May is National Preservation Month

If you’re like me, you probably weren’t even aware of National Preservation Month.  Created in 1971 by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, it started out as National Preservation Week and turned into a month-long event in 2005.  The primary focus for the month is about places of historical importance.

Really, it’s a shame that a lot of us go through life blissfully unaware of our history.  I live in Iowa (”Fields of Opportunites”) and am amazed that most of the people I have talked with aren’t aware that we have a national monument in northeast Iowa.  If you’ve been through Iowa, chances are it was by driving Interstate 80 through the state - not exactly the best way to view of the state.  That part is relatively flat and open.  There’s a song by Heywood Banks called Interstate 80 Iowa.  The words include the following: “Corn, Corn, Corn, Corn, Corn, Look, a tree!”  But just like Nebraska, you gotta get off the 4-lane, head to the northeast corner, and view the other part of the state.

We are our history.  Cicero stated it well: “History is indeed the witness of the times, the light of truth”.  It is the good folks in the genealogical and historical societies, in our libraries, who are doing the yeoman’s task of preserving our history.  What we can do as individuals is become aware.  Make sure you know the history of your area.  Not all of it, but at least know something about the history in your neck of the woods.  How about making a donation, no matter how much, to the local or state historical society?  There are hundreds of libraries across the country that are in search of funds for the digitization of their local area newspapers.  As more and more local newspapers disappear, we have to get these papers preserved and made available to more people.  These are great projects to attach yourself to.

One of my concerns for the younger folks (I’m thinking those under 40) is that it seems they have very little sense of history.  There is so much of their lives that have been focused on the “now”.  History, for them, seems to go no further back than when they were born.  I hope we can someday make National Preservation Month something that people of all ages are as aware of as they are the 4th of July.  Then again, I wonder how many people under 30 really know what July 4th is, other than (for most) a paid day off from work.  (Sigh . . .)

National Preservation Month has as its theme “This Place Matters”.  Yes, places matter, people matter, history matters.  Join in, folks, lend a hand, or just drive to that old building that houses the history of your county.  You never know, you might catch the fever.