I would love to help with this project but live in Chicago area so hard to do. I come back once a year for research and could help a little, but I know you really need locals. Besides knowing the lettering and words used in those days it is really important for the transcribers to be familiar with the families in the area at the time. I have chased so many names for so long only to find them listed under a name that is totally crazy, but in looking at the original I can see where they might make a mistake. But if the person doing the transcribing has been working in Belmont Co for a long time they have a better chance of knowing the names of people in the records. I do believe the idea of taking digital pix and sending them out for transcription. I have taken a lot of those when back east and then come home and work on them. It sure is faster than copying and also better on the books. Another thought. When I was there last year, I think it was, they had someone set up in the first floor of the court house making microfilm pix from old records. I think it was the LDS and perhaps if they knew a lot more records were available that hadn't been transcribed they would come in and do the work. Jerilyn

About 5 or 6 years ago when I was doing some research at the Court House, LDS was there microfilming the books that were on the shelves. I would bet they had no clue as to records stashed in other areas. Perhaps if these were made known to them they would come microfilm them before they get thrown out or completely deteriorate. Lots of history would be lost as many of these records go back 100+ years. Has anyone explored the basement and attic of the old jail to see if records are also stashed there? Wouldn't surprise me as we already know of several locations where they are stored. I would bet even the folks at the Court House don't know where all these records have been stored over the years. The County obviously needs a Central location for storage of all these scattered records. Perhaps the 2 Genealogy Societies could get with the County officials and designate an abandoned building , such as the old jail house, to store these records. Sounds like there are a lot of folks out there willing to volunteer there time and energies to help with such a project. Has anyone brought this to the attention of the Newspaper in the area? Some well written articles might bring this to the attention of others that might also be willing to help and also make financial contributions to such a project. I'm hoping to get back to the area for a few weeks this summer and would be willing to help with any projects to save these records. ----- Original Message ----- From: <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, April 15, 2004 10:35 AM Subject: [OHBELMON-L] Old Records > I would love to help with this project but live in Chicago area so hard to > do. I come back once a year for research and could help a little, but I know > you really need locals. Besides knowing the lettering and words used in those > days it is really important for the transcribers to be familiar with the > families in the area at the time. I have chased so many names for so long only to > find them listed under a name that is totally crazy, but in looking at the > original I can see where they might make a mistake. But if the person doing the > transcribing has been working in Belmont Co for a long time they have a better > chance of knowing the names of people in the records. > > I do believe the idea of taking digital pix and sending them out for > transcription. I have taken a lot of those when back east and then come home and work > on them. It sure is faster than copying and also better on the books. > > Another thought. When I was there last year, I think it was, they had > someone set up in the first floor of the court house making microfilm pix from old > records. I think it was the LDS and perhaps if they knew a lot more records > were available that hadn't been transcribed they would come in and do the work. > > Jerilyn >