Down among the dust in the basement of the Iredell County Public Library, history is preserved.

In filing cabinets and stacks of books, on 100-year-old photographs and between piles of yet-to-be unpacked boxes lie the histories of hundreds of families – all maintained by the volunteer-run Genealogical Society of Iredell County.

“If we weren’t saving it, it would eventually be gone what happened in the past in Iredell County,” said society president Mike Trivette.

The society moved two weeks ago from its headquarters of 35 years in the old courthouse on South Center Street to the basement of the library. Anyone wishing to sign up or inquire about their family’s history should visit the local history room on the second floor of the library, because the basement is closed to the public.

“We have found that when you get interested [in genealogy], it becomes addictive,” said society treasurer Irene Black. “You want to turn over every stone.”

There are about 200 members of the society. The average age of members is about 65-70, mostly because people don’t usually become truly interested in genealogy until their parents die, Trivette said. He said the interest is then sparked because people wonder where they came from. Many members of the society are from out-of-town as well.

“A lot of them, maybe their ancestors were born here and left,” Trivette said. “They come back to trace their roots.”

On Tuesday, Milton and Catherine Morrison became the newest members of the organization. They said genealogy had become a hobby and they traced their ancestors from North Carolina to Pennsylvania and then to Ireland and Scotland. They were even able to find the where the first Morrison who died in the United States was buried.

“I just love knowing about the past and connecting dots,” said Catherine Morrison. “It’s important to know your heritage.”

The society houses and maintains many county artifacts, including family Bibles and diaries from the Civil War era, pictures of Iredell County National Guard regiments and columns from the county’s first reporters.

The organization has also released two county history books, Iredell County Heritage – Volumes One and Two, released 1980 and 2000, respectively. A quarterly newsletter, Iredell County Tracks, is mailed to members. The society also holds an inventory of each cemetery for anyone who wants to know exactly where someone is buried.

Volunteers work every Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the library. Membership cost $20 a family and $15 an individual per year. Trivette and Black have spent years volunteering for the society.

“You’re meeting new people all the time so it never gets old,” Trivette said. “Everyone has a different story when they come in.”

Mildred Miller, who worked two days a week for the society for 34 years, died this past August before the move to the library. Trivette said her spirit kept the society alive.

“If it wasn’t for her, we wouldn’t have 90 percent of the files we have,” Trivette said.

The society is facing competition from websites today such as ancestry.com. But volunteer Susie Miller said she’s seen lots of mistakes on the site and that the experience doesn’t compare to what the society offers.

“You can’t say (websites are) necessarily right because anybody can put it up there,” said Miller. “When you find something from 1840 and you actually touch it, it’s meaningful.”