Office of the City Historian Records

Collection — Box: 1-149

Identifier: 2017-004

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This collection consists of the records created during daily activities of past Rochester City Historians, Joseph Barnes, Edward Foreman, Blake McKelvey, and Ruth Rosenberg-Naparsteck. The materials date between 1920 and 2007. The records consist of correspondence, newspaper clippings, notes, photographs, and manuscript drafts.

The topics covered in this collection include the World War Service Record volumes, Rochester History, the Rochester Historical Society, Rochester’s Sesquicentennial, books and articles authored by past City Historians, and many other special projects and events that were organized by the City Historian’s.

The records document the importance of having a city historian, their daily duties, and the work necessary to preserve Rochester’s long history.

Dates

Creation: 1898-2007

Conditions Governing Access

There are no restrictions regarding access to or use of this collection.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright is held by the Office of the City Historian, Rochester Public Library. Copyright of the papers in the collection may be held by their authors, or the authors’ heirs or assigns. Researchers must obtain the written permission of the holder[s] of copyright and the Office of the City Historian before publishing quotations from materials in the collection. Most papers may be copied in accordance with the library’s usual procedures unless otherwise specified.

Administrative History

In 1921, spurred by the desire for preservation of local war service records, New York state passed a law under the authority of the Educational Law of the State of New York (section 1198 and 1199) that mandated the appointment of a local historian. The law also defined the general duties. The law reads “A local historian shall be appointed as provided in the section for each city, town, or village, except that in a city of one million inhabitants a local historian shall be appointed for each borough therein.”

The Office of the Historian was under the control of the Board of Trustees of the Rochester Public Library. In 1927, the Division of Local History was created in the Rochester Public Library. The position of Director was added to the list of City Historian’s duties. In the late 20th century, the role of the City Historian changed slightly to include, publication of periodicals, articles and books, educational outreach, working with local historical and preservation organizations, and presenting lectures. The most notable change of the office was New York States assembly bill that added the “responsibility for the sound management of local records.” The bill clarified that the historians were not only responsible for collection of local records but also to promote the establishment and improvement of the management and preservation of government records. The original law was rewritten and is now under the Arts and Cultural Affairs Law, Section 57.07, Local Government Historian Law

The city of Rochester was one of the first communities to appoint a City Historian. The first City Historian elected was Elmer Adler. Adler was appointed by Mayor Hiram H. Edgarton in 1921. Elmer Adler resigned after less than a year and Edward Foreman was appointed on June 20, 1921.

Elmer Adler, 1921-1921

Edward Foreman, 1921- 1936

Dexter Perkins, 1936-1948

Blake McKelvey, 1948-1973

Joseph Barnes, 1973-1987

Ruth Rosenberg-Naparsteck, 1987-2007

Christine Ridarsky, 2008-Present

Extent

68 Cubic Feet (23 record cartons, 90 clam shell document boxes, and 37 custom boxes.)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

This collection consists of the records created during daily activities of past Rochester City Historians, Joseph Barnes, Edward Foreman, Blake McKelvey, and Ruth Rosenberg-Naparsteck. The materials date between 1818 and 2007. The records consist of correspondence, special projects, publications, events, and subject research files.

Arrangement

This collection consists of 149 boxes divided into 13 series:

Series I: Joseph Barnes, 1924-1985, bulk 1970-1985

Sub-series A: Correspondence, 1970-1985

Sub-series B: Sesquicentennial, 1978-1985

Sub-series C: Miscellaneous, 1924-1985, bulk 1970-1985

Series II: Edward Foreman, 1921-1939

Sub-series A: Personal Papers, 1921-1939

Sub-series B: Miscellaneous, 1921-1939

Series III: Blake McKelvey, 1818-2000, bulk 1936-1980

Sub-series A: Correspondence, General, 1944-1982

Sub-series B: Correspondence, Publishing, 1948-1973

Sub-series C: Correspondence, Urban History, 1940-1971

Sub-series D: Business as a Profession, 1978-2003

Sub-series E: Manuscripts, 1955-1994

Sub-series F: Panoramic History of Rochester, 1978-1971

Sub-series G: Personal Papers, 1898-2000, bulk 1930-1960

Sub-series H: Research Notes, 1937-1970

Sub-series I: Snow in the Cities research files, 1921-1995

Sub-series J: WWII Service Records, 1941-1947

Sub-series K: Miscellaneous, 1818-2000

Series IV: Ruth Rosenberg-Naparsteck, 1928-2007, bulk 1983-2004

Sub-series A: Correspondence, 1980-2007

Sub-series B: “A Growing Agitation,” 1984-1986

Sub-series C: Personal Papers, 1984-1991

Sub-series D: Report on Toxic Chemicals, 1928-1986

Sub-series E: "Young People’s History of Rochester," 1986-2000

Sub-series F: Miscellaneous, 1950-2004, bulk 1990-2000

Series V: Carol Fede, Secretary to the City Historian Correspondence, 1993-2000

Series VI: Instructional Activities, 1938-1995, bulk 1960-1986

Sub-series A: Blake McKelvey Student Papers, 1938-1984

Sub-series B: Naparsteck Student Papers, 1976-1991, bulk 1991

Sub-series C: Educational Outreach, 1939, 1964-1995

Series VII: Rochester Historical Society Correspondence, 1912-1938, bulk 1960-1986

Sub-series A: Publication Fund Series, 1912-1938, bulk 1921-1938

Sub-series B: Centennial History of Rochester, 1929-1934

Sub-series C: General Correspondence, 1927-1937

Series VIII: Rochester History, 1935-2011

Sub-series A: Subject research and correspondence, 1939-2011

Sub-series B: Financials, 1970-1998

Sub-series C: Indexing, 1939-2001

Sub-series D: Printing, 1935-2002

Sub-series E: Miscellaneous, 1985-2001

Series IX: Rochester Regional Library Council, 1970-2001

Series X: World War Service Record Correspondence, 1922-1934

Sub-series A: Correspondence, 1922-1928

Sub-series B: Reports, 1922-1924

Sub-series C: Volume II and III, 1924-1930

Series XI: Subject Research Files, 1824-2004

Series XII: Video Recordings, 1988-1996

Series XIII: Miscellaneous Records, 1789-2002, bulk 1970-1995

Immediate Source of Acquisition

This collection was created during the daily operations of the City Historian's office.

Bibliography

“Managing Records, Arts and Cultural Affairs Law, Section 57.07.” New York State Archives. Accessed July 12, 2017. http://www.archives.nysed.gov/records/mr_laws_acal5707.shtml.

McKelvey, Blake. “A History of Historical Writing in the Rochester Area.” Rochester History 4, no. 2 (April 1944) : 1-23.

Processing Information

This project was made possible by a grant from the Local Government Records Management Improvement Fund.

Processing Information

This collection was found in file cabinets and the closet of the current city historian. The original processors retained the original order of the separate series or refined the chronological/alphabetical order of the original order. All staples and paperclips were removed, acidic papers were placed in acid free envelopes, and any deteriorating papers were photocopied or preservation methods were taken. Each series will have it's own scope and content note as well as biographical note due to the size of the collection.