Project shares Bernalillo Co.'s history

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - Bernalillo County wants to hear stories and see pictures from the good ole’ days.
     
They will be used in a project to tell the county's history through the stories of individual families.
            
Some of the pictures are of people who made their lives in New Mexico and who took part in building the streets, bridges and even sewers residents use today.

While it may not seem like your family has a spectacular story to tell, Bernalillo County wants to hear it.

“This is the first effort Bernalillo County has really done in terms of trying to archive some of these images and so forth,” Bernadette Miera with Bernalillo County Cultural Services said.
      
It's all part of an online family history project.

“We thought it was important to gather people's stories and histories, just to represent how the county has developed and what those experiences have been for people,” Miera said.
    
They have heard stories of families living on land their ancestors bought six generations ago families that started businesses here decades ago and families rooted in local law enforcement.
    
Hearing the stories that come with the pictures has been Miera's favorite part of the project.

“It puts everything into perspective,” Miera said. “Oh they knew so and so or so and so, oh I remember that , my parents talked about that…so I think it makes it much more real, and certainly much more interesting.”
     
You can read people's stories online or share your own story there.
     
If residents want to see it in person, the county has redecorated the 6th floor of Civic Center with old photos.

The Cultural Services staff plans to go to retirement and nursing homes to gather more stories and pictures from old-timers.