One of the storage facilities for the Fond du Lac County Historical Society is the second floor of the Adams House, located on the Galloway House grounds.
Several years ago, the roof on the Adams House sprang a leak and needed to be replaced. The leak was serious, and water poured onto some of the stored material, mainly 'books'! Some were damaged beyond repair, and could not be saved.
Several years later, as I am moving some of the material, I encountered a large book, wrapped in archival paper, that was still stuck to the floor. Obviously it was missed in the previous cleanup.
I opened up the book, and discovered that it was a family bible, and there was black mold along the bottom edges, but the mold had not penetrated into the paper. I brought the bible home, and after a frantic call to the State Historical Society, carefully followed their suggested procedure for removing the mold.
I was determined to salvage this bible, because it had been the bible of Joel Tallmadge, the father of Territorial Governor Nathaniel Tallmadge.
The bible contains valuable Tallmadge family information, including an inscription on the inside cover where Joel wrote down who he bought the bible from, and how much he paid for it, as well as who should receive the bible upon his death.
Here is the inside cover:
It states that it Joel paid $9.00 for this bible.
The bible contains information about Joel Tallmadge, and his wife Rhobe Potter, as well as the births and marriages of their nine children.
A copy of these pages will be available at the Historical Society Library for viewing.
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