Muriel,

 

What we do with corporate records like these (and I have them for lumber companies,

etc.) is to carefully describe each ledger or item, especially commenting on the information

they contain.   Frankly I get very few researchers that ever look at these records unless we

can make them explainable for others.     For example, if a record contains not only the

name of the individual but their address, age, how long they’ve lived there, etc.    Some

records, while important to show the transaction of business (posting ledgers for example)

provide poor information about a person or business. 

 

What I’m trying to say is that records either tell you the history of a person or organization

or business, but if they don’t, they may be quick candidates for disposal.   You really have to

stop and analyze what information is available and whether it is worth preserving.

 

To give you an idea, I’ve been given thousands of cancelled checks of a defunct lumber

company.    Traditionally we don’t save these; several individuals thought we should make

an alphabetical index of all the payees (clearly they are payroll checks) however except for

the date, amount of money, name of payee, and lumber company logo, there’s nothing on

these checks – no indication of hours worked, occupation of the payee, etc.   I believe they

are probably payroll checks but they cover from the 1940s to the 1970s, periods covered

by the phone books, city directories, etc.     For me their future use and usefulness is quite

low, they are good candidates for disposal despite some pleas alleging their “genealogical”

importance.    I shall keep some of them for displays.

 

There is also the question of completeness.  Looking at your list, I don’t see any annual

reports, reports to the comptroller of the currency, or paper files.   I assume that the index

to loans corresponds to a loan number and there would have been backup files for those

such as copies of mortgages, liens, background/credit checks, and the like.  

 

I pose these questions to help you think about the balance between the bank records as

artifacts and as usable research resources.

 

 

Dean

 

 

 

 

August 22, 2006

 

 

Is there anyone with a Bank Collection who could offer some good advice?  I have a series of bank records that were donated in 1998. 

 

Included are Check Registers 1892-1923

Farm Loans books         1931-1943

Rent Book                     1896-1899

Indexes to loans            1884-1920

Bank Draft books           1886-1916

Register Transfer            1900-1926

Ledger and Journal Books

 

I am not sure how this should be handled.  Should I retain all of the items in the collection are some things duplicating information.  Several co-workers have offered advice as to what could be done with the entire collection.  But I don’t want to trash them and I do not have the funds for microfilming.  Unfortunately the bindings and covers on the book have redroot occurring so they are very messy.  Any help would be appreciated.

 

 

 

Muriel M. Jackson

 

Archivist/Genealogy Librarian

Middle Georgia Archives/Genealogical & Historical Room

1180 Washngton Ave.

Macon, GA  31201

 

(478) 744-0820 Phone

(478) 744-0839 Fax

[log in to unmask]