Local History

A couple of pertinent quotes from:


Ronald Limbaugh, Ph.D.
Emeritus Professor of History, University of the Pacific

“Preserving the raw material of history is one of the most important roles of local historical societies and libraries, for without documentation, history can truly become, as iconoclast John Dos Passos once said, “a mass invention, the daydream of a race.” (p.17, Summer 2005, California Historian)

“Regardless of whether the subject is the Peloponnesian Wars or the Fresno Armenians, no matter if you are a trained professional or a gifted amateur, if you write history, make it meaningful by telling us not only what happened but why. Flesh out bare skeletons with real people living real lives. Record not just events but explain their context and significance. Give the story perspective, depth as well as breadth. Finally, tell the story in simple, direct, literate prose. Thucydides did all this, and his words are still very readable today.” (p. 18, Summer 2005, California Historian)