Alabama Department of Archives and History Edited by Kelly Hoomes Fall 2012 NEW FACES Over the last few years, cords center, public in- vist, and Ryan Blocker, you’ve seen fewer and formation officer, shared museum collections assis- fewer staff faces, but soon assistant for Public Ser- tant, also became perma- you will start to see some vices and Government nent faces at ADAH, even new faces. We are in the Records divisions, tour though both have been process of rebuilding our assistant based in the working at the Archives in staff to 39 people. hands-on gallery (Sara different facets for some Kunau) and most impor- time. New positions will include a security guard for the tant to you, a volunteer We hope you are just as research room, assistant coordinator (Aimee excited as we are to wel- Sparks)! director of administration, come these new faces into electronic records archi- Earlier this year, Kevin our Archives family! Inside this issue: vist, stock clerk at the re- Nutt, audio/visual archi- TAKING OFF THE HAT Happy Birthday 2 Help Needed: AL Day 2 It’s been almost a year since ments, and snacks, but I coordinator, Aimee I put on the volunteer hat. I never anticipated the joy Sparks. I know you’ll give Inside the Archives 5 couldn’t have made it with- of getting to know you her the same warm wel- Volunteers on the Move 3 out your support and pa- better and sharing in come that you gave me. tience. Thank you for eve- your lives. “Fridge Notes 4 As for me, I’m looking rything you did for me that I’m still going drop by forward to planning and “Rocking” in the Classroom 6 made the job easier. When and check on you, but I implementing programs, I took on volunteer coordi- feel very confident that tours, and activities for Thanks to Event Vols 6 nation, I anticipated statis- you’re in excellent hands the new museum! tics, schedules, enrich- with our new volunteer Volunteer Liaisons NEW VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR Staff Contacts:

My name is Aimee Sparks, and History, I graduated own good; he and his Aimee Sparks 353-4745 and I am honored to be the from Meredith College in friends are currently plot- (Volunteer Coordinator) new Volunteer Coordinator Raleigh, North Carolina with ting to rule the world. for the Alabama Department a Bachelor of Arts in Public I am so excited about this Sara Kunau 353-4712 of Archives and History. History and Religion. In opportunity. I will work (Hands-on Gallery)

I grew 2006, I moved to Prattville, hard to support the vol- Kelly Hoomes 353-4702 up not Alabama where I have unteers and encourage worked as an event planner. (Docents) far volunteer efforts. Your from I have also served as the vol- contribution of time and unteer co-advisor for the Mary Jo Scott 353-4694 Mont- energy is invaluable, and I (Private Records) gomery student organization at Vir- will never forget that fact. ginia College Montgomery. in Co- My daughter says that I Alden Monroe 353-4613 lumbus, I am the very proud mother never meet a stranger; I Mike Breedlove 353-4614 Geor- of two children. My daugh- enjoy speaking with and (Government Records) gia. In ter Zoe is fourteen. She getting to know people, 2005, plays clarinet in the Prattville and I truly look forward Nancy Dupree 353-4674 after Junior High School band and to meeting and getting to (Reference) com- is a gifted artist. My son know each and every pleting Hugh (everyone calls him member of the Archives Allison Gore 353-4691 an internship at the North Huey) is eleven. Huey is family. (Gift Shop) Carolina Office of Archives probably too smart for his Page 2

VOLUNTEER NEWSLETTER HAPPY BIRTHDAY

December January Willa Fay Munson 2/17 Nita Pittman 12/4 Henry Durham 1/4 Maeghan DePace 2/24 Mason Shell 12/8 Jennie Price 1/6 Richard Morgan 2/25 John Rylee 12/11 Judy Osborne 1/13 Ashley Fonville 2/28 Tom Emerson 12/12 Meagan Tanner 1/26 David Thrash 2/28 Courtney Tanner 12/12 David Huff 1/26 Jane Fowler 12/17 Shirley McCreedy12/23 Did we miss your Buddy Murphy 12/27 February birthday? Nancy Bates 12/31 Paul Ernest 2/1 We may not have it on Graeme DePace 12/31 Caryll Carrick 2/6 record. Please let us Edwin Rhodes 2/10 Judy Crow 2/11 know and we will add it

Arthur Arnold 2/12 to our list! George Willis 2/14

STATE HOLIDAYS ADAH will be closed to observe the following official state holidays: November 22 and 23: Thanksgiving 24 and 25: January 1: New Year’s Day January 21: Martin Luther King Jr./Robert E. Lee Birthday

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY: ALABAMA DAY also join us in this celebration! 2 volunteers to help serve We will be doing Alabama- sweets to children themed hands-on activities, tours 2 Floaters with re-enactors, singing the state song, and munching on If you are interested in helping sweets. on Friday, December 14th from 9am – 12pm please let Aimee We will need many volunteers to Sparks know! make this birthday a successful Each year we celebrate bash! Alabama’s birthday on December 14. This year we will We need: celebrate Alabama’s 193rd 2 Docents in the First birthday with Montgomery Alabamians Gallery County 4th graders from Martin Luther King Jr. and Crump 7 volunteers for Voices Elementary schools. The First Gallery activities (Gorgets, Alabama Flag, Whirligig, and Lady, Mrs. Dianne Bentley, will Volunteer, Bea Coley, helping at a Voices Alabama’s Birthday Card) Gallery activity during Alabama Day 2008 Page 3

FALL 2012 VOLUNTEERS ON THE MOVE Dory and Hank at Dr. Bridges’ retirement reception

Former volunteer coordinators, Genene and Patricia, greet Dr. Bridges at his retirement reception.

Abby helps students find artifacts in the Sampler Gallery

Elizabeth works on the Madera Spencer collection. Check out her organization cubbies filled with papers in the back!

Burns and Chuck working in the Govt Records Processing Room

James and Thelma grinding corn and decorating pottery with students at Frontier Days at Fort Toulouse/Fort Jackson Page 4 ‘FRIDGE NOTES FALL 2012

Keep track of activities at the Archives! Put this on your refrigerator! (Volunteer events are highlighted in yellow.)

EVENT DATE

ArchiTreats: Lord Remember Me: Archiving Alabama’s Folklife November 15, 2012

Volunteer Enrichment: Tea @ Buena Vista Mansion in Prattville December 3, 2012 RSVP by November 19

Alabama Day School Event December 14, 2012

ArchiTreats: Portraits of Conflict: A Photographic History of Alabama in the Civil War December 20, 2012

Sampler Gallery Closes and Phase II of the Museum of Alabama Begins January 1, 2013

Archives Inventory January 2 – 4, 2013

Cultural Crossroads Symposium January 12, 2013

Alabama Department of Archives and History 624 Washington Avenue, Montgomery, Alabama 36130 www.archives.alabama.gov

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FALL 2012 INSIDE THE ARCHIVES From “Ina” to “Brother.” Ina wrote on the inside, “Sending the Age-Herald and Holiday cards can be found in Sunday news for one month for Xmas. If many collections in the Archives. you don’t have time to read it, look at the Take a look at these three! pictures. “

From “Elvis and the Colonel and Friends” to George Wallace. From T.K. Bruce to Letters from Home staff at WSFA. Letters from Home were weekly newsletters sent to Montgomery County men and women serving in armed forces during World War II. MEET SHIRLEY MCCREEDY By Nancy Dupree, Reference rally. Her grandfather, Joel Desaker her family tree. Archivist Jones, wrote a weekly newspaper In addition to her love of genealogy, Shirley Jones McCreedy has been column called “Old Times” for The Shirley is an avid gardener. Her an ADAH volunteer for twelve Democrat-Reporter in Linden, Ala- beautiful yard is a testament to her years. She works as a receptionist bama from 1936-1942. The columns green thumb. Shirley also loves to for the Research Room. Her duties were rich with genealogical informa- travel, and has travelled extensively include answering the telephone, tion about folks who lived in Ma- through the U.S., Europe, and Great fielding many genealogical questions rengo County and Alabama in the Britain. Her favorite destination is and general questions from the 19th and early 20th centuries. Shirley Great Britain, the country from public, and registering all new pa- compiled and indexed a three- which her ancestors came. trons on their first visit to the Re- volume set of books of the columns search Room. The duty she takes for use in the Research Room. Pa- most seriously, though, is sharing trons find the books especially use- her extensive knowledge about the ful, often finding nuggets of informa- genealogical resources available in tion not available in other records. the Research Room with patrons Shirley retired from teaching in 1995 who are visiting for the first time. after teaching music and art for 23 There is little for the reference staff years.

to do after one of Shirley’s orienta- Besides her volunteer work here at tions. the Archives, Shirley spends a good Shirley has a deep love for geneal- bit of time researching her ances- ogy, an interest she comes by natu- tors. She has over 2300 surnames in Shirley works on a genealogy project while helping visitors and answering phones Page 6

VOLUNTEER NEWSLETTER MEET OUR NEW “ROCKING” IN THE CLASSROOM VOLUNTEERS Fall tour season is in full includes hands-on active- swing at the Archives. ties in the classroom and Please join us in welcom- This year we not only the First Alabamians gal- ing our new volunteers! have Montgomery lery. Hands-on activities County fourth-grade include corn grinding, Thanks for your time and classes, but we have decorating pottery, arti- talents! many other schools visit- fact table, and pump-drill ing the Archives for the demonstration. So now Burns Kennedy First Alabamians and you know what all the Government records Touch of History tours. noise and excitement is about! Lindsay Guest The Touch of History Docent tour includes three We couldn’t do it with museum galleries on out our dedicated volun- the second floor and The teer Docents! Blount Elementary fourth First Alabamians tour Thank you! graders in the classroom

SPECIAL VOLUNTEERS AT SPECIAL EVENTS

A big Thank You to the Graeme DePace Judy Osborne We’ve had numerous following people who Maeghan DePace Genene Nelson special events this quar- volunteered their time Doug Dillard Jennie Price and made these events a ter, including a Genea- James Durie Harry Spinks success! logical workshop, Dr. Henry & Martha Durham Patricia Sweet- Bridges’ Retirement Re- Allen Edwards Gerosolina ception, Academy of Nancy Bates Tom Emerson Juliette Wimberly Honor, and Frontier Ken & Caryll Carrick Thelma Ivery Days. Mary Hazel Winstanley Katherine Conely Chuck Maney

VOLUNTEERS MAKE GOVERNMENT RECORDS AVAILABLE TO RESEARCHERS: PART II By Mike Breedlove, Gov’t Records History at the Smithsonian Institution in Archivist Washington, D. C., and has since re- After the

“Look at this!” exclaimed Martha. turned to the Archives. Finding docu- volunteers As I strode over to the table where ments like that is certainly not an every- perform Martha Durham worked on some day occurrence. Yet finding documents this valuable records of the Dept. of Education, I worth preserving and making them acces- service, wondered what she had found. The sible is what drives volunteers like Martha finding aids answer was that she had a broad- to help the Government Records Divi- are pro- side about a barbeque at the sion to work with records. duced or Rosenwald school, with Booker T. updated to Washington speaking, 1916 Sep- Talented and devoted volunteers work make these tember 08, in the Department of with records so that they will be accessi- records Education Correspondence of the ble for future generations of researchers. more ac- Rural School Agent, 1913-1922. The volunteers carefully remove staples, cessible to researchers, especially flatten documents, and place those docu- genealogists and students. This item eventually went on dis- ments in archival folders that they then play at the Museum of American label by hand or use hand stamps.