Bebe, The contents of the NC Room (minus a piece or two that needed to be housed elsewhere) are now in the second floor genealogy/history area of the new Orange County Public Library. The director of the library came to a D-OGS meeting last fall, showing us the floor plans with the genealogy section in the far corner of the second floor and talked about her plans for the section. The library is now open, and thanks to the efforts of all the local D-OGS members who worked hard to bring this about, we are going to have the February D-OGS meeting in the library this Wednesday night and have a tour of the new facility. This couldn't have happened without lots of folks getting out there and putting the case for the library before the public. One of the things we might be thinking about at this stage is digitizing a number of materials such as yours that could be put on CDs, or reside on library computers. Therefore they would not be the only copies, but would be in the County or region where they were first brought to life. This is an important feature of local history and genealogy, for when someone comes to visit from across the country and realizes they can find stories and photos that are relevant to their ancestry, it can make the entire trip worthwhile. These materials should be made widely accessible so that they are not only in a journal of one Society, but can be shared on a number of levels with people who live nowhere near the place where their ancestors spent their lives. This kind of material is what local history and genealogy centers are made of. Digitized materials can be shared far and wide, but only if they are made accessible to the library and treated appropriately. I think that the sharing of your materials could probably best be accomplished through scanning and digitization, and then archiving in the most suitable place. That may be a place like the NC Archives, or the UNC Southern Historical Collection. But that should be decided by professionals. We in Old Orange County have not yet gotten organized well enough yet to make firm recommendations about collections like yours, yet we are aware that there are materials like yours out there that should be part of the core collection of the OCPL. We have long lamented that the NC Room has been treated as a step-child, but we have not developed a plan to go forward because we were putting all our energy into saving the collection. Now it is time for us to begin to look ahead and solicit collections like yours, with the guidance of experts who can help us gather and protect this material in the most appropriate format. Funding is obviously an issue, but a web site that is well structured and maintained could be a very useful way of sharing these materials. But as many genealogists have commented, they have seen historical materials online, but when they actually went to the community where their forbears lived, they had an entirely different experience in seeing the materials in their context. An experience not to be duplicated. So our work is cut out for us, and years of neglect must be overcome. Materials like yours should be an incentive to us to find a way to provide growth for the room Nat Clark worked so hard to protect and promote. I hope you will strongly consider working with us to find the best way to protect and share your materials. Carol

Hello, The information below might be of interest to some trying to find information about their African American ancestors. John and Margaret (Nelson) Hart were born, grew up and were married in 1836 in the Hillsboro, NC area. They left the area in September, 1837 and went to Clay Co., MO (Fishing River Twp.) Below is a ending portion of a letter they wrote in 1852 back to their Nelson and Paul relatives still living around Hillsboro, NC. J. N. is probably John Nelson, Mary Paul was a Nelson before marying a P. Paul. P. Nelson was Paisley Nelson. The only African American that I know they took with them to Missouri was Anne and the Barbary she asks about was her sister. The Harts had purchased Barbary and her baby from the Pauls I think, but maybe the Nelsons. However, the night before they were to leave for MO, Barbary ran off - there is an ad in the Hillsboro paper offering a reward for information about her whereabouts a few days later. Anne asked to go in her sister's place. Riffin might have gone to MO to with the Harts based on stories I was told (John and Margaret Hart were my gg grandparents), but I can't be sure. Don't know about the others. The African American population in Clay Co., MO during the late 1850's and early 1860's approached 25% of the total population. I don't have any information on the Harts, Nelsons or Pauls in Arkansas, so don't know who they are referring to there. I hope this helps someone. John Hart Miller In conclusion I have request all to write soon as I intend this for brothers and sisters Pauls and Nelsons, J. N., P. and Mary Paul, P. Nelson and Margaret. Our respect to all enquiring John and Margaret Hart. P.S. Four of our children are going to school and sometimes James M. makes the fifth. Brother Nelson we have not had a letter from you in three years nor from Brother Paul for 18 months. We have not had a letter from any of our brothers in Arkansas for near two years. Anne sends her love to all and wishes you to write where Barbary is living and ho many children she has. Anderson is living at home, George is hired 2 1/2 miles from home at 140 dollars per year. Riffin at the same place at $4.50 per month."