Uncovering History Before Its Pages Fade - Micromedia Publications
Manchester Township Clerk Sabina Skibo and her staff poured through old minute books from the town’s founding in 1865 to today, to compile tidbits of history and place them in the broader context of national and world affairs. Some of the leather-bound books with their ancient calligraphy—is that an “s” or an “f,” and “l” or an “e”. —are brittle and falling apart, held together by only a rubber band and forbidden to be touched except by gloved hands. Skibo and her crew are looking into converting the thousands of pages into digital, searchable files, so residents today and those who will be putting together Manchester’s 200th anniversary celebration will have easier access to the tidbits of... For all these years no one ever took on the task of trying to figure out what we now do. These books are 150 years old. When she was deputy clerk, Skibo started the task of separating the minute books by category—township committee, planning board, zoning board, health board. “This started the year before we had the actual celebration,” Skibo said. The town celebrated its 150th anniversary April 5, but the official festivities were held off until June when the weather was more cooperative. “My staff started going through 150 years of minute books, and trying to read through them all and pick out the most important things or something we could consider people. Source: micromediapubs.com
