The latest issue of our newsletter, The Arkansas Archivist is up! This month's topics include summer vacation, our newest staff member, and new additions to our collections.
You can view the newsletter at: June 2017 issue of The Arkansas Archivist
Wednesday, June 21, 2017
Wednesday's Wonderful Collection - J.T. Greer and Son Funeral Home records MS.000387
- J.T. Greer and Son Funeral Home operated in Ozark, Arkansas, for much of the twentieth century. In its early years the business also sold hardware, paint, and furniture. John T. Greer, founder, was born circa 1848 in Georgia. He married Minnie L. around 1889 and the two moved to Ozark with their family by 1900. Eugene, the couple's youngest son, moved to Mangum, Oklahoma, in 1923 and opened his own funeral home. The business remained in the Greer family until 1994.
This collection contains sixteen volumes of records from the J.T. Greer and Son Funeral Home.
- 1933, 1936-1949 (Reel MG03716)
- 1949-1961 (Reel MG03717)
- 1961-1968 (Reel MG03718)
- 1968-1971 (Reel MG03719)
- 1971-1975 (Reel MG03720)
- 1975-1978 (Reel MG03721)
- 1978-1981 (Reel MG03722)
Monday, June 19, 2017
Saving and preserving Arkansas county records
Arkansas courthouses hold some of the most valuable historical records in our state. Marriage records, early birth records, land deeds, copies of wills and probate records, naturalization records, military draft records, and school records are among the treasures usually found in the archives of county courthouses. Yet, perhaps no other type of historical record in Arkansas is as endangered as these local government records. Arkansas already has lost many of its county records due to disasters, both man-made and natural. In the nineteenth century, courthouse fires unfortunately were a common cause of county record loss in Arkansas. Floods and tornados also have done their parts to threaten our public records. While improvements in courthouse construction and technologies like fire suppression systems have minimized the widespread damage caused by fires in earlier times, in many Arkansas counties today public records continue to be endangered.
A recent fire in the Lonoke County Courthouse resulted in thankfully only minimal damage to records held in a storage area, while in other state courthouses, records are housed in storage areas that, by their very nature, threaten their long-term survival. These storage areas range from wet basements to attics, in which temperature and humidity fluctuates with the weather outside. The presence of vermin is not uncommon; booklice feast on mold and the starches in book paste, and moths and beetles tunnel through the pages of ledgers, taking bits of information with them. Arkansas county officials are often unable to tackle the monumental challenges of preserving their historical records due to limited funding and the difficulties that they face in finding time for “special projects,” while managing daily work.
 |
| insect-damaged ledgers |
Recently, the Arkansas State Archives assisted one county with a tough records problem. Howard County Judge Kevin Smith and his staff partnered with the State Archives to tackle a challenge in the courthouse basement in Nashville. Recognizing that the situation in his courthouse basement was beyond the scope of what he or his staff could safely handle, and keenly aware of the need to preserve Howard County’s historical records, Judge Smith called on the Arkansas State Archives for assistance.
Jane Wilkerson, ASA Manager of Collections, Conservator Amy Minger and Dr. Lisa Speer visited the Howard County Courthouse earlier this year in March to survey the situation in the basement after a call from Circuit Clerk Angie Lewis. Lewis described a problem in the basement with records that had been wet; the March visit confirmed our worst fears – widespread damage from water and mold. The Howard County Courthouse, an attractive two-story Art Moderne-style building constructed by the Public Works Administration in 1939, was constructed over a natural spring.
 |
| mold-damaged ledgers |
Fortunately, not all the county’s records were stored in the basement; most are housed upstairs in court offices and in a designated records storage room in the courthouse annex. Our preliminary survey of the basement records indicated that some of the moldy ledgers and file drawers housed records that Arkansas’s public records law defines as permanently valuable (A.C.A. Title 13, Chapter 4). We believed that the LDS Church likely had filmed some of the records decades earlier, but without checking each volume and each drawer against a list of microfilm holdings at the State Archives we couldn’t be sure. And, until such a survey was completed, Howard County could not move forward with the badly needed mold remediation of the basement. Unsure of how to move forward with what undoubtedly would be a time-consuming, dirty and expensive project, I turned to Department of Arkansas Heritage Director Stacy Hurst for assistance. Finally, the wheels began to turn.
Director Hurst agreed that we had a responsibility to work with the county to save the historical records housed in the courthouse basement. She provided support from Heritage for a disaster salvage company to perform an assessment on a select group of records to determine if they were salvageable. I worked with Metro Disaster Services of North Little Rock to schedule the assessment, which took place on June 1. Metro was selected because they had experience working with historical records, and recently had worked with the Lonoke County Courthouse following their fire. Due to record-setting floods in Northeast Arkansas in late spring, Metro was unable to schedule the site work at Howard County any earlier than June; but, because the courthouse basement issue was not recent, the few additional months we had to wait seemed negligible.
Metro’s initial test clean of records indicated that, overall, the ledgers in the basement could be cleaned well enough to allow for microfilming. The Metro crew used a HEPA vacuum to clean the exterior covers, spine and text block of about twenty volumes. They also vacuumed inside the front and back covers, and then wiped each volume down with a mold-retardant solution.
 |
| mold-damaged ledgers |
 |
| mold-damaged ledger |
 |
| Register of school directories, 1910s-1930s |
With additional support from Director Hurst, this time from emergency conservation funds available through the Department of Arkansas Heritage, members of the Arkansas State Archives staff returned to Howard County the following week ready for work. Arkansas State Archives staff members Jane Wilkerson, Archival Assistant Elizabeth Freeman and I worked for seven hours on June 7, pulling ledgers from rusty shelves, inspecting their condition and content, and comparing them against the County Records Retention Schedules, as well as a list of records already filmed by the LDS Church and available at the State Archives.
 |
| Dr. Lisa Speer examining a ledger |
We worked in standing water of about 1 inch, either because of the natural spring that runs constantly in one corner of the basement, or perhaps because of the condensation dripping from the metal pipes running overhead. To protect ourselves from the black mold that covered the records, we wore protective gear – respirators, Tyvek suits, rubber boots, and nitrile gloves. Despite the cool temperature of the basement, we were quite warm!
 |
| Standing water in the basement |
 |
| Jane Wilkerson, Dr. Lisa Speer and Elizabeth Freeman in hazmat gear |
 |
| mold-damaged ledgers |
Each time I applied a red sticker, I felt a conflicting sense of grief for the information that would be lost and relief that I would not have to carry that volume up the stairs. Most the ledgers were quite large, and generally, we could carry no more than one, sometimes two, up the stairs per trip. By 3 o’clock in the afternoon, all the ledgers that met the criteria we’d established for the operation were out of the basement; but we knew we were not yet finished.
The basement contained two metal file cabinets, along with loose file drawers stacked along the top of ledger shelving. The labels indicated that the cabinets held documents like chancery court records, pension files, oil and gas leases, guardianship papers – records we knew we should save. On Friday, June 9, Jane Wilkerson and I returned to the courthouse, this time with staff members from the Southwest Arkansas Regional Archives in Historic Washington State Park, one of our agency’s two branch archives.
 |
| File drawers stacked atop ledger shelves |
 |
| water-damaged ledgers |
 |
| Melissa Nesbitt and Josh Fischer |
Once again, we suited up into our gear and prepared to head down into the basement for the last expedition. As you might expect, the gear attracted much attention from folks visiting the courthouse. We were compared to the Ghostbusters©, asked if we were there for a gas leak, and one person even asked if we were bee keepers! I promise you, there was no honey in the basement.
 |
| Josh Fischer, Melissa Nesbitt, Jane Wilkerson, and Dr. Lisa Speer |
Fortunately, the third and final excursion into the basement only took three hours. Our crew worked quickly to identify drawers of records to save. Unfortunately, drawers that were about two feet off the ground were rusted shut, so we could only speculate about the condition of the contents inside. We left the paper files inside the drawers to keep them in order. Thankfully, the drawers were narrow and not very long, that is not heavy. We carried the drawers out of the basement two at a time in boxes until we ran out of boxes, and then we carried out the rest singly wrapped in the left-over plastic bags. We made sure we captured the moment of bagging the last drawer – this was mostly moment of celebration for us all. I say “mostly” because of the casualties – the records that perhaps had permanent value, but were too far gone to be saved. For an archivist, leaving those behind bites.
 |
| Melissa Nesbitt bagging the last drawer |
So, what is the lesson to be learned from this saga? There are many. Probably the most important is that records you want to keep a long time need appropriate storage. Basements and attics are not the best choices, nor are storage spaces near water pipes, windows, or in the vicinity of mechanical rooms. Cooler and drier is better, and clean is important. A second, important lesson is to act fast when you discover a problem, even a little one. The longer you wait, the harder and more expensive it may be to clean up, or it may not be possible to clean up at all. And finally, don’t be afraid to ask for assistance when you need it. This situation in Howard County was addressed because Judge Kevin Smith and Circuit Clerk Angie Lewis knew they needed assistance, and they knew the State Archives was the place to call for help. Thanks to support from the Department of Arkansas Heritage and the work of the State Archives staff, this story has a (mostly – there’s that word again) happy ending. While we regret the need that took us to Howard County, we are glad to have had the opportunity to work with the courthouse staff on this cleanup, and commend them for their role in acting to save these important historical records for Arkansas!
Wednesday, June 14, 2017
Wednesday's Wonderful Collection - Herbert L. Thomas, Sr. papers, MS.000338
Herbert L. Thomas,
Sr., was a prominent Arkansas businessman with interests in insurance, banking,
and real estate. He was born in Lone Prairie, Ashley County, Arkansas, on
February 14, 1899. Thomas founded the First Pyramid Life Insurance Company in
1925 and served as its president until 1960. In 1961, Thomas purchased 500
acres of land near Heber Springs on Greers Ferry Lake in Cleburne County.
During the next decade, he helped develop Eden Isle resort along with Red Apple
Inn Country Club and Conference Center. In 1953, as President of First Pyramid
Life, Thomas helped purchase the City National Bank of Fort Smith, and in 1963,
also bought the Citizens Bank of Booneville. He died on March 11, 1982.
This collection
contains records pertaining to First Pyramid Life Insurance Company, Eden Isle,
Red Apple Inn, Citizens Bank of Booneville, and City National Bank of Fort
Smith, as well as personal papers.
·
Eden
Isle
o
1.
Advertising (Box 1)
o
2.
Architectural committee
o
3.
Architects partnership
o
4.
Bill Brady
o
5.
Jim Briggs
o
6.
Jim Briggs
o
7.
Brochures and published materials
o
8.
James C. Buckner
o
9.
Budgets
o
10.
Cluster homes
o
11.
Condominiums (Box 2)
o
12.
Co-operative apartments
o
13.
Corporation
o
14.
Rudy Del Donno
o
15.
Development
o
16.
Downtowner Corporation
o
17.
Drawing plans
o
18.
Golf course
o
19.
Guest questionnaire analysis
o
20.
John Hampton
o
21.
John Hampton
o
22.
Happenings
o
23.
Roy Harris, marketing coordinator
o
24.
Hodges, Vines, Fox, Castin, and Associates
o
25.
Homeowners (Box 3)
o
26.
HUD
o
27.
Interiors
o
28.
Elbert Jean
o
29.
Landscaping
o
30.
Lot loans
o
31.
Lot prices
o
32.
Marina
o
33.
Master plan summary
o
34.
Jerry Morrissey
o
35.
Nursery
o
36.
Police protection
o
37.
Private club
o
38.
Printing requisition
o
39.
Reports and surveys
o
40.
Sauna
o
41.
Security
o
42.
Sewer system
o
43.
Shady Grove condos
o
44.
Specification houses
o
45.
Tennis courts
o
46.
Villa inventories
o
47.
General correspondence
o
48.
Miscellaneous correspondence, 1972-1973
o
49.
Miscellaneous correspondence, 1980 (Box 4)
·
Red
Apple Inn
o
50.
Accountant, Tom Moorman (Box 4)
o
51.
Account job description
o
52.
Accounting search
o
53.
Advertising
o
54.
Chef John Bailey
o
55.
Robert Berry
o
56.
Budgets
o
57.
Conference center, Bonnie Carter
o
58.
Conference center newsclippings
o
59.
Conference center
o
60.
Country club membership
o
61.
Cranford-Johnson-Hunt
o
62.
Golf pro, Mark Brugner
o
63.
Executive chef, Stephen Lunden
o
64.
Manager
o
65.
Menus
o
66.
Jerry Myers
o
67.
Jack Mynett
o
68.
Personnel
o
69.
Recipes
o
70.
Safety and maintenance
o
71.
Gordon C. Scott
o
72.
Sick leave and holiday policy
o
73.
Carl Smith
o
74.
Snack bar reports
o
75.
Miscellaneous materials (Box 5)
o
76.
Miscellaneous materials
o
77.
Miscellaneous materials
o
78.
Miscellaneous materials
o
79.
Correspondence (Box 6)
o
80.
Correspondence
o
81.
Correspondence
o
82.
Correspondence
o
83.
Correspondence
·
First
Pyramid Life Insurance Company
o
84.
Advertising and marketing
o
85.
Advertising
o
86.
Annual report, 1974
o
87.
Annual report, 1977
o
88.
A.M. Best report
o
89.
Bond portfolio
o
90.
Board meeting, 1977
o
91.
Bill Brady
o
92.
Glen Cary
o
93.
Clare and company
o
94.
Convention costs
o
95.
Manley Denton
o
96.
Employee stock option plan
o
97.
Executive committee
o
98.
Financial statements, 1975-1976 (Box 8)
o
99.
Financial statements
o
100.
Jerry Ford
o
101.
Frank Gordon
o
102.
Roy Harris
o
103.
Investment committee
o
104.
John Hampton
o
105.
Legal papers
o
106.
Marketing vice-president position description
o
107.
Frank McGehee
o
108.
Frank McGehee, Jr.
o
109.
Mortgage company
o
110.
October campaign
o
111.
Organization chart
o
112.
Forrest Penny
o
113.
Perkins Foods, Incorporated
o
114.
Stock ownership (Box 9)
o
115.
Miscellaneous stock papers
o
116.
Herbert Thomas, Jr.
o
117.
Herbert Thomas, Jr.
o
118.
Gerald Vader
o
119.
Betty Wineland
o
120.
Miscellaneous materials (Box 10)
o
121.
Miscellaneous materials
·
Citizens
Bank of Booneville
o
122.
Advertising (Box 11)
o
123.
By-laws
o
124.
Citizens Investment Corporation
o
125.
Employee stock option plan
o
126.
Jeral Hampton
o
127.
Landscape drawings
o
128.
Stock correspondence
o
129.
Stock option agreements
o
130.
Misellaneous materials
·
City
National Bank of Fort Smith
o
131.
Advertising (Box 12)
o
132.
Automobile policy
o
133.
Comparative figures
o
134.
Jim Harwood
o
135.
Harold E. Henson, Jr.
o
136.
Key ratios
o
137.
Jerl Looper
o
138.
Office salary analysis
o
139.
Photographs
o
140.
Stock options
o
141.
Miscellaneous correspondence
o
142.
Miscellaneous materials
·
Personal
correspondence
o
143.
A (Box 13)
o
144.
American Chesapeake Dog Club
o
145.
Antiques
o
146.
Arkansas Highway Department
o
147.
B
o
148.
Dale and Betty Bumpers
o
149.
C
o
150.
Bill Clinton
o
151.
D
o
152.
Dudley Dowell
o
153.
Ernie Deane
o
154.
Dogs
o
155.
Melvin Dunn agencies
o
156.
E
o
157.
F
o
158.
Financial statements
o
159.
Fortnum and Mason, Limited
o
160.
Mazie Fuess
o
161.
G
o
162.
Bishop Paul Galloway
o
163.
H (Box 14)
o
164.
Al Haig
o
165.
John T. Hampton
o
166.
Brooks Hays
o
167.
Heber Springs
o
168.
Heber Springs Chamber of Commerce
o
169.
Heber Springs Public School court case
o
170.
Heifer Project International
o
171.
Honduras
o
172.
J
o
173.
K
o
174.
Jack Kemp
o
175.
L
o
176.
Roger Langster
o
177.
Land development project
o
178.
Legislation
o
179.
M
o
180.
Maps
o
181.
Jim NcGehee contract
o
182.
McGhee, Potts and Associates status report
o
183.
N (Box 15)
o
184.
O
o
185.
Tom Olmstead
o
186.
P
o
187.
Paintings
o
188.
Pleasant Valley stockholders meeting
o
189.
Portrait Specialists, Incorporated
o
190.
R
o
191.
Retired Teachers Housing, Incorporated
o
192.
S
o
193.
Schools
o
194.
Robert Shaheen
o
195.
Speeches
o
196.
Slate and Flagstone
o
197.
T
o
198.
Thomas family
o
199.
Tile
o
200.
Travel editors
o
201.
U
o
202.
University of Arkansas
o
203.
United States Corps of Engineers
o
204.
United States Corps of Engineers, Carl Garner
o
205.
V
o
206.
Bronson Van Wyck
o
207.
W
o
208.
Warden-Brooks, Limited
o
209.
X-Y-Z
o
210.
Miscellaneous (Box 16)
o
211.
Miscellaneous
o
212.
Miscellaneous photos
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