Sarah Anderson Lock and Louisa Ruby, the co-historians of Gallatin, knew the task of reorganizing the town’s archives was long overdue. So, two years ago, they dug through boxes of records and poured over scrapbooks stored in Town Hall, jettisoning duplicates and throwing away disintegrating paper. When Lock and Ruby took stock of what remained, it was clear there was a dearth of documents and photographs detailing Gallatin’s history.
“Word was that when the old one-room schoolhouse was converted to the current Town Hall [a date that is lost to history], citizens took records home for safekeeping,” Ruby said. Once the building reopened, many documents were never returned, presumably tucked into a file cabinet or stored in an attic cedar chest—or lost.
Lock and Ruby brainstormed. How could they retrieve records and photographs from private homes? Ruby had an idea: “I realized we should bring the community together with a common goal of highlighting Gallatin’s history. Locals could bring any found documents and record a memory while they were there.” The co-historians named their brainchild the Gallatin Oral History Project.
Credit: Courtesy of Gallatin Town Hall
A committee of volunteers planned Gallatin Town History Day and contacted residents by phone and email and in person, encouraging them to bring historic photos or documents that they could donate or have scanned and archived. Locals can also sit for a recorded interview and share their childhood remembrances, family history, even descriptions of old buildings. The committee focused on reaching elder citizens, especially those from multigenerational families. Ruby said, “Tony Sigler will probably be able to tell stories passed down from his great-grandfather. His great-great-great-grandfather lived here!”
Shy attendees self-conscious about recording a story could instead give a brief description of an historical item for the record. Ruby hopes that the community will unite to preserve Gallatin history, enjoy their neighbors’ recollections and replenish the town’s archival files. All recordings will be preserved and accessible on the Gallatin History website.
Gallatin Town History Day will be held at Town Hall from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 10. Refreshments will be served.
The Gallatin Reformed Church Hall was used as Town Hall until it could no longer hold all the file cabinets that were being used. There are church records about this.