New historical database software improving History Center’s archiving and display abilities

by Nancy McCammon-Hansen

When you are a historical society with well over 26,000 artifacts that have been collected in your 92 year history, finding means to easily archive and display everything in your collection can be a challenge. But new software at the History Center is being utilized to alleviate some of the challenges faced in this process.

Over the winter and spring, textiles and shoes in the History Center’s collection have been photographed and entered into the new database. In the process of this work, employees rediscovered a seldom-seen artifact dating from the 1850s.

One side of a banner is on display in the museum’s first floor gallery exhibit on local education. But the back side has been in storage for over three decades and is an example of the kinds of artifacts that aren’t on display due to lack of space for properly displaying them. But the new database and accompanying photos will provide researchers with an opportunity to view more of the History Center’s collection via computer.

According to the item description, likely originally written by a volunteer of the historical society in its early days, this banner “was carried in a procession celebrating the opening of the first free Public School in Fort Wayne in 1853.  The Banner was made by Mrs. A.S. Hulburd, who with her husband, presided over the school. The procession wound up in a picnic at Ewing’s Grove. Mr. Hulburd preserved the banner, and many years after, Amos Richey Sr, visiting in New York City, met him, Mr. Hulburd then being a resident of the Metropolis. While calling at the Hulburd’s home, Mr. H. brought out the old banner and recalled the old celebration. Said he, ‘You are the boy who carried this banner, Mr. Richey, and as I shall soon pass on, I think it appropriate that the banner should go into your keeping.’ The banner was subsequently treasured by the Richey’s until after the death of Mrs. Richey, (who was many years a widow), in 1927, when her daughter, Mrs. Arthur Hadley, presented it to the Historical Society Museum, in June, 1928.”

After the Historical Society acquired the banner, it was mounted between two pieces of glass and installed in the door of one of the book cases in the Reading Room of the society’s museum, which was at that time in the Old Swinney Homestead.

The banner is “white china silk” and on the side that is currently on exhibit, the wording reads “Knowledge is power….Our march is onward”. The side of the banner that is in storage reads “Republicanism” at the top with a painting of a young woman standing on a platform labeled “Education” and “Virtue”.

As photographing and re-cataloging of the historical society’s artifacts continues, more stories such as this will begin appearing on the History Center’s blog.

The Master Engineer of the Wabash and Erie Canal

by Tom Castaldi

Jesse Lynch Williams was the chief engineer for the Wabash and Erie Canal.  Born on May 6, 1807, near Danbury, N.C., Williams was the grandson of Judge John Lynch, the founder of Lynchburg, Va., and “Lynch Law” (which arose out of the judge’s summary treatment of Tories during the Revolution).  Jesse Williams’ parents, Jesse and Sarah, were members of the Society of Friends who moved to Cincinnati early in the ninetieth century and to Wayne County, Ind., by 1819.

At the age of 17, in 1825, Williams was a rodman on a survey team laying the route for one of Ohio’s first canals, the Miami and Erie, which connected Cincinnati to the Maumee Valley.  In 1828, Williams met Susan Creighton, the daughter of Judge William Creighton, a congressman from Virginia during the War of 1812 and the first Secretary of State for Ohio.  She was also the granddaughter of David Meade, the subject of English novelist William Thackeray’s tale, The Virginians.  Susan and Jesse were married in Chillicothe, Ohio, where Williams accepted the assignment of completing the engineering for the northern leg of the Miami and Erie Canal.

Based on his Ohio engineering successes, Williams was employed by the Indiana Canal Commission to be the chief engineer for the Wabash and Erie Canal in 1832.  Two years later Williams was put in charge of all the canal projects in Indiana and in 1837 he was made the chief engineer for all Indiana improvement projects, including turnpikes, railroads and canals.

Williams earned the reputation for being a tireless worker, riding all day on horseback and spending evenings solving the numerous engineering problems of the canals, in addition to handling the account books, correspondence and reports to the legislature that the great project demanded.  He always rested on Sunday, however.  He was a staunch opponent of alcohol and an active member of the temperance movement.  Whenever he could, he would forbid contractors on the canal from issuing strong spirits, although crews often found ways around his prohibitions. He was also a devoted member of First Presbyterian Church in Fort Wayne. At age 26, he was elected to be an elder of his congregation.

Williams managed to stay above all the charges of corruption, venality, incompetence and theft that public works projects suffered during the 1840s as the canal’s financial woes deepened.  Indeed, in 1847, when the state of Indiana abandoned the canal and ceded it to a board of trustees, Williams was quickly chosen by the trustees “as a man of known and established character for experience and integrity” to be the chief engineer for the completion of the project. Williams held this position until 1876 when the canal at last failed and the United States court ordered it to be sold.

 

A photo believed to be of the Board of Directors of the Pennsylvania Railroad. Williams is in the front row, left.

In 1854, Williams was appointed chief engineer for the Fort Wayne and Chicago Railroad, and when this company merged with the Pittsburg, Fort Wayne and Chicago Railroad in 1856, he became a trustee of the company (later to be known as the Pennsylvania Railroad).  His most important railroad position came in 1862, however, when President Abraham Lincoln appointed Williams to be a government director of the Union Pacific in the great transcontinental railway project. He was reappointed by successive presidents Andrew Johnson and Ulysses S. Grant and held the position until the Union Pacific met the Central Pacific at Promontory Point in 1869, completing the first railroad line across the west.  It was his job as a director of the project to oversee the establishment of the route, and so he spent many months combing the slopes and canyons of the eastern Rocky Mountains to produce the final report used by the railroad to lay its tracks.  Williams’ reports demonstrated how the project might save millions of dollars in construction costs and this led to investigations of the original proposals.  It revealed, in part, the great scandal known as “Credit Mobilier” involving the corruption of contractors and politicians as high up as the vice presidency.

Williams spent the last years of his life in Fort Wayne where he died in 1886 and was buried in Lindenwood Cemetery. 

Originally published in Fort Wayne Magazine, “Along the Heritage Trail with Tom Castaldi” – January/February 2005, No. 9, p.40

Do you suppose this is worth something to somebody?

by Mark Meyer

In a perfect world archivists would have unlimited climate-controlled storage space,  a huge staff of material handlers, and the ability to never say “no” to anyone willing to donate material to their collection. Unfortunately, they don’t have those luxuries. Deciding what to accept to a collection is a never-ending challenge to curators that manage their collections. In speaking to local archivists from the Allen County Public Library, the ACPL Lincoln Collection, and The History Center, it was clear nothing is black-and-white when it comes to donating historical items. There are no hard and fast rules on donations but there are a number of things for you to keep in mind if you have items to donate that you feel may have historical or research value.

Provenance and history

Learn as much as you can about the item(s) you are wishing to donate to help the curator determine its value to his/her collection. That box of snapshots would take on a different value if they were work photos from International Harvester versus family pictures of little brother’s 14^th birthday party down in the basement. You needn’t do extensive research, in fact the best information is likely that provided by talking to those around you. As Aaron Smith from the ACPL Genealogy collection suggested, “…there’s no more valuable source than Aunt Millie.” A personal, local connection (especially for The History Center) creates greater value.

Ask

One thing is clear, no archivist wants to provide a blanket list of “yes” and “no” items so your next step is to contact the organization to which you wish to donate. Simply call or email to provide an idea of the item or items you wish to provide.  There are an almost unlimited number of items of historical value but the organization may not have a home for your item for other reasons than value.  For History Center curator, Walter Font avoiding duplication is a big consideration. Display and storage space is limited so the uniqueness of an item is important to maximize collection space. There could also be issues with physical size of an item or, in the case of paper records, the sheer volume of material. Staff time to process the materials could be a consideration as well. But, remember, there are no rules. That huge item in your backyard or that collection found in a warehouse still may be desirable.

Preparation

Once you’ve found a willing home you can ascend to the Donator Hall of Fame by taking some steps to make your donation more manageable. Some steps may sound rather obvious but you’d be surprised according to ACPL Lincoln Librarians Jane Gastineau and Adriana Maynard. They have seen their share of “buggy” boxes filled with cobwebs, nests, and dreaded silverfish.

Clean boxes please. Besides the obvious “yuck” of a buggy box, the insects and nests pose a threat to the organization’s collection. Yes, sometimes an organization might be willing to fumigate a particularly rare collection of donated items but in general, if you can help by donating in a clean, dry box, please do so. As Gastineau noted, watermarks on the outside of a box suggest there may be some dampness issues within, making it a candidate for a new dry box. (A special note on old textiles: please DON’T wash.  Chances are the item needs a special cleaning process or may be preferred as-is.) 

Organize. Organize the material as best you can whether by size, date, or material.  It’s not critical how you organize but it is very helpful to use a single method. Be sure to clearly note what method was used.

Avoid paper clipping, stapling, and binding with rubber bands. The metal of the former rusts while the rubber of the bands breaks down and may stain or damage surrounding material. These would all have to be removed for archiving so save both you and the archivist some time by avoiding clips and bands. 

Don’t mount or frame or place in sleeves. Vintage photo albums and scrapbooks can be treasure troves of information but often contain acidic paper, glues, or cumbersome plastic pages or sleeves. Yes, those vintage items are desirable, but there is no need to assemble your donated items in a binder or scrapbook. Your items may be in storage for an extended period before being processed so avoid making the mistakes of those vintage scrapbookers.  Also, plastic sleeves provide protection but in most cases create a great deal of additional work for those processing the donation. Smith, who manages the ACPL Genealogy archives, noted that in this day of digital scanning, paper items need to be removed from the sleeves to be scanned. This adds a step to an already time-consuming process. In some cases donated papers can be bound as-is in hard back volumes but sleeves complicate the process. Smith has attended many a club meeting with attendees separating papers from sleeves as the meeting progressed! Finally, the History Center’s Font advises to refrain from the unnecessary expense of framing. A frame may make that document or letter more attractive but the item will most likely be removed from the frame for proper preservation and/or display. 

Identify. There may be no single activity of more value to the curator than providing background information for the item(s) you donate. An old group photo of a dinner takes on new meaning when the event and the individuals are identified. Please don’t mark directly on the item (You’d be surprised!) but instead note on a separate piece of paper or post it note. Give as much detail as possible with special attention to names, dates, and locations. Chances are that you are the very best source for information about the item. As ACPL’s Smith notes, “…information degrades the further it gets from you”.  Your notes will set a good foundation and help keep the info flow intact. 

Copyright, taxes, and all that legal stuff

Be aware that your donation may become the property of the particular archive and as such be subject to the rules of access established by that organization.  In some cases, for instance papers, manuscripts, photographs and other original material, you may be asked to provide a copyright waiver.  You may also qualify for a tax credit.  The organization to whom you are  donating can provide additional information but it may be to your benefit to consult your attorney or accountant to determine the maximum tax benefit (if any) to which you’re entitled.

Despite these suggested guidelines I couldn’t help but feel any of the professionals I consulted would happily throw them all out in a heartbeat if your donation contained items of value to their collections. Don’t let this laundry list discourage your donation.  And conversely, don’t give up if an organization says, “no”.  Back in the ‘90s I contacted several local organizations looking for a home for hundreds of hours of local news footage from a TV station’s archives. Due to the collection size and its dated film and videotape format, no local organization could accept the donation. Fortunately it found a home at the Indiana State Museum which had the staff and warehouse to accommodate it. The real bottom line here is preserving links to our past. If we are able to do this in a manner most efficient for those folks who catalog, organize, preserve, and protect this priceless info, well, all the better.