Tredyffrin Easttown Historical Society
History Quarterly Digital Archives

Source: April 1941 Volume 4 Number 2, Page 2

Editorial

Page 2

LOCAL HISTORY AND HISTORIANS

Recently a man from a small town in the far west, who had published in his local newspaper some articles on ancient sites in his region, visited the nearest metropolitan museum. After introducing himself, he diffidently inquired who was considered the authority on the archeology of his district. "You are," said the experts. At first, he thought that the museum men were kidding him, but after spending most of the day answering their questions instead of asking ones of his own, he returned home with a new pride in his knowledge and an increased appreciation of its importance.

Emerson said that if a man made a better type of mouse-trap, the world would beat a path to his door. Equal credit will always be accorded to the man who makes himself the authority in any subject, be it ever so local or restricted. Every amateur archeologist is continually being told by the professionals that he can become the authority on the archeology of his township or county, and that this should be his aim, rather than the accumulation of a collection of interesting specimens from all over the world. The advice applies equally well to the amateur historian. This is an age of specialization, of attention to details. Pepy's diary, daily jottings of trivial details of his life, has given us the best insight into the spirit of the latter half of the seventeenth century. The diaries of otherwise unimportant minor officers in the Revolution have supplied the only information on day-to-day activities in some campaigns.

What would we not give for a few similar notes of daily life from other ages and important periods in the world's history! Brief records of births, marriages, and deaths on old tombstones, or in old Bibles or official records, have afforded the keys to long genealogical records.

Similar data and records, it seems to me, form the reason for the existence of historical societies such as ours; such should be the principal interests of our members, and such the main content of our Quarterly. By noting, recording and publishing such details of local history, we preserve for later historians information that may some day prove of the greatest importance in a topic of historical research. Let no one think that because he does not have the time or the facilities to delve into published historical tones that historical research is beyond his ability. The professional historian can do this far better.

Our field should be primarily to search out and publish material otherwise unrecorded, such as local traditions and tombstone records, and the digesting of data found in such non-historical sources as local newspapers and church and court records.

J. A. M.