By Jessica Gorman

In the past week, since discovering my own personal connection to the early history of Minden and Webster Parish, I have learned so much. Now, I have connections to steamboats on Dorcheat, the yellow fever epidemic of 1873, and the Arizona Ash tree that stands at the center of town. I have learned about Samuel Garrison’s difficult life from a letter he wrote to his sister in 1879. And, I’ve been able to pair that letter with old newspapers to learn the circumstances that led to those difficulties. All this because of a message saying, “I have more things for you.” 

There are those who would have simply tossed it all in the trash. People will say, “Oh, surely not,” but I assure you it happens every day. Someone dies, the family is overwhelmed or just doesn’t want to deal with all the “stuff.” They have an estate sale or hire someone to clean out the house or just throw it away and history disappears. Every. Single. Day. 

There are items stored away in attics, closets, and barns. People will share photos for fun, and yet they don’t seem to understand the need and the value of preservation. I try to explain to people why the things they have may be important. They tell the stories of people, of places, of events. They breathe life into history. They tell us things that we may have never been able to learn otherwise. The surprise family connections that I have discovered, because of a location noted on a letter, are the perfect example of the significance of a tiny detail. 

One thing that I try to stress is the importance of documenting our history. I don’t know if everyone just thinks that it’s already been done or if they just don’t understand what I mean. We have huge, gaping holes in the record of our parish history, holes in the history of communities, churches, schools, and especially the African American community.  One of my goals is to compile as much information as possible to fill those holes, document that history, tell those stories, and make it available to the public. 

I am motivated by all the time that I have spent on the other side of things trying to piece together my family history with more than just names and dates and places. I have personally experienced the excitement of walking into a tiny little library hundreds of miles away and finding the information that I was looking for, information that can’t be found anywhere else. I am now in a position to make that possible for others. 

Periodically people will call or come by asking if I have information about someone or something, whether I might have a photograph or know about a cemetery. There is nothing more satisfying than being able to tell them I have what they are looking for. The only reason that I am able to do that is because there have been those who have shared photos, artifacts, letters, diaries, documents, yearbooks, programs, books, ledgers, etc., all items that document the past in one way or another. They  knew and understood that these items needed to be in a place where they are preserved and available to others. 

Making information available is why I feel that digitization is so important. The museum now has a Flickr page that serves as a digital archive of sorts. Its entire purpose is to make our holdings easily available to others. It is a work in progress and there is much more to be added. Digitization also allows us to create a digital copy of items while the owner retains possession. 

Having these items is not about us possessing them. It is about preservation and access. It is about documenting our collective history. It is about answering questions and helping others and being able to tell someone, “Yes, we have what you’re looking for. I’ll send you a copy.”

Please remember that history is never done, and it is up to all of us to ensure that we preserve as much as possible. I hope you will consider your role in preserving our local history. Don’t let us lose these precious items that may hold significance of which you may not even be aware.  

(Jessica Gorman is the Executive Director of the Dorcheat Historical Association Museum, Webster Parish Historian, and an avid genealogist.)