In the summer of 2008, “The Book of the Forgotten” was discovered by contractors while completing renovations to Preston Residential College. The book was hidden by a Preston resident of 6 years, Michael Chajewski who is of Polish descent. This book serves as a memoriam to the residents who have lived here in years past. Photographs reside within to ensure that, while they have moved on, their memories will live forever within its pages, waiting for future residents to discover.
The final page of “The Book of the Forgotten” contains a riddle which was meant to lead the finder of the book to the “spirit” of Michael. This riddle remained unsolved until Tuesday October 27, 2009. Led by Timothy Mauldin an expedition of residents embarked in a search for the hidden treasures that lie within Preston. The “spirit” of Michael was discovered by Pawel Glab (also of Polish descent) on that day. Michael left his spirit in the form of a petrified baby alligator along with a note to be read by those who found it.
Michael’s spirit is the spirit of us all. Our time living within the walls of Preston is short. The photographs, the smiles, and the laughs all come and go in an instant. This forgotten book serves as a testament to those memories. And while each of us will one day be gone…we will never be forgotten.
New memories will be added to the book and the Spirit will soon be returned to its proper resting place. “The Book of the Forgotten” will be hidden once again at the end of the year, in hopes that future generations of Preston residents may discover it and add their own chapters to the story of Preston.
--Timmy Mauldin
PS--Just in case you guys were wondering, "The Book of the Forgotten" along with the petrified baby alligator and Micheal's note are currently on display in the glass display case beside the backdoor of Preston. You will have only until Halloween night to see it because at the stroke of midnight the Spirit will return to its hiding place.