I seriously doubt that anyone would have filmed the documents dumped in the basement of the WICS bldg and then left them in such deplorable shape, piled on the floor along damp walls. However, these weren't 'recently' found....... I found them in this shape a couple years ago, and have pleaded several times on this list, and to individual members of the local historical/gen. society to do SOMETHING about them.....I even spoke with a couple members that I happened to meet in the library in St Clairsville, asking if their group could spearhead some sort of a local group to rescue them.......those of us who live out of town are just unable to do what must be done to save them..... With no light and no rhyme or reason to the way all the ledgers are piled, it will take some time before volunteers can tell you WHAT the records are that are in the Wics basement! I had been told that they were the tax records, but with no light and boxes of trash everywhere, I was unable to do more than survey the mess and then try to enlist some help from locals. I can't imagine the interseeding years have done them any good! Sandra ----- Original Message ----- From: "verstraten" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, July 23, 2004 8:49 AM Subject: Re: [OHBELMON-L] Document Preservation > I do have a question- have the recent found records been microfilmed by the Utah historical society > (LDS)? If not, I have a contact person that is filming in a neighboring county which I could inform. > I know the LDS were there about 4 yrs ago but I don't know what records exist in this "basement" > environment and it doesn't seem to me that these records would have been included in the filming > that took place then. > Flora > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: <[email protected]> > To: <[email protected]> > Sent: Thursday, July 22, 2004 03:28 PM > Subject: [OHBELMON-L] Document Preservation > > > The following announcement is from another genealogy site: > > Document Preservation group forming.... > Helen Stanford, of Smith Township, is spearheading a project to salvage the > old county records which have been stored for years in the basement of the > onetime County Home on State Route 331. Much controversy has surrounded the > deteriorating condition of the building and the possible damage or loss of > important historical documents; many dating to the 1800's. Helen attended a recent > Belmont County Board of Commissioners meeting, explained the situation and got > them to state for the record - "the Board's goal is to centralize the county's > public records, clean them, and preserve them for future generations." > > The first step in the preservation of these documents is the removal and > cleaning of hundreds of old books and ledgers from the basement area. A work area > has been set up on the second floor of the old County Home and the work of > cleaning the books has begun. Anyone wishing to help with this worthwhile > project should contact Helen at [email protected] > > Volunteers are needed to help clean the books and donations are needed for > cleaning supplies, HEPA filters, masks, etc. > > The Document Preservation Committee (working name only) will be providing a > valuable service to genealogists and local historians as well as future > generations. The hope is to create one centrally located, comprehensive library of > county record books that can be accessed by the public. The ultimate goal, in > my opinion, should be to have the most important documents scanned and made > available through the internet. Any ideas and suggestions are welcomed. >