The records of the Democratic Party of Dane County held by the Historical Society were presented by Kitty Barbash who served as unofficial archivist for many years. The records provide documentation on many activities of a typical county political organization (such as fundraising and membership drives), but they are not complete and they unfortunately fail to document the special leadership role which the group has played in the state party. There are no records prior to 1950 and very few which predate 1955.
Included in the collection are constitutions, minutes, correspondence, mailings, financial records, membership records, lists, and subject files.
The constitution files include drafts and a final version of the 1965 constitution and two earlier undated versions of the constitution of the Dane County Democratic Club. Minutes of the meetings of the executive board and the general membership are complete from 1955 through 1965 and for that period offer the most valuable documentation in the collection. The minutes summarize discussions on fundraising, organizing efforts, and policy and include financial reports and budgets. Unfortunately, summaries of programs and presentations at the general membership meetings are not included. Consistent documentation is also offered by the publications issued by the group. Of these, the newsletter, which began publication in 1955 and which has continued under various titles, has been transferred to the Historical Society Library. Remaining in this section in the Archives are mailings, announcements, form letters, and county-wide campaign advertising. The correspondence in the collection is fragmentary and incomplete.
Financial records consist of check stub books, bank statements, and records on miscellaneous projects. The stubs and statements are virtually complete for the period 1964-1972, and while they fail to present a record of club finances in accounting ledger format, they do offer a general picture of the group's financial situation and detailed information on expenditures. Membership records include dated lists from the 1950s and 1960s and reports to the state organization. The subject files are miscellaneous in character except for documentation on ongoing poll-watching and get-out-the-vote campaigns.
