Our Story

Our journey began unceremoniously in a dumpster of all places, near the Butte County Department of Behavioral Health. The County decided to discard a sizeable amount of old ledgers that were being stored for years (in questionable conditions), in the basement of the old Butte County Hospital. With the help of friends and coworkers brave enough to get into the receptacle and retrieve them, the books were saved!

They were then catalogued and given a proper storage. The County confirmed they were no longer interested in them and the Butte County Historical Society, as well as the California State University Chico History Department were alerted to the presence of the books. Some were deemed to be of historical import and were made available for pickup by the Historical Society.

Others were deemed to be of little to no historical value and were left in our care to be disposed of again. We believe, however, that the pages represent the long and storied history of Butte County. So we have begun the act of digitally preserving the records and funding the process through arts and crafts. We believe the pages are relics unto themselves, containing the names of the men and women who built this County and are a part of our continued shared history – to this end they will be given renewed life to be enjoyed by the members of the community.