New research facility preserves history

Kingdom of Callaway Historical Society Board President Mike Auer, left, and board member Bryant Liddle work to position the sign for the new Kingdom of Callaway Historical Society Research Center. The facility is at 106 E. Fourth St.
Kingdom of Callaway Historical Society Board President Mike Auer, left, and board member Bryant Liddle work to position the sign for the new Kingdom of Callaway Historical Society Research Center. The facility is at 106 E. Fourth St.

The newly opened Kingdom of Callaway Historical Society Research Center is the perfect place to escape the summer heat and dive into the depths of history.

"It's great to have the space - working space, space for volunteers," said Barbara Huddleston, the society's museum director.

The new facility is at the former Boyd & Boyd building at 106 E. Fourth St., originally built in 1966. Its opening earlier this month was the culmination of more than four years of work for the historical society. On Friday, society board President Mike Auer and member Bryant Liddle hung the building's new sign.

"It's two layers of aluminum, with plastic between for toughness," said Liddle, who also owns B-Line Engraving in Fulton.

In other words, it's designed to last, just like the archives.

The society's current museum building on Court Street will remain open, but it was simply too small to accommodate the museum, archives, research space and boardroom, Huddleston explained. The new place can fit all of that, plus provide room for growth.

There's a basement full of old probate records, a kitchenette, a spacious boardroom, a main area with towering wire bookshelves, and plenty of tables and chairs. There's even an archivist room.

"Lisa (Fox) comes from the state archives every Wednesday to work on treating circuit court records from the 1800s," Huddleston said. "She's preparing them to be recorded on microfilm. This summer, she's brought interns."

Missouri didn't have official birth and death certificates until 1910, Huddleston explained.

"There's a chance the only time someone was ever mentioned in a document is in the circuit court records, so they're quite important," she said.

Now that there's an official room for archival preservation, Fox won't have to pick everything up at the end of the day. She'll be able to work more quickly, Huddleston said.

You don't have to be an archivist or historian to visit the Research Center, though. Being curious is enough.

The facility is open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 9 a.m.-1 p.m. every third Saturday, just like the museum. To learn more, call 573-826-2460, email [email protected] or visit callawaymohistory.org.