Photo by Mark Webber | The Republic Bartholomew County Recorder Tami Hines examines an historic record book that no longer securely holds the documents placed in it.
A dozen books containing legal records dating back to the earliest days of Bartholomew County will receive a new lease on life.
Approval has been given to send off 12 deteriorating books containing official records such as deeds, mortgages, military discharges, bonds and federal tax liens to the H.F. Group’s office in North Manchester.
While each book will undergo a lengthy full archival restoration, it’s going to take several months to get the original records refurbished and returned to Columbus, Bartholomew County Recorder Tami Hines said.
The restoration cost of $14,897 will be paid from the Recorder’s Perpetuation Fund, which receives revenue from multiple sources like making copies, income derived from online public records, mortgage recorder fees and user fees specifically earmarked for the preservation of records and improving record keeping systems. From Jan. 1 though the end of September, the Recorder’s Perpetuation Fund has generated $131,289 while the entire recorder’s office has brought in nearly $300,000, according to a fact sheet provided by Hines.
In late 2015, former county assessor Anita Hole received permission to begin using the Richmond-based Doxpop organization for a historical document project that places legal and historic documents online.
But since records are so extensive and go back as far as 200 years, online records are only available from the 1950s to the present day, the fact sheet states. Older records are either on microfilm or available only in the record books.
While most people searching records are doing so for business purposes, a number of people examining records from the 19th and early 20th centuries are trying to develop an accurate family history, Hole said.
“Everything starts here, in terms of all the original land owners,” said Hole, who still works part-time in the office. “You have to go through the past to come up to the present.”
And for a number of people, holding the actual historical document feels more authentic than viewing an online copy.
“The handwriting in (these books) are beautiful,” Hines said. “We want the public to come in and view these.”
After water damage became evident several years ago at the Bartholomew County Courthouse, a decision was made to move the historic record books a block away to the Bartholomew County Governmental Office building. So far, the original documents have been kept safe from potential water, smoke and fire damage. Hines said historic records in Madison didn’t have such luck when a 2009 blaze destroyed a large section of the historic Jefferson County Courthouse.
However, the recorder’s office has been engaged in record-keeping since 1822, which is only one year after Bartholomew County was created. So after up to 200 years, many legal record books have received extensive wear and tear simply from normal use, Hines said.
Among the dozen that will be refurbished is one book that has deteriorated to the degree that every page falls out if not kept flat on its back on a solid surface.
“They will have to put each page in a sleeve and create two books out of it,” Hines said.
Only one edge of the entire spine of another book remains attached, so those pages are also coming detached Hines said.
Many books are so fragile that the county doesn’t want to risk using conventional shipping out of fear that rough handling might result in more loss and damage, she said.
To play it safe, a representative of the H.F. Group who knows the value and character of the books will make a 300-mile round trip to pick the books up and bring them to North Manchester, Hines said.
