By GREG RUSSELL, Register Staff Writer
GAINESVILLE — An upcoming project at Morton Museum of Cooke County will give residents an eternal opportunity to preserve their own history. Director Jayleane Smith said that as of Feb. 15, county residents can make appointments to participate in “Cooke County and You,” an oral history project that allows participants to discuss themselves, their families and their ancestors onto a video or audio recording.
Smith said the footage will be downloaded and safely stored, and, theoretically, discovered by relatives and historians of the future. “In generations to come, the stories can carry forward and are not lost when something happens to one of us,” she said. “It’s preserving the oral history of our ancestors. The Indians were fabulous at passing down stories; immigrants who came over here have shared their stories. But this generation has gotten to where we don’t do that
anymore.”
The project, Smith said, also gives participants a chance to be on audio if they choose not to be seen on camera. In either case, the footage will be accessible to families and descendants in coming years — and Smith said she hopes files will be created for individual families.
Smith said museum officials are soliciting participants and stories now; anything pertaining to the communities of Cooke County is welcomed.
“This is not just for Gainesville,” she said. “We want people from all over the community to come forth. And we really would like to preserve our military history, or stories from grandparents. We’d love to just have any kind of history where we can put together stories.”
For information about the Morton Museum of Cooke County and any of its projects and programs call 668-8900.
The museum is at 210 S. Dixon Street in Gainesville.
