By Andy Diffenderfer
Correspondent
LaFAYETTE, Ga. — Walker County historical records dating to the 1830s are finding a new life on compact disc for researchers and genealogists.
The CD, available from the Walker County Commissioner’s Office, includes information from a record of county expenditures dating to 1835 and thought lost in an 1883 fire that destroyed the Walker County Courthouse. The book was found in 2008.
“People are very interested in historical and genealogical research,” Walker County resource coordinator Larry Brooks said. “We’ve seen great interest in folks wanting a copy. We want the public to know it’s available.”
LaFayette historian Stephen Neal Dennis discovered the book at the Walker County records department in Chickamauga while researching county history for a book.
“There was something different about its binding that made me pick it up and look at it,” Mr. Dennis said. “The first pages when I opened it were from the 1850s, and I immediately realized this was very important.”
The book may have been taken out of the courthouse by someone adding information to the records, he said, which explains how it survived the fire. Later, it likely was placed back into county records and forgotten.
“There is wonderful information from many periods, especially bills for repairs to the courthouse and jail after the Civil War,” Mr. Dennis said.
The repairs were for damage to the courthouse in the 1864 Battle of LaFayette, when federal troops marched on the town. The book also details land acquisitions by residents and information on hangings.
Mr. Brooks said the county wanted to put the records in an accessible format for the public without compromising the integrity of the original text. The project was paid for through private donations.
“This book may be unique among Georgia county records, unique both because of the long period of time covered — 50 years — and the vital information now available,” Mr. Dennis said.
“You can see who was here from the very beginning of the county,” Mr. Brooks said.
LaFayette residents and genealogy researchers Jane and Phillip Shelton digitized the book. They photographed 422 pages, made page enhancements and compiled an index of names.
TO ORDERMail a check for $40 to Larry Brooks, c/o Walker County Commissioner’s Office, 101 S. Duke St., P.O. Box 445, LaFayette GA 30728.
“The taking of the pictures was just the beginning. You had to look at every image to see if it was readable,” said Mrs. Shelton, who, like her husband, is a retired educator.
“I got a broader picture of who was here and what was going on,” said Mrs. Shelton of the Walker project. “It really was fun to do. It was interesting and I learned a lot of things I didn’t know.”
Andy Diffenderfer is based in LaFayette, Ga. Contact him at andydiff97@comcast.net.