The Foreign Service Journal, April 2020

52 APRIL 2020 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL of the “Despatch” series of National Archives Microfilm Publi- cations and distributed to libraries around the world (find the location of the “Despatch” series you’re looking for at worldcat. org). They are also available for purchase at eservices.archives. gov/orderonline. The entirety of the central files for the 1906-1910 period and some records for the period 1973-1979 are available online. For the most part, you’ll likely need to travel to the National Archives itself for the records in-between, but they’re there for the search- ing if you have the time. The central files from 1980 and later remain in the custody of the department. Other useful sources of information may include your nearby universities or the local foreign ministry, which likely has an extensive archive of old correspondence between your post and the local government. During my research, I realized that the Mexican government had maintained more than 100 years of fascinating records pertaining to past U.S. consuls in Matamoros, all available and open to the public in Mexico City. In addition, I found that the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, across the border fromMatamoros in Brownsville, Texas, was eager and excited to help. Border consulates in Mexico and Canada are particularly well Posts can convert their own unique story into concrete public diplomacy and morale- boosting deliverables, just like in Matamoros. positioned to tell their stories because of their proximity to world-class American universities, which often have meticulously maintained information regarding nearby border posts. Also, their activities have been reported on extensively by U.S. newspapers. Indeed, in many instances, relying almost completely on American sources may be necessary. For instance, my research revealed that the entire local archive of Matamoros newspa- pers from the 1950s and 1960s had been destroyed in a flood. Yet the vast majority of U.S. newspapers, from The New York Times to the Brownsville Herald and stretching as far back as the 1700s, are available through sites such as newspaper.com or newspaperarchive.com. Many old consular records are also available through ancestry.com. Although some of these sources are behind a paywall, there are also free options like the excellent “Chronicling America” news- paper series of the Library of Congress. How deep you dig will depend on how deep you want to go. You might be satisfied by simply tracking down and framing the very first consular despatch ever written from your post. Or you may become so addicted to the research that, like me, you just won’t be able to stop. If that happens, your public affairs officer and front office will love you for it. And you never know how your efforts might connect you to something bigger. As it happened, while I was researching at the post level, the Bureau of Consular Affairs was engaged in an effort to explore the history of the U.S. consular service globally and included some of my research in its work. In addition, through a joint project, the Office of the Historian and I are creating a toolkit that will empower posts to more easily tell their histories. v Throughout my investigation into the history of Matamoros, I realized I was a pioneer in a way. My project had plugged histori- cal holes and inspired my colleagues. And for that, I’m grateful. There’s a very good chance your own post’s history con- tains unusual, wild and incredible stories that have been lost to oblivion. Don’t assume that anyone has sought them out before. You might be the one to tell those stories to your colleagues—and to the world. n The U.S. consulate in Matamoros in the early 20th century. MÉXICOENFOTOS