This was in the Wed April 26, 2000 Edition of the Hampshire Review Written by Michael O'Brien, Review Staff ROMNEY State archive officials have offered to place old county records dating to 1754 on microfilm, make needed repairs to those documents and improve the way the originals are stored. Fred Armstrong with the state archive department recently contacted Hampshire County Clerk Sharon Link about the project. Armstrong is scheduled to meet with the County Commission late next month to discuss the details of the microfilm and restoration work. Hampshire County Commission President John Dan Sitar requested the meeting. Apparently, Sitar wants to know more about the plans because the historic documents in question will have to be taken to Charleston. Link said Armstrong has told her the work would take about six weeks. "He (Armstrong) said it was not feasible to transport and set up microfilm equipment here," Link told commissioners last week. There were about 3,800 historic county estate records that will be placed on microfilm and repaired. The documents are now kept in the basement vault in the courthouse. They are kept folded in envelopes that are stored in a metal file cabinet. Armstrong plans to have the documents preserved and stored in an unfolded fashion. Link explained that many of the documents are brittle and subject to damage when unfolded. The state will undertake the project at no expense to the county, explained the county clerk. The county will also receive a copy of the microfilm and the documents will be returned to the courthouse. Link said having the documents on microfilm will greatly improve their availability to the public. The historic estate records are a popular item for genealogical researchers.

Patti McDonald wrote: > State archive officials have offered to place old county records dating to > 1754 on microfilm, make needed repairs to those documents and improve the > way the originals are stored. This is wonderful news! Adina