How did you first get involved in local history and archival work?
While working at the county historical society, I often tried to do research at the courthouse. Even though our county government was the largest repository for historical records in Chautauqua County, it had no program to inventory and arrange records so that they could be utilized by the public. Luckily, County Clerk Sandra Sopak was interested in records management, and she hired me to start a records program/archives for the county. A passion to make records available to the public always drove my work. Records created for the most mundane purpose can be valuable now to researchers. As County Historian, I believed that one of the most important parts of the job was talking to the public, students, and history enthusiasts about local history and how relevant it is to life today.
What does/did a typical day of work or research look like for you?
As County Historian/Records Manager, every day was different. I never knew who was going to walk in the door or email me with a research request. I never turned anyone away because our repository existed for the public, primarily made up of public records that we were obligated to provide—which, as a public servant, is important.
Each foray into the archives to find answers for someone revealed new information that added to my understanding of county history in particular and history in general. I tried to take a holistic look at whatever was happening—considering regional, State, and national events/trends that helped explain local events.
I also utilized a great network of local historians and historical societies, and we met periodically to discuss shared challenges and projects.
Now as Research Historian for the Office of New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, I have very specific areas of local history to research, and I am able to focus on just that. The information I am compiling and interpreting will enable each of the five State parks in Chautauqua County to better interpret their histories for park visitors.
What particular skills or perspectives do/did you bring to your work and research?
I really think an openness and willingness to help is vital when dealing with the public. Many folks who came to my office had never been to the courthouse before and were intimidated by it. Not everyone who requests access to public records is a seasoned researcher. I was happy to explain the records that were available, and what information they did or did not contain, which often included some historical context regarding the creation of the records. With a well-informed explanation, most researchers were grateful for the help even if they did not get the information they were seeking.
I also tried to bring the stories of everyday people into the county history that I presented. Immigrants, poor farm “inmates,” criminals, and rum runners are just as important to our history as the individuals mentioned in our county histories.
Grant writing was essential for almost all of the large reformatting and processing projects that we undertook with the archives. Being able to articulate the value of the records and the need to make them available was critical to the success of the program.
What are you most proud about your work in this field?
I am proud of the large volume of records that we rescued from oblivion! Archival records at the courthouse were stored in abandoned stairwells, a leaking attic, and a judge’s bathroom. A moldy basement storage facility rented by the county was completely consumed by fire shortly after we removed our records. We not only established a secure, environmentally stable facility to store the archives, we also inventoried, organized, and filmed or scanned many series that researchers had been requesting for decades. Naturalization records, tax assessment rolls, early court records, and poor farm records are just a few of the series that we processed.
For the county’s bicentennial, I chaired a year-long series of activities to highlight the county’s unique and fascinating history. Our outreach was tremendous, including a history passport program with great prizes, and a two-day history fair with 52 local organizations involved with some component of our history. We even reenacted the very first county supervisor’s meeting with current legislators serving as actors.
What have been some challenges and how did you navigate them?
One of the biggest challenges in running the County Archives and serving as Historian was working with ever-changing elected officials. I wish I had a dollar for every politician who told me he/she was interested in history but had never been to a single local historical society! I once was told by a County Executive, “I can’t believe you get paid to be Historian.”
Elected officials rarely understand the value of heritage tourism and the positive impact it has on the local economy. I felt that every two years, with a group of newly elected legislators, I would have to justify the value of preserving records and paying a qualified person to also make them available to the public.
Appearing before the legislature regularly helped to make them aware of the value of my work, which I justified with statistics on the number of requests I received, the number of researchers who came to the county, and how many different states/countries they came from.
What have been a couple of the most memorable/exciting/unexpected things you’ve come across while doing research?
The archives held so many fascinating records—from a court case pertaining to Annie Oakley’s lawsuit against a local newspaper, to a local deputy who later joined the Secret Service and stopped the 1876 theft of Abraham Lincoln’s body, to the story of a woman who followed her husband into the Civil War and stayed with his regiment for three years, earning her own pension.
And actually, finding a record that helped someone resolve a family mystery was probably just as exciting and fulfilling as some of the stories of famous people. I enjoyed helping several people track down half-siblings that were unknown to them, finding court cases with testimony that explained an ancestor’s disappearance or death, and helping someone fill in the missing pieces of their ancestor’s immigration story.
The NYG&B’s 2025 Preservation in Action theme is “The Power of One.” How has that been a factor in your work and what does that mean to you?
As County Historian I was an office of one. Any projects that I undertook were driven by me, and their completion gave me a great deal of satisfaction. Knowing that many of the records held at the county had been unavailable for up to 200 years made me feel that it was my responsibility to see that they were preserved and known. I never sought credit for the work I did—it was my job and I wanted to do it.
Regarding the “Power of One,” I also think that helping just one person find information in the archives or educating just one person about the value of historical records will ultimately lead to more support for archival programs. I often had people contact me because they heard from someone that I was willing and able to help.
Why is preserving local history important to (1) you personally and (2) for the community?
I don’t know how anyone can understand the world today without knowing the history that got us here. Personally, my sense of self comes from knowing where my ancestors came from, how they got here, and why they came. It is the same for every community—knowing the history allows you to know where the streets got their names, how some communities thrived and some disappeared due to transportation changes, or how a house changed over time. Our local history is just as important and is an inseparable part of a larger regional and national history, which informs even the most minute historical event.
Can you share with us or give us a glimpse of what's next on the horizon for you?
I am enjoying retirement from the county. But working part time as a research historian is great because I think I can really contribute to the telling of the history of our state parks. I have collected enough information (which is really interesting!) that I may write a book or two about the sites that are now parks.
What advice would you give to other archivists and historians (or those thinking about going into the field)?
I would recommend to anyone entering this field to not undervalue him/herself. Government archives can be great places to work, but an archivist/historian should be prepared to fight for a professional salary and support staff.
I would also encourage anyone going into this field to embrace new technologies to reformat/index records to improve accessibility. I hope someday the records that I did not have the time or resources to digitize will somehow be made available.