Commission keeps history alive for all
By SHARON KERR

JIMMIE TANNER has been catching up the 1930 census, which did not record married women's maiden names. Her work will benefit future genealogical researchers.

Bertie Bryant, Jimmie Tanner and their cohorts at the Jasper County Historical Commission (JCHC) have the distinction of talking their way into jail, and they're proud of it.

Up until a few years ago, members of the commission kept the important county archives in their own homes, but then the Texas Historical Commission started requiring that records be kept in a central location with public access.

About the same time, Jasper County built the new jail adjacent to the sheriff's office and decommissioned the old jail on the courthouse square.

"We just convinced the court that they needed to put us in jail," Bryant explained with a smile.

The court she is referring to is Jasper County Commissioners' Court, who provide the meager budget for the operation. The old cells are piled to the ceiling and the ceiling leaks, but at least they are getting a new computer so they can meet state filing requirements.

BERTIE BRYANT examines a fragile copy of The Jasper News-Boy. A project they could use help would be to encapsulate old issues to prevent deterioration.

Tanner is quick to correct anyone who call this group a historic society. "That's a different bunch; they are the ones working on the museum," she says.

The Historic Commission consists of six official workers appointed by county commissioners who answer to the Texas State Historical Commission. This year the volunteers are Bertie Bryant, Gwen Bluitt, Elza Roberts, Jeanette Pittman, Jimmie Tanner and Nicole Muldrow.

They are charged with the tasks of identifying and and sites. Every time you see a historic marker alongside a road, the facts were first submitted and verified by an historic commission like this group of dedicated volunteers, who work without pay.

Linda Primrose, chairman of the JCHC, reports that last year those six workers donated over 2,500 hours to assist 451 patrons who visited the facility in person, and answered numerous phone calls and emails.

The JCHC is open noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday at 138 E. Houston Street.

On a recent afternoon, Tanner and Bryant were sorting photos donated by a local family.

"Don't ever throw old pictures and documents away," Bryant said. "Give them to us and we'll sort it and decide, and then if it's junk, then we'll dispose of it."

Some of what is in the old jail is on loan from families who don't have room to store it. It's available to students of history, who can obtain copies for a minimal fee.

"Our copy machine pays for itself," Bryant said proudly.

Bryant and Tanner are two walking catalogue files, who know where every sort of document hides in the building. They can point out books from families who are Mayflower descendants, yearbooks from many local schools, portfolios with the grand openings of businesses like Dickerson Hospital in 1964.

"We have the actual copies of The Jasper Newsboy back to 1931, and on microfilm, we have copies going back to 1887," according to Bryant.

Turner is proud to have just finished adding brides' maiden names to the 1930 census, something was wasn't done back then but will be important to future genealogical researchers.

"We need new blood," Turner complained. "There's just so many projects, we need some younger people to help us out."

Bryant and Tanner are double cousins, both descended from the who came here before Texas was a state.

"The Primroses arrived in Texas through Galveston and they were mostly farmers and merchants. The Conners came as soon as Texas was open. They came from Georgia about 1847, and we can tell that by looking at the first census in 1850," Tanner said.

"They might have been outlaws," Bryant admitted, "but outlaws don't build churches and schools, so some old woman got ahold of them and tamed them."

One of the common questions the volunteers get now involves proving age for social security benefits. The JCHC rescued school census reports and have them dating back to 1923 for both black and white schools. Social Security will accept these records when no birth certificate exists.

Ongoing projects include indexing county cemeteries. The JCHC has keys to many of the old cemeteries and works with families trying to find ancestors and keep the grounds mowed and in good order.

The JCHC has also authorized a new book about builder W.P. Cook, who built many of the fine old homes and buildings in Jasper. (The book signing has been delayed until the middle of February.)

Bryant has been laboring at the JCHC 30 years, since 1977, and Tanner since 1987. They say they do it because they love history, love helping people, love showing the school kids and scout troops things they couldn't imagine otherwise.

Bryant gave an example of a leather-bound book she likes to show them that is in the county courthouse. When the old courthouse burned, Jasper County statesman George W. Smyth hand copied the original deeds and records filed in Austin. He used a pen dipped in an inkwell, page after page.

Students who have seen the book can't comprehend someone spending hours writing out long-winded documents. They asked, "Why would anyone do that?"

"I guess he loved history too," Bryant said.