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Did you like studying or reading about history before you started volunteering?
Yes, very much. I primarily like archaeology and I get lots of archaeology magazines. Some of my favorite ones that I subscribe to are Archaeology Magazine [from the Archaeological Institute of America] and British Archaeology Magazine [from the Council for British Archaeology]. I'm also an Airforce brat and lived in France and Germany growing up, so I've gotten to experience the historical sites over there.
Why did you decide to start volunteering at the Historical Museum?
I wanted to start volunteering at a museum because I love history and archaeology. I sent a volunteer application to the Historical Museum at the Miles-Humes house and the Pennsylvania Military Museum in Boalsburg. The previous manager of the Historical Museum, Robbin Degeratu, responded to my application in a day or two. She got me started on the large project of inventorying the items in the Historical Museum. I lucked out because this [the Miles-Humes house Historical Museum] is probably more interesting than the museum in Boalsburg.
Since you've started volunteering, you have inventoried, transcribed documents, and designed exhibits. Am I leaving out a type of project that you've been involved in at the museum?
I've digitized many collections for PA Photos and Documents. I also made floor plans for the museum which helped get some grant money. Lately, I've been working on transcription and background research for documents in the museum. The research is challenging because I am working on identifying people mentioned in documents from the early 1800s.
Could you tell me more about the project you're working on right now?
Soon, I'm going to upload about 150 letters written by Samuel Miles from 1802 to 1805 to PA Photos and Documents*. Samuel Miles wrote copies of all the letters he wrote. I'm digitizing, transcribing, and researching them. A lot of the letters are to his sons. They are mostly about debt collection and land disputes with other landowners in the area. He fought with men with last names you may recognize, like Benner, Dunlop, and Harris. He mentions a lot of names and I'm trying to find out who the people were. I'd like to give their births, deaths, and a little about their career.
What would you like to work on next?
I'd like to work on more collections of documents. I want to digitize them, research them, and transcribe them. I want people to see this stuff and be able to get the information online. I try to write my descriptions so that they pop up in Google successfully, so I pay attention to names.
You've had an incredible impact on the literal making of history in Centre County, PA. How does it make you feel? Who do you hope your work makes an impact on? Or do you just enjoy doing it?
I just enjoy doing it. I also hope my work makes an impact on anyone who wants to learn about the history of Centre County, key figures in Centre County history, and the history of Pennsylvania.
And finally, the question we ask everyone: Are you reading anything right now? Could you tell me more about it?
I read lots of magazines, like Smithsonian, National Geographic, and various business magazines. I'm also reading a book called, Lethal Tides: Mary Sears and the Marine Scientists Who Helped Win World War II, by Catherine Musemeche. Mary Sears was a woman oceanographer in WWII and I learned about her in one of my magazines. She saved a submarine out in the Pacific due to her work in oceanography.
*You can now take a look at results from the Samuel Miles Letter project here
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