----- Original Message ----- From: Linda Thiessen <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, March 16, 2001 2:12 AM Subject: Urgent-Montana connections! > This was a response I received from a posting on a Montana mailing list > I subscribe to regarding the destruction of ancestral records in > Montana! I asked if there was any action I could take as my mother was > born in Butte and I have an interest in preserving these records. I > thought those of you with connections to Montana should be aware of the > situation and hopefully will take action too! > > "I would think that the more who wrote the better. Make sure the > families who write explain that they're interested in preserving their > Montana family records, as the site requires a person to put their home > address and they'll see it's from out of state. In the comment section, > just mention the reasoning for wanting the bill to pass - their Montana > ancestral records. If you have any other questions, Patti Marchington > is heavily involved in Helena. Her email address is below." > > Please take the time read this message and respond to those mentioned > below via e-mail. > > Subject: Urgent--SB 443 Hearing update for > > Genealogists & Historians, > > SB 443 had tons of opposition from the lobbyist for: > The Clerk of District Court Assoc. > The Clerk & Recorder's Assoc. > The Treasurer Assoc. > and opposition from the: > The School Insurance Assoc. > The State Fund for Workmen Comp. > The State Historical Society Library > The Secretary of State Brown's Office > (I hope I didn't leave anyone out...) > > They brought up all kinds of things that twisted > SB 443 into something that it wasn't. > SB 443 only concerns Public Records that > are being destroyed in County Courthouses...not > anything to do with Workmen's Comp., School > anything, etc. > > Only to give "Notice" to the Public...the State > Historical Soc, Historical & Genealogy Soc., > down to the Public to have a chance to Preserve > our MT History! > > I showed the House-State Admin. Committee today, > 3 Old Record Books originally from Park County Courthouse, that were > thrown away. These are: > 1897 Voter Registration Book (name, age, birthplace, & address were > listed for each voter). 1889 Court Ledger Book...that on the last page > has the old 1889 to 1890 marriage records. > 1904 City of Livingston Census Book (has names of all family members, > occupation of head of > household, ages, & addresses). > > These books were "rescued" by a Historian that happened by the trash > cans by the Courthouse and were "saved" in our local Yellowstone Gateway > Museum here in Park County....But many, many other records have been > lost forever. > > Our Park County has thrown away the old MT. Marriage Application > Books...as many other counties have done, because the Clerk of District > Court Assoc. has said they have to... > (None of the MT Old Marriage Application Books from about 1865/1889 to > 1960s have been copied!). > > No Courthouse is willing to tell exactly what records have been > destroyed, how many, what they are, etc. We don't have an accounting on > anything. > > I had really thought it would be a simple thing to just have the > Courthouses to "post" on the wall of the Courthouse the list of Records > that they didn't want (or had no room for). And since most Courthouses > around MT have e-mail (with more coming on-line everyday), they could > just e-mail the State Historical Society of that list of > unwanted Records. The State Historical Society (that does not want > these records) would look on their lists of local Historical & Genealogy > Societies for the area in and around the County that doesn't want the > records...and the Public & MT State Historical & Genealogy Societies > would all be notified! > > Very little work on the part of the Courthouses. > No cost to the County. After the listings of the local Historical & > Genealogy Societies' e-mails on the State Historical Society Library > Computer database...very little work (not compared to the priceless > preserving of history). > > If Montana does not come up with a simple plan like this to preserve our > MT History NOW....a lot more RECORDS WILL BE DESTROYED!!!! > > MT Courthouses do not have the space for these > Records...they will not be expanding their Courthouse Buildings. They > say Micro-filming is too expensive. > > The Montana Clerk of District Court & Clerk & Recorder Assoc.s will > continue to hire their lawyers & lobbyist to tell the MT Researcher what > Records we can see, what Records that will no longer exist, while they > and all of the Courthouse clerks will be the only ones to have Access, > BUT NOT THE PUBLIC. > > Please call or e-mail these House of Representatives on the House-State > Administration Committee. > > House--State Administration Committee: > Allan Walters, Chairman R - Hamilton > Debby Barrett, Vice Chairman Majority R - Dillon > Tom Dell, Vice Chairman Minority D - Billings > Norma Bixby D - Lame Deer > Dee Brown R - Hungry Horse > Don Hedges R - Antelope > Hal Jacobson D - Helena > Larry Jent D - Bozeman > Michelle Lee D - Livingston > Larry Lehman R - Power > Ralph Lenhart D - Glendive > Gay Ann Masolo R - Townsend > Doug Mood R - Seeley Lake > Alan Olson R - Roundup > Holly Raser D - Missoula > Rick Ripley R - Wolf Creek > Clarice Schrumpf R - Billings > Frank Smith D - Poplar > > e-mail the House of Representatives: > http://leg.state.mt.us/leg_msg.htm > > This House-State Administration Committee > needs to hear from at least hundreds of > MT Genealogists & Historians in the next > couple of days! > Please Support SB 443, we need everyone's help NOW! > > Patricia Marchington > Member of Park County & the State Genealogy > Society. > [email protected] > > > ==== MIHOUGHT Mailing List ==== > Houghton County Queries > http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/Mi/Houghton > > > ============================== > Ancestry.com Genealogical Databases > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/rwlist2.asp > Search over 2500 databases with one easy query! > >