(erielack) Archives, Archiving, and Usage.

[Dlw1el2_@_aol.com]

For several months an article I had started had been on hold and going no  
where for lack of Valuation Maps ( Valve Maps ) which are very detailed maps of  
the Railroad and all the facilities on the property. They were produced by 
all  Railroads during and just after World War 1 to show the federal government 
what  each Railroad had. Each map shows approximately one mile worth of  
property.
 
One of the really nice things about the ELHS archives is that they have a  
lot ( not quite a complete set) of Valve Prints. The bad thing for me is that  
they are in Ohio, not quite conducive for me to stop by and look  at.  My next 
option was to buy about six or seven at about 80-100  bucks, which I was 
willing to do to move this project forward. The next  snag I then hit was that the 
company that did the scanning of these maps,  for which I'm told  the Society 
got a good deal, does not deal retail and  thus needs a minimum order of about 
40 to do any printing, of maps they  have already scanned. :(  Hmm  is all 
I'll say about that.    I was not willing to spend three or four hundred dollars 
on a minimum  order.
 
The Tri State Historical Society NRHS Chapter did a great deed about 20  
years ago when it rescued the material out of Hoboken that other wise would have  
become part of the meadowlands dump, like a lot of other material did.   The 
other great deed they did is finally turn it over to Steamtown Historic  Site 
so that for the first time in 20 years it can start to be   cataloged and  more 
importantly used.  Somewhere along the line  in the last six weeks I guess I 
mentioned to  Pat McKnight at Steamtown,  just in passing, my predicament 
pertaining to valve prints.  Low and behold  in only the five weeks that Pat has 
had the Tri State collection he found  and totally catalogs, files, and boxes  
several hundred valve prints and  then on his own contacts me stating he 
thinks he has exactly what I need. I was  skeptical and exuberantly optimistic at 
the same time. 
 
 BTW. I should also mention that Pats and one of his volunteers also  
previously with in 10 days of having the Tri State collection forwarded to me  copies 
of material out of another completely different file on a  subject that they 
knew I had an interest in.
 
So that another friend could go with me on the weekend, Pat graciously gave  
up three hours of his day off, and met us at Steamtown Saturday morning.   
When we walked in, there were six large boxes lay ed out on the research  table.  
All contained Valve Prints in brand new folders, marked and  cataloged in 
order by the reference number on the valve print.   After  finding the print at 
three different locations that I needed Pat made large  Xeroxes of just what we 
needed.  When we left Steamtown  that morning  it hadn't cost me a penny, 
only a VERY BIG THANK YOU.
 
The rest of the day was successfully spent locating three very obscure  
locations and documenting and measuring eight additional structures. A VERY  good 
day in the field indeed. With out the maps we would have never found what  we 
were looking for in 100 years, but because of Pat McKnights generosity and  
willingness to help, I now won't have to live that long. :)
 
When I  try to relate to the reality of the whole scenario, I feel  very 
lucky, and have a sense that it just doesn't get any better than  that.
 
Bob Bahrs
 
PS. Thanks Again Pat



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