History in Surprising Places

This past weekend I attended a family reunion. The reunion was a rather small gathering of cousins and second-cousins, most of whom remembered a shared grandmother. It was interesting to visit with people I hadn't seen in ages, but what I really enjoyed was seeing all the different photos, scrapbooks, and other ephemera drug out and displayed by all the cousins. Some people brought grandma's letters and recipes, while others brought photo albums. Much to my surprise, at one time my grandmother had received a letter from William (Wild Bill) Langer. One of the most colorful and notorious politicians to come from North Dakota, Langer was one time governor of the state, removed from office on fraud charges, voted back into office, and later served as senator. It was a reminder for me of how much important historical material people have without recognizing the value to others. Most people can understand the personal value of a letter, but to envision how the same item could be valuable to others is sometimes more difficult to comprehend. You never know what someone might have hidden in the back of their closet.