They are living, breathing documents and books that shaped the formation of this country. Many are more than 300 years old.
And next week, you can pick them up, touch them and flip through the pages.
All at the Avilla Town Hall.
The Remnant Trust, through board member and local attorney Robert Hardy, will be putting several such works on display beginning Tuesday during normal business hours. The books will be on hand until close of business next Friday.
The Remnant Trust is a nonprofit educational foundation. It is dedicated to making significant historical documents accessible to the public.
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- Remnant Trust – KJV Bible
The works available will include:
• a first printing of the Constitution of the United States. This is the first official printing of the Constitution of the United States after Connecticut ratified it on Jan. 9, 1788, and before the Constitution became effective in the United States on March 4, 1789;
• a first edition of “The Federalist: A Collection of Essays, Written in Favour of the New Constitution, as Agreed upon by the Federal Convention, September, 17, 1787.” This work is a collection of essays written anonymously under the pseudonym “Publius” by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay; it was first published in book form in 1788.
• John Locke’s “Two Treatises of Government,” published in 1694;
• Thomas Hobbes’ “Leviathan,” published in 1651;
• The King James Bible, first edition, published in 1611.
Founded in the 1990s by John Ryan and Brian Bex, the Remnant Trust focuses on promoting the understanding of individual liberty and human dignity through its extensive collection of original manuscripts, books, and texts, some of which date back over two millennia.
The trust’s books are normally stored in a vault in Indianapolis. But the Remnant Trust doesn’t want them to spend too much time there.
Hardy, who has served as a board member on the Remnant Trust since 2004, said it is important to hold and feel these works, their age providing an emphasis to the weight of the words.
“That is going to stick with them… to engage with the ideas that are contained in these books,” Hardy said. “That’s the reason we let people touch our books.”
These works shaped the very formation of this country.
“They are foundational to Western culture,” Hardy said. “Western culture trends toward freedom and liberty. Those are good things.”
Along with liberty, the works on display in Avilla point to the importance of both liberty and responsibility. That’s a facet that needs repeating today, Hardy said.
“We de-couple (liberty) from responsibility,” he said. “It’s not enough to be a responsible farmer or responsible merchant, you have to be a responsible citizen.”
Hardy pointed to a section of in Locke’s “Two Treatises of Government” that reads, in old style:
“But though this be a State of Liberty, yet it is not a State of Lisence, though Man in that State have an uncontroleable Liberty, to dispose of his Person or Possessions, yet has not a Liberty to destroy himself, or so much as any Creature in his Possessions…”
The Remnant Trust is an educational foundation with a distinctive mission: to elevate public understanding of individual liberty and human dignity through direct engagement with significant historical documents. This is done in four ways, according to the Trust:
• Collection and Accessibility: The Trust holds a unique collection of over 1,600 rare and original texts, some dating back to 2500 B.C. These include first editions, early works, and manuscripts covering topics such as philosophy, politics, religion, economics, and the history of liberty and human dignity. Notable items include editions of the Magna Carta, Aristotle’s works, early Bibles, the Emancipation Proclamation, and more(
• Interactive Exhibitions: Unlike many museums where rare documents are kept under lock and key, The Remnant Trust encourages hands-on interaction with their collection. They bring these documents to universities, museums, libraries, and civic organizations, allowing people to physically hold, read, and experience the texts firsthand. This interactive approach is designed to inspire deeper intellectual engagement and a personal connection to the ideas contained within these works(
• Educational Programs: The Remnant Trust hosts various educational programs and events, such as The Great Conversation Series, which draws on historical texts to explore modern issues like democracy, civic engagement, and economics. Their programming reaches diverse audiences, from school children to senior citizens, and they also collaborate with institutions like the Indiana Historical Society to make their collections more accessible(
• Cultural and Historical Impact: The Trust’s exhibitions are intended to stimulate intellectual curiosity and reflection on the key ideas that have shaped human society. By allowing direct access to these rare documents, they seek to promote a deeper appreciation of the historical foundations of liberty, dignity, and the human experience across generations(
In essence, trust literature said, the Remnant Trust bridges the past and present by allowing people to physically engage with the foundational texts of civilization, fostering a hands-on learning environment that encourages thoughtful reflection on liberty and human dignity.
We believe its important that the ideas of human liberty and human dignity remain present,” Hardy said.
It’s not the age of the works that attracts Hardy to them, it’s the notions they call to use still hundreds of years later.
“I’m not a history geek at all,” Hardy said. “I care about the ideas.”
The trust has older works. But Hardy said he wants people to not just appreciate the age, but the words. And having local displays is important.
“I really want to share them with the people I live with,” Hardy said.
Article by Matt Getts, KPC Media Group, August 30, 2024
Images courtesy of Kevin Kelly, Avilla Plan Commission & Avilla BZA member, September 3, 2024.
Last modified: September 3, 2024
