November 2020 Newsletter

Shelandra Y. Ford Shelby County Register of Deeds Newsletter 1075 Mullins Station Building W3, Suite W165—Memphis, TN 38134 November - 2020 Volume 5 Issue 8

The Shelby County Archives Renaissance Located off the beaten path in a warehouse at 980A Nixon Dr., the Shelby County Archives could easily be missed. Yet this place holds millions of files, records and historical documents whose contents hold some of Shelby County’s and Memphis’s memorable moments since our County’s founding in 1820.

When Register Shelandra Ford took office, she realized that there was so much that could be done to get the Archives back to its original purpose— preserving records through conservation, scanning, or microfilming. Since then, she has been developing long term sustainability and growth plans for the Archives to be best in class in the United States with 200 years of Shelby County’s history.

A great source for original documents, the Archives has appeared twice on the television show “Who Do You Think You Are?” with singer, actress and fashion designer Vanessa Williams and singer and

and songwriter Smokey Robinson.

The Archives has also provided information for many research projects, including Calvin White, Jr.’s book The Rise of Respectability about The Church of God in Christ, Jennifer Trost’s history of the Shelby County Juvenile Court system Gateway to Justice, and many articles in the West Tennessee Historical Society’s annual Papers.

The Archives is home to many unique historical finds such as the still open Wade Bolton Estate file from 1868 that established what is now Bolton High School, the photo collection for the Mid-South Fair, or the marriage license of former Louisiana Governor Huey P. Long aka “The Kingfish.”

From additional staff to upgraded and new equipment, soon, the Archives will once again work to preserve and make available the permanent records of Shelby County.

Shelandra Y. Ford Shelby County Register of Deeds Newsletter 1075 Mullins Station Building W3, Suite W165—Memphis, TN 38134 November - 2020 Volume 5 Issue 8

The Shelby County Archives Renaissance: The Road So Far THE ISSUE Previously the Archives operated with a minimum of security and accountability. Many offices wanted to drop off their materials, unorganized, unlabeled, and unindexed.

With the previous focus driven only by items of interest, little attention was paid to the conservation and preservation of Shelby County’s history. There were no efforts to make materials easily searchable for the staff or accessible to the public. Depending on the request, the staff spent hours searching for requested records.

THE VISION When Register Shelandra Ford toured the Archives after taking office, she realized that there was so much that could be done to get the Archives more in line with state and national standards. Faced with the enormity of

14 years of neglect and a reduction in staff from 10 to 2, she realized it would take a lot of time and effort to tackle this enormous project.

THE PLAN Register Ford’s Administration presented a proposal to the Shelby County Board of Commissioners to secure the Archives’s operational funding. The proposal called for more staff to adequately document the needs of Shelby County Government’s permanent records and also to begin scanning and microfilming records for preservation purposes. Policies were put in place to provide the accountability necessary for records stored in Archives – policies required by Tennessee State law and best practices from various Archives around the country.

THE PRESENT With policies in place and some funding and staff, the Archives is finally moving forward toward the goal of preserving Shelby County Government’s permanent records and improving accountability and accessibility for all Shelby County Citizens.

In observance of Veterans Day, we at the Shelby County Register of Deeds office say to all Veterans, Thank You for your Sacrifice and for your Service. We don’t know you all but we owe you all.

Travis Green Chief Administrative Officer Served in the United States Marine Corp Active Duty. Mr. Green’s knowledge and expertise in budgeting has been instrumental in the increase of Revenue Collections in the Shelby County Register of Deeds office. Under Mr. Green’s watchful eye, the Register’s Office maintained regular operations during the pandemic and exceeded revenue collection projections. Mr. Green, Thank You for all that you do!

Chris Dillingham Archives Deeds Specialist Served in the United States Army Active Duty. Mr. Dillingham’s knowledge of the Shelby County Register’s Office and Archives operation has been complemented time after time. He goes above and beyond in assisting customers with processing deeds and their record requests in the Archives. Mr. Dillingham, Thank You for all that you do!

Lacy Sanders Deeds Processing Clerk Served in the United States Army Active Duty. Mr. Sanders has years of experience organizing and coordinating projects to maintain government vital records. His knowledge and skills in Records Retention has been valuable in organizing the “Archives Renaissance” project. Mr. Sanders, Thank You for all you do!

Shelandra Y. Ford Shelby County Register of Deeds Newsletter 1075 Mullins Station Building W3, Suite W165—Memphis, TN 38134 November - 2020 Volume 5 Issue 8

Honorable Mention Gratitude Taking the time to thank someone who goes above and beyond is one thing we should all take time to do. At the Register of Deeds Office, we want to thank Ms. Janice Jones for all the assistance she provides daily to the office. As the Register’s Administrative Assistant, Ms. Jones ensures we are updated on the county and office policy and procedures, time cards are done correctly and turned in on time, and that payroll is always correct. And she does everything with a humble demeanor.

Thank you for all that you do!

November 27th Del Gill

Shelandra Y. Ford Shelby County Register of Deeds Newsletter 1075 Mullins Station Building W3, Suite W165—Memphis, TN 38134 November - 2020 Volume 5 Issue 8

This Month’s Theme: Historic Memphis Restaurants Find the following words in the puzzle. Words are . hidden and

Anderton Arcade

Buntyn Collettas Dinos Dyers Four Flame Jims Place Justines Robilios Rendezvous Toddle House

In observance of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Shelby County Register of Deeds Office is united in the race for the cure.

Shelby County Register’s Office 1075 Mullins Station Building W3 Suite W165 Memphis, Tennessee 38134 P: 901.222.8100 F: 901.222.8134

Shelby County Archives 980A Nixon Drive Memphis, Tennessee 38134 P: 901.222.8175 F: 901.222.8177

E-mail: register@shelbycountytn.gov

Website: www.register.shelby.tn.us

E-mail: archives2@shelbycountytn.gov