State Archivists to visit Montgomery County June 25th in search of Civil War Memorabilia

Representatives from the Tennessee State Library and Archives will be visiting Montgomery County on June 25th, 2010, to record and digitize Civil War memorabilia owned by local residents for a new exhibit.

Archivists will be at the Montgomery County Archives, 350 Pageant Lane in Clarksville, Suite 101D, from 10:00am until 2:30pm that day. During that time, they invite area residents to bring in photographs, documents and other artifacts related to the Civil War.

Individuals may call (615) 253-3470 or e-mail civilwar.tsla@tn.gov to schedule a reservation with the archivists. Reservation forms and available times may be found on the State Library and Archives’ section of the Department of State web site at http://tn.gov/tsla/cwtn/events.htm.

The archivists will scan or take digital photographs of the materials, some of which will be featured in an upcoming exhibit titled, “Looking Back: The Civil War in Tennessee.” The archivists will not actually take possession of the items from their owners.

“This is an important project for the Tennessee State Library and Archives,” Secretary of State Tre Hargett said. “The Civil War was obviously a major event in our state’s history, so we need to take appropriate steps to make sure these treasures are properly preserved for future generations.”

Attendees at the event will receive copies of the digital photographs and tips on how to preserve their Civil War memorabilia.

Archivists plan to visit all 95 of Tennessee’s counties in search of material for the exhibit, which will commemorate the Civil War’s 150th anniversary.