Community History and Preservation in Small Towns

Author(s): Madeline Buckendorf

Source: The Public Historian, Vol. 9, No. 4 (Autumn, 1987), p. 6
Published by: University of California Press on behalf of the National Council on Public History
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3377768 .
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Letter to the Editor

Community HistoryandPreservation ervationwork.Oftenthose profession-

in SmallTowns alswho get involvedin communityhis-
torydonothaveexpertisein thekindsof
Thankyouforsendingus copiesof the researchproblemsinvolvedin localhis-
reviewofthelocalhistorytechnical leaf- toryworkor in how to help volunteer
letserieswhichranintheSummer 1986 groupslearn"thebasics."Thisis a situa-
issueof ThePubltcHtstorian.WhileI tion peculiarnot only to Idahoor the
wasverypleasedthattheserieswasre- Pacific Northwestbut also to small
viewedbyyourjournal, I amconcerned tonrnsacrossthe country,and to state
thatthereviewer missedthepointofthe andfederalagenciessuchasstatehistori-
seriesas a whole.I alsohaveconcerns calsocieties,the ForestService,andthe
thatsomeprofessional historians and NationalParkService,whichworkwith
preservationists
do notunderstand the largenumbersof volunteers.Theseare
needsofthemajority ofpeoplein small the kindsof groups,alongwithlocalli-
towns"working in the trenches" trying braries,thathaveorderedandutilized
topreserve theirlocalhistoryona small these "verybasic"leaflets.Manysmall
budgetwithfewresources. organizationswith limited resources
As pointedout by Ms. Colein her need to have these beginningsteps,
review,theseriesgrewoutofa project such as how to conducthistoricalre-
called"Working Together" whoseem- search,howto put togethera localhis-
phasiswason providingbasicknowl- tory collection,or even how to create
edgeto thoseworkingon community awarenessof the importanceof saving
historyandpreservation insmalltowns. historicbuildings,outlinedforthemin a
Ms.Colecommented thattheinforma- simplermannerthanappearsin mostof
tionintheseriesis"unduly elementary"the AASLHtechnicalleafletsandPark
and"willbe ofpractical usetoa limited Servicepreservation briefs.
audience.Smallinstitutions withfew I can understandMs. Cole's com-
professionalsanda largevolunteer staff ments in light of her locationandjob
canusethemastraining tools."Theleaf- situation.Theserieswouldnotbe useful
letswereintendedto be basicto serve for someonewith her trainingand ac-
thisparticularaudience,whichI have cess to otherprofessionals in the field.
foundnottobealimitedaudience atall. Unfortunately,this is not the scenario
Thereare manysmalltownsin the for mostgroupsinterestedin localhis-
Northwest andMidwest (smalltownsin toryin smalltownsallacrossthe United
thiscasemeaning populations of 2,000 States.
or less,whichincludesalmost75 per-
centof the townsin Idaho)thathavea MADELINEBUCKENDORF
limitednumberof professionals doing FormerProjectDirector,
anykindoflocalhistoryorhistoric pres- "WorkingTogether"
6