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CountyLineFebruary2012www.CountyLineMagazine.net8Familyhistorianslivinginthisareahavequi-etlylearnedthattheyhaveoneofthebestgenealogylibrariesintheirownbackyard.Lo-catedinthered-brick1929CummingPublicSchoolbuildingonSchoolStreetjustafewblocksfromtheCummingcourthousesquareistheBellResearchCenter.ResearchersvisitingtheCenterhaveaccesstosome6000bookscoveringcountyrecordsfromGeorgiaandotherSouthernstatesfamilyhistoriesandanextensiveCivilWarcollectionofbiographiesregimentalhistoriesandwaraccounts.TheCen-terisnamedforHiramParksBellaForsythCountylawyerstatesmanandCivilWarcolonel.AstatueofCol.BellstandsonMainStreetbytheentrancetotheCummingCityHall.His1907autobiographyMenandThingswasrepublishedbytheBellCenterandisavailableforpurchasethere.TheoldCummingPublicSchoolwasacquiredbytheCityofCummingin1999.Thebuildinghasbeenhandsomelyrestoredbythecitygovernmentin-cludingthenearlycentury-oldoakoorplanksanditwasnamedin2000totheNationalRegisterofHistoricPlaces.TodaytheoldschoolhouseholdstheacclaimedCummingPlayhouseTamx19sBack-stageRestauranttheHistoricalSocietyofForsythCountyandtheBellResearchCenter.ThereisaninterestingstorybehindthecreationoftheBellResearchCenter.ThelocalchapteroftheSonsofConfederateVeteransCamp1642createdthelibraryin2004.Originallygivenaroominthenewlyrestoredbuildingtoholdtheirmonthlymeet-ingstheleadersofthecamphadlargerambitions.LocalhistorianTedO.BrookeandfellowmembersClarkeRyeandFrankClarkconceivedofturningtheroomintoatop-ightgenealogyandhistoryli-brary.Evenbeforetheyknewtheywouldhaveapermanentplacetohousealibrarythesemenbe-ganacquiringolderprivateandpubliccollectionsofhistoricbooks.TodaymembersofthelocalSonsofConfederateVeteransstillsponsorandruntheCenter.FrankClarkhasservedasthecuratoroftheCentersincethedoorsx1frstopened.InrecentyearsgrantsfromtheBenjaminF.BradyFoundationofCumminghaveallowedtheCentertopurchasenewcollectionsandbeopentoresearch-erssixdaysaweek.In2011theCenterpurchasedtheRobertDennardTuckercollectionofsome400booksonNorthCarolinaandVirginiarecords.FrankClarkbelievestheBellCenterisoneofthefewli-brariesinthestatethathasbothaqualitycollectionofrarebooksaswellastheresourcestoaddtothecollectionwithnewtitleseachyear.Mr.Clarknotesx1cWehavetwo-thirdsofthex1frsteditionsofTheWaroftheRebellionACompilationoftheOfx14cialRe-cordsoftheUnionandConfederateArmies.x1dFirstpublishedbytheFederalGovernmentbeginningin1897therewere127largevolumesinall.x1cManyofthevolumeswereoriginallygiventotheAtlantaConfederateRetirementHomebyformerConfeder-ateofx1fcersx1dsaysMr.Clark.x1cTheirsignaturesareonthebookplatesinsidethefrontcovers.x1dTheBellResearchCenterByW.CliffRoberts