Serving Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, and other towns of the North Carolina High Country
Founded 05-05-05

Watauga Public Library Opens Historical Documents Collection to the Public

Story by Allison Peacock

Watauga County history enthusiasts, genealogists and information seekers alike have a wealth of new sources. The Watauga County Public Library recently received several boxes containing hundreds of photos, documents and other items. What makes these boxes special is that the material they contain dates back to the turn of the 20th century. A handwritten letter from 1897, numerous family and graduation class photos and old programs from the Horn in the West are just some of the documents in the collection.

According to Adult Services Librarian Ross Cooper, several people have already made use of the information in the collection for research projects. Representatives from the Boone Post Office, for example, found old pictures of the Post Office to enlarge and display in the building—just one way the items in the collection can be used.

Genealogists will also find the information helpful. The collection includes newspaper clippings and rosters of WWI veterans, as well as an old Mayor’s Trial Docket book, all containing information about former citizens of the community.

The documents came to the library from the home of Mr. and Mrs. William Spencer who kept the material for the Boone Historical Society. Before giving the materials to the library, Mrs. Spencer headed a group that took this “great number of things and spent a long time preserving and cataloging and attaching as much information as possible” to each document, said Cooper. They created an index card file system that allows for easier searches within each box.

The Spencers formerly kept the documents in their basement, and people visited them to see the documents. Eventually, the Spencers decided they wanted the documents to be in a safer, more accessible place. And the library was delighted to provide that place.

The folks at the library have talked with Dr. Fred Hay of the Appalachian Collection at ASU’s Belk Library who offered the use of digitizing equipment to help get the historical documents online and even more widely accessible.

The library staff is currently trying to figure out the best possible way to make the documents more accessible to the public. Ideas include putting the already-developed index card file system into an online database, as well as making the entire collection available online. “It is an overwhelming resource, but it is a work in progress,” said Cooper.

Watauga Public Library hopes to eventually find a permanent home for this wealth of community information. “The goal is eventually finding a place for it in a new cultural museum and making it available permanently to the public,” said County Librarian John Blake. “Accessibility is the most important goal for these documents.”

For more information or for access to the materials, contact the Reference Desk at 828-264-8784.