Preservation of local history important for everyone in the community

This past Saturday I had the opportunity to visit the Whitley County Historical and Genealogical Society’s Heritage Day event in Williamsburg. Although I have driven by the building many times over the years, this was actually my first time going inside and checking out the museum.

I was not disappointed.

During my brief visit (I was feeling a little under the weather, so I didn’t stay as long as I would have liked), I got to speak to several folks about the museum, many of the items found inside, and what I might be able to uncover during future visits.

One area of the museum that I am very interested in exploring further is the small library section that includes books and binders containing written and photographic records pertaining to the history of our local communities in Whitley County and surrounding areas. In particular, I would really like to check out what records the museum has related to old athletic teams, specifically those from area schools which no longer exist.

Don’t get me wrong… I would also love to learn more about history as it pertains to topics such as local businesses, churches, and/or military contributions, but sports seems like a really good place to start, simply because I have found that there is not always a ton of historical sports info to be found in the pages of old Whitley Republican newspapers.

So, I am very much looking forward to heading back down to the Genealogical Society’s museum in the near future, and I hope to uncover some interesting historical tidbits that I can share right here with our readers. Stay tuned!

Generally speaking about the preservation of local historical information, I commend anyone who is actively making attempts to aid in this effort. It is very important work, and you are truly providing a valuable service for future generations.

In addition to the Whitley County Historical and Genealogical Society, I know that the Whitley County Public Library also has many historical records available to view. New Corbin Public Library Director John Baker informed me not long ago about ongoing efforts to digitize many old records there, and I am aware of a few groups in the local area who are actively engaged in finding ways to protect and preserve various sites and structures of historical significance.

I have experienced on a couple of occasions recently the disappointment that comes from realizing that a piece of history has been lost, and it’s not a great feeling.

Earlier this summer I attempted to conduct some research on an unsolved murder case from the 1960’s, only to find out that any documentation pertaining to the case that might have been stored locally had long since been lost to time.

Then there was the article that I came across from the 1950’s talking about the dedication of the then new Corbin Hospital. Apparently, there were several historical documents that had been placed in a steel box and housed inside the cornerstone of the building. How tragic it is to think about the fact that nobody realized those documents were there when the building was demolished several years ago, but that appears to have been the case.

It takes a certain amount of luck for an item to survive being passed down through generations, but it also requires that, at some point, the item land into the right hands. That is, the item will come into the care of someone who understands the importance of preserving things for others to see and enjoy many years from now.

Not everyone possesses this mindset, but I am happy to know that many in our local area do, and that they are willing to do their part to keep history alive where we live.