5 minute read
MOST History - Surprising Artifact
by Kelly Francis-Love
Kelly Francis-Love is the archivist at the Margaret H. McAllen Memorial Archives (MHMMA), which is housed at the Museum of South Texas History. The mission of the archives is to preserve and present the region’s borderland culture by collecting artifacts, photographs and historical documents, and preserving these items for future generations to enjoy.
Among the collections include items related to the Plan de San Diego, several land title records and numerous photographs that could be considered one of the largest photo collections in the Rio Grande Valley. However, sometimes an archivist can come across a photo or document that was not yet processed for preservation. Here’s a story from Kelly about one of those collection items:
When I started as archivist at the museum in 2017, I had a temporary office space in the collections workroom, which included a shelf of mystery items that needed to be processed.
As I became more comfortable in my role, I slowly began to work my way through those items on the shelf. One of the items was a rolled document with no accompanying information. I discovered it was a certificate appointing a Dixon H. Kennett as postmaster for Mercedes, signed by Postmaster General Frank Hitchcock and President William Howard Taft. It was dated Oct. 4, 1912. The signatures, including that of Taft, all appear to be genuine signatures and not just stamps.
For months I had been working away having no idea that there was a hundred-year-old presidential signature right behind me. This is why I love being an archivist. You never know what pieces of history will pass through your hands.
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