Newsletter – April 2012
Dear Members
Apologize for not sending a March Newsletter, but we’ve been very busy. We’re still sorting through the dozen unfiled boxes and placing the appropriate material in the genealogy files. The Volunteers have been great, but we still have a ways to go in completing this before we start scanning the genealogy files for preservation.
We did receive (on loan) of a box of early 1900 CSA Pension applications from the Chancery Court in Poplarville, thanks to the diligence of Judy Burge Smith. It took us a month to scan the 1500 pages and they are now on three CD’s. We’ve given a copy to the Gainesville Volunteers and plan to give a copy to the Picayune and Poplarville libraries and the Hancock County Historical Society.
The Genealogy class never materialized. The newspaper add got in late and I guess there was just not a lot of interest or awareness.
The same with visitors. We average about a dozen a week. We have to do better and plan to begin inviting school classes. This plan is now in the works with providing basic family trees to the grammar schools and hope to get it going after SAT tests are finished. Sue Pinero is heading this project.
Our board decided to postpone our Grand Opening and Formal Organizational meeting to the fall.
Our Museum just received a donation of Grandpa Thigpen’s 8’ display case from Bill Edwards (Glass Porch). It dates 1918, and was in his hardware store when it opened. We plan to fill it with Confederate and Black history displays.
Helen Clunie is still providing financial support. Her contractors have just finished with more renovations and a 9’ set of shelves so we can properly display the Cemetery books, local history books and reference material. She also plans to donate her collection of local history books and material. She also worked hard in getting us exempt from property taxes.
I submitted our application for the Richard H. Driehaus National Preservation Award. As mentioned the award focuses on buildings and we’re hoping they will start considering archival material. The City, Chamber and Main Street all submitted letters of recommendation.
I’ve attached a picture of the New City Hall building which is across the street and should be finished in January 2013. Traffic in the area should greatly benefit us with more visitors. As mentioned we set up a display at the Welcome Center for the month of February and also set one up for the Egg Drop (2000 parents and kids in attendance) and at the April Street Fair. We also had an open house at the Archive and Museum.
Anne Anderson, a Professional Genealogist from the Coast visited us and was amazed, not only at archival material from Hilda, but the genealogical reference books and suggested that we need to display the reference material. She stated we have the best library of reference in the state. In the fall we hope to hold a Genealogy Symposium and invite Genealogist from around the state, region and country. This will greatly add to our status as an archive and research center.
Marsha Ladner received a donation of cleaning supplies and masks from Andrew Failla (Picayune Drugs) to remove the mold and mildew from the reference material before we place them on the shelves. Also, when I was at the Archive Saturday to work on shelving, I was surprised at the arrival of Ed and Sue Pinero brandishing some flats of pretty pink flowers for the flower bed. They planted these and raked up the front yard. It’s volunteers like these that will assure our success.
Sara Sheldon, our curator and original recipient of Hilda’s Collection visited us from San Antonio for a week during the Street Fair and helped greatly at the Street Fair and sorting through the dozen boxes of unfiled material. We all wish she could have stayed longer.
Our membership has grown to 143, which puts us just 57 short of our goal for 2012. Our bank balance is around $2000, but we have an $1100 insurance bill coming up in June, and monthly bills to pay.
Our daily volunteers have been great. Gloria Penton and Marilyn Weston on Monday, Loraine Harper on Tuesday, Me and Mae Foster on Wednesday, Marsha Ladner and Sue Pinero on Thursday and Clara Howard on Friday. If you know of anyone who would like to volunteer, let us know. I would especially like someone for Saturday.
We also need membership, so talk to your family and friends, especially those interested in history and genealogy about joining. We’ve had great progress so far, but have a mountain ahead of us, and our success depends on you and our volunteers. If you would like to place something in our monthly newsletter, please send it to me.
Don Wicks, Chairman
