-ALL Mailing List ==== The USGenWeb Project is not a commercial project.