Scott County archives

An average 250 users a month visit the Cape Girardeau County Archive Center in Jackson, many combing the 4,000 cubic feet of records for genealogical information.

Now Scott County, with the seams of its historic courthouse bursting with documents and records, is investigating whether to build a similar facility.

Scott County commissioners toured the Cape Girardeau County Archive Center recently. The archive houses records of all kinds: probate, tax, school, marriage, some military, court, some births and deaths along with county maps -- all essential research information.

Scott County currently lacks a centrally located, climate-controlled site to preserve its records.

Second District Commissioner Jamie Burger, who will become the presiding commissioner after November's uncontested general election, says a new archive building might also house the county's 911 call center and provide storage for disaster supplies.

Burger said the commissioners want to hear what county residents have to say about the idea before moving forward.

An archive center contains a community's unwritten story, a story that can never be written if essential records are lost. This is a worthwhile project for Scott County to delve into.