Lauderdale County Department of Archives and History, Inc

Lauderdale County Department of Archives and History Inc “The LCDAH was first conceived in 1983 as Lauderdale County was observing its sesquicentennial. By January of 1984, the Lauderdale County Board of Supervisors had established the Archives Department and appointed Jim Dawson in March, 1984, to develop the department, utilizing volunteer contributions of time, effort and funds. The Archives is a hybrid organization, Part County Government and part 501-3-c not for profit organization. Under Dawson's direction, Volunteers were enlisted, their initial work focusing on indexing and abstracting county records, some of which dated back to 1835. The young organization received a Phil Hardin Foundation grant for planning purposes. As a result of the grant, a group of knowledgeable persons from across the state gathered in Meridian in September of 1985 to map out a plan of action for the Archives, setting three goals: the establishment of an Archives; the establishment of a museum; and the writing of a factual county history. Paths to the Past, which covers the history of Lauderdale County from its roots in the eighteenth century through the Great Depression, represents yet another accomplishment of the Archives, one that fits into the overall plan for the growth of the organization. The history, written by Jim Dawson and Nan Fairley and edited by Mary Jennings, is only one of many publications sponsored by the LCDAH. Profits from the sale of the book will go towards making the future of the organization even brighter... Throughout its existence, the key element to the success of the LCDAH has been the cooperation of Lauderdale Countians and others with connections to the county.” Excerpt from Paths to the Past

We manage and preserve County Records dating back to the beginning of the county in the 1830's up to the present day! We also are a repository for donated family and community histories.