By JAMES HARDIN
Preservation boxes line the shelves of a large corner room on the first floor of the Library's Adams Building, a squarish, serviceable, art deco structure completed in 1939. White labels with bold black letters hang from the shelves, naming the states and territories: Alabama, Alaska, American Samoa, Arizona … The orderly arrangement, however, belies the profusion of American folklife documented within, in photographs, videos and audiotapes, with descriptive essays: the explosion of firecrackers at a Chinese New Year parade in Portland, Ore.; the crackling conflagration of a bonfire, as "Old Man Gloom" burns in Sante Fe, N.M.; the strong, joyful voices of a community Sacred Harp sing in Georgia; the cries of the crowd as a young boy flies aloft in a blanket-toss in rural Utah. From around the country "Local Legacies" have come to the Library of Congress.
It was, at first, an elegantly simple idea: Invite senators and representatives to identify grassroots traditions and activities from every state and congressional district, document them in photographs, sound and video recordings, and manuscripts and send a portion of that documentation to the Library of Congress for its Bicentennial. The resulting collection would provide a snapshot of traditional cultural life in America at the turn of the 20th century. No money would be provided, just lots of advice and encouragement.
The Librarian of Congress proposed the Local Legacies project at the May 1997 meeting of the American Folklife Center's Board of Trustees in New Orleans, a city well-known for its own grassroots cultural life. Local Legacies would take its cue from other community-based millennium projects and activities, and celebrate the 200th birthday of the Library of Congress, officially celebrated on April 24. Each state and congressional district might place its examples of "extraordinary creativity" in the national folk archive at the Library of Congress (as a birthday present to the nation's library), and an electronic component would allow them to be shared throughout this country and internationally.
The project would provide an opportunity for the Library to work directly with members of Congress and their constituents. But would Congress respond? Would local communities understand the proposal? Who would do the work, and what might be sent in? There were many questions. The board of the American Folklife Center, a part of the Library, was polite but skeptical, acknowledged the extraordinary possibilities, worried about the kind and quality of material that might be created (and how it would be handled and stored) and suggested that the Library devise guidelines for participants.
The Local Legacies project was administered by the Library's Bicentennial Program Office. Those who worked on the project were "detailed" to the BPO from other offices in the Library. Peter Bartis, a folklife specialist in the American Folklife Center, was named project manager. Evie McLeaf, Peter Seligman and Denise Gotay Theunissen were liaisons with congressional staff and project volunteers; their job was not only to encourage participation by every congressional office, but also to answer questions about the project and make sure the projects were submitted to the Library. Stephen Kelley of the Congressional Relations Office also worked to encourage participation and advised the BPO on its dealings with congressional staff in Washington as well as in the states. Cynthia Joy provided administrative support wherever it was needed. Robert Sokol designed and maintained the Local Legacies Web site (www.loc.gov/bicentennial) with the assistance of Cheryl Graunke, Mary Ann McFarland and Rachel Mears. Bicentennial Program Manager Roberta Stevens supervised and advised the Local Legacies team throughout the project.
Mr. Bartis was chosen project manager, as he had helped devise the American Folklife Center's successful Montana Heritage Project. His first task in the Bicentennial Office was to train a small staff to manage liaison with the state and district congressional offices, identify and resolve problems and be available to answer the host of questions that were likely to arise. Mr. Bartis contacted folklorists in every state and gave presentations at the American Folklore Society meetings, to explain and build support for the project. He understood that one difficulty inherent in the new project was that different constituencies, such as Congress and state folklorists, would have different expectations. Project "Guidelines" defined a local legacy as "a traditional activity, event or area of creativity that merits being documented for future generations." Project staff were hoping for representative, or "signature," events and activities that somehow characterized the local community.
When congressional members and staff were notified of the project, said Mr. Bartis, "the response was amazing. Members of Congress understood what was being suggested and many knew immediately which signature events they wanted to nominate. Nearly 1,300 projects were nominated by 412 members of Congress. To date, the documentary material from more than 1,000 projects has been delivered to the Library for sorting and arranging. This achievement was celebrated during a May 23 reception held in the Library's Great Hall.
Sen. Pete V. Domenici (R-N.M.) expressed the common reaction. He said his state is rich in cultural tradition (many senators and representatives nominated several projects); and that he was delighted to be able to tell others about them. Sen. Domenici wrote to Mr. Bartis, "New Mexico has so many unique traditions and legacies and we are excited to share our traditions with the rest of the nation."
Rep. Robert A. Weygand (D-R.I.) nominated several festivals, a museum and the Narragansett Indian tribe from his district to be local legacies. At a program announcing his selection, he said, "Today's Library of Congress exemplifies Thomas Jefferson's faith in learning and his determination to make democracy work. He would be proud of this rich heritage we are exhibiting today" [Providence Sunday Journal, Jan. 23, 2000].
Rep. John N. Hostettler (R-Ind.), who nominated a Revolutionary War battle reenactment,"The Spirit of Vincennes Rendezvous," from the Eighth District of Indiana, said, "The Library of Congress worked it out so that each member deals with his constituency on a person-to-person basis … that's why it's working so well" [The Hill, Nov. 10, 1999].
As for folklorists and cultural organizations, they were grateful for the opportunity to work with their senators and representatives. In fact, the project provided a wonderful opportunity for folklorists to demonstrate what they do."
"Folklorists and politicians have a lot in common," Mr. Bartis pointed out. "Both operate at the grassroots level, both have an interest in building community, both are happy to have local communities and individuals recognized and honored." Many of the participants from the local communities were delighted to discover, through the recognition of the Library of Congress, that what they had been doing for years had "cultural significance."
Festivals, historic sites, civic activities, occupational culture and environmental projects were some of the places, activities and events documented for Local Legacies. In Newhall, Calif., a trail ride through the Placerita Canyon is part of an annual cowboy poetry festival, held at the Melody Ranch Movie Studio. Ride leader Scott Dickens calls it "an opportunity to step into the Old West." Each year in Arizona, there is a reenactment of the 200-mile Pony Express ride from Holbrook to Scottsdale, with mail carried and delivered under a continuous contract with the U.S. Postal Service. The riders are members of the Navajo County Sheriff's department, a search-and-rescue team named the Hashknife Posse Pony Express after a famously rough-and-ready band of cowboys, the "Hashknife Outfit," that worked for the Aztec Land and Cattle Co.
Near Lyons, Colo., the San Juan Mountains provide a spectacular backdrop for the Telluride Bluegrass Festival, which attracts 10,000 people on a single day for its outdoor concerts; the college town of Ann Arbor, Mich., hosts a full weekend of events, inside and out, for the Ann Arbor Blues and Jazz Festival, begun in 1969 as the first blues festival of its kind in North America; and in Hoboken, Ga., family and community members gather for a capella singing, using four shape notes (fa, sol, la, mi). This shape- note singing style is sometimes labeled "Sacred Harp," after a shape-note book published in 1844 by B.F. White of Hamilton, Ga.
In Portland, Ore., as in many other cities, Chinese New Year is celebrated with a parade through the streets of Chinatown, reminding us that America is a nation of immigrants who bring their traditions with them. In Sante Fe, N.M., the annual burning of the great cartoonish effigy Zozobra (Old Man Gloom) on the second Thursday of September dispels the hardships of the past year and marks the start of Fiesta de Sante Fe. As many as 30,000 attend the event, which melds Hispanic, Anglo and Native American cultures.
In many communities across the nation, economic viability depends upon a particular local product that becomes an essential part of the cultural life: watermelon in Hope, Ark.; wine in Napa Valley, Calif.; cider in Topeka, Kan.; tulips in Holland, Mich.; onions in Orange County, N.Y.; and salmon in northwest interior Washington, all represented by Local Legacies projects. Rep. David Wu (D-Ore.) wrote that his project, "A Day in the Life of the Columbia Pacific," provides "a glimpse into the life and times of our community through the eyes of our children" and helps the school-age participants feel like a part of their community and "examine and reflect upon what is truly wonderful about our region" [Letter to Local Legacies staff member Evie McCleaf].
In Fountain Green, Utah, the third Saturday of July is set aside for Lamb Day, providing young future farmers an opportunity to prepare their lambs for show and auction. The festival dates from 1932, when economic conditions were difficult and the town fathers were looking for ways to promote this local product. The present-day celebration includes a parade, a pole climb and occasionally a spontaneous blanket-toss.
Commenting on the Lamb Day celebration, Utah Arts Council folklorist Carol Edison said, "These are modern-day manifestations of our heritage. … Many of the people who live [in Fountain Green] today have some cultural tie to the sheep industry. … That occupation still symbolizes who they are and where they came from" [Salt Lake Tribune, Sept. 29, 1999].
Mayor Bob Salley of Salley, S.C., was tempted to send in chitlings for his Local Legacies project, the "Chitlin' Strut," nominated by Sen. Strom Thurmond (R), but decided that souvenir books, brochures, photographs and other mementos from the event would be less odorous and easier to archive. The annual festival includes crafts, entertainment, hog calling and, of course, the deep frying of thousands of pounds of hog intestines. The mayor, for whose ancestors the town is named, said the nomination was a "very high honor" [Augusta Chronicle, Dec. 24, 1999].
The common thread in all these projects is community, says project coordinator Peter Bartis, and in particular "what makes and reinforces community." The Local Legacies projects provide evidence in abundance of Americans celebrating their local customs, landscapes and history; feeling proud about who they are and where they live; meeting their friends and neighbors; showing off for visitors; and coming together simply to have a good time. "In just a few months we have found new depth in our surroundings and discovered a new connection to where we live," wrote Libby, Mont., high school student Alice Maahs to Ms. McCleaf of the Library's Local Legacies team.
Sandee Hansen, executive director of the Florence Area Chamber of Commerce in Florence, Ore., was "excited and proud" that the Rhododendron Festival was selected for a Local Legacies project. "Our small town is absolutely aglow because of such an honor."
On March 28, the House of Representatives passed a resolution commending the Library of Congress for 200 years of outstanding service. Many members of Congress rose to praise the institution and the Bicentennial celebration, and Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.) said, "I think of the Local Legacies project as a patchwork quilt of American communities; no two [projects] are exactly alike, but each is a true treasure."
It is the mission of the Library of Congress "to preserve, secure and sustain for the present and future use of Congress and the nation a comprehensive record of American history and creativity." Across the country a panoply of events and activities bear witness to the endless capacity of the American people to celebrate themselves in creative, fanciful and ingenious ways. What becomes part of the national library through the Local Legacies project are the festivals and parades and fairs and crafts and music-making Americans have themselves designated and documented as their "local legacies" to the future.
Mr. Hardin is a writer-editor in the American Folklife Center.