The enclosed letter is a copy of of one that I sent to the Governor of Tn., Sundquist, and to V.P. Al Gore in 1994 and after they had both agreed to the "Preservation of Records" act which as I understand, granted money to the states and counties for the preservation of the type of records we are discussing. I received no response from this just as I received no response to the letters that I mailed to the representatives of Grainger County. I suppose they noticed that I was not a registered voter in Tn.. I had a good response from the following Director at the Archives but their hands are tied without cooperation from the county: They had sent many inquiries to the county offering their help but were refused by a non-response. Charles A. Sherrill Tennessee State Library & Archives 403 7th Ave. North Nashville, TN 37243-0312 phone 615-741-2764 >csherril@mail.state.tn.us< About three years ago there was a "Expose" on the problem conducted and aired by a TV station in Knoxville. As far as I know there was no followup even though I talked personally with the reporter who indicated there would be. Channel 8 News WVLT 6516 Paper Mill Rd. Knoxville, Tn. 37919 www.8intouch.com (Reporter) Alan Williams 423-450-8880 Much effort was expended by Billie McNamara over many years with no visible successes. Billie R. McNamara, POB 6764, Knoxville, TN 37914-0764 USA >TNGenWeb http://www.usit.net/tngenweb/ I also contacted the local newspaper in Rutledge who informed me that there was "no problem" with the records. Don't think that I'd want to depend on them for "news". Don't let my experiences dissuade you from your own actions, I'm really not a pessimist by nature but I became a realist dealing with the bureaucracy. [ Copy of letter follows ] As the House Republican Caucus leads the Great State of Tennessee into the next millennium, let's not forget the founders who more than two hundred years ago laid the foundation for this great state. The records of these pioneers are an important part of who we are and how and why the state exists today. They contain land Deeds and Grants from the late 1700's, Marriage and Court Records, Wills, etc.. They are the records that the counties were suppose to protect and make accessible to the public. In Rutledge, Grainger County, Tennessee, these records are being systematically destroyed by the local officials by their lack of a historic desire to protect them. In Grainger, those records are stored in garbage bags and old cardboard boxes in an auditorium of a wrecked and abandoned High School. The building is missing windows and is environmentally open to the elements. My fear is that if something is not done quickly, the silverfish and humidity will completely destroy a large part of our Tennessee history. We will never again have this opportunity to rescue those records! Please advise me if there is another path to pursue. Time is of the essence and I would rather work parallel than serially. Would you please forward this letter to the correct Representatives for the Grainger District and copy me on the name and E-Mail address of those individuals. My ancestor, Ambrose Hodge was one of the original founders of the Great State of Tennessee and a signer of the Watauga Petition in 1776. He was at the Battle of King's Mountain in 1780 as a member of the "Over Mountain Men" and then moved to the area of Grainger County, Tennessee. At this point I lose any record of him because of the attitude of the local county government and the deplorable conditions of the records in that county. The County Officials of Grainger are intentionally destroying the early historical records by allowing them to rot in an abandoned building. I appeal to you for help after receiving no response from the Grainger County Officials. Their attitude on the records is that "they are too old and no one wants them". These are not only Genealogy records but historical in value in that these were the people that built Tennessee. I believe that the records of our ancestors are very important and once lost, can never be reclaimed. I am asking that you intervene and insist that these records be preserved for the future generations. Ken