If you have Marion Co, WV ancestry 1842-1880, be sure & read this! > > > > Subject: CALL TO ARMS > > > > Date: Saturday, June 27, 1998 1:03 AM > > > > > > > > This came from another Rootsweb List and we were so outraged at > reading > > > > this that we felt morally bound to pass it on. Keep in mind, these > > are > > > >"elected" officials!! > > > > We hope you will flood the newspaper mentioned below with letters to > > the > > > > editor. > > > > > > > > Ike and Nancy Watrous > > > > [email protected] > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > > > I thought this might be of interest to anyone with VA/WV ancestors. > > > People > > > > like this need to be stopped, and we all need to ensure that this > type > > > > of thing NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN. > > > > > > > > Sheila I Hale > > > > Fort McMurray,AB,Canada > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > > > > > > > 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: [email protected] > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > > > > > > > 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 1842. 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 for renovation) in which these historical documents were stored.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 NOT TO 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.   Ron 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, > > [WV] > > > > 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." > > > > > > >Chrislip 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: > > > > [email protected] > > > > > > > > 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 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >