MDAH-Mississippi Department of Archives and History- Worth a Visit
Mississippi Department of Archives and History, William Winters Building, Jackson, Ms. November 18, 2017
The Mississippi Department of Archives & History (MDAH), collects and preserves cultural resources, archaeological finds, and manages several historical sites located throughout the state of Mississippi.
A Short History:
The MDAH, which was founded in 1902, and is the second-oldest state archives in the United States according to the MDAH's Web page, is currently located in the William F. Winter Archives and History Building that is located at 200 North Street, Jackson, Mississippi. However, this has not always been where the state archives have been stored. In 1817, two years after Mississippi was admitted to the United States, the archives of the state were sent to be stored with the librarian of Jefferson College, which was in Washington, Mississippi (Hilliard, 2003). Throughout the next six decades, the state archives would be relocated several times, especially during the civil war, and would eventually be returned to Jackson, where the documents would then be placed in the state library, which was located on the third floor of the state capital.
The Collection:
Currently, the collection of the William F. Winters Archives & History Building has over 10,000 items on the Reading Room Floor (Library), over 40,000 rolls of film in the Media Room, (Site visit, 18 November 2017) and many more items that are kept in the two levels of climate-controlled basement.
The Map Collection
One of the prominent collections is the Map Collection which consists of over 2,500 cataloged maps, dating from 1588 to the present day and continues to have maps added as they are discovered or created. These maps are excellent primary sources as to the early exploration of the southeastern territories now known as the United States and may contain information concerning the early history of the state of Mississippi. The collection includes old hand-drawn maps, highway maps, railroad maps (which were vital to the history of the logging and previous turpentine production of the late 1800’s), and maps of counties and towns through the last few centuries. There are also maps that show plantations, battlefields, and early forts from the Spanish and French settlers.
Genealogy Collection
The most extensive collection within the library room is the valuable genealogy reference books located on the various shelves. The resources provided are birth and death records from multiple eras, census reports, county records, court cases, marriage records, and military sources. The collection of books come from numerous states such as Alabama, Arkansas, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia, and include family records from most counties in Mississippi.
The Website
Digital Archives Web page of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History
This Digital Archives Web page provides information about what is included within the digital collections, such as electronic records, donated or attained electronic resources, and digital copies of original materials, such as audio, paper documents, and photographs. Due to copyright restrictions, not all digital archives are available through online digital collections. These items may be obtained and read via the Reading Room at the William Winters Archival Building. The Digital Archives page list various collections, such as the records of the Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission, the Flood Photographs of 1927, the Jefferson Davis Estate Papers, and papers about the administration of the Mississippi Territory, as well as forty-one other online digital collections.). The Digital Archives page also provides the finding aids for the Citizens’’ Council Forum Films Collection, WLBT News film Collection, and the Inventory of Historical Maps of Mississippi Collection. The finding aid link for the Historical Maps collection explains how to use the database as well as defining the fifteen data fields that are within the Finding Aids.
Conclusion
The visit to the Mississippi Department of Archives and History was an educational visit and provided much insight into the history of the Mississippi State Archives. Learning the about the various types of documents and books that are kept either on the shelves of the library or in the basement level archival repository, provided much insight to the everyday administrative functions as well as the funding and financial side of this state-run agency. The MDAH offers tours by appointment, and this will most certainly be on the schedule. Appendix 3 shows two photographs taken of the inside of the William F. Winters Archival Building. *Photographs were taken with permission.
Reference:
Hilliard, Elbert. (2003). "The Mississippi Department of Archives and History," The Primary Source: Vol. 25: Iss. 2, Article 1. DOI: 10.18785/ps.2502.01
Mississippi Laws, 1981, ch. 501, § 1, eff from and after July 1, 1981. (2016). "Mississippi Archives and Records Management Law of 1981.". Retrieved December 02, 2017, from
http://www.mdah.ms.gov/new/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/25_59_2016.pdf
Mississippi Department of Archives and History. (2017). Retrieved December 02, 2017, from http://www.mdah.ms.gov/new/
