I know that many of you have received this personally, but wanted to make
sure that any of you who live in Montana and did not hear about this had an
opportunity to email the house of representatives. Please take the time to
send a note via the website mentioned "today" so that they can see the
need to preserve these records.
Thanks.
Corky
From: "Patricia Marchington" <marching(a)avicom.net>
Subject: Urgent--SB 443 Hearing update for 3/13/01
Date: Tue, 13 Mar 2001 23:54:39 -0700
X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 4.72.3110.1
Genealogists & Historians,
SB 443 had tons of opposition from the
lobbyist for:
The Clerk of District Court Assoc.
The Clerk & Recorder's Assoc.
The Treasurer Assoc.
and opposition from the:
The School Insurance Assoc.
The State Fund for Workmen Comp.
The State Historical Society Library
The Secretary of State Brown's Office
(I hope I didn't leave anyone out...)
They brought up all kinds of things that twisted
SB 443 into something that it wasn't.
SB 443 only concerns Public Records that
are being destroyed in County Courthouses...not
anything to do with Workmen's Comp., School
anything, etc.
Only to give "Notice" to the Public...the State
Historical Soc, Historical & Genealogy Soc.,
down to the Public to have a chance to Preserve
our MT History!
I showed the House-State Admin. Committee today,
3 Old Record Books originally from Park County Courthouse,
that were thrown away. These are:
1897 Voter Registration Book (name, age, birthplace, &
address were listed for each voter).
1889 Court Ledger Book...that on the last page
has the old 1889 to 1890 marriage records.
1904 City of Livingston Census Book (has names of all
family members, occupation of head of household,
ages, & addresses).
These books were "rescued" by a Historian that happened
by the trash cans by the Courthouse and were "saved"
in our local Yellowstone Gateway Museum here in
Park County....But many, many other records have been
lost forever.
Our Park County has thrown away the old MT. Marriage Application
Books...as many other counties have done, because the
Clerk of District Court Assoc. has said they have to...
(None of the MT Old Marriage Application Books from
about 1865/1889 to 1960s have been copied!).
No Courthouse is willing to tell exactly what records have
been destroyed, how many, what they are, etc. We don't
have an accounting on anything.
I had really thought it would be a simple thing to just have
the Courthouses to "post" on the wall of the Courthouse
the list of Records that they didn't want (or had no room
for). And since most Courthouses around MT have e-mail
(with more coming on-line everyday), they could just
e-mail the State Historical Society of that list of unwanted
Records. The State Historical Society (that does not
want these records) would look on their lists of local
Historical & Genealogy Societies for the area in and
around the County that doesn't want the records...and
the Public & MT State Historical & Genealogy Societies
would all be notified!
Very little work on the part of the Courthouses.
No cost to the County.
After the listings of the local Historical & Genealogy
Societies' e-mails on the State Historical Society
Library Computer database...very little work (not
compared to the priceless preserving of history).
If Montana does not come up with a simple plan like
this to preserve our MT History NOW....a lot more
RECORDS WILL BE DESTROYED!!!!
MT Courthouses do not have the space for these
Records...they will not be expanding their Courthouse
Buildings. They say Micro-filming is too expensive.
The Montana Clerk of District Court & Clerk &
Recorder Assoc.s will continue to hire their lawyers &
lobbyist to tell the MT Researcher what Records we can
see, what Records that will no longer exist, while they
and all of the Courthouse clerks will be the only ones
to have Access, BUT NOT THE PUBLIC.
Please call or e-mail these House of Representatives
on the House-State Administration Committee.
House--State Administration Committee:
Allan Walters, Chairman R - Hamilton
Debby Barrett, Vice Chairman Majority R - Dillon
Tom Dell, Vice Chairman Minority D - Billings
Norma Bixby D - Lame Deer
Dee Brown R - Hungry Horse
Don Hedges R - Antelope
Hal Jacobson D - Helena
Larry Jent D - Bozeman
Michelle Lee D - Livingston
Larry Lehman R - Power
Ralph Lenhart D - Glendive
Gay Ann Masolo R - Townsend
Doug Mood R - Seeley Lake
Alan Olson R - Roundup
Holly Raser D - Missoula
Rick Ripley R - Wolf Creek
Clarice Schrumpf R - Billings
Frank Smith D - Poplar
e-mail the House of Representatives:
http://leg.state.mt.us/leg_msg.htm
This House-State Administration Committee
needs to hear from at least hundreds of
MT Genealogists & Historians in the next
couple of days!
Please Support SB 443, we need everyone's
help NOW!
Patricia Marchington
Member of Park County & the State Genealogy
Society.
marching(a)avicom.net