Every detail of life, from the people we interact with to the daily places we visit, tells a story. Every minuscule aspect of day-to-day activities has a history that most people do not pause long enough to consider or recognize. It takes people like Candice Buchanan to appreciate the beauty of the past and the footprints that were left behind to document it.
“I have a particular interest in photographs because I believe strongly that they are an under-utilized resource in local and family history research,” Candice says. “Photographs are, in fact, historic records just like deeds, censuses, or birth certificates. We need to authenticate, analyze, and weigh them as evidence. We need to know as much as possible not only about the subjects, but also about factors such as who has owned them; and when, where, and by whom they were taken.”
Digging up information and captioning photographs constitutes just a fraction of the work Candice does as a volunteer archivist at Greene Connections. The project began almost twenty years ago when Buchanan discovered a photograph collection in Waynesburg University’s archives that identified graduates from the college’s first class in 1852 through her grandmother’s class in 1938. The same collection can now be found on the project’s website. Candice, alongside Donna Buchanan, Matt Cumberledge, and Glenn Toothman, runs the Greene Connections project. The group facilitates the sharing, scanning, and cataloging of collections on top of performing research that leads to the authentication or identification of photographs and the resolution of conflicts.
“Greene Connections is a volunteer initiative to preserve photographs and documents related to genealogy and local history in Greene County, Pennsylvania,” Candice adds. “Our team works with individuals, families, organizations, and repositories to digitally scan and archivally document historical items for free, public access.”
Candice was fourteen years old when her interest in archives and genealogy was first sparked as she stumbled upon old family tombstones in Green Mount Cemetery. The discovery inspired her to seek more information about the cemetery at the Bowlby Public Library where she was directed to the Cornerstone Genealogical Society.
“I’ve been doing genealogy ever since,” she says. “Family history research requires us to delve into a variety of unique, original, old records. That love for discovering and saving such fascinating information led me to archival preservation.”
Greene Connections is strictly a digital project, meaning they do not keep or take custody of original items, but instead, create high-quality scans that are then shared on their website for families to access. Through the initiative, Candice has been able to connect families to beautifully preserved photographs of long-gone loved ones and reunite collections of heirlooms.
The group is planning on hosting scanning sessions at the Greene County Historical Society in 2022 to allow families to share photos. They are also improving navigation of their website by migrating their backlog of over 15,000 photographs and documents into Cataloglt archival software. This software can be accessed for free through the Archives section at GreeneConnections.com.
Greene Connections additionally works with their local partners at the Cornerstone Genealogical Society, Greene County Historical Society, and Waynesburg University Paul R. Stewart Museum to improve their collections and records.