Any experience with historical societies?
Posted: 09 Nov 2006 01:35
I only became interested in local history this year, an interest that admittedly has become somewhat obsessive. I was inspired by the Charlotte spreadsheet on this site to do my own listing of addresses in my area. This has involved going to the library and looking through old city directories, phonebooks, and newspapers. It also has involved physically visiting certain streets, photographing certain buildings and areas (even a few empty lots that might someday get built up) and writing down every building's address number (and if there is no number on the building, doing a check online or in the current phone book for the address number).
I still have many questions about certain places in my area, wondering about when certain buildings were built. And seemingly the only way to have my questions answered (when the answers aren't available at the location itself or on the internet) is to keep going to the library and digging through the old newspapers, city directories, etc. and hoping to eventually hit paydirt.
Because of this passion, my friends have suggested that I get in touch with one of the local historical societies. I have yet to do so, however, because I don't really know much about them, and also because I'm afraid of getting involved with something that doesn't really have much to do with the semi-recent (20th century) past that I'm most interested in. Whenever I've seen mentions of the historical societies in the newspaper, etc., it's usually about hosting tours for the public or having bake sales and other fundraising efforts, stuff that is a little more social and seemingly less about the history that I'm interested in.
What do you think? Has anyone here gotten involved in a local historical society? Was it a good, helpful experience in adding to one's knowledge, or an irrelevant social exercise?
I still have many questions about certain places in my area, wondering about when certain buildings were built. And seemingly the only way to have my questions answered (when the answers aren't available at the location itself or on the internet) is to keep going to the library and digging through the old newspapers, city directories, etc. and hoping to eventually hit paydirt.
Because of this passion, my friends have suggested that I get in touch with one of the local historical societies. I have yet to do so, however, because I don't really know much about them, and also because I'm afraid of getting involved with something that doesn't really have much to do with the semi-recent (20th century) past that I'm most interested in. Whenever I've seen mentions of the historical societies in the newspaper, etc., it's usually about hosting tours for the public or having bake sales and other fundraising efforts, stuff that is a little more social and seemingly less about the history that I'm interested in.
What do you think? Has anyone here gotten involved in a local historical society? Was it a good, helpful experience in adding to one's knowledge, or an irrelevant social exercise?