DRAFT
BOARD OF STATE HISTORY MEETING
August 8, 2013
The Ladies Literary Club, Board Room, 850 East South Temple, Salt Lake City
ATTENDANCE: EXCUSED:
Mike Homer Max Smith
Maria Garciaz Mike Winder
Robert McPherson Greg Thompson
Martha Sontag Bradley
Scott Christensen
Deanne Matheny
Patty Timbimboo-Madsen
Yvette Donosso
DIVISION OF STATE HISOTRY STAFF: PUBLIC:
Julie Fisher Korral Broschinsky
Brian Somers Angie Abram
Brad Westwood
Barbara Murphy
Cory Jensen
Michele Elnicky
Lisa Buckmiller
Alycia Aldrich
Holly George
Lori Hunsaker
______
WELCOME
Michael Homer welcomed the Board members, State History staff, Julie Fisher, Executive Director, Department of Heritage and Arts, and Brian Somers, Deputy Director, DHA to the meeting and excused the Board members who could not attend.
The Governor’s Office has not yet appointed new members to the Board. Current membership continues. While it is a little premature, Mike presented Martha Sonntag Bradley a plaque for her service on the Board over the last eight years and expressed his appreciation for her contributions and hopes she will stay involved with history projects. Max Smith and Mike Winder’s plaques will be mailed to them.
Mike thanked Brad Westwood for his hard work starting as Director of State History. He has done an incredible job during this transition.
DIVISION OF STATE HISTORY PROGRAMS KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Brad Westwood and Coordinators, Barbara Murphy, Holly George, Lori Hunsaker and Michele Elnicky (representing Doug Misner) presented a PowerPoint presentation on the top two accomplishments of each program this quarter.
The State Historic Preservation Office has partnered with the Utah Heritage Foundation and others to hire Place Economics to conduct a study which looked at the economic impact historic preservation is having in Utah. Another important accomplishment was their consultation with the Forest Service on their guard stations in the Uintah’s to find ways of meeting the needs of the federal agency while protecting the character defining features of the buildings. Several of the guard stations are now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Antiquities Section has successfully implemented an online data delivery system Preservation Pro that allows qualified archaeological contractors and agencies to access scanned site forms from the convenience of their own computer. So far, nine Counties have been scanned and they expect to have all of their 110,000 archaeological site forms scanned by 2016. The Antiquities Section continues to help preserve our State’s cultural assets. They have recently assisted the Park City Certified Local Government with the recordation of a portion of the Ontario Mining Company’s Blacksmith Shop in downtown Park City. The foundation was encountered in 2005 during construction of the NPR building, and will be incorporated into a Heritage “Pocket” Park by this fall.
Library and Collections continues to preserve our state’s historical assets. New freezers have been purchased and installed in their cold storage room where photo negatives are stored. They have recently acquired a new collection of donated materials from Mary Pressman, great granddaughter of Governor George Dern, including correspondence, photographs, and artifacts.
With reduced staff, the Utah State Historical Society has produced the Utah Historical Quarterly on time and on budget. A redesign of the Utah Historical Quarterly has begun, which will be discussed later in the agenda. The 61st Annual Utah State History conference will be held Sept. 5-8 and will feature a private reception at the Alta Club on Sept.4th, a day of workshops, keynote address and awards programs, two days of sessions and a tour of the Bear River Massacre. Governor Herbert will attend the opening reception.
State History’s digital and web initiatives include the recent launched of a new web site as part of
a department wide web upgrade. Easier to access information and a more dynamic environment are helping State History's customers interact with the web site and social media in newer and more efficient ways. Databases, like the Utah Cemeteries and Burials Search, also received a face lift during this time, and customers are voicing their appreciation. A new scanner that will be housed at the Marriott Library for State History, has also been purchased, which will increase scanning throughput by 200% by 2014.
Julie thanked Brad and the Coordinators for the informative presentations and their great work. Brad has accomplished many great things in his 100 days at the Division and DHA is excited to work with him and the Division of State History. Julie also thanked the Board of State History for their support and great work.
FIRST VIEWS OF THE DIVISION OF STATE HISTORY’S STRATEGIC GOALS
Brad Westwood presented a PowerPoint presentation on his vision for State History that he has developed within his first 100 days as Director, which include making the Historical Society and Division of State History a Household Name, becoming a key player in Utah’s history related public policy, and seeking a professional facility for Utah’s premier history collections. Brad also reviewed the division’s main programs and their functions.
Brad reviewed the division’s interdependent and reciprocal programs and their functions and shared his 2013-2014 goals, which include: 1) Prepare for and fullyintegrate the "Success" program(metrics & documented efficiency); 2) Prepare and implement astrategic plan, IT & digital road map and communication plan (productivity and vision);3) Re-engineer Collections'workflow and complete a reconnaissance survey of collections (preservation, public access and digitization); 4) Improve andredefine work cultureand decision making (employee contribution and satisfaction); and 5) Point UDSHpublic history programs towards the 21st Century,including redesigning the UHQ, annual events, website, etc. A discussion ensued on these goals. Brad thanked the Board, Julie and Brian for their comments and asked them to send any additional feedback and suggestions to his attention.
ACTION ITEMS
JUNE 13, 2013 BOARD OF STATE HISTORY MINUTES
Bob McPherson made a motion to approve the June 13, 2013 Board of State History meeting minutes. Scott Christensen seconded the motion and it passed with unanimous vote.
NATIONAL REGISTER NOMINATIONS
Cory Jensen, National Register Coordinator presented the following National Register nominations.
Joseph & Margaret Wilkinson House, Orem – Also presented by Angie Abram
The Joseph and Margaret Wilkinson House is significant under Criteria A and C. Under criterion A, it is significant for its association with the "Settlement and Agricultural Expansion: Mid-1870s-1913" and the "Establishment of Orem: 1914-1941" categories of the Historic and Architectural Resources of Orem, Utah, Multiple Property Submission. The house, constructed in 1903, is a fine representative example of the home of a successful farmer and fruit grower in Orem during a period of agricultural expansion and prosperity in the early 1900s. The early establishment and growth of Orem was based on agriculture, particularly fruit orchards. The original owner, Joseph Wilkinson, was raised on a farm in East Millcreek, Salt Lake County, but followed his mother when she moved to Utah County and established a family farm on Provo Bench (as Orem was originally known) in 1900. Joseph grew cherries, apples, raspberries and dewberries among many other crops. The house is also significant under criteria C as an excellent example of Victorian architecture in Orem. Early houses were quite utilitarian, but as the community flourished, national stylistic trends such as Victorianism influenced local architecture. The Wilkinson House reflects the Victorian influence, though on a modest scale compared to larger, more-established urban areas, as was typical of the fledgling farming community. The house retains its architectural integrity and is an important contributing resource in a city that has lost many historic buildings and farmland to heavy building development in the last twenty years.
The Board discussed the nomination and the concerns they have with this nomination. Cory addressed their concerns and reminded them of the options they have, which could include tabling it until these concerns are resolved. After further discussion and their concerns addressed, Scott Christensen made a motion to send a letter of support for the Joseph & Margaret Wilkinson House Nomination to the National Register of Historic Places. Martha Sontag Bradley seconded the motion and it passed with unanimous vote.
Lawrence Brothers & Co. Store – Also presented by Korral Broschinsky
The Lawrence Brothers & Co. Store, built in 1874, is locally significant under Criteria A and C for its association with the development of Ophir, Utah. Under Criterion A in the area of Commerce, the building is particularly notable as one of the few extant commercial buildings that represent the town’s efforts to transform from a boom-&-bust mining camp to a more stable community. Unlike many of Utah’s mining towns of the early 1870s, particularly those in narrow canyons, Ophir was never completely abandoned. The building was originally built to house a general mercantile and a Wells Fargo office at the peak of mining activity in the canyon. Though the management of the store changed several times, the Lawrence brothers and their successors kept the building commercially viable, contributing to the stability of the town for over eight decades. The period of significance spans the initial construction in 1874 to the store’s closure in 1956. The building is also significant under Criterion C in the area of Architecture as the only substantial stone building constructed in Ophir and a rare surviving stone structure built in a Utah mining camp. The building has undergone minor modifications over the years, but retains many elements from the original construction such as the granite stone masonry and operable iron door-window shutters. The building was constructed by Shelby Alfred Lineback, a former soldier and stone mason turned farmer. The Lawrence Brothers & Co. Store is currently undergoing a multi-phase rehabilitation and is a contributing historic resource in the community of Ophir, Utah.
The Board discussed the nomination. Deanne Matheny made a motion to send a letter of support for the Lawrence Brothers & Co. Store Nomination to the National Register of Historic Places. Scott Christensen seconded the motion and it passed with unanimous vote.
ACQUISITIONS COMMITTEE
Michele Elnicky and Brad Westwood briefed the Board on a compromise that has been reached with the Utah Arts Council regarding the paintings that have been requested be transferred to the Arts Council. They are the primary repository for fine art; it’s in our best interest to allow them to properly store and care for them. Rather than take the approach that title be transferred to them, we have reached an agreement that the Utah Arts Council will store and care for the paintings and State History will retain title. The only caveat is if they require any costs for care, it will be billed to State History. Brad thanked Doug, Michele and the Acquisitions Committee for their excellent research on these paintings and this solution. This effort also brings the divisions together towards the goal of a new collections care facility. Joining together will greatly increase our chances of Legislative approval for this facility. Brad asked the Board for their approval to draft a Memorandum of Agreement with the Arts Council to store and care for some of our historical paintings. The agreement will also be reviewed by our legal counsel at the Attorney General’s Office.
Bob McPherson made a motion to approve the drafting of a Memorandum of Agreement between Utah State History and the Utah Arts Council for the care and storage of these historical paintings. Maria Garciaz seconded the motion and it passed with unanimous vote.
DISCUSSION ITEMS
61ST ANNUAL UTAH STATE HISTORY CONFERENCE
Alycia Aldrich informed the Board that this year’s conference will be held September 5-8th, with a private reception on Sept. 4th. The theme is The Making of Place. A conference schedule and save the date postcards were handed out to members. They are also available electronically. Members were asked to please help distribute them. Invites to the private reception at the Alta Club were also given to members. Mike expressed his interest in having an even larger group attend the reception and welcomed the Board to invite their key partners, etc. Brad thanked Mike for his long-term support and donation to the conference and the reception. Alycia reviewed the schedule and encouraged all the Board members to attend the conference and chair sessions. Please contact Alycia if you are available to chair any of the sessions.
PROPOSED REDESIGN OF THE UTAH HISTORICAL QUARTERLY
Brad Westwood and Holly George presented a PowerPoint presentation on the Utah Historical Quarterly. It’s one of the division’s most important assets and is well known throughout the state. Unfortunately, our readership is over 60% over the age of 65. We need enhance our efforts to engage the youth. UHQ goals under review include redesigning the Quarterly, blending analog with digital so it will appeal to a larger and multi-generational public, be more captivating and relevant, and be the primary voice and source for Utah’s history. Content features should reflect that history is inherently an interdisciplinary form of inquiry, thus the Quarterly should seek more diverse topics or fields: sociology, anthropology, popular culture, ecology, ethnography, geography, etc.; it must remain fair and honest; readers must see themselves in its content; and it must represent all UDSH programs; and finally seek fresher topics that make the Quarterly accessible. Digital initiatives include web extras, longer articles, more photos, reviews, linking to a UHQ blog, apps for mobile platform, and dialogue with readers and interactivity with pages. Design improvements are also being looked at. Management improvements include restarting the search and screening process for a Historian/Editor, employing a web-based publication workflow program, and engaging younger scholars in the board of editors. Brad thanked Holly George and Lisa Buckmiller for their great work during this trying time of reduced staff. Brad encouraged the Board members to participate in this redesign initiative. Please send any comments or ideas to Holly George or Alycia Aldrich.
2013 AND 2014 BOARD MEETING CALENDAR
The Board discussed the remaining meeting date for 2013. The retreat scheduled for Nov. 14th may be rescheduled for Oct. 10th if the new Board members are appointed. Alycia Aldrich will send an email to the Board notifying them if the date changes. 2014 dates were decided and will be held on the 2nd Thursday of the month, every quarter. The 2014 dates are as follows: January 9th, April 10th, July 10th and Oct. 9th.
Board members were invited to tour the Ladies Literary Club after the meeting.
ADJOURNED at 2:09 p.m.
NEXT MEETING: NOVEMBER 14, 2013