The Scandinavia Public Library has the book My History Is America’s History: 15 Things You Can Do To Save America’s Stories. Listed here is a brief description of a few of the chapters that you might enjoy pursuing. Take a break from watching television and record some of your history for future generations to enjoy.

Start keeping a journal
Keep it fun. Write a little bit every day if you can
If one of your parents had written a journal, wouldn’t you want o read it? Do your children and grandchildren a favor, keep a journal yourself. Write your own personal history, what tyou think and feel. But be sure to write a few lines on what you see, read, and hear about–weddings jobs, Scandinavia Corn Roast, local news, politics, businesses, and…?

Why family recollections matter
Tape recordings preserve your relative’s voices
Lots of people have a grandparent or a cousing who has been promising for years to write down his or her memories. Don’t wait for them, and risk losing part of your family history. Interview your relatives, write down their answers, or better yet, record them on tape.

Playing detective with photographs
Who, What, Where, When, and Why?
Talk to your relatives who appear in family photographs and ask them the five questions above. Some photographs will leave you with guesses, hunches, and new mysteries rather than answers. Write this information down.

Discovering clues in family papers
A little detective work will reveal how paper treasures are family history.
Old paper items–ticket stubs, newspaper clippings, diplomas, invitations–all hold part of your family’s story. This is the stuff old family letters and diaries are made of.

Climbing the family tree
Research your ancestors–try a little genealogy.
The job involves collecting gacts and anecdotes about your relatives. Birth certificates, marriage records, census records, and other legal documents can give you official information.

Dig those old photographs out of their hiding places
FOSH needs to borrow photos of the Village and Town of Scandinavia for their archives.
If you have photos of street scenes, businesses, businessmen, the Corn Roast, Free Fair, farm scenes from any era, please share them with FOSH. Photos will be scanned and returned to you unharmed. Contact Us

Thanks to Sue Vater-Olsen for providing this information.