GARNER-L Archives

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Subject: Fwd: Lost records
Date: Sun, 28 Jun 1998 14:23:51 EDT

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In a message dated 98-06-26 22:11:55 EDT, writes:

<< > Subject: [USGENWEB-ALL-L] [BP2000-L] CALL TO ARMS
>
> >Please forward the news of this Marion County, West Virginia travesty
to
> >every
> >genealogy group or historical society that you belong to. Also, if
you
> >have any
> >media contacts or government contacts please forward this information
to
> them.
> >Let's make Cody Starcher infamous!
> >
> >
> >
> >From: Pam Mullinax
> >E-Mail:
> >
> >Fairmont -- Leatherbound books recording transactions between 1842 to

> >1880 have been important to local genealogist, but now the historical

> >books are gone - buried with the five bins of trash the Marion County

> >Commission hauled away from the Jacob's building last week.
> >
> >Along with books were, boxes and files of papers dating back to
Marion
> >County's inception in 1942. There were five floors that had books,
boxes
> >and files to be removed.
> >
> >Some of the books were Wills; others were Justice of the Peace books.

> >There may have been other records, but the article didn't say what
all
> >had been destoyed, because they didn't know. The article was a large

> >article for the paper. The historical and genealogical societies were

> >NOT notified that the county had planned to discard the handwritten
> >record books, files and other etcs.
> >
> >It seems the decision was made by the county commissioners (namely,
Cody
> >Starcher) to clear out several floors from the Jacobs building
(scheduled
> >for renovation) in which these historical documents were stored.
They
> >decided on their own that no one would want to go through all the
files to
> >separate out the salvagable and so decided to not tell anyone. They
then
> >had the local garbage collectors come and clear out the books and
> documents.
> >
> >*************
> >
> >The story about the above first appeared in the Times West Virginian
> >(Fairmont, WV)Sunday,June 21, 1998. On Thursday, June 25, 1998 the
> >below follow-up story was published.
> >
> >
> >* * *
> >Dump off limits to historians
> >
> >By Theresa Haynes
> >Times West Virginian Staff Writer
> >
> >FAIRMONT -
> >Genealogists who wanted to dig through the landfill in search of the
> >county's discarded pre-Civil War record books will not be allowed to
> >excavate the dump. Ron Chrislip, a local historian who has
researched
> >Marion County's past for more than 30 years, said he and four other
people
> >were prepared to go to the Meadowfill Landfill in Bridgeport to
search for
> >the record books tossed last week.
> >
> >But landfill officials halted the group's plans at the request of the

> >Marion County Commission.
> >
> >The day books dating back to 1842 were among several tons of outdated

> >files, books and papers the commission removed from the historic
Jacob's
> >building, which is undergoing renovation.
> >
> >Chrislip said he and other genealogists wanted to dig up the
historically
> >valuable record books when they learned the books had been hauled
away to
> >the dump, but the landfill told them there were confidential files
among
> >the garbage.
> >
> >Commissioner Cody Starcher said in an interview last week that the
county
> >had received special permission from the state to include old
juvenile
> >records in the six BFI Dumpster trash bins hauled to the dump.
> >
> >"We are allowed to throw the juvenile records away after 20 years,"
he
> >said. "But they usually have to be shredded and burned."
> >
> >Now local historians are concerned they will never see the priceless,

> >handwritten books again.
> >
> >"I don't see how they will be retrieved," Chrislip said. "As a
historian I
> >have to be realistic. Now hopefully the county will preserve what is
left."
> >Chrislip said the leather-bound books were particularly valuable
because
> >they recorded everything from the county clerk's office.
> >
> >"Record keeping then was a very different process," he said. "We were
still
> >in Virginia and documents like that are very, very rare."
> >
> >The historian said the records gave insight into a lifestyle long
gone.
> >
> >"There is no oral history from that time, no photography and very
little
> >written history. Through the day books we had a great deal of
information
> >to interpret history," he said.
> >
> >Chrislip agrees with the county commission that the books had no
monetary
> >value, but he said the county has lost something culturally valuable.

> >
> >He said 20 years ago he had searched for day books like the ones
thrown
> >away and was told they did not exist. Years later he learned they
were in
> >existence, but in "dead" storage.
> >
> >The historian said he and other people interested in genealogy would
have
> >liked to have been given access to the books before they were
discarded.
> >
> >County Commission President James Sago and Starcher were not
available for
> >comment Wednesday evening.
> >* * *
> >
> >If you'd like to write the Editor of the WV Times,
> >
> >The email address is:
> >
> >
> >LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:
> >All letters for publication should be so stated.
> >Requests for publication must include address & telephone number.
> >phone: (304) 367-2500 * Fax: (304) 367-2569
> >
> >Or postal mail to:
> >Times West Virginian
> >PO Box 2530
> >Fairmont, WV 26555-2530
>>

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Message-ID: <>
Date: Fri, 26 Jun 1998 21:23:48 -0500
From: "Dennis O'Neal" <>
Reply-To:
X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.02 [en]C-DIAL (Win95; U)
To: Don & Nadine Friedrichs <>,
Rosell Mobbs Isaac <>,
Pat Cahill Calton <>, Sandra May <>,
LoriChar <>, Steven J Porter
<>,
de GENE/KO6DW es MARY/KD6DHU BURCHFIELD <>
Subject: Lost records
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Cousins,
The following was sent to me via the O'Neal roots-L list and I thought I
would share it with you. It shows what can happen by thoes that dont
care about history.
TTYL,
Dennis

-----Original Message-----
> From: Celia G. Snyder <>
> To: <>
> Date: Friday, June 26, 1998 2:18 PM
> Subject: [USGENWEB-ALL-L] [BP2000-L] CALL TO ARMS
>
> >Please forward the news of this Marion County, West Virginia travesty
to
> >every
> >genealogy group or historical society that you belong to. Also, if
you
> >have any
> >media contacts or government contacts please forward this information
to
> them.
> >Let's make Cody Starcher infamous!
> >
> >
> >
> >From: Pam Mullinax
> >E-Mail:
> >
> >Fairmont -- Leatherbound books recording transactions between 1842 to

> >1880 have been important to local genealogist, but now the historical

> >books are gone - buried with the five bins of trash the Marion County

> >Commission hauled away from the Jacob's building last week.
> >
> >Along with books were, boxes and files of papers dating back to
Marion
> >County's inception in 1942. There were five floors that had books,
boxes
> >and files to be removed.
> >
> >Some of the books were Wills; others were Justice of the Peace books.

> >There may have been other records, but the article didn't say what
all
> >had been destoyed, because they didn't know. The article was a large

> >article for the paper. The historical and genealogical societies were

> >NOT notified that the county had planned to discard the handwritten
> >record books, files and other etcs.
> >
> >It seems the decision was made by the county commissioners (namely,
Cody
> >Starcher) to clear out several floors from the Jacobs building
(scheduled
> >for renovation) in which these historical documents were stored.
They
> >decided on their own that no one would want to go through all the
files to
> >separate out the salvagable and so decided to not tell anyone. They
then
> >had the local garbage collectors come and clear out the books and
> documents.
> >
> >*************
> >
> >The story about the above first appeared in the Times West Virginian
> >(Fairmont, WV)Sunday,June 21, 1998. On Thursday, June 25, 1998 the
> >below follow-up story was published.
> >
> >
> >* * *
> >Dump off limits to historians
> >
> >By Theresa Haynes
> >Times West Virginian Staff Writer
> >
> >FAIRMONT -
> >Genealogists who wanted to dig through the landfill in search of the
> >county's discarded pre-Civil War record books will not be allowed to
> >excavate the dump. =DD=DDRon Chrislip, a local historian who has
researched
> >Marion County's past for more than 30 years, said he and four other
people
> >were prepared to go to the Meadowfill Landfill in Bridgeport to
search for
> >the record books tossed last week.
> >
> >But landfill officials halted the group's plans at the request of the

> >Marion County Commission.
> >
> >The day books dating back to 1842 were among several tons of outdated

> >files, books and papers the commission removed from the historic
Jacob's
> >building, which is undergoing renovation.
> >
> >Chrislip said he and other genealogists wanted to dig up the
historically
> >valuable record books when they learned the books had been hauled
away to
> >the dump, but the landfill told them there were confidential files
among
> >the garbage.
> >
> >Commissioner Cody Starcher said in an interview last week that the
county
> >had received special permission from the state to include old
juvenile
> >records in the six BFI Dumpster trash bins hauled to the dump.
> >
> >"We are allowed to throw the juvenile records away after 20 years,"
he
> >said. "But they usually have to be shredded and burned."
> >
> >Now local historians are concerned they will never see the priceless,

> >handwritten books again.
> >
> >"I don't see how they will be retrieved," Chrislip said. "As a
historian I
> >have to be realistic. Now hopefully the county will preserve what is
left."
> >=DD=DDChrislip said the leather-bound books were particularly valuable
because
> >they recorded everything from the county clerk's office.
> >
> >"Record keeping then was a very different process," he said. "We were
still
> >in Virginia and documents like that are very, very rare."
> >
> >The historian said the records gave insight into a lifestyle long
gone.
> >
> >"There is no oral history from that time, no photography and very
little
> >written history. Through the day books we had a great deal of
information
> >to interpret history," he said.
> >
> >Chrislip agrees with the county commission that the books had no
monetary
> >value, but he said the county has lost something culturally valuable.

> >
> >He said 20 years ago he had searched for day books like the ones
thrown
> >away and was told they did not exist. Years later he learned they
were in
> >existence, but in "dead" storage.
> >
> >The historian said he and other people interested in genealogy would
have
> >liked to have been given access to the books before they were
discarded.
> >
> >County Commission President James Sago and Starcher were not
available for
> >comment Wednesday evening.
> >* * *
> >
> >If you'd like to write the Editor of the WV Times,
> >
> >The email address is:
> >
> >
> >LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:
> >All letters for publication should be so stated.
> >Requests for publication must include address & telephone number.
> >phone: (304) 367-2500 * Fax: (304) 367-2569
> >
> >Or postal mail to:
> >Times West Virginian
> >PO Box 2530
> >Fairmont, WV 26555-2530

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