On the evening of Dec. 10, 2021, a catastrophic EF4 tornado churned through Tennessee and Western Kentucky, carving a 165-mile path across 11 counties and claiming the lives of 74 people. 

Damage concentrated in the city of Mayfield, Kentucky, where more than 4,000 structures were impacted. A candle factory was flattened, killing nine workers, and many historic downtown buildings were destroyed, including the Graves County courthouse and eight historic churches, among which were two Black churches built shortly after the Civil War. 

Six months after the disaster, Rebecca Freihaut, Ph.D., a risk and crisis communications expert who works at the University of Central Florida and UK alumna, partnered with University of Kentucky Libraries Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History to speak with Mayfield residents about their experiences. Freihaut spoke with 22 residents in June and July 2022, then returned a year later to follow up with 18 interviewees.

The result is the Mayfield, Kentucky 2021 Oral History Project, a harrowing but hopeful collection of interviews that commemorates a tragic loss of life while also capturing stories of survival, resilience and regrowth. 

A native Kentuckian and UK alumna, Freihaut said she immediately felt a deep sense of kinship with the residents of Mayfield.

“In the weeks after the disaster, I followed the news from Mayfield and wondered what would happen after the news cameras left and they were left to pick up the pieces, both literally and figuratively,” Freihaut said. “It was at that point I decided to try to help in some way.”

In her academic work, Freihaut studies the way that narrative can lift up the voices of underserved communities and vulnerable populations in the wake of disasters. In Mayfield, she found a community close to home in which she could put her expertise into practice. 

Familiar with the Nunn Center after graduating from UK with a master’s degree in library and information science in 2014, Freihaut contacted Nunn Center Director Doug Boyd and Oral History Archivist Kopana Terry to discuss a potential oral history project. 

“When I reached out to members of the Mayfield community, I was welcomed with open arms,” said Friehaut. “That first summer, I met with 22 residents from all walks of life and heard incredible stories of survival: stories of successes and challenges, rebuilding and memorializing, and resilience and grief.”

She met participants in the Graves County Public Library, where a well-used box of Kleenex testified to the pain and heartache harbored by the community. 

“Oral history is more than a traditional interview,” said Freihaut. “It is a chance for a person to release their story. During those first interviews, nearly every participant cried, some sobbing to the point of needing to pause the interview so they could compose themselves before starting again.”

Freihaut was surprised to learn that many of the residents she interviewed had not shared their story with anyone before.

“Their tears marked the release of six months of grief, stress and loss,” she said. “But their tears were equally the tears of a proud and resilient people who were summoning the strength needed to do what had to be done to rebuild and move forward past this tragedy.”

By the time Freihaut returned about a year later, the Kleenex box sat mostly unused.

“Most participants joked that this time around the box of Kleenex was needed more for seasonal allergies than for crying,” said Friehaut. “I am hopeful that the residents of Mayfield will do as they have done for generations: pull themselves up by their bootstraps, march forward together, along with the many organizations and volunteers who have supported them, and rebuild Mayfield — not by forgetting the stories of the past, but by writing a new and beautiful chapter in their story.” 

What started as a service project resulted in a lifelong connection with the wonderful people of Mayfield, who Freihaut now considers friends.

“It is an honor to carry their stories with me,” she said.

The stories collected over those two summers have now been archived and indexed in the Nunn Center’s oral history repository, where they are accessible to the public and will be preserved for future generations both to commemorate and to learn from Mayfield’s tragedy.

Located in the Special Collections Research Center, the Nunn Center is crucial to furthering UK Libraries’ mission of preserving the history and culture of the Commonwealth in all of its dimensions.

“The work of the Nunn Center is unparalleled in its ability to capture history as it’s happening,” said Deirdre Scaggs, associate dean of research and discovery. “We are proud of our ability to facilitate projects like these, which are vital for both our partnering communities and for present and future generations of Kentuckians. They enable us to process events and remember the voices, stories, and spirit of communities across the state, and are invaluable additions to the historical record.”

Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, the Nunn Center is internationally recognized for its work in collecting and preserving oral histories. With over 18,000 oral history interviews, Nunn Center collections span an incredible breadth of topics and provide an invaluable resource to researchers across Kentucky and around the world. 

Find out more about the Nunn Center’s collections and collaborations, or learn how to support the Nunn Center as it pursues its mission of engaging communities, creating connections and life-changing learning experiences, increasing access to oral histories the world over, and collecting and preserving Kentucky’s story.

Casper native Steven Dacus has done a lot of cool things — cruised through Casper streets with lights and siren as a firefighter, led horse-mounted cavalry at Gettysburg, and this summer helped launch a new website for Civil War historians that saves them a lot of time and money.

Casper native Steven Dacus has done a lot of cool things — cruised through Casper streets with lights and siren as a firefighter, led horse-mounted cavalry at Gettysburg, and this summer helped launch a new website for Civil War historians that saves them a lot of time and money.

Dacus is one of the driving forces behind the new website ResearchArsenal.com. The website allows historians — amateur and professional — to dig into the nitty gritty of Civil War regiments, weapons and uniforms, or just to see how that great-great-great uncle lived on the battlefields from 1861-1865.

“The whole premise is to have a one-stop spot for researching mid-19th century history,” Dacus said. “We have been working on it for about five years. We just made it public on June 2, and the vast majority of what we have is from private collections. We have 30,000 pages of letters that people can keyword search.”

There are also 10,000 photographs that can be keyword searched: for weapons, uniform, place or even hairstyle.

You can read more in an article by Dale Killingbeck published in the http://cowboystatedaily.com/ at  https://cowboystatedaily.com/2023/12/10/casper-based-database-revolutionizes-virtual-access-for-civil-war-buffs/.

The following is from an article written by Ricardo Henrique Lowe, Jr and obviously lists some of his (biased) personal opinions and published in the news.utexas.edu web site:

Two months ago, I left my career as a statistician with the U.S. Census Bureau. I had become agitated with the agency’s proposed direction for race and ethnic measurement and felt my scholarly expertise on the matter was undervalued.

My beef with the bureau mainly involved its persistent promotion of a combined race and ethnicity question. The bureau believes that lumping all race and ethnicity categories into one question will improve data quality, particularly for Latinos and persons of Middle Eastern and North African descent. Both groups do not see themselves represented in the current separate question format. 

As a demographer and former analyst with the bureau, I support the desire to achieve accurate data for these populations. But the combined question is riddled with too many ethical and methodological flaws to be considered a viable solution. 

As it stands, the question conflates race and ethnicity by making both concepts co-equal and relies on a coding infrastructure that forcibly reassigns people to race groups they did not initially identify with.

A 2016 Westat study conducted for the agency found that Afro-Puerto Ricans were less likely to select the black category in a combined question. The study found that participants would have marked both Black and Latino if the question had not limited “Puerto Rico” to an example only for the Latino category.

This research confirms that some Latinos find it hard to distinguish whether the combined question is asking about race, ethnicity, nationality, or ancestry. The combined question treats these concepts as synonymous despite evidence that they are analytically distinct. 

Census research also shows that the Middle Eastern and North African category reduces the number of people who identify as black or white in the combined question. But the bureau has yet to address feedback from the community that the category should be tested as an ethnicity as opposed to a race. The failure to do so ignores the fact that people of Middle Eastern and North African origin can be of any race — just like Latinos. 

This is just scratching the surface.

You can read more at: https://tinyurl.com/4w58sv2b.

The following is from the ScotlandsPeople web site:

We are pleased to announce that the records of almost 10,000 women who served with the Scottish Women’s Land Army (SWLA) and Women’s Timber Corps (WTC) from 1939 to 1950 have been digitised and are now available online to search and view on ScotlandsPeople. These records are a valuable source for tracing an individual's service and gaining a wider perspective on the work of the SWLA and WTC.

Replacing men who had joined the forces during the Second World War, these women played a vital role in the war effort. They contributed to the production of food and kept vital industries supplied with timber during the war and its immediate aftermath.

The records of the SWLA and WTC will be of particular interest to family historians hoping to learn more about the role their relatives played in the Second World War. Each card can give insight into the training given to new recruits, where they worked and reveal why they left their post. The records can be searched by name, year of birth and service branch.

You can read more at: https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/article/news-article-scottish-womens-land-army-records-released. 

Days after a data breach allowed hackers to steal 6.9 million 23andMe users' personal details, the genetic testing company changed its terms of service to prevent customers from formally suing the firm or pursuing class-action lawsuits against it.

Why it matters: It's unclear if 23andMe is attempting to retroactively shield itself from lawsuits alleging it acted negligently. 

The latest: At least two law firms are pursuing a class action against 23andMe.

What they're saying: A 23andMe spokesperson said on Friday the company did not change its terms of service to limit its customers' rights to seek relief in court but to speed up the resolution of disputes.

The big picture: Small claims courts are generally less formal than traditional courtrooms and handle cases involving claims generally under $10,000, depending on the state court system involved.

You can read more in an article by Jacob Knutson published in the axios.com web site at: https://www.axios.com/2023/12/07/23andme-terms-of-service-update-data-breach.

The following is a press release issued by the State of Florida:

Today, Secretary of State Cord Byrd announced the release of a public survey to gather input for the legislatively created Florida Museum of Black History Task Force. The Department of State is distributing the survey on behalf of the Florida Museum of Black History Task Force, which was created by legislation signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis on May 11, 2023.

“Public input is needed in developing recommendations for a future Florida Museum of Black History,” said Secretary of State Cord Byrd. “I encourage Floridians to take the time to complete and share the short survey and join in the effort to create recommendations that the Department of State will submit to the Florida Legislature.”

The public survey is available online through February 29, 2024. Responses received from the public will be included in the Task Force’s report to the Florida Legislature to be completed before July 1, 2024. The survey is a vital component of the Task Force’s report and is an opportunity for the public to participate in the process of planning for the future museum.

The Florida Museum of Black History Task Force is a nine-member body appointed by the Governor, Speaker of the House, and the Senate President. Its purpose is to develop plans for the location, design, construction, operation, administration, and marketing of the future museum. The Task Force will also develop a transition plan for the museum to become financially self-sufficient and recommend priorities for collections acquisition, exhibits, research, and educational materials for use in Florida schools.

Florida Museum of Black History Task Force Members

Appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis

Appointed by Senate President Kathleen Passidomo

Appointed by Speaker of the House Paul Renner

For more information about the Florida Museum of Black History Task Force, including member bios and links to recordings of past meetings, visit FLHeritage.com/BlackHistoryMuseum. The next meeting of the Task Force will be held via webinar on December 15, 2023, starting at 9:00 a.m. EST.

###

About The Division of Historical Resources

The Florida Department of State’s Division of Historical Resources (DHR) is responsible for preserving and promoting Florida’s historical and archaeological resources. The Division Director’s office oversees a grants-in-aid program to help preserve and maintain Florida’s historic buildings and archaeological sites, and coordinates outreach programs such as State Historical Markers. DHR directs historic preservation efforts throughout Florida in cooperation with state, federal, and tribal agencies, local governments, private organizations, and individuals. The Division Director serves as the State Historic Preservation Officer, acting as the liaison with the national historic preservation program conducted by the National Park Service. The Division is comprised of three Bureaus, archaeological research, historic preservation, and historical museums. For more information, visit: FLHeritage.com.

"Who controls the past controls the future: who controls the present controls the past," George Orwell wrote in "Nineteen Eighty-Four."

As Russia's invasion approaches the two-year mark, is President Vladimir Putin exerting control over Ukraine's cultural identity, past and present? 

The settlement of Vysokopillya, which was founded as a German colony between 1869 and 1870, is located in the middle of farmland in the south of Ukraine. There is a main road, a train station and a church with a golden dome. Around 4,200 inhabitants live in the unassuming village, which was invaded by Russian troops in March 2022, before Ukrainian military forces recaptured it in September and hoisted the Ukrainian flag near Vysokopillia's hospital as part the Ukrainian southern counteroffensive.

During the six-month occupation, Russian soldiers lived in cellars, looting and destroying homes, schools, kindergartens, historical sites and the regional archive, which was housed in a four-story building.

Today, the building is in ruins. The canopy over the main entrance is broken off, the windows are cracked or missing altogether and the roof has collapsed. Rubble blocks the entrance. It would be life-threatening to enter, as mines have been laid. Documents that were not destroyed or could be brought to safety in time are now vulnerable to the weather.

The regional archives in Vysokopillya are just one of many examples that the looting and destruction of archives is part of how Russia is waging its war. A report by the Arolsen Archives, an international center for Nazi persecution, reveals how dramatic the current situation is. Russian soldiers are said to have stolen millions of documents from the archives in Kherson, amounting to around half of the entire collection. They also removed computers and printersbefore placing mines in the building. After the Russian troops withdrew, the mines were cleared, but recovering the remaining documents is a laborious process. There is a lack of scanners, computers, storage boxes, shelves and staff.

You can read more in an article by Kristina Reymann-Schneider published in the dw.com/ web site at: https://tinyurl.com/yekfk3yn.

Abu Dhabi: As part of the activities of the UAE’s 52nd Union Day, the National Archives and the National Library has launched the Encyclopedia of the country’s history in Abu Dhabi.

The encyclopedia, which is the first of its kind in the UAE, was launched within the framework of the national role played by the National Archives and the National Library to collect and preserve the nation’s history.

The Encyclopedia of UAE history project was introduced in Abu Dhabi on Thursday at a ceremony attended by prominent cultural and academic personalities who will contribute to the encyclopedia.

Speaking on the occasion, Abdullah Majed Al Ali, Director General of the National Library and Archives, said that the UAE Encyclopedia of history project would include a broad spectrum of topics on the history and heritage of the UAE, and its civilizational and cultural achievements.

Treasures of historical records

He added: “The National Library and Archives proudly offers treasures of historical records and documents on the history of the Gulf region in general, and the UAE in particular. The encyclopedia is quite distinct from all others by virtue of its documented and authentic historical information that provides various users ready access to the UAE glorious history which the UAE founding father the Late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan considered the real and essential gateway to understanding the present and perceiving the future.”

You can read more in an article by Ali Al Hammadi published in the gulfnews.com web site at: https://tinyurl.com/48sfnhe6.

The following is a Plus Edition article written by and copyright by Dick Eastman.

Looking for a city directory from the 1800s or early 1900s? You may be able to purchase the city directory you wish for modest prices. I have seen reprinted city directories sell for as little as $2.00 while digital copies on CD-ROM frequently sell for about $5.00 or so. Even the original city directories printed in the 1800s sometimes sell for as little as $4.95 although $10 or $15 seems to be a more common price. 

Best of all, if you don't see what you want today, you can create an "automated search robot" that will check for you every day. If the robot finds an item that matches the search terms you specify, it will send you an email message to notify you of the latest addition. It will search for you even while you are sleeping, even if your computer is turned off. 

The remainder of this article is reserved for Plus Edition subscribers only. If you have a Plus Edition subscription, you may read the full article at: https://eogn.com/(*)-Plus-Edition-News-Articles/13289259.

The following was written by the folks at: FindMyPast:

This week, discover over 13,000 new records and an exciting new newspaper title.

We're in Northamptonshire this week, with updates to four of our existing Roman Catholic Parish sets and a brand new diocese added to the collection. But that's not all - we've also improved our Irish Roman Catholic marriages, meaning that 19,000 records are easier to search than ever.

We've also added an eagerly-awaited new newspaper title to our collection. Spanning 150 years of literary history, you can now explore the pages of The Bookseller on Findmypast. 

From baptisms to burials, read on for a full rundown of all that's been added. 

England Roman Parish updates

We've expanded our collection of English Roman Catholic Parish records to include the diocese of Northampton in the East Midlands. If you've got Northamptonshire ancestors, their names may just be contained within this release.

To explore the 14 parishes included within this diocese, be sure to consult our updated parish list. 

Baptisms

First up, we've added 9,383 Northampton baptisms, spanning from 1775 to 1913. There are both images and transcriptions available for these records - so be sure to consult the original record to ensure that you don't miss any key details.

As with our other Roman Catholic parish baptisms, you'll learn a name, birth date, church, parish and deanery from these records. Both parents' names are usually included too, making these records ideal for building the branches of your family tree.

Baptism of Violet Lily Valentine. View this record.

Some original images contain additional information like godparents' names, the name of the minister who performed the baptism, and even an address. 

As these records are Roman Catholic, you can expect to find Latin words commonly used. Some of these key terms include: 

• Baptizandi - baptized
• Cognomen - surname
• Die - day
• Domicilium - residence

For more guidance on understanding the Latin words within this set, consult the additional information on the record search page.

Marriages

Next up, we've also added 1,288 marriage records for the Roman Catholic Northampton Diocese. These new additions cover from 1781 to 1913, meaning there is almost 150 years of history to explore.

Each of these records contains an image of the original sacramental register, as well as a transcript of its key details. The information included varies depending on the level of detail recorded and the legibility of the register. You'll typically be able to glean a name, marriage date, church, parish and county, as well as the spouse's name and the name of both party's fathers.

Many names included in this collection were Latinised when they were recorded - therefore Mary may appear in its Latin form, as Maria, for example. This is something to consider when determining whether a record matches someone in your family tree.

For guidance on the Latin terms used within these marriage records, consult the information at the bottom of the record search page.

Burials

Our third Northampton addition comes to our burial collection. We've added 1,547 new burials, which cover the diocese between 1834 and 1913. For the first time, you can search your Northamptonshire ancestor's name in the images and transcriptions within this set.

Between transcriptions and original register images, you'll be able to glean key details like a name, age, birth date, death date, burial date, church and parish. In some cases, parents' names and burial plot information are also included.

Take the example of Thomas Ellis. Born in 1801, Thomas died aged 88 on 28 July 1896 and was buried just three days later at Northampton Cathedral. His address is listed as 'Domo Nazareth'. 

Thomas Ellis, who died on 28 July 1896, aged 88. View this record.

With a little digging, we can discover that this refers to Nazareth House - a Catholic institution on Northampton's Leicester Road that housed children and the elderly poor. Established in 1875, it was connected to the local poor relief system, doubling as both an orphanage/school and old age housing.

Although the transcriptions for these records are translated into English, the images contain some of these key Latin terms:

• Aetati - age
• Anno - year
• Cognomen - surname
• Die - day
• Ex - from
• Mensis - month
• Sepultum est in - buried in

Be sure to consult the record search page for further information, as well as to explore the full list of parishes included in the Northampton Diocese.

Confirmations

To round of this week's Northampton additions, we've also added 2,737 confirmation records from the diocese, spanning the years 1838 to 1913. You can explore these unique records within the wider Congregational Records set.

View this record in full.

Irish Roman Catholic Parish Marriages

In addition to this week's new additions, we've also improved one of our existing Roman Catholic collections. Containing over 3 million records, this set is a key resource for anyone with Irish Catholic relatives.

View this record.

We made significant improvements to 19,000 records within this collection - improving their transcripts, and identifying names that were previously missed out. This means that there are more names than ever to search for, and your ancestors may just appear where they didn't before.

Welcoming The Bookseller to Findmypast

Calling all bookworms - this week, we've added a fascinating new title to our collection, providing you with an opportunity to get lost in the magic of the written word. 

The Bookseller has been the 'Organ of the Book Trade' since its founding in 1858 - it is one of Britain's longest-running magazines and is the only title to report on the literary world weekly. In partnership with Stage Media Company, we're delighted to announce the addition of 150 years of The Bookseller to Findmypast. 

The Bookseller, 4 February 1910.

This new title allows us to delve into the history of the publishing industry like never before. Why not search for your favourite author or book, and discover the rich stories behind its publication and reception? 

The Bookseller, 8 January 1966.

From the release of Lewis Caroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland in 1865 to the publication of The Handmaid's Tale (Margaret Atwood, 1985), the key events in literary history are recorded within the Bookseller's pages.

Joan Didion's Book of Common Prayer, The Bookseller.

You'll find useful lists, graphs and commentary on the most popular reads of the day, as well as photos of authors, and artistic depictions of their work.

With pages up to 2005, you can also explore more modern books within the Bookseller.

Here's everything that we've added to our newspaper collection this Findmypast Friday:

New titles:

• The Bookseller, 1858-2000, 2002-2008

Updated titles: 

• Ballymena Weekly Telegraph, 1894

Have you made a surprising family history discovery? Whatever you've uncovered about your past, we'd love to hear about it. You can now get in touch and tell us directly, using this handy form.

Last week, we added two brand new Canadian military record sets, as well as two new newspaper titles. Discover all that was added here.