Historical documents in danger of being lost

The importance of printed records means more than preserving old documents, according to the committee to establish a Middlesex County archive.

“We need the documents in order to be able to depict the past. And if we don't have those primary source documents, we're working with memories, which can be okay, but often they're colored by personal circumstances, and we believe we need to see the raw documents,” said David Elliott, a retired history professor.

In some cases, the documents are being stored in government facilities or at the provincial archives, but many pieces of historic value are in people's homes, or have been thrown out, according to Elliott.

“They're all over the place. They're in people's basements or underneath the bleachers in one of the arenas. They're in a garage up in North Middlesex. They're all over the place,” he said.

Carol Small, the chair for the committee to establish a Middlesex County archive, said historical documents need to be secured and protected.

“The stuff is heading for the dumpster. We've seen fires, floods, insect damage, all that kind of thing. And that's what's happening to our records,” said Small.

The group has been trying for years to get the support of Middlesex County Council, but so far, they've been told that they are not legislatively responsible to offer the service.

“It may not be a legislated duty, but it is a public service and it is one that will be probably the most rewarding. One of the most rewarding that the county could provide for its residents and visitors,” said archivist Krista Taylor.

Small said they have proposed several plans, but have not received enough support to implement them.

“We were asking for a feasibility study look at what it would cost, all the different avenues that would need to be investigated, and then come back to county council with a recommendation that got waylaid,” said Small.

According to the group, Middlesex County is an outlier in the area, as most counties in southwestern Ontario have established archives.

They said that within a generation, if something isn’t done, the history of those records will be lost to time.