In more than eight years volunteering, Smith has transcribed more than 100,000 pages of files across hundreds of years of history.
In 2017, Smith traveled to the nation’s capital, where he was awarded the Citizen Archivist award by then-Archivist of the United States David Ferriero. It was Smith’s first visit to the National Archives building.
Smith savors the peek behind the curtain of history he gets from the files, which are as diverse as safety guidelines sent to soldiers during the 1918 influenza pandemic and bankruptcy records of the famous Wild West showman Buffalo Bill Cody. “I learned it cost a dollar a night to stable a camel at that point,” he said of the latter.
Sometime, the documents reveal hidden connections between historical events, like one Smith came across while transcribing insurance claims for the Titanic. The claims included transcripts of interviews with other sea captains meant to prove how the doomed ocean liner had violated safety norms. The name of one interviewee – Capt. William Thomas Turner – jumped out to Smith immediately.
by themoneyoffice2.com@gmail.com April 2, 2024 · Old Peoples Celebrations
