Dig out the scrapbooks: Whitley County Historical Society seeking unque photos, mementos from most famous citizens
(Talk of the Town file photo) The photo below of Thomas Riley Marshall and his wife, Lois Kimsey Marshall, was found in a local family's scrapbook and is dated August 17, 1917. It will be among what the historical society hopes are many rare or little seen photographs of some of county's most famous citizens that are loaned to the museum to digitally scan and add to their collection.
By Jennifer Zartman Romano
Decades from now, when a young resident visits the Whitley County Historical Museum, Dani Tippmann and Angela Maley hope they’ll be able to have access to many original images or memorabilia involving some of the community’s most famous residents. 
“We are preparing to digitally preserve items in our collection that relate to some of the county’s most famous residents,” said the museum’s assistant director Angela Maley.
The museum plans to utilize a special scanner on loan from the Indiana Historical Society to scan in and preserve as many original photographs, papers and mementos as possible relating to the county’s most famous former residents.
“These residents include Thomas R. Marshall and Lois Kimsey Marshall, Ralph Gates, Lloyd C. Douglas and Dean Jagger,” Maley said.
“We are asking the community to be a part of this effort by donating, permanently or temporarily, any original photos, papers, or mementos relating to these notable people,” she added.
While the museum’s collection already features some items or photographs of these notables, many feel the collection could be greatly expanded – particularly by borrowing items from area families’ collections that may be saved in scrapbooks or personal collections. In loaning them to the museum for the project, it will not be necessary to part with the items permanently, but will still enable the museum to document the images for all time.
The museum will be accepting these items now through the end of February, Maley said.
Because the scanner is on loan to the museum, they must hurry to scan and upload as many images and documents as possible during a short window of time. This also ensures that cherished items will be promptly returned to their owners if they are not being permanently donated to the historical society.
“These items will be coupled with our current collections to be digitally preserved and made available to the public through the internet,” said Maley. The Whitley County Historical Society eventually hopes to be able to expand their wealth of online information to include more digital images relating to county history.
“Our goal is to scan these items so that we can eventually get them on the internet and available to everyone,” added Maley.
For more information about donating or loaning items to be included in the project, contact museum director Dani Tippmann or assistant director Angela Maley at 244-6372.