When you first enter, you are required to register and get a library card. Then you must wind your way through the building until you reach the room that will contain the papers and documents you are searching for. You approach the desk and tell the attendants what you are looking for, and one will fetch them for you. There is a reading room, where you will sit, with tables and chairs. The attendant disappears behind a door and soon reappears with what you requested.
I found myself there in the Spring of 2024, on the hunt for what is listed as the Shelby Papers. I was researching for my book, “Crossing the Blue Ridge”, and had more than a particular interest in these papers. You see, Evan and Isaac Shelby, featured prominently in my book, are related to me. Technically, Evan Shelby is my sixth great-granduncle, and Isaac Shelby is my first cousin, seven times removed.
The attendant had a wheeled cart and brought out the nine volumes listed as the Shelby Papers. Each book was 12 x 16 inches. Some were three inches thick, some six. I eagerly opened Volume One and was amazed at what I found.
Here were copies of numerous receipts and notes penned by Evan Shelby, the earliest dated 1754. I saw his strong pen strokes, and learned who he had business relations with. There were personal notes as well. Page after page, most still legible.
As I moved through the series of nine volumes, I began to see the papers of Isaac, sometimes called the Hero of King’s Mountain. He would eventually become the first governor of Kentucky. He was a much more prolific writer than his father, but I could see a close resemblance in their penmanship.
It was an overwhelming experience to hold in my hands the papers of the men who had held my attention for so many months. I spent hours there, hunting through those volumes for tidbits that would help me to understand who these men truly were, and what they represented. These papers helped me define their characters and appreciate the heritage they had handed down through the generations. It also garnered in me a sense of appreciation for all those who had held onto the notes and receipts they had received and understood their historical significance.