Week 12 - That's All For Now, Folks

Lisa and I successfully finished our showcase! We both collaborated to create the presentation, using Canva to make a super fun design that was reflective of our work with file folders, ripped papers, and paperclips.

We made sure to include information about the site, Frank Laumer's background as a lay historian, our project, and what were able to accomplish. 

We decided to meet in person to present, so we could easily feed off of each other and navigate the presentation while the other one spoke. I know we were both super nervous about the public speaking aspect of it, but once we got going, we could convey our thoughts and feelings about the experience well! Overall, I am proud. 

Our internship director, Patrick Swan, watched in and sent us encouraging messages to let us know he was happy with the results. He also welcomed us to continue future research on the Ransom Clark exhumation - something Lisa and I are very heavily considering doing. We both loved reading about the exhumation, seeing the photos, the praise, and the backlash - if we could make something out of this, or even publish a paper about these findings, it would be an excellent, fulfilling way to wrap up this work. 

Working with Lisa has been a wonderful aspect of this internship as well; last semester was my first time ever on UCF campus, as I had done all of my undergrad work online. I did not get the chance to make personal connections with my fellow students, and it proved difficult for me to get help, bounce ideas, or relate with classmates simply because I never got to meet them. With our partnership, Lisa and I were able to successfully collaborate and muse over the difficulties of not only the internship, but of school, work, and life in general. This has made me even more comfortable and excited about working towards my master's - I eagerly look forward to cultivating more relationships like this with my classmates in the future!

I learned:

• basic archival concepts/cataloging techniques
• that personal connections are extremely important and beneficial, as seen by our teamwork and Laumer's own work with other historians and friends. 
• all ideas are good ideas, even if it feels like you are wasting time. It is important to try, even if you feel underqualified to handle the task at hand
• having a specific goal from the beginning will save hardship in the future
• historical research has changed drastically, but the purpose is still the same: finding that little bit of truth, no matter how little, builds the strongest historical narrative possible

Now I will commence working on my methodological paper. If I had to wrap up my thoughts and feelings about the internship in one single quote, it would be this: 

"Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try." 

- Scooby Doo

(.... Just kidding, John F. Kennedy!)

Week 11 - Wrapping Up

The last few files I had grabbed were real clunkers, so instead of heading out to the site this week to grab more, I decided to finish up the ones I had. Going through the files has been extremely time-consuming - it has required a lot of reading, sifting, and recording. Lisa and I were hoping we could finish the first file cabinet, but with the Internship Showcase and our papers being due next week, we decided it would be best to end with the files we have now. 

My last stack of folders

That being said, we finished the first two drawers of the first file cabinet. I know Lisa's document was well over 17 pages, not including my own files (which I've been working on transferring over.) It would have been amazing to finish the first drawer, but with time constraints, working full time, and the details required in cataloging these files, I am happy with the finding aid and work we were able to accomplish! 

Early next week, Lisa and I will meet and map out our presentation for the showcase on Friday. We will also be sure to send Patrick, our internship director, the link to the zoom meeting so that he can watch it. 

We will also work on mapping out our final papers, which will focus on the methodology we implemented and learned throughout the project. This means our final trip to the site will be to return the files we had checked out and take a few pictures of the site with our director, Patrick. (Check out this snazzy photo he snapped of us last week!) 

Lisa and I discussing essential things (how many staple removers and paperclips we need)

As for interesting tidbits from these last files, there were few: in fact, most of them consisted of printed email correspondence between Laumer and various research outlets asking for information. However, there was correspondence between Laumer and an author discussing errors in her book, to which she responded warmly, and various newspaper articles about Chief Osceola and his life and death. 

Correspondence between author Patricia Wickman and Frank Laumer discussing errors in her novel

Of everything I have seen within the files, Laumer's interaction with other historians and authors is the most heartening. There is a keen love for solid research and facts over negligent righteousness between him and the people he spoke with. 

Newspaper articles on Chief Osceola and his life

Chief Osceola is arguably one of the bigger characters of the Indian Removal Act and it was no surprise that his designated file was absolutely filled with articles, journals, clippings, and more of his life and importance to the Seminole Wars. Patrick is also always sure to teach us about these characters when we meet with him at the site, which also features several items of popular culture on the Chief (which I particularly enjoy.) 

While it feels we have finished the most laborious task of our internship in going through these files and creating a finding aid, I feel the pressure of the showcase and the need to articulate and show just what we accomplished with the Seminole War Foundations. 

Week 10 - Discussion

This week Lisa and I met with Patrick at the site to discuss our Amazon wish list. We went over the quantities of items we wanted and provided brief descriptions of why we believed these items were necessary. We were set to discuss this with the president of the Seminole War Foundation, but he was unable to make it and sent a word document containing the list to him instead. 

Picture of our Amazon list

We were lucky to meet the women undertaking the book cataloging! Elaine and Erin (I believe) have been working hard to catalog the books at the site - all of which vary from Seminole historical fiction to very, very old birth and death logs. 

They described their work: making an excel spreadsheet, assigning Dewey Decimal numbers to all of the books, ordering supplies such as label covers and labels. They discussed their plan to formulate assembly lines to reorganize the books, make a shelf map, and create holding shelves for books that need to be processed. 

They also discussed their successes and failures - how difficult it has been to start the project, how daunting the process has been, and how frustrating the lack of organization has been. It was comforting to hear that they have struggled too! Lisa and I definitely felt the same sentiments in going through Laumer's documents. 

I am also pretty intrigued by their work - I work in the library system at Orange County Public Schools and learned a lot of technical information just based on their discussion, so that was very nice.

With the list settled and our files obtained, Lisa and I discussed our end project and what we want to do for it. We figured we would meet up in person during the event, so that it would be easier to collaborate live, and plan to start discussing the brass tacks of the project next week. Furthermore, we have established it will be reasonable to finish the first file cabinet during our internship. If we have the time, we will go for the second set of drawers, but given the time consuming process that is has been so far, it is unlikely. 

Lisa also updated our file that we are using to catalog the goods, and it looks incredible! I will continue working on transferring the information I have collected to it. 

Week 9 - Interesting Information

On Monday I went to the archive to return the files I've cataloged and gather some more to continue our project. 

During this visit I was able to talk to our internship director, Patrick Swan, where he provided me some very interesting tidbits about Frank Laumer's life and the sheer amount of desire Laumer held for discovering the truth of Ransom Clark and the Seminole War.

As I was discussing my fascination in learning about the Clark exhumation through the files, Patrick told me that Laumer experienced great joy in researching Clark - but also great uncertainty about Clark's character. Laumer went to great lengths to find the truth within Clark's statements, exhuming his body so that the rumor of Clark's "exaggerated" claims may be dispelled. Laumer spent over 50 years reaching out to different archives and county records offices to learn as much as possible about the man. 

However, later in his life, Laumer was presented with evidence that Ransom Clark may have been a bit of a criminal; Clark was arrested in the 1830s, charged with passing on a counterfeit bill, along with other unsavory accounts of his character. 

Patrick claimed Laumer was enraged by this find, exclaiming that "those guys [who arrested him] did him dirty!" - then later confused. I'm sure researching someone's legacy for so many years, only to find out negative accounts near the end of the journey would be quite upsetting. 

Another aspect of his life pointed out to me: Laumer passed on November 18th. So did Ransom Clark. 

If Laumer's dedication to this man and this subject wasn't clear by going through the files, it really is now. I'm excited that a public historian, outside of academia found such inspiration in something to pursue so fervently. Maybe one day I'll find my Ransom Clark!

Here are some interesting finds from the files this week:

Dembo Factor was a black Seminole Indian Scout - pictured 4th from the left. He was a veteran of Dade's Massacre. He was kidnapped in 1844 by Creek slavers, who tried to sell the captive, but he was recovered by the army. 

Dembo factor: Black Seminoles during the Seminole War 

Laumer had a file dedicated to Billy Cypress, an important figure in Seminole museum management and a long-time participant in the Dade Battlefield Historical reenactments. The file contained email correspondence between Laumer and SWF associates mourning the passing of Cypress, as well as several drafts of an obituary, edited by Laumer. 

Image and obituary of beloved Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki museum director Billy Cypress

Week 8 - Detestable Desecration?

There is not much to report on this week. Lisa and I continued to go through the files we grabbed last time we were at the site, documenting them to help make an inventory for the collection. Since Lisa made the really cool document for sorting our information, I have also been working to transfer the information I wrote down about my initial file folders into her format.

We plan to meet next week on Monday to get more file folders and discuss the quantities and necessities of the items we put on that list with Patrick.

Other than the basics, we have also been planning for the Internship Showcase coming up in August. We both chose time slots that work for us - our current idea is to discuss how we came up with making an inventory, our current methodology, some interesting tidbits we have read, and hopefully tie it all to public history in the end. We will start fleshing out the presentation on Monday! 

The files this week were full of interesting stuff: 

One was completely full of newspaper articles and clippings that Laumer had accumulated - all about the Ransom Clark exhumation and his role in it. Laumer also had clippings of "to the Editor" articles, some of which criticized his desire to disinter Clark's body just to finalize a very minute historical detail. It also includes Laumer's response.

Articles containing criticism of Laumer's push for exhumation

This particular issue of sanctity and grave desecration is an issue very common to public history - one not very easily boiled down. 

Other interesting finds include a cut-out road map from 1964 to Clark's grave site: 

And very warm correspondence between Laumer and a woman named Lois Flynn who lent him her heated garage during the December exhumation: 

Week 7 - Inventory

This week at the archive was very relaxed: now that we have a solid, full-fledged game plan to create an inventory, we have continued to go through the files in the file drawers, using a very detailed and organized template that Lisa made. We met at the site on Wednesday to gather more files to take home - usually just a handful at a time so that we do not get overwhelmed. Some files are much more dense than others, and we try to get a good amount to work with each time. We have now moved on to the second drawer of the first filing cabinet. Yay! 

We also made sure to email our internship director, Patrick, our list of items we would like to help better organize the archive. 

Going through this second batch of files has been a bit concerning - a lot of the ones I went through had bug carcasses and a lot of grime and dirt scattered throughout. According to Laumer's own inventory, which we came across last week, the historian had stored quite a few of these files in his garage, which may have exposed the documents to extensive heat and humidity. I also believe that when the materials were moved, they were left in storage containers and boxes for a while before being housed in the filing cabinets (I believe this based on a conversation we had with Dr. French and Patrick at the beginning of the internship - where Dr. French noted that a lot of work had been done in moving the files out of disorganized piles.) 

At this meeting it was also told to us that we did not have to use gloves to go through the files, but at our meeting last week with archivists Mary and Adam, as well as the appearance of these files, I think using cotton gloves with nylon gloves underneath will be good practice. I'll be sure to add them to the list.

Because of the bugs, dirt, and other discoloration the documents have, I am eager to get new folders, paperclips, archival paper, and other items to help prevent the documents from getting worse. 

With the brass tacks covered, I will share a couple of interesting finds from this week's folders: 

One very public history find was a file folder titled Amanda Clark. In it, there was email correspondence between Laumer and Amanda concerning her ancestor, Ransom Clark. Amanda requested some information from Laumer and his research on Ransom Clark, which Laumer very happily obliged. He sent her a package of his research on Ransom, and Amanda was extremely grateful. 

Email from Amanda Clark expressing gratitude to Laumer

I found this such a heartwarming read - I bet knowing that your years of exhaustive research reached out to someone in such an intimate way was an amazing feeling for Laumer, - a feeling that a lot of public historians chase.

Another unique find was a letter from one Seminole War Lieutenant to another - a very friendly (and honestly adorable) letter describing trust and friendship. 

Friend!

Finds like this are the most fun part of the internship. I am grateful, even when reading through hundreds of pages of printed email correspondence, to come across these unique peaks into peoples' lives!

Week 6 - Meeting with Archivists

Lisa and I were able to meet with Mary and Adam on Thursday to discuss the various questions we have over the Laumer collection and ask for some advice in handling the documents and organization of everything. Mary and Adam both pointed out very interesting archival concepts, such as "original order" and the copyright issues we may come across in trying to digitize photos - as well as proper care for the documents and proper care for ourselves, especially in dealing with mold or other possibly hazardous substances we may come across in the folders. 

While perusing the back room of the archive on Tuesday, before meeting with Mary and Adam, I found this white binder stacked among some books on a chair. It contains Laumer's inventory of his collection, with spreadsheets documenting the document type, some with subcategories, dates, and the location of these documents (such as garage drawer 1 and so on.) Lisa and I tried to match this inventory with the file folders in the office, but it appears that when Laumer's collection was moved to the new site, it lost its original order: which Mary described as "the researcher's own order," which should be maintained for its potential usefulness to future researchers. Mary noted that this original inventory could be used in reorganizing, in the effort to restore original order, or used to present in juxtaposition with the new organizational methods, to show people what the collection originally looked like. 

Backroom of the archive

Pages from Laumer's original inventory

So, with this advice in mind - our project is veering more towards creating a strong inventory of the items in the archive, leaving the idea of reorganization and moving things around to future interns. Mary and Adam believe this inventory is the best first step. 

Disappointingly, Mary and Adam encouraged us to steer clear of digitizing anything, as we may run into many copyright issues with these documents - especially because Laumer accumulated many of his primary documents from other researchers, and also because we cannot exactly verify that any of these primary pictures or documents were created by Laumer himself. Digitizing was something Lisa and I were really looking forward to doing, but with these copyright issues and the work hours that will be devoted to creating an inventory, it appears we will have to shelf this desire for another time. 

The next half of our internship will be spent on site, working through folders and other documents to establish an inventory that can be used to reorganize in the future: the caveat is that we can still peruse through the interesting information that sprinkles the folders. This week I was lucky enough to explore the folder containing images, negatives. and positive slides of Ransom Clark's exhumation - a project Laumer spent years researching and pushing for. Ransom Clark was the self-proclaimed lone survivor of the Dade massacre, claiming to have sustained grievous injuries to his pelvis, shoulder, and lung, "hobbling" over 50 miles and over 4 different rivers to relate his tale to the nearest town. Clark then made a living giving lectures on his experience in the war and among the Seminole Indians. 

A copy of Ransom Clark's lecture flyers - A 1977 news article mentioning Laumer and the exhumation

In exhuming Clark's body, Laumer wanted to find out how true his story of sheer heroism and perseverance was - a minute detail of truth that many historians often chase. After getting a court order to exhume the body, Laumer and his associates began digging on a cold December Saturday in 1977. The autopsy showed that Clark did sustain injuries, but not as grievous and awful as he had claimed: his story of tenacity in the face of anguish may have been true, but was definitely heavily embellished. 

Image and negatives from the Ransom Clark exhumation and the original "Best Photo" envelope

Positive slides of the exhumation

Images of the exhumation

This story has been the most interesting to read about, and I feel especially lucky to read about it from Laumer's own research and photographic recollections. I am not ashamed to say I spent way more time delving into this story and looking at the pictures than I should have - and I know Lisa was just as intrigued by the photos as I was! I hope to come across more interesting stories like this one in our endeavors to inventory everything. 

Working hard at the archive :)