(Editor's Note: Marion W. Coplen, Warsaw teacher recently appointed county historian for a two-year period by the state library and historical board, today inaugurates a column to appear twice weekly--Tuesdays and Saturdays--in the Times-Union as a public service to the people of Kosciusko county to aid in the preservation of documents and data connected with local history. His first column follows.)

My office of county historian is charged with the responsibility of locating and preserving historical records and manuscripts. There are undoubtedly many attics in Kosciusko county which are the unwitting depositories of very valuable historical materials which should be preserved.

At housecleaning or moving time many people innocently burn or throw away records and documents which have great value. Local histories, family histories and biographies, military records, directories (county, city, telephone, commercial, or fraternal), maps, atlases, gazetteers, accounts of travelers, records of anniversary observances, photographs, records of lodges or service clubs, stories and reminiscences of old residents, private letters, records of patriotic societies and veterans' organizations, diaries, account books, keepsakes, heirlooms, relics, local newspapers and periodicals, abstracts and title deeds, school records, surveyors' notes, business records, church records, denominational minutes and reports, cemetery records --all are valuable historical materials which should never be thrown away without first consulting a librarian or a historian.

If your attic contains material which you are about to dispose of, we would appreciate it if you would let us know. We would be very glad to inspect the materials and let you know what we consider to be of historical value. ---Marion W. Coplen

Warsaw Times-Union Tues. July 8, 1952