Name: Jessica Campbell
Supervisor: Claudia Romero
Date: June 5, 2025
Time: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Project: From Completion to Discovery: Finalizing the Border Heritage Newspaper Clippings Collection Finding Aid and Beginning the Dolan Papers Inventory
Today marked an important milestone in my internship journey as I officially submitted the completed finding aid for the Border Heritage Newspaper Clippings Collection. After several weeks of methodical inventorying, rehousing fragile newsprint, and formatting the finding aid according to DACS standards, submitting the finalized product for supervisor review felt incredibly rewarding. It was a proud moment to see the fruits of my labor culminate in a professional document that will soon support researchers and community members exploring border history. Working on this collection has deepened my understanding of how local journalism captures the nuance of community identities, social movements, and historical events in real time. Although the image of empty shelves might not fully reflect the scope of my work, it symbolizes the hundreds of boxes I processed and the transformative progress made. Beyond its practical outcomes, this project reinforced for me the archival value of “ephemeral” materials like clippings, which often carry narratives overlooked in traditional records. Submitting the finding aid marked not just the end of one project, but the growth of my confidence and competence in professional archival work. I am grateful for the opportunity to have worked on this unique and meaningful collection. It was both a technical and emotional exercise in community memory stewardship. With the Border Heritage project now complete, I felt ready to begin the next phase of my internship—processing a new and historically rich collection.
Immediately after submitting the finding aid, I turned my attention to the Dolan Papers Collection, which consists of two document boxes and three oversized items. This collection centers on Captain Patrick Dolan, a figure associated with the Texas Rangers and the Frontier Battalion during the late 19th century. Today, I focused on inventorying Box 1, which spans folders #176 to #223. The box itself showed signs of wear, including rusted metal brackets and degraded folder materials, and will need full rehousing. An itemized inventory sheet, stored in plastic sleeves and fastened with a rusty staple, offered a starting point—but discrepancies and damage quickly made it clear that the contents required a close and cautious review. Several folders were missing entirely, while others included remarkable documents like Civil War-era letters, U.S. Army discharge papers, Texas Ranger muster rolls, and even unpublished memoirs of Captain Dolan. Items held together with rusted paper clips were carefully separated and assessed for preservation risks. Some folders, such as #195 and #211, were so fragile that I immediately removed and placed them in a flat archival box to prevent further crumbling. Throughout the inventory process, I kept detailed notes about content presence, condition, and alignment with the original list. This early work reminds me that archival processing is never just about storage—it is about interpretation, correction, and safeguarding human stories. In the coming days, I will begin inventorying Box 2, reviewing oversized materials, and drafting arrangement notes for the eventual finding aid. Each document feels like a thread in a much larger historical fabric, and I feel honored to be part of weaving it back together.
Dolan Papers Collection – Initial Inventory Work (Box 1 of 2, Folders #176–223)
Observations:
- Box 1 showed wear and rust damage to the metal brackets and exterior. Rehousing is necessary.
- An itemized inventory sheet was enclosed in plastic sleeves, fastened with a rusty staple.
- Several folders contain extremely fragile materials or degraded paper, which were carefully removed and rehoused in a flat archival box.
Folder-by-Folder Summary (Highlights):
- Missing content: Folders #176–180, #212–213, #218–220, #222
- Significant present content:
- Letters, certificates, legal documents, discharge papers, and memoirs relating to Patrick Dolan and Frontier Battalion/Texas Rangers activities, spanning the 1860s–1880s.
- Examples include:
- Folder #191: “Last Battle of the War” (May 13, 1865)
- Folder #207: U.S. Army Discharge Papers (1865) – misidentified in the original inventory
- Folder #210: Unpublished memoirs of Captain Pat Dolan
- Folder #215: Certified letter re appointment as Customs Inspector (1868)
- Folder #217: Texas Rangers Company F officer list (1877–1878)
- Fragile items removed and rehoused: Folders #195, 211, 214, 215 (severely degraded and crumbling).
Next Steps
- Continue inventorying Box 2 and evaluate the oversized items associated with the Dolan Papers Collection.
- Recommend reviewing preservation needs for items with rust, acid damage, or brittle paper.
- Develop preliminary notes for the finding aid once Box 2 is complete.
These empty shelves mark the completion of the Border Heritage Newspaper Clippings Collection processing. Though the photo shows blank space, each box that once sat here held valuable pieces of community history now safely organized and documented. The finding aid has been submitted for review, symbolizing a major step in preserving the voices of the borderlands.
These two boxes represent the beginning of my work on the Dolan Papers Collection. Containing over 140 years of correspondence, government records, and military documentation, they offer a glimpse into the life and service of Captain Patrick Dolan. The boxes are now being inventoried and will be rehoused to ensure their preservation for future researchers.