Off to the SALT MINES

Aunt Helen met with me in Hutchinson, Kansas. Together we are piecing together more of our Great Grandfather's John Christopher Hayley's life. Before 1917 and past 1925 he lived, worked, owned property in Hutchinson, Kansas. Grandpa Claude (his son, your great grandfather) and Grandma May Hayley were married in his house in 1923.





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Although many of the records are on microfilm, some of the older records are being stored in the salt mines of Hutchinson Kansas.


The salt mine is located 650 feet underground in Hutchinson, Kansas. The storage building covers 26 acres in area, with the mine itself being many times larger. The natural environment of the mine provides controlled year-round temperature and humidity, ideal for the preservation of paper and film.

For example, Hollywood uses the mine for the storage of the negatives of everything from the Wizard of Oz to Doogie Howser, M.D.

Custom designed private storage is available such as the private vault. All records are accessible through the efficient records system used to catalog the files. Custom designed private storage is available such as the private vault. All records are accessible through the efficient records system used to catalog the files.Underground storage facilities in Kansas, Missouri and Kentucky offer depth protection from natural disaster and theft, as well as naturally cool and dry climates well suited for long term archiving.

The salt mine facility in Hutchinson, Kansas is widely regarded as one of the largest and most secure facilities in the world.

Buried 650 ft deep within a 400 ft thick salt formation, miles from any flood plains or seismic activity, it is protected from natural disaster. Major metropolitan areas, military installations, and national borders



I will be visiting the salt mines on Monday September 20,2010. I am gathering data for a fellow genealogist from Chula Vista, California. Her grandfather was in a fatal accident in 1939. The court records involved in that case are in the salt mines.

By offering to retrieve these records, I gained the knowledge of this unique and very important part of record keeping in America.