Texas Heritage, Winter 2006 Page: 25
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I want to share a wonderful understanding I got
from reading Webb's The Function of History. As a
collector and a preservationist, by collecting what
I collect, I am a historian. I am a "grassroots" historian
to be sure, but a historian nonetheless.
Therefore, if I agree with Webb as to the function
of history, then how well do I perform this function?
Function is defined here as answering the
question does it do what it is supposed to do? Webb
wrote as follows:
The function of history, as I see it, is to describe and
make understandable the forces which have shaped the
destiny of man and brought him to the present time
equipped as he now is with his ideas and institutions.
Prehistoric man carried little baggage; present day
man staggers under his load of ideas, institutions and
tools that have been gathered slowly and painfully in
the long march from then to now. History is the record
of how, when and where man acquired his baggage
which we call civilization. History is an invoice of a bill
of goods acquired by purchase and inheritance of the
past and offered to man in the market of the immediate
and distant future.
What I have said seems to apply to history,
whether global, national, state, or local. All of the
worthy aims and high purposes stated for history
are latent in the general principles laid down.
If what I say is true, then it should be quite clear
why intelligent men and women are interested in
history. They are interested for the same reason
that a merchant is interested in the invoice, price
,and qualities of the goods placed on his shelves.
The intelligent ranchman is much concerned with
the pedigree of his Hereford bull and his palomino
stud. Every breeder is interested in the pedigree-which
is simply the history-of what he
breeds. Man breeds, in addition to his own kind,
something we call civilization. History is the
pedigree of that civilization and culture.
We would think it very strange of any man who
would pay a high price for a thoroughbred and
not demand the papers with the horse. Thepapers do not make the thoroughbred a better
horse, but they do make him far more valuable to
the owner and more interesting to others. Historyis the papers of man; it is the register of his lineage,
the record of his performance, and the guarantee
of his qualities.
In January of 2005, I wrote in a newsletter,
"Today's children have to find new ways of
anchoring the changing moments of their lives,
and they have to try to do this with very little
help from their elders, who grew up in an
extraordinarily different world." So wrote an old
philosopher, and maybe a collector, some years
ago, and I agree. That's why there is such a need
for those who value collecting history and preserving
history. As Al Lowman told me, "We
preserve the past to serve as landmarks to the
future for those still to come." To cite from the
mission statement of the Texas Historical
Foundation: "The mission of the Texas Historical
Foundation is to serve past, present, and future
Texans by supporting research in and publication
of Texas history, assisting in the preservation
of historic and prehistoric artifacts and
information, and raising and providing funds
for these purposes in order to recognize and
honor past generations and to enrich the awareness
of and pride in Texas heritage for present
and future generations."
As we move on unto 2006 we should remember
the words of Santayna. He said it this way, "We
must welcome the future remembering soon it
will be the past. And we must respect the past,
remembering that once it was all that was humanly
possible." What an interesting thought.
Let me offer another item for your information
and the marking of your calendar.
* We are making plans for our TSCA meeting in
the spring. We are planning a meeting in combination
with the Book Club of Texas at the TSHA
gathering March 2 thru 4, 2006. We will be getting
more details to you.
So, whatever you collect, I wish you the best of
luck in that pursuit. Remember the collector'ssearch chant, that collector James Paschal taught
me long ago: "A little time, a little money, and a
little luck."- 1
11 I
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Texas Historical Foundation. Texas Heritage, Winter 2006, periodical, Winter 2006; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth45364/m1/25/: accessed May 6, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas Historical Foundation.