Baldwin County has been, for me at least, the perfect place to live and work. For a historian, the county offers an almost inexhaustible source of historical topics, sites and information to research, write about, and see on a first hand basis.

I prefer to research and read about the Colonial Era in American history; however, I realize the most popular era to explore is that of the Civil War, especially in the Gulf Coast region of Mobile and Baldwin counties. And there are multiple opportunities for the professional and amateur alike to explore and discover here.

One area in which people are needed daily is within local museums. Volunteers are needed in every facility to assist in setting up displays, cataloging artifacts, scanning documents and assisting patrons in conducting research as well as guiding them through the facilities as docents.

At the Baldwin County Department of Archives and History alone, there are dozens of opportunities to work with the conservation of the county’s history on a daily basis. The Archives Department works in conjunction with other agencies to operate the Bicentennial Park in Stockton and the Swift-Coles Historic Home in Bon Secour, in addition to the daily operation of the Archives.

The Archives facility, located in Bay Minette, works primarily toward the preservation of documents produced by the various offices of the county commission, the probate judge's office, revenue commissioner's office, and the circuit clerk’s office.

The building is equipped to store 8,500 cubic feet of records in a manner that makes them easily retrieved for the public and for the offices within the local government that need them for research.

Those records have to be assessed, cataloged and properly shelved. Volunteers are needed for that task each day. It can provide valuable experience for students preparing to embark on a career in history, archives or even librarianship. For the retired person, it can offer an opportunity to find a meaningful way to give back to the community or even to fulfill your own desires to know more about local history.

One of the Archives staff's goals is to serve the patrons who are in search of a government document or are hoping to locate information on an ancestor. As a result, there is always a need for volunteers to answer phones and to assist in research for the information requested by patrons.

In addition, the need for assistance in processing collections can be both rewarding and enlightening. Each collection is different and poses its own set of challenges. At the same time, each collection offers the opportunity to learn more about local history. Processing these into the overall collection can serve the public and teach the individual volunteer.

The Baldwin County Department of Archives and History also works daily with the Baldwin County Highway Department and its Parks Department to provide cultural and historical expertise for the Bicentennial Park.

The site, located two miles south of Stockton offers a two-mile walking trail that skirts alongside the delta wetland, which is both great for exercise and for learning more about the local environment. The 367-acre park rests alongside waterways that flow into the Tensaw River, giving the visitor a glimpse into the lives of the myriad of plants and animals that reside in the region.

The Archives Department staffs the park seven days a week to provide guided tours for visitors. The opportunities for volunteers at Bicentennial Park are plentiful. Volunteer activities could include tour guides, planting and maintaining the Indian Stockade Garden that is a part of the park’s Indian Lifestyles Exhibit or assisting in constructing exhibits to be used inside the park. Yearly, the Park offers special events such as the Halloween Haunted Trail and the Old Time Country Festival where volunteers can provide logistical support or dress as a hauntingly scary character for the Haunted Trail.

The Swift-Coles Historic Home, located in Bon Secour, is a 16-room Tidewater Mansion that is operated jointly by the Historic Development Commission and the Baldwin County Archives. It is open for tours each Tuesday and Friday.

As such, the need for docents to guide tours is always present. Retirees can certainly spend an exciting day delving into the rich history of the Gulf Coast as they guide tours through the magnificent home. The home, completed in 1910, is fully furnished with period furnishings dating to as far back as the 1780s. And each piece has a story to tell.

Skilled volunteer docents can help to impart this knowledge to eager guests that want to know more about the diverse heritage of Baldwin County. Guiding is a worthwhile experience that can brighten the day of the visitor and provide the docent with a greater understanding of life in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries.

To be a part of these exciting opportunities to learn more about local history and to help others gain a better understanding, call the Baldwin County Department of Archives and History at 251-580-1897.