Politics & Government
Village Looking for Help with Historic Preservation
If you have some time to volunteer, and you're interested in local history, you should read this.
Do you have a passion for local history? If so, the could use your help.
Debbie Buchanan, executive assistant to the village manager, is looking for a few volunteers to help with Montgomery’s historic preservation efforts. The village does not have staff members dedicated to these efforts—it falls to Buchanan, who fits them in when she can, she said.
There are short-term and long-term projects in the works, all of which could use some volunteer help, Buchanan said. The most immediate concern is cataloguing the donations of historical documents and other items the village takes in several times a month.
Find out what's happening in Montgomerywith free, real-time updates from Patch.
“It’s wonderful to have these things, but they need to be properly stored,” Buchanan said. “We have a computer system that tells us what we have and where it is,” she said, but noted the village has fallen behind in entering those items into the system.
The village also puts on an annual cemetery walk, during which actors take on the parts of deceased Montgomery residents, and Buchanan needs someone to research and write a script for that event. She also would like to find someone to work with a Civil War re-enactment group that will perform during August’s Montgomery Fest.
Find out what's happening in Montgomerywith free, real-time updates from Patch.
In the longer term, Buchanan is hoping to find help going through old newspapers at the Aurora Public Library, seeking interesting stories about the village.
Those interested in lending a hand should contact Buchanan at 630-896-8080 x1114, or Buchanan@ci.montgomery.il.us. Volunteers could choose when they work, but hours would have to coincide with Buchanan’s. She’s in the office Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-3:30p.m.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.