By Rich Pollack
Two women who have been instrumental in creating historical archives in Boynton Beach and Delray Beach are, or soon will be ... well, history themselves.
DeVries
Last month, Boynton Beach’s historical archivist Janet DeVries left her job at the Boynton Beach City Library to become the archivist at Palm Beach State College’s Harold C. Manor library. And next month, Dottie Patterson, the Delray Beach Historical Society’s longtime archivist, will be retiring after more than two decades in the job.
Patterson
“They together and individually have done wonderful things for the promotion of local history and the scholarship of history in southern Palm Beach County,” said Susan Gillis, archivist for the Boca Raton Historical Society and a close associate of both Patterson and DeVries. “They were my go-to gals, and I will miss the ease of contacting them when I have a question that no one else can answer.”
Both Patterson, who served as the historical archivist for 22 years, and DeVries, who held her job for 15 years, were instrumental in creating professional archives in their respective communities.
Today, those archives serve as critical resources for everyone from journalists and architects to visitors or callers from out of state who want to learn more about a long-lost relative who lived and died in South Florida.
Recognizing the importance of maintaining an easily accessible collection of historical information and artifacts, both the Delray Beach Historical Society and the Boynton Beach Library have begun searching for replacements.
The Delray Beach Historical Society has hopes of having someone on board by the end of the month to work with Patterson before she retires, according to Howard Ellingsworth, a member of the nonprofit organization’s board, who is helping to lead the search.
Ellingsworth said the historical society’s goal is to find an archivist who will also be able to take on additional responsibilities and serve as the organization’s director as well. Due to financial constraints, the position would remain part-time.
In Boynton Beach, Library Director Craig Clark says plans are in the works to fill the archivist position by early next year. One of the priorities for the new archivist, he said, will be to follow through on DeVries’ efforts to electronically categorize artifacts so they’ll be easier to locate.
“The archivist is a very unique position for our library,” Clark said. “We’ve been fortunate enough to have a position to preserve and care for our artifacts.”
But that position didn’t always exist.
When DeVries was first hired by the library, the archive was little more than a small, dank space just a little bigger than a closet, called the Florida room.
“You could easily trip over boxes on the floor,” she said.
Sorting through the old papers and unidentified objects took her some time, but eventually the archives at the library were transformed into a three-room professional environment with photographs and important papers carefully stored in plastic sleeves and binders.
“The archive is a fabulous resource for the community,” said DeVries, who remains active in the Boynton Beach Historical Society. The author of five books on the history of the city, DeVries says she plans to continue using the archives for her research.
Like DeVries, Patterson is a history detective of sorts who enjoys combing through old books and photos and helping others find information they’re searching for.
And like her counterpart in Boynton, whose nomination letter helped her win Florida archivist of the year in 2009, Patterson is passionate about history and about making sure it is preserved for future generations.
“The reason I’ve stayed so long is I love working here,” she said.
Over the years, Patterson has seen the archives grow from a walk-in closet to filling a rescued house on Swinton Avenue and Northeast First Street, now known as the Ethel Williams Archives.
She has been on hand to open several rediscovered time capsules, including one dating back to 1924, and has been around to help everyone from city officials to reporters find information they need.
“Dottie has been the epitome of someone whose heart and soul is into what she’s doing,” Ellingsworth said. “She has been a real godsend to the Delray Beach Historical Society.”
DeVries said both she and Patterson were “lone rangers,” often working independently, who were fueled by their desire to share the pasts of their respective towns with those who wanted to know more.
“One of our jobs is to lead people to treasures,” DeVries said. “We act as tour guides and educators.”
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