A MONTICELLO MINISTER’S MUSINGS January 7, 2009

From The Wayne County OUTLOOK

            I like new things, don’t you?

New shoes, new car, new house, new computer-all are exciting.

We’re still in the process of welcoming a New Year.  Personally, I’m glad I’m around to see 2009!  Who’d a’ thought it?

There’s something else new in Wayne County that we’re welcoming. 

We’ve got a “new kid” in town!

Something brand new. 

Something fresh. 

Something full of promise. 

Something that will benefit all those who will take the time to acquaint themselves with this “new kid.”

Maybe you’ve already seen the “new kid.”

Have you noticed some increased activity on Main Street directly across from F & H Drugstore?

That’s where you’ll find the “new kid” in town.

I’m talking about the new ELIZABETH FURR DUNCAN LIBRARY!

That’s right!  We’ve got a new library in town!

The Wayne County Historical Society has had a library for some thirty years.  Hundreds of books, thousands of obituaries, files full of family histories, historical information by the bunches, and stacks of photographs have been collected, catalogued, and preserved in those thirty years.

Sometimes those books, obituaries, and photographs have had to find a place to “live” in some strange places.  They “lived” in boxes in the closets of society members for a few years.  Then they found a home in the basement of the public library.  When the Wayne County Museum opened, they lived in the old restaurant area of the Hotel Breeding.

Those days are over!

The Wayne County Historical Society has moved the “new kid” into a new home located in downtown Monticello.  The library is now housed in the Wayne County Museum area that was once occupied by Edwards Realty.

The “new kid” comes from a good background.  The ELIZABETH FURR DUNCAN LIBRARY exists today because of the tremendous sacrifice of people like Elizabeth Simpson, Ben Coffey, Proctor Rankin, Garnet Walker, and Pat Phillips.  These people, and many others, saw the need to collect and preserve historical information in a way that everybody could access it.  The “new kid” bears a name that will forever be associated with dedication to the cause of preserving Wayne County history—Mrs. Elizabeth Furr Duncan.  She, along with her late husband, Dr. Frank Duncan, has been one of the most effective leaders in challenging all of us to join this noble work.  Indeed, the “new kid” comes from a good “family.”

The “new kid” has a bright future under the leadership and sponsorship of the Wayne County Historical Society.  Already, a new librarian is at work training a knowledgeable and helpful staff that will help both professional and amateur genealogist to navigate through the valuable resources available in the library.

Someone has said, “We cannot know who we are until we know who they were.”  We are, to a great degree, products of our ancestors.  Much of our personality, our attitudes, and even our actions are what they are because of who they were.  It will benefit all of us to know more about them.  That task is much easier for Wayne County families because of the existence of the ELIZABETH FURR DUNCAN LIBRARY.  A study of the lives of our ancestors can be inspirational, sometimes humbling, and always interesting.  To know your ancestors gives a person a sense of permanency.  A sense of purpose for the present and a promise of the future is strengthened when we know about our family’s past.

The “new kid” in town is waiting for you to stop by and get acquainted.  You’ll find it easy to get to know this “new kid” and, I can guarantee you that, in time, you and the “new kid” will become the best of friends.

The Wayne County Museum certainly welcomes the “new kid” and is thrilled to have another tool to research, preserve, and interpret the “deep roots and rich history” of Wayne County Kentucky.

                                                                     --Harlan Ogle