Editorial from our April 24 print edition: 

Preserving history: Everyone would agree that’s important. Now there’s an opportunity for volunteers to help gather important information for future generations, have fun and probably find themselves intrigued at the same time.

The Scott County Historical Society is now engaged in a countywide oral history project but can use more help. A time is of the essence.

The project focuses on one generation and their memories of life in the county from the 1930s to the early-1950s, which covers the Great Depression, the war years and the prosperity of the 1950s. The society is interested in stories of common-day life: What people did for entertainment, what dating was like, what kind of chores and work there was and what it was like to live on the war front and then come home.   A year ago, the historical society embarked on a multiyear project to record the local stories of residents from the “greatest generation,” as the title of journalist Tom Brokaw’s famous book describes it.

Although the society has solicited written accounts and oral histories before, it has involved certain topics or exhibits, said historical society Director Kathy Klehr.

World War II ended 63 years ago. A soldier as young as 18 at the end of the war would be 81 years old today. The former soldiers and their contemporaries are dying off quickly with their advanced age, thus magnifying the time factor in the project.

 “This generation seems to be leaving us very quickly and these stories are intangible,” Klehr. “When the person passes away, they take the stories with them. It is the stories that really breathe life into history. They make it real.”So far, about 75 people have been interviewed, Klehr said, the bulk of them from Prior Lake. People who volunteer to preserve stories will receive training on conducting interviews. “There’s ethics involved and special paperwork that needs to be filled out,” Klehr said. “It’s easy, but having training makes you more comfortable doing it.” New ground must be trudged in Jordan and Elko New Market, which lack historical societies.  Assistance is also needed in Savage.  “We really need help in the Belle Plaine, Jordan and Elko New Market area,” Klehr said.

To volunteer, or if you have a story to tell, call the Scott County Historical Society at (952) 445-0378.