4/2/1986 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

REQUEST OF HISTORICAL SOCIETY Chairman Scurlock referred to the following letter received from the Historical Society: INDIAN RIVER COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY FLORIDA P. O. Box 6535 NDN` March 21, 1986 Vero Beach, FL 32961 J Mr. Doug Scurlock Chairman, Indian River County Commission 1840 25th Street Vero Beach, Florida 32960 Re: Inventory of old documents - County Courthouse Dear Mr. Scurlock: The Indian River County Historical Society recently toured the archives located in the basement of the Courthouse. Mrs. Freda Wright's representative, Mr. Richard Woodward, is preparing to microfilm the records of the Clerk of Court in hopes of reducing the tremendous amount of paper that must be stored. Her office felt that our Society could possibly use some of these records after they are released for our historical research and for historical exhibits. As we toured the basement, it was obvious that several areas were in need of inventorying and re -boxing. That basement is the worst possible place to store papers, valuable or not. Several areas not under the responsibilities of the Clerk's Office, but the jurisdiction of the County Commissioners are in critical need of attention. Old records, maps, and correspondence were discovered in broken boxes and piled on shelves. After only a moment's examination we were able to identify some of these items as those sent from St. Lucie County (prior 1925). Members of our Society for several years have searched in both St. Lucie and Indian River counties for these same records only to be told by St. Lucie County that they had given them to Indian River County and Indian River County claiming not to have them. These records were undoubtedly stored in the basement of the Courthouse years ago and totally forgotten. Whether they are of value to the County today would be impossible to determine without an inventory. We realize that County government does not have the personnel nor the monies to properly inventory the items that have accumulated in the basement over these many years. Therefore, our Society would like to undertake with our volunteers this task of sorting through these rooms. We realize that a great percentage of the items will be of no value to the County or to us. But in order for this fact to be established,we would be willing to do the work for you with the understanding that after the inventory our Society would be accorded the first opportunity to obtain these original records should the County determine them to be of no value. Our Society can furnish the supervision, the volunteers, the expertise in re -organizing these records and the man -power to 45 APR 2 1986 soon Fair 45 I