PORT ROYAL -The past meets the present on a new photo-sharing Web site started by a former Port Royal resident for the 2012 celebration of the town's bicentennial.
Ray Kohler, who now lives in New Jersey, introduced the Web site portroyal200.com during a press conference Thursday.
"I've been collecting prints of Old Port and Port Royal for quite some time," he said, "and I realized I am the only one enjoying them."
To remedy the situation, he found someone to create the Web site that is meant "for all who have an interest in and pride for Port Royal to use and enjoy."
He started with some of his own historic photos of Port Royal's people and places, but didn't put too many on the Web site, lest people think it was only meant for his personal family history.
On the contrary, Kohler hopes people will browse through the site, and add to it. He wants everyone to know that the site developer has made it easy to add pictures and information.
Kohler emphasized that the site is to showcase the people and places associated with the borough of Port Royal, which includes, not only the borough proper, but the surrounding townships, such as Milford, Turbett and Spruce Hill, that may have Port Royal post office addresses.
There are several ways to browse the site: click on the Quick Links on the right side of the home page, the links below the welcome message on the center of the home page, or click on any of the menu items on the left side of the home page.
The links will take you to the Port Royal People section or the Port Royal Places section. From there, it's easy to find specific people by clicking on the first letter of the person's last name, or places by clicking on the first letter of a word that describes the place (such a B for banks, C for churches, etc.). Places are also listed by streets.
To add photos or information, be prepared with digital images, any information you may want to include with the photo, and the date (or an estimate) of when the photo was taken. Then do a search to see if there already are any photos of the same place or person as in your photo. This will determine if you are adding a new person or place, or adding to an existing person or place.
If you are adding a new person or place, click "Port Royal People" or "Port Royal Places" on the menu on the left side of the home page, then click on "add a person," or "add a place" and follow the instructions.
If you are adding a picture to an existing person or place, use the search feature to find and open the picture of the existing person or place. Click on the "Add a photo/comment" line and follow the instructions.
The site is set up so that there are threads for each person and place, and the photo with the earliest year attached will be come the "anchor" photo. The other photos will appear in chronological order.
"It's almost like you can tell a little story with the way these pictures are attached together," Kohler said.
Images and text that are uploaded will not appear on the site until it is reviewed by the site administrator to insure that inappropriate items are not added, Kohler said.
Complete, detailed instructions on how to upload photos and text may be found by clicking "More resources" on the menu on the left side of the home page. Under the heading "Directions for Site Use," click on "How to Upload Photos and Enter Comments." This opens a downloadable PDF document that can be printed out.
In addition to the photo sharing sections, the Web site includes a short history of Port Royal, found by clicking "Our History" on the left side of the home page, as well as a number of links in the "More Resources" section.
For more information, contact Kohler at rkohler3@comcast.net.
