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Robert G. Scharff
but just sat on the idea while it incubated. About a year ago, the idea re-awakened, and I began to collect materials for the book.
Because of the great distance between my current residence at Charlotte, NC where the work is being done, and the subject county, inter-library loan has had to play a significant role in supplying me with published reference material, and has been able to supply well over 80% of everything I have requested. This distance has, however, precluded my use of archives or original sources held in Hancock County by the Hancock County Historical Society and other sources, in the State Archives in Jackson, and in the Federal Regional Archives in Atlanta. For this reason, the publication I propose will consist mostly of the assembly and editing of materials from a great many previously published sources; searches of the archives and person interviews may be appropriate for a subsequent publication, but will not be considered for this one. Furthermore, because of my lack of competence in French and Spanish, only publicatins in English or translations into English will be used.
The original planning stage for this project is already complete. The book's original outline, which called for 18 chapters containing about 130,000 words, and occupying about 250-275 pages (typed, single spaced), badly underestimated the amount and complexity of reference materials available.
A rather "crude" draft stage of 25 chapters filling about 450 pages is almost complete, and it suggests additional structural changes. Ten chapters of a second draft (third stage) have also been completed, incorporating material from additional references. Experience to date with this revision suggest that the final book should have 30 chapters, and will probably be about 500 pages plus appendices. Additional work to be done under the fellowship includes completion of the remaining 20 chapters of the second draft, and incorporation of an outside editor's recommendations in a final third draft. Appendices will include a list of geographical place names, possibly keyed to a map of the county, a chart or graph showing population growth since colonial times, a directory of references to further information on personal, family and institutional (business, church, school, social/fraternal, government agency, etc.) histories, and a directory of wills filed in the county between 1800 - 1900. Another possible appendix may be a directory to over 1000 illustrations related to the county's history which I have organized in a database, but this may be more appropriate to a subsequent publication.
My experience to date suggests that the remaining work should take about the same amount of time and effort that I have already expended thus far; more specifically, It should take another twelve months, with work beginning January 2,
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