When I first found out about the Warning Out of Jonas Joslin from a distant cousin, I had no idea what a “Warning Out” was. After having read various articles online and the introduction in “Vermont Warnings Out” by Alden M. Rollins (Picton Press, Camden, Maine, no date) I've decided that the basic premise seems to be that town selectmen were taking precautions so that they would not be held responsible for caring for new inhabitants coming into their town.
An article on Wikipedia states that warning out was a widespread method for established New England communities to pressure or coerce "outsiders" to settle elsewhere. It consisted of a notice ordered by the Board of Selectmen of a town, and served by the constable upon any newcomer who might become a town charge. When a person was warned out of a town, they were not necessarily forcibly removed.
The article on Wikipedia cites Warning out in New England by Josiah Henry Benton as a source. Published in 1911 and digitized in 2006, it is available on Google Books.
There was a distinction between a resident and an inhabitant of a town. Apparently, simply living in an area made you a resident, but to become an inhabitant required being a resident for a year. If, within that year, the person was not “warned out” they would then become an inhabitant and would thus be allowed to remain in the town. By warning out residents, the town would be spared any future liability for the resident in case of poverty.
According to Warning Out by Darrell A. Martin, A "warning out" was simply a legal formality. Regardless of whether the person or family departed, the warning served to absolve the town of any future responsibility, and so whether the person warned out actually left made no difference. Some warnings really were issued to transient indigents, and some went to folks who were just passing through on their way somewhere else. On many occasions, perhaps even in the majority of cases, the person warned out settled in town, bought property, and in all respects became a productive member of the community.
Also according to Mr. Martin, the warning “frequently included every member of the family, by name” but in the records I saw in the Charlotte Town Records, very few entries, if any, included names of other family members – they simply listed a single individual, presumed to be the head of household.
An interesting article by Brian Deming is Warning Out – Casting Out the Poor. Mr. Deming states:
In Colonial New England, each town was responsible for the care of its own widows, orphans, elderly, disabled, hungry, and sick. Every town seemed to make some effort to see to it that no one starved or froze to death. Some towns arranged to pay willing citizens to take in the destitute. To be eligible for charity, a person had to be a legal "inhabitant" of a town. An inhabitant was anyone born in the town. One could also become an inhabitant by acquiring land in the town, by completing service as an apprentice to a master in the town, or by marrying an inhabitant. Anyone not a legal inhabitant was not eligible for welfare and could be warned out.
A person could be warned out without being forced to leave a town. Many towns had a policy that, if you had not been warned out in more than a year, you were officially an inhabitant and therefore eligible for welfare. So some towns would routinely warn out “outsiders” that they thought might be likely to fall into poverty and even those doing well. Those individuals could remain in the town even after being warned out year after year. Some even established businesses. It was thus possible for a person to pay taxes in a town for years to help others in need, but then after bad luck be ineligible for welfare in that same town because they themselves had been warned out.
Showing posts with label research tips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label research tips. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Friday, October 03, 2008
The Ultimate "American History" Reading List
The recent Carnival of Genealogy :: 56th edition focused on the indespensible genealogy books in the libraries of the contributing genea-bloggers. It was a very good exercise and Lori produced a valuable list of essential resources we all can use for future reference.
The following article could be considered "old news" since it was published nearly four years ago, but I thought it appropriate in light of the recent COG.
American Heritage Magazine published the article America Unabridged in December 2004 drawing "on the knowledge and enthusiasm of leading historians, writers, and critics to offer a compendium of the very best books about the American experience."
The list is divided into chronological and subject categories with each section presenting "the writer’s choice of the 10 best books in a particular field, along with lucid, lively explanations of what makes them great."
The chronological periods covered are The Colonial Era to 1776, The Revolution 1776 to 1787, The Young Republic 1787 to 1860, The Civil War 1861 to 1865, The Industrial Age 1865 to 1917, Modern America 1917 to 1941, World War II 1941 to 1945, The Postwar Years 1945 to 1974, and Modern Times from 1974.
Subject categories are Biographies, Historical Novels, African-American History, The West, The Immigrant Experience, Popular Culture, Business, Technology, Indispensable Photographs, Sports, Women’s History, and Historical Movies.
There is something for everyone on this list. I know I'll be adding some of them to my reading list, particularly those covering the Colonial Era, as I prepare to research my New England ancestors!
A tip of the hat to footnoteMaven. Her article this morning on Shades of the Departed included a link to American Heritage. Be forewarned, don't go there if you don't have a lot of time to spare!
The following article could be considered "old news" since it was published nearly four years ago, but I thought it appropriate in light of the recent COG.
American Heritage Magazine published the article America Unabridged in December 2004 drawing "on the knowledge and enthusiasm of leading historians, writers, and critics to offer a compendium of the very best books about the American experience."
The list is divided into chronological and subject categories with each section presenting "the writer’s choice of the 10 best books in a particular field, along with lucid, lively explanations of what makes them great."
The chronological periods covered are The Colonial Era to 1776, The Revolution 1776 to 1787, The Young Republic 1787 to 1860, The Civil War 1861 to 1865, The Industrial Age 1865 to 1917, Modern America 1917 to 1941, World War II 1941 to 1945, The Postwar Years 1945 to 1974, and Modern Times from 1974.
Subject categories are Biographies, Historical Novels, African-American History, The West, The Immigrant Experience, Popular Culture, Business, Technology, Indispensable Photographs, Sports, Women’s History, and Historical Movies.
There is something for everyone on this list. I know I'll be adding some of them to my reading list, particularly those covering the Colonial Era, as I prepare to research my New England ancestors!
A tip of the hat to footnoteMaven. Her article this morning on Shades of the Departed included a link to American Heritage. Be forewarned, don't go there if you don't have a lot of time to spare!
Monday, September 15, 2008
The Indispensable Bookshelf
It is truly embarrassing to have to admit this, but I do not have 10 genealogy-specific reference books on my bookshelf! Gasp! It's true though. It was (is) easier, and much cheaper, to go to the library (especially when I was living in the genealogy-Mecca of the Midwest, Fort Wayne). So I'd guess you could say, if it's on my genea-resource bookshelf I consider it indispensable to research!
The Handy Book for Genealogists, Everton Publishers. This book has been essential to my research. It is one of the few books kept on my computer desk. Although the edition I have was published in 1991, it still meets my needs for finding out when a county was organized, the parent county, and the basic information. I no longer rely on the current addresses and contact information for the counties and states, but a quick check on the internet will usually give me that information.
Map Guide to the U. S. Federal Censuses, 1790-1920, William Thorndale and William Dollarhide, Genealogical Publishing Company. The edition I have was published in 1995 but is still useful today. It too is kept on my computer desk for quick reference. You can read all about boundary changes for counties, and think you understand, but the maps allow you to see the changes visually. It really brings home why great-great-grandpa was enumerated in three different counties during his lifetime even though he never moved from the original homestead!
Uncovering Your Ancestry through Family Photographs, Maureen Taylor, Betterway Books, 2000. Maureen's tips and sources for helping to identify the time period of a photograph are invaluable.
Organizing Your Family History Search, Sharon DeBartolo Carmack, Betterway Books, 2000. If I would have had this book when I first started my research, maybe I'd be organized by now! Of course, just having the book doesn't get you organized, you have to follow at least some of the suggestions! Not only does Sharon provide you with a multitude of tips for organizing your files at home but provides tips for organizing a research trip. She doesn't tell you the "best way" to organization, because people are different, instead she provides several options.
Evidence! Citation & Analysis for the Family Historian, Elizabeth Shown Mills, Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997. Sourcing is a big deal in genealogy and family history research, to say the least. I have (almost) always identified in some way where my information came from, just not in the acceptable or "proper" manner. I blame that on the software that I started out with way back when - when sources were entered as notes. I've made a little headway in correcting that but I much prefer to do research! Again, if I'd had this book in my early days it "might" have made a difference.
A few years ago I purchased The Writer's Guide to Everyday Life in the 1800s, Marc McCutcheon, Writer's Digest Books, 1993. It hasn't really been used very much in my genealogy research but I have referred to it from time to time to lookup the meaning of an old term or phrase. It is essentially a dictionary of terms and phrases used in the 1800s. It was one of those impulse purchases at some historical site but someday I hope to use it in writing the history of another of my families.
My most recent acquisition was at the 2006 NGS Conference in Chicago with the newly released The Source : A Guidebook to American Genealogy (Third Edition) Edited by Loretto Dennis Szucs and Sandra Hargreaves Luebking. This 900+ page volume is chock full of "good stuff" with articles from a multitude of authors discussing the various topics.
Webster's New World Dictionary of the American Language, Second College Edition, The World Publishing Company, 1970. Given to me by a friend while I was in the Navy, this book has been around the World! Well, at least to Iceland and Japan as well as more than a few of these United States. It too is kept on my computer desk. Yes, I know you can go online to find the definition of anything but I enjoy flipping through the pages.
Road Atlas, Rand McNally, 1964. Yes, 1964! In nearly pristine condition, by the way. It was in a box of some of my grandfather's things that was given to me after his death in 1991. It doesn't leave the house but has seen occasional use when looking for some small town that has disappeared off of today's maps.
The World Wide Web and The Internet. It's not a book but it contains billions of words. It doesn't reside on my bookshelf but it is on my computer desk and, as such, almost always at my fingertips! In this day and age, it is truly an indispensable resource!
Contributed to the 56th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy :: 10 essential books in my genealogy library.
The Handy Book for Genealogists, Everton Publishers. This book has been essential to my research. It is one of the few books kept on my computer desk. Although the edition I have was published in 1991, it still meets my needs for finding out when a county was organized, the parent county, and the basic information. I no longer rely on the current addresses and contact information for the counties and states, but a quick check on the internet will usually give me that information.
Map Guide to the U. S. Federal Censuses, 1790-1920, William Thorndale and William Dollarhide, Genealogical Publishing Company. The edition I have was published in 1995 but is still useful today. It too is kept on my computer desk for quick reference. You can read all about boundary changes for counties, and think you understand, but the maps allow you to see the changes visually. It really brings home why great-great-grandpa was enumerated in three different counties during his lifetime even though he never moved from the original homestead!
Uncovering Your Ancestry through Family Photographs, Maureen Taylor, Betterway Books, 2000. Maureen's tips and sources for helping to identify the time period of a photograph are invaluable.
Organizing Your Family History Search, Sharon DeBartolo Carmack, Betterway Books, 2000. If I would have had this book when I first started my research, maybe I'd be organized by now! Of course, just having the book doesn't get you organized, you have to follow at least some of the suggestions! Not only does Sharon provide you with a multitude of tips for organizing your files at home but provides tips for organizing a research trip. She doesn't tell you the "best way" to organization, because people are different, instead she provides several options.
Evidence! Citation & Analysis for the Family Historian, Elizabeth Shown Mills, Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997. Sourcing is a big deal in genealogy and family history research, to say the least. I have (almost) always identified in some way where my information came from, just not in the acceptable or "proper" manner. I blame that on the software that I started out with way back when - when sources were entered as notes. I've made a little headway in correcting that but I much prefer to do research! Again, if I'd had this book in my early days it "might" have made a difference.
A few years ago I purchased The Writer's Guide to Everyday Life in the 1800s, Marc McCutcheon, Writer's Digest Books, 1993. It hasn't really been used very much in my genealogy research but I have referred to it from time to time to lookup the meaning of an old term or phrase. It is essentially a dictionary of terms and phrases used in the 1800s. It was one of those impulse purchases at some historical site but someday I hope to use it in writing the history of another of my families.
My most recent acquisition was at the 2006 NGS Conference in Chicago with the newly released The Source : A Guidebook to American Genealogy (Third Edition) Edited by Loretto Dennis Szucs and Sandra Hargreaves Luebking. This 900+ page volume is chock full of "good stuff" with articles from a multitude of authors discussing the various topics.
Webster's New World Dictionary of the American Language, Second College Edition, The World Publishing Company, 1970. Given to me by a friend while I was in the Navy, this book has been around the World! Well, at least to Iceland and Japan as well as more than a few of these United States. It too is kept on my computer desk. Yes, I know you can go online to find the definition of anything but I enjoy flipping through the pages.
Road Atlas, Rand McNally, 1964. Yes, 1964! In nearly pristine condition, by the way. It was in a box of some of my grandfather's things that was given to me after his death in 1991. It doesn't leave the house but has seen occasional use when looking for some small town that has disappeared off of today's maps.
The World Wide Web and The Internet. It's not a book but it contains billions of words. It doesn't reside on my bookshelf but it is on my computer desk and, as such, almost always at my fingertips! In this day and age, it is truly an indispensable resource!
Contributed to the 56th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy :: 10 essential books in my genealogy library.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Foiling 'Round in the Cemetery
Last Monday (Aug 25th), Ruth Stephens of Bluebonnet Country Genealogy left a comment on a post at the From Axer to Ziegler blog written by "Linda in Lancaster and lovin' it!" that may be the best thing since sliced bread. Well maybe not, but it was a good tip that I had not heard before, or at least I don't remember having heard before.
Linda had found a well-worn gravemarker that was difficult to read. Ruth's suggestion was "Take a large piece of thin paper and a pencil or crayon and CAREFULLY make a rubbing of the writing. Or you can use aluminum foil. I used the foil trick to be able to read some very old and run-down stones at an ancestor’s grave site. Worked very well!"
I had tried the rubbing technique with crayon and pencil before without much success. But aluminum foil? Earlier this week I wrote about my visit to a local cemetery and there are several family stones there that are hard to read. I have never been able to get good pictures of their inscriptions. They face west, are usually in the shade, and they are quite worn. So, I thought I'd give the aluminum foil trick a try. Ruth is right, it works very well indeed. Thanks, Ruth!
I used heavy duty aluminum foil in the wide roll. I pulled off a piece of foil large enough to cover the front and sides of the stone. Instead of using tape or string or a bungee cord to keep the foil on the stone I poured a little bit of water on the face and both sides. The water provided just enough "adhesive" to keep the foil in place. I used a small, hand-held, semi-stiff bristle scrubbing brush to rub over the surface of the foil. And that brought out the details... Because of the reflectiveness of the foil, this might not work so well in bright sun. However, if you are careful when removing the foil from the stone you'll have the impression to work with later.I'll be posting several examples in the next day or so.
=+= Updated August 30, 2008=+=
The posts below show the results of using the foil technique to aid in reading hard to read markers.
Linda had found a well-worn gravemarker that was difficult to read. Ruth's suggestion was "Take a large piece of thin paper and a pencil or crayon and CAREFULLY make a rubbing of the writing. Or you can use aluminum foil. I used the foil trick to be able to read some very old and run-down stones at an ancestor’s grave site. Worked very well!"
I had tried the rubbing technique with crayon and pencil before without much success. But aluminum foil? Earlier this week I wrote about my visit to a local cemetery and there are several family stones there that are hard to read. I have never been able to get good pictures of their inscriptions. They face west, are usually in the shade, and they are quite worn. So, I thought I'd give the aluminum foil trick a try. Ruth is right, it works very well indeed. Thanks, Ruth!
I used heavy duty aluminum foil in the wide roll. I pulled off a piece of foil large enough to cover the front and sides of the stone. Instead of using tape or string or a bungee cord to keep the foil on the stone I poured a little bit of water on the face and both sides. The water provided just enough "adhesive" to keep the foil in place. I used a small, hand-held, semi-stiff bristle scrubbing brush to rub over the surface of the foil. And that brought out the details... Because of the reflectiveness of the foil, this might not work so well in bright sun. However, if you are careful when removing the foil from the stone you'll have the impression to work with later.
=+= Updated August 30, 2008=+=
The posts below show the results of using the foil technique to aid in reading hard to read markers.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
What is Blogging? Why would I want to do it?
Thursday evening I'm giving a one-hour presentation on blogging at the monthly meeting of the Genealogical Society of Whitley County. They meet the third Thursday every month, except December, at the Peabody Public Library in Columbia City. To make it easier for the attendees to utilize the links, and possibly to help out some of my non-blogging readers (assuming there are any) in deciding whether or not to take up blogging, the text of that presentation is posted below. The handout will have a text list of all the hypelinks included.
This is meant for someone who knows nothing about blogs or blogging. It's a lot to cover in an hour, so some of it will probably barely be mentioned, but the handout will provide a starting point and links for additional information. Depending upon the response, there may be a follow-up presentation or perhaps even a half-day hands-on workshop on creating a blog. Let me know if you think I've left out something important. . .
=+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+=
What is a blog?
In the beginning, in the late 1990s, it was called a "web log" then the term got shortened to blog. Initially defined as an "online diary; a personal chronological log of thoughts published on a Web page that is typically updated daily and often reflects the personality of the author.” In its present day incarnation, a blog can be used for virtually any purpose and can be used to discuss nearly any topic imaginable.
The Wikipedia entry for "blog" states that it "is a website where entries are commonly displayed in reverse chronological order. 'Blog' can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog. Many blogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject; others function as more personal online diaries. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, web pages, and other media related to its topic. The ability for readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of many blogs. Most blogs are primarily textual, although some focus on art (artlog), photographs (photoblog), sketchblog, videos (vlog), music (MP3 blog), audio (podcasting) are part of a wider network of social media. Micro-blogging is another type of blogging which consists of blogs with very short posts. As of December 2007, blog search engine Technorati was tracking more than 112 million blogs."
What's the difference between a website and a blog?
A "normal" website is usually a static page just sitting out there on the internet. It may have information on your family, a few stories about the family history, some pictures perhaps, and contact information. Once created, a web page seldom changes. It sits out there on the information highway just waiting for someone to drop by, read it and leave. Typically maintained by one person it doesn't allow anyone else to add to it.
A blog is a website that contains a series of articles, stories, news, tips, and information on the family’s history. It is dynamic in the sense that the front page changes when new material is added. It can also be interactive if comments are allowed. Comments give people the opportunity to provide feedback on the information you have posted. A blog can also be a "group" blog, which allows postings to be made by more than one person.
Why do I want to blog?
A blog allows you to quickly and easily create a place on the web where people can find you, learn about you, and interact with you. Content generally requires no "html" coding, which is the "stuff" you don't normally see on a web page, it is what makes the web page visible on screen. It might help to know a little bit about "html" but it really isn't necessary.
With a blog you can express yourself, you can write and publish from virtually anywhere, and you can interact with visitors. Blogging is really about connecting with and hearing from anyone who reads your work and cares to respond.
In August of last year, I wrote a post "Why Blog Genealogy? Why not?" that dealt with my thoughts on the subject. That article also includes links to some other posts on that topic as well as posts on some of the issues involved with blogging.
What do I need to consider before creating a blog?
The two bloggers listed below have provided better and more information on this than I possibly could in the amount of time allowed for this presentation. Although it isn't necessary, I highly recommend reading the posts on choosing a title or name for your blog and selecting a blog platform.
On her Family History blog Lorelle VanFossen links to a series of posts she created on "Building a Genealogy Blog" in which she discusses the purpose of the blog, the features you might want, choosing a blog title, what to put into your family history blog, as well as other topics dealing with blogging your family history.
For general information about blogging, ProBlogger Darren Rowse created a series of posts called "Blogging Tips for Beginners" that covers such things as deciding whether blogging is right for you, how to choose a topic, selecting a blog platform, deciding on a name for your blog, and much more.
How often do I have to post? How much time is this going to take?
There is no set schedule. Post whenever you want. Really. A few genea-bloggers post once or more a day while the majority of active genea-bloggers post once or maybe twice a week, or once every other week. It really is up to you. Time? Again, it's up to you and it really depends upon what kind of writer you are. If you are a quick writer, so much the better, you'll spend less time on your posts. However, I'm a slow, deliberate writer. It takes me a long time to create a post on my family. I seldom log into Blogger and write a post in real time. Almost always I write it, read it, and re-read it several times. Then I log into blogger and copy/paste the text and format it as needed. One thing you really do need to keep in mind though. Like genealogy itself, blogging can become addictive. Not just writing your blog but reading the posts of other genea-bloggers.
What do I post?
Pretty much whatever you want, it is your blog! Take a look at some of the other genea-bloggers. What are they posting? How are they posting? Family stories, memories, questions, research tips, news items, links to websites and other blog posts, responding to "challenges" put out by other bloggers, and participating in the Carnival of Genealogy are just some of the topics that can be discussed in a family history - genealogy blog.
Where do I find other genealogy-related blogs?
Most blogs have a "sidebar" (an area on either side of their posts) where they put links to other blogs. Click on those links, that's why they are there. You will find some amazing posts and very creative writers that will provide inspiration and ideas for your blog.
Chris Dunham's Genealogy Blog Finder now includes over 800 blogs in 26 different categories. Not all of them are currently active. I'll admit it, I haven't read them all ;-) but occasionally I do take the time to browse the various categories and discover something new and interesting.
In addition to listing some blogs, the category Blogs for Genealogy at Cyndi's List includes links to blogging-related sites.
A VERY SHORT Sampling of Genealogy and Family History Blogs.
I hesitated to include a list of links to other genea-bloggers because it implies that those listed are perhaps "better" than others and that, quite simply, is not true. Actually, the blogroll, on the right side of my blog includes many of the blogs that I read, so consider that a list of links! I was asked to highlight some blogs for this presentation so selected half a dozen for that purpose. These genea-bloggers have developed a "niche" for themselves, but there is far more to these bloggers than just their niche!
Humor: The Genealogue
Chris Dunham's "Top Ten" lists and links to genealogy related news items, past and present, will have you ROTFLOL (that's rolling on the floor laughing out loud). His ongoing "Genealogue Challenges" series will have you spending time puzzling over someone else's past.
Polish Records: Steve's Genealogy Blog
If you have Polish ancestors then Stephen Danko can help! He posts copies of the records he has found on his family along with translations (and transcriptions) of the documents and lots of other interesting things.
Journaling or "memory" prompts: AnceStories2
Miriam provides "Weekly journal prompts to help you document your life and the lives of your ancestors for future generations." Miriam highlights stories of her family and ancestors in a second blog called AnceStories.
Carnival of Genealogy: Creative Gene
With the COG, started in June 2006, Jasia brings together posts from other genea-bloggers on a specific topic twice each month. The COG, which has helped create a community of sorts, challenges you to write on a specific topic, some which you might not otherwise consider. Jasia has also shared many interesting stories on her family and her quest for her Polish ancestors as well as tips and other thought-provoking articles.
News and Reviews: Genealogy Reviews Online
Tim Agazio highlights "news, reviews and other interesting items related to genealogy and history" from newspapers and other websites while adding personal insight into those stories.
Research Tips and Genealogy News: Genea-Musings
Randy Seaver provides a slew of genealogy related research tips, news items, and humor as well as some of his own family history research stories.
What Tools are there for Blogging?
There are several places on the web where you can create a blog. WordPress and Blogger are probably the two hosting services with the highest visibility and highest usage. They both have similar features and they are both free. I'm sure that they each have their benefits and their drawbacks.
I chose Blogger because it seemed a little less complex and it is what many of the other genealogy bloggers use. Blogger is owned by Google and appears to index the blogs fairly rapidly, meaning someone searching for something you've written about will likely find it on your blog sooner than they might have otherwise.
To create a blog At WordPress
At the Blogger homepage. . . there are two ways to create a blog, depending upon whether you have a Google account or not. If you use gmail, then you already have a Google account.
This is meant for someone who knows nothing about blogs or blogging. It's a lot to cover in an hour, so some of it will probably barely be mentioned, but the handout will provide a starting point and links for additional information. Depending upon the response, there may be a follow-up presentation or perhaps even a half-day hands-on workshop on creating a blog. Let me know if you think I've left out something important. . .
=+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+=
What is a blog?
In the beginning, in the late 1990s, it was called a "web log" then the term got shortened to blog. Initially defined as an "online diary; a personal chronological log of thoughts published on a Web page that is typically updated daily and often reflects the personality of the author.” In its present day incarnation, a blog can be used for virtually any purpose and can be used to discuss nearly any topic imaginable.
The Wikipedia entry for "blog" states that it "is a website where entries are commonly displayed in reverse chronological order. 'Blog' can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog. Many blogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject; others function as more personal online diaries. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, web pages, and other media related to its topic. The ability for readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of many blogs. Most blogs are primarily textual, although some focus on art (artlog), photographs (photoblog), sketchblog, videos (vlog), music (MP3 blog), audio (podcasting) are part of a wider network of social media. Micro-blogging is another type of blogging which consists of blogs with very short posts. As of December 2007, blog search engine Technorati was tracking more than 112 million blogs."
What's the difference between a website and a blog?
A "normal" website is usually a static page just sitting out there on the internet. It may have information on your family, a few stories about the family history, some pictures perhaps, and contact information. Once created, a web page seldom changes. It sits out there on the information highway just waiting for someone to drop by, read it and leave. Typically maintained by one person it doesn't allow anyone else to add to it.
A blog is a website that contains a series of articles, stories, news, tips, and information on the family’s history. It is dynamic in the sense that the front page changes when new material is added. It can also be interactive if comments are allowed. Comments give people the opportunity to provide feedback on the information you have posted. A blog can also be a "group" blog, which allows postings to be made by more than one person.
Why do I want to blog?
A blog allows you to quickly and easily create a place on the web where people can find you, learn about you, and interact with you. Content generally requires no "html" coding, which is the "stuff" you don't normally see on a web page, it is what makes the web page visible on screen. It might help to know a little bit about "html" but it really isn't necessary.
With a blog you can express yourself, you can write and publish from virtually anywhere, and you can interact with visitors. Blogging is really about connecting with and hearing from anyone who reads your work and cares to respond.
In August of last year, I wrote a post "Why Blog Genealogy? Why not?" that dealt with my thoughts on the subject. That article also includes links to some other posts on that topic as well as posts on some of the issues involved with blogging.
What do I need to consider before creating a blog?
The two bloggers listed below have provided better and more information on this than I possibly could in the amount of time allowed for this presentation. Although it isn't necessary, I highly recommend reading the posts on choosing a title or name for your blog and selecting a blog platform.
On her Family History blog Lorelle VanFossen links to a series of posts she created on "Building a Genealogy Blog" in which she discusses the purpose of the blog, the features you might want, choosing a blog title, what to put into your family history blog, as well as other topics dealing with blogging your family history.
For general information about blogging, ProBlogger Darren Rowse created a series of posts called "Blogging Tips for Beginners" that covers such things as deciding whether blogging is right for you, how to choose a topic, selecting a blog platform, deciding on a name for your blog, and much more.
How often do I have to post? How much time is this going to take?
There is no set schedule. Post whenever you want. Really. A few genea-bloggers post once or more a day while the majority of active genea-bloggers post once or maybe twice a week, or once every other week. It really is up to you. Time? Again, it's up to you and it really depends upon what kind of writer you are. If you are a quick writer, so much the better, you'll spend less time on your posts. However, I'm a slow, deliberate writer. It takes me a long time to create a post on my family. I seldom log into Blogger and write a post in real time. Almost always I write it, read it, and re-read it several times. Then I log into blogger and copy/paste the text and format it as needed. One thing you really do need to keep in mind though. Like genealogy itself, blogging can become addictive. Not just writing your blog but reading the posts of other genea-bloggers.
What do I post?
Pretty much whatever you want, it is your blog! Take a look at some of the other genea-bloggers. What are they posting? How are they posting? Family stories, memories, questions, research tips, news items, links to websites and other blog posts, responding to "challenges" put out by other bloggers, and participating in the Carnival of Genealogy are just some of the topics that can be discussed in a family history - genealogy blog.
Where do I find other genealogy-related blogs?
Most blogs have a "sidebar" (an area on either side of their posts) where they put links to other blogs. Click on those links, that's why they are there. You will find some amazing posts and very creative writers that will provide inspiration and ideas for your blog.
Chris Dunham's Genealogy Blog Finder now includes over 800 blogs in 26 different categories. Not all of them are currently active. I'll admit it, I haven't read them all ;-) but occasionally I do take the time to browse the various categories and discover something new and interesting.
In addition to listing some blogs, the category Blogs for Genealogy at Cyndi's List includes links to blogging-related sites.
A VERY SHORT Sampling of Genealogy and Family History Blogs.
I hesitated to include a list of links to other genea-bloggers because it implies that those listed are perhaps "better" than others and that, quite simply, is not true. Actually, the blogroll, on the right side of my blog includes many of the blogs that I read, so consider that a list of links! I was asked to highlight some blogs for this presentation so selected half a dozen for that purpose. These genea-bloggers have developed a "niche" for themselves, but there is far more to these bloggers than just their niche!
Humor: The Genealogue
Chris Dunham's "Top Ten" lists and links to genealogy related news items, past and present, will have you ROTFLOL (that's rolling on the floor laughing out loud). His ongoing "Genealogue Challenges" series will have you spending time puzzling over someone else's past.
Polish Records: Steve's Genealogy Blog
If you have Polish ancestors then Stephen Danko can help! He posts copies of the records he has found on his family along with translations (and transcriptions) of the documents and lots of other interesting things.
Journaling or "memory" prompts: AnceStories2
Miriam provides "Weekly journal prompts to help you document your life and the lives of your ancestors for future generations." Miriam highlights stories of her family and ancestors in a second blog called AnceStories.
Carnival of Genealogy: Creative Gene
With the COG, started in June 2006, Jasia brings together posts from other genea-bloggers on a specific topic twice each month. The COG, which has helped create a community of sorts, challenges you to write on a specific topic, some which you might not otherwise consider. Jasia has also shared many interesting stories on her family and her quest for her Polish ancestors as well as tips and other thought-provoking articles.
News and Reviews: Genealogy Reviews Online
Tim Agazio highlights "news, reviews and other interesting items related to genealogy and history" from newspapers and other websites while adding personal insight into those stories.
Research Tips and Genealogy News: Genea-Musings
Randy Seaver provides a slew of genealogy related research tips, news items, and humor as well as some of his own family history research stories.
What Tools are there for Blogging?
There are several places on the web where you can create a blog. WordPress and Blogger are probably the two hosting services with the highest visibility and highest usage. They both have similar features and they are both free. I'm sure that they each have their benefits and their drawbacks.
I chose Blogger because it seemed a little less complex and it is what many of the other genealogy bloggers use. Blogger is owned by Google and appears to index the blogs fairly rapidly, meaning someone searching for something you've written about will likely find it on your blog sooner than they might have otherwise.
To create a blog At WordPress
At the WordPress homepage, click on the "Sign Up Now!" button. You'll need to enter a username and password. If desired, the username can also be used as the blog name.To create a blog At Blogger
Once you've entered the required information, click on the box to signify that you have read the terms and conditions, then press enter. A dialog box will be displayed with options to create a post, change the blog template, or go to the homepage. You can also select your theme, add widgets, extras and a custom header, if desired.
It is really that simple to create a blog. Now what? Well, you might want to partake of the tutorials on WordPress that are available to pick up some hints and tips on writing and formatting posts and making changes to your blog settings.
At the Blogger homepage. . . there are two ways to create a blog, depending upon whether you have a Google account or not. If you use gmail, then you already have a Google account.
If you already have a Google account:Obviously, I think blogging your family history is worth the time and effort spent, and it's fun too, but it isn't for everyone. Blogging is a commitment, not only to your readers but to yourself, and the rewards are numerous.
Sign in to Blogger
A screen will display for you to enter a "display" name, which is the name used to
sign your posts
Click on the box to accept the terms and conditions
Click on continue
So as not to have to repeat the same information, skip over the next paragraph...
If you do not have a Google account:
Click on the orange arrow that says "Create Your Blog Now"
The "Google Account" screen will be displayed
Type in your email address (must be a pre-existing, legitimate address)
Type in your password
Type in the display name you want to use
Type in the text for the word verification
Click on the check box to accept the terms and conditions
Click on continue.
At the next screen:
Type in a title for your blog (it can have spaces in the name)
Type in the desired url (which can be the same as the name but without spaces)
Click on "check availability"
Blogger will let you know if the url can't be used.
Click on Continue.
Select a template to use
Click on Continue
Click on the "Start Posting" arrow
That's it, your blog has been created!
To create a post:
Type in a title for your post.
Type in the text or body of the post.
Type in a label (a category) for the post
Click on the "Publish Post" button
And there you have it, your first post!
Yes, it is easy, but in actuality there are also some other housekeeping chores that will require your attention. If you didn't previously have a Google account you will receive an email with a link to verify and activate your account.
You will want to edit your profile and add a picture of yourself to display on the blog.
You may also want to change some of the default settings for the blog and tweak some of the layout items to make it more personal.
Though sometimes not quite as helpful as it could be, the best place to learn about
these things is the Blogger Help Center, which can also be accessed from the Blogger Dashboard when you are signed in to Blogger.
Monday, February 04, 2008
Resources for Township Maps
Harold Anderson, a fellow Hoosier blogger, over at Midwestern Microhistory spotlighted a couple of websites for obtaining Outline maps for counties. In that post, he asked "Now, can anyone suggest a site that has a township map for each and every county in the US?"
Maybe. Well, sort of. In a round-a-bout way. Maybe Joe Beine could add another category for locating townships on his Genealogy Roots site for finding record sources on the internet?
The US Census Bureau has State/County Subdivision Outline Maps. You can't search for a township on the site but what you can get is a pdf file for each state that displays the names and boundaries for counties, county subdivisions (i.e. townships), places, and consolidated cities.
Here is their Map file for Indiana, as an example.
Combine the US Census Bureau maps with the USGS GNIS Website and you should be able to pinpoint the location and "see" where it is located on the maps. USGS is the U.S. Geological Survey and GNIS is the Geographic Names Information System.
You could also use Google to search for "township maps +Name of State" (without the quotes) to locate other websites that might be of use. For example using township maps +Indiana I found this Indiana resource:
Indiana Townships
Their map of Northeast Indiana (pdf)
Did you know there are 1008 townships and 92 counties in the state of Indiana?
And, just for the heck of it, take a look at Indiana Historical Maps. The site doesn't have any township information, but it does have some neat old maps.
Maybe. Well, sort of. In a round-a-bout way. Maybe Joe Beine could add another category for locating townships on his Genealogy Roots site for finding record sources on the internet?
The US Census Bureau has State/County Subdivision Outline Maps. You can't search for a township on the site but what you can get is a pdf file for each state that displays the names and boundaries for counties, county subdivisions (i.e. townships), places, and consolidated cities.
Here is their Map file for Indiana, as an example.
Combine the US Census Bureau maps with the USGS GNIS Website and you should be able to pinpoint the location and "see" where it is located on the maps. USGS is the U.S. Geological Survey and GNIS is the Geographic Names Information System.
You could also use Google to search for "township maps +Name of State" (without the quotes) to locate other websites that might be of use. For example using township maps +Indiana I found this Indiana resource:
Indiana Townships
Their map of Northeast Indiana (pdf)
Did you know there are 1008 townships and 92 counties in the state of Indiana?
And, just for the heck of it, take a look at Indiana Historical Maps. The site doesn't have any township information, but it does have some neat old maps.
Friday, February 01, 2008
History of Whitley and Noble Counties Online
The 1882 History of Whitley and Noble Counties is available online at the Family History Archives sponsored by the Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University.
For anyone doing research in these two Indiana counties, this book is a gem. It is full-text searchable and is available to download in four pdf files. I couldn't get the fourth part to display but the first 3 parts came up okay. Each page can also be downloaded individually.
Counties of Whitley and Noble, Indiana : Historical and Biographical.
Weston A. Goodspeed, Historical Editor.
Charles Blanchard, Biographical Editor.
F.A. Battey & Co. Publishers,1882
Allen County Public Library Call Number: 977.201 W59G
Family History Archives Reference URL: http://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/u?/FH20,12461
The Harold B. Lee Library Digital Collections: http://www.lib.byu.edu/online.html
For anyone doing research in these two Indiana counties, this book is a gem. It is full-text searchable and is available to download in four pdf files. I couldn't get the fourth part to display but the first 3 parts came up okay. Each page can also be downloaded individually.
Counties of Whitley and Noble, Indiana : Historical and Biographical.
Weston A. Goodspeed, Historical Editor.
Charles Blanchard, Biographical Editor.
F.A. Battey & Co. Publishers,1882
Allen County Public Library Call Number: 977.201 W59G
Family History Archives Reference URL: http://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/u?/FH20,12461
The Harold B. Lee Library Digital Collections: http://www.lib.byu.edu/online.html
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Are You Prepared? I'm Not.
The fires in California and the tornado that swept through Nappanee, Indiana last Thursday night (October 18th) have set me to thinking again about my preparations for a disaster. Nappanee is only 30 miles or so due west of where I live, and the area where some of my ancestors lived between 1860-1910. Luckily there were no deaths reported with the tornado in Nappanee, but there was extensive damage with at least 100 homes and businesses completely destroyed. That really doesn't compare with the extensive property loss in California, but to anyone who has had their home destroyed, it is devastating. Imagine losing everything you own, in a matter of minutes. It was heart-breaking watching the television during and after hurricane Katrina and it is the same now with the fires and tornados and floods.
Living in northern Indiana and knowing the area is prone to tornados, and having had several friends lose their homes to fire, you would think that I would already be prepared. I should be, but I'm not. You always think "It won't happen to me" but as we all know, natural and man-made disasters happen all too frequently. The thing is, if you live as though disaster is waiting around the corner, you won't have time to enjoy life, you'll be too busy worrying about what might happen next. You have to find balance. Think about what is truly valuable to you, what can not be replaced. Make plans to save those things, then follow through with the plan! Easier said than done.
With a forest fire, a hurricane, possibly even a flood, you might have advance warning of the pending or potential disaster. But with a tornado, as with the one in Nappanee last Thursday, there is no advance warning. For those people who had their homes demolished, very little is left. So, what can you do? Not much, in that situation, but with those disasters where some time is available for evacuation you can be prepared.
Put together a Family Disaster Kit. Written in 2005, this webpage is a goldmine of information for creating a plan and building a disaster kit as well as providing guidelines for the important documents and other necessary things. You don't have to do everything it suggests, and you don't have to do it all at once (the cost would be prohibitive, I think) but if nothing else, it will give you something to think about.
Prepare a Home Inventory. The Insurance Information Institute has software for recording your stuff. The software is easy to use. I downloaded it yesterday and have started adding some items. It allows you to attach pictures and scanned images. Best of all, it is free.
Create a Bug Out Box. The box should be small and light enough to be carried by one person. The contents should include copies of important papers, household inventory, prescriptions and other documents needed to reestablish who you are and what you had. Important phone numbers such as doctors and relatives, emergency contacts, credit card and other business numbers should also be added.
Important Papers includes suggestions on the critical documents necessary to rebuild your life.
There are a few things that I am already doing to prepare for a disaster, but I definitely plan on creating a disaster kit. If I had to rely on my pantry for survival, it wouldn't last more than a few days - I just don't keep much food on hand.
Bug Out Box.
I sort of have one but I'm sure it doesn't include all the important papers that would be needed, so I'm going to go through the box and add the things that are missing. I created a document listing critical addresses and accounts and printed a copy for my brother for safekeeping, primarily in case anything happened to me but also as a backup. I'll be getting a safe-deposit box to store some of the more important items. I'll also make copies and scan them before putting them away. It's important to have paper copies available immediately because if power is out, computer files won't be readily accessible.
Data Backup.
I have several external hard drives for backing up all my computer data. One of the drives is stored at my mother's apartment, 30 miles away. The drives are rotated weekly. I backup my data nearly every night on one of the two drives I keep at home. So at most, I'd only lose one day's worth of work.
Scanning documents and photographs.
This is an on-going and seemingly never-ending project. Also very time-consuming. But, to me, it is critical. I just started scanning stuff this summer and haven't gotten much done. I really need to get back to it. Not just family photographs but important documents also.
First Aid Kit.
A very basic first aid kit is kept in the car, along with a few blankets, but after reading the above articles I think more needs to be included.
That's a lot to think about. Not much fun either. But what would you do if your home was destroyed in the blink of an eye?
Follow-up post (11/14/2007): My Plan to Prepare for Disaster
Living in northern Indiana and knowing the area is prone to tornados, and having had several friends lose their homes to fire, you would think that I would already be prepared. I should be, but I'm not. You always think "It won't happen to me" but as we all know, natural and man-made disasters happen all too frequently. The thing is, if you live as though disaster is waiting around the corner, you won't have time to enjoy life, you'll be too busy worrying about what might happen next. You have to find balance. Think about what is truly valuable to you, what can not be replaced. Make plans to save those things, then follow through with the plan! Easier said than done.
With a forest fire, a hurricane, possibly even a flood, you might have advance warning of the pending or potential disaster. But with a tornado, as with the one in Nappanee last Thursday, there is no advance warning. For those people who had their homes demolished, very little is left. So, what can you do? Not much, in that situation, but with those disasters where some time is available for evacuation you can be prepared.
Put together a Family Disaster Kit. Written in 2005, this webpage is a goldmine of information for creating a plan and building a disaster kit as well as providing guidelines for the important documents and other necessary things. You don't have to do everything it suggests, and you don't have to do it all at once (the cost would be prohibitive, I think) but if nothing else, it will give you something to think about.
Prepare a Home Inventory. The Insurance Information Institute has software for recording your stuff. The software is easy to use. I downloaded it yesterday and have started adding some items. It allows you to attach pictures and scanned images. Best of all, it is free.
Create a Bug Out Box. The box should be small and light enough to be carried by one person. The contents should include copies of important papers, household inventory, prescriptions and other documents needed to reestablish who you are and what you had. Important phone numbers such as doctors and relatives, emergency contacts, credit card and other business numbers should also be added.
Important Papers includes suggestions on the critical documents necessary to rebuild your life.
There are a few things that I am already doing to prepare for a disaster, but I definitely plan on creating a disaster kit. If I had to rely on my pantry for survival, it wouldn't last more than a few days - I just don't keep much food on hand.
Bug Out Box.
I sort of have one but I'm sure it doesn't include all the important papers that would be needed, so I'm going to go through the box and add the things that are missing. I created a document listing critical addresses and accounts and printed a copy for my brother for safekeeping, primarily in case anything happened to me but also as a backup. I'll be getting a safe-deposit box to store some of the more important items. I'll also make copies and scan them before putting them away. It's important to have paper copies available immediately because if power is out, computer files won't be readily accessible.
Data Backup.
I have several external hard drives for backing up all my computer data. One of the drives is stored at my mother's apartment, 30 miles away. The drives are rotated weekly. I backup my data nearly every night on one of the two drives I keep at home. So at most, I'd only lose one day's worth of work.
Scanning documents and photographs.
This is an on-going and seemingly never-ending project. Also very time-consuming. But, to me, it is critical. I just started scanning stuff this summer and haven't gotten much done. I really need to get back to it. Not just family photographs but important documents also.
First Aid Kit.
A very basic first aid kit is kept in the car, along with a few blankets, but after reading the above articles I think more needs to be included.
That's a lot to think about. Not much fun either. But what would you do if your home was destroyed in the blink of an eye?
Follow-up post (11/14/2007): My Plan to Prepare for Disaster
Friday, October 19, 2007
Wiseman, Willman, Wisensam!!
This is a bit of an understatement, but there are times when I get frustrated with using the online census indexes. I know the people I'm looking for are in a specific location but they don't appear in the index searches. It's even worse when you don't know where the people are for sure.
I've done some work in original records and some indexing of marriages as well as other local records, so I know that indexing and transcribing are not easy tasks. But I just wanted to show these two examples.
The families of Henry and Samuel Wiseman are enumerated on the same page in the 1930 Federal Census (Tippecanoe Township, Kosciusko County, Indiana; E.D. 43-20, sheet 6B dwelling/family 176/178 and 177/179, respectively.) I had found the census on microfilm at the library several years ago but decided that I wanted a digital copy. A quick search for Wiseman, with and without using soundex, didn't turn up anything. But since I had the page number already, I just forwarded to the page, found them and downloaded the image file.
But then, curiosity got the better of me. I wanted to find out how they were indexed.
I searched in Kosciusko county, Indiana. First, for Samuel, born 1855. No luck. Then for Amanda, born 1860. The 11th name that was listed was Amanda Willman with spouse Samdred in Tippecanoe Township. That is the right family.
This is how the family was listed in the index: Samdred Willman, Amanda Willman, Sachie w Willman, Jessie d Willman, Eream l Willman, Emese c Willman, Jack w Willman
In actuality, their surname is Wiseman and their given names are: Samuel, Amanda, Leslie W., Jessie D., Fern L., Emery C., and Jack W.
Henry's family was found by searching in Kosciusko county, Indiana for Henry, born 1859. He was found as Henry Wisensam, with two family members in the household: Loura Wisensam and Howard Wisensam.
I would never have come up with Willman or Wisensam as alternatives for Wiseman. Guess I'll have to add them to my growing list of alternate spellings!
This is something that I need to keep in mind, and oftentimes forget: creativity goes a long way when searching in indexes. If you can't find them with their surname, use first names along with some other identifier, such as year of birth. It gets harder if you don't know for sure where someone is or if they aren't where you thought they should be. Sometimes, though, they simply aren't there!
I've done some work in original records and some indexing of marriages as well as other local records, so I know that indexing and transcribing are not easy tasks. But I just wanted to show these two examples.
The families of Henry and Samuel Wiseman are enumerated on the same page in the 1930 Federal Census (Tippecanoe Township, Kosciusko County, Indiana; E.D. 43-20, sheet 6B dwelling/family 176/178 and 177/179, respectively.) I had found the census on microfilm at the library several years ago but decided that I wanted a digital copy. A quick search for Wiseman, with and without using soundex, didn't turn up anything. But since I had the page number already, I just forwarded to the page, found them and downloaded the image file.
But then, curiosity got the better of me. I wanted to find out how they were indexed.
I searched in Kosciusko county, Indiana. First, for Samuel, born 1855. No luck. Then for Amanda, born 1860. The 11th name that was listed was Amanda Willman with spouse Samdred in Tippecanoe Township. That is the right family.
This is how the family was listed in the index: Samdred Willman, Amanda Willman, Sachie w Willman, Jessie d Willman, Eream l Willman, Emese c Willman, Jack w Willman
In actuality, their surname is Wiseman and their given names are: Samuel, Amanda, Leslie W., Jessie D., Fern L., Emery C., and Jack W.
Henry's family was found by searching in Kosciusko county, Indiana for Henry, born 1859. He was found as Henry Wisensam, with two family members in the household: Loura Wisensam and Howard Wisensam.
I would never have come up with Willman or Wisensam as alternatives for Wiseman. Guess I'll have to add them to my growing list of alternate spellings!
This is something that I need to keep in mind, and oftentimes forget: creativity goes a long way when searching in indexes. If you can't find them with their surname, use first names along with some other identifier, such as year of birth. It gets harder if you don't know for sure where someone is or if they aren't where you thought they should be. Sometimes, though, they simply aren't there!
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Research Resources - Maps
Maps are one of the major tools that I've used to help me visualize where my ancestors lived. The one below was created after I'd been doing research for about 15 years. What I wanted was something small enough that I could take to the library and on research trips yet have it include a summary of all the surnames being researched. I also wanted something that would make sense to non-researching family members. It prints nicely on a standard 8 ½ x 11 sheet of paper (click on the image to enlarge it).
As a starting point I scanned a portion of a U.S. counties map, probably from a very early edition of The Handybook for Genealogists. I currently have the Eighth Edition, printed in 1991, and it doesn't include anything like this, so maybe that's not where it came from. Anyway, after scanning it I opened the map in an image editing program and commenced to highlight each of the counties where my ancestors had lived.
The counties highlighted in yellow are the maternal lines and the orange are the paternal lines. Those with yellow centers and outlined in orange indicate that families from both my mother and father resided there. The names in blue are maternal lines and the red are paternal lines.
The only states where some of my ancestors lived that are not included on this map are Iowa, Kansas, and Mississippi. Also, I've just barely touched on researching my New England ancestors so not all of the counties where they resided in Massachusetts and Connecticut are highlighted. In addition to this map, I keep a file of copies of maps for each of these counties and have attempted to identify the township or at least the approximate area where they lived.
One of the other resources I've used extensively is "Map Guide to the U. S. Federal Censuses 1790-1920" by William Thorndale and William Dollarhide. The edition I have was published in 1987, which is a bit old but in decent shape and it still serves my purposes. If, like me, you have ancestors that are listed in a different county almost every census year but never physically moved, this book is indispensable. Of course, there are now web sites and software that dynamically show these county boundary changes.
A third resource that I use in my research is "The Source: A Guidebook to American Genealogy" which was my major purchase at the NGS Conference in Chicago in June 2006. Dick Eastman's review of the book covers it much better than I ever could. If I spent more time reading "The Source" I could probably forgo attending the FGS Conference next week, but there is more to going to a conference than attending lectures!
What general research resources are on your bookshelf?
- The Handybook for Genealogists
- Map Guide to the U. S. Federal Censuses 1790-1920
- Family History 101 has animated maps of the county boundary changes
- AniMap is software that dynamically shows boundary changes and allows you to make notations and save them for future use
- Dick Eastman's review of The Source
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
Recommended Reading - Ethics in Publishing Family Histories
Yesterday Dick Eastman posted Ethics in Publishing Family Histories, which refererenced and linked to Stephen Danko's post by that name. If you haven't done so already be sure to read both posts as well as the comments that have been added to both posts. Good Stuff. Steve's article should be required reading for all researchers!
Renee's Sneak Peek of Legacy 7
Yesterday Renee Zamora posted a bit about Geoff Rasmussen's presentation of a Sneak Peek of Legacy 7 at the BYU Family History & Genealogy Conference.
I use Legacy and have since Version 2, oh, a few years ago. Started out with a DOS version of PAF, moved to Family Tree Maker, then to Generations, tried out a few others too, but finally found what I wanted with Legacy.
She has more details on her post, but to summarize, the new and or enhanced features she mentions are:
Something else to look forward to! Yee-hah! Actually, I was hoping they would have it ready for the FGS Conference next month. Hopefully they will be exhibiting there and will at least have Version 7 on display.
I use Legacy and have since Version 2, oh, a few years ago. Started out with a DOS version of PAF, moved to Family Tree Maker, then to Generations, tried out a few others too, but finally found what I wanted with Legacy.
She has more details on her post, but to summarize, the new and or enhanced features she mentions are:
- Will be able to show non-blood related relationships.
- Enhanced IGI Search feature [bw - I'll admit I've never used this feature since until a year ago I was on dial-up access and just haven't taken the time since then to use it.]
- SOURCE TEMPLATES. Legacy has built their new source templates around Elizabeth Shown Mills' "Evidence" guidelines.
- Will have the ability to CREATE FOOTNOTES.
- With Legacy Multimedia you will be able to attach Documents as RTF or PDF format. [previously you could attach them but had to use a work-a-round. Actually you don't really attach files to the database, a link to the file is created.]
- Interview Questions. You can now get a list of tons of interview questions to ask your relatives. You can even select what relative you are interviewing and the questions will be geared toward them.
- Better CHARTS. Legacy 7 will have the combined features of PAF Companion and TreeDraw built right into it.
Something else to look forward to! Yee-hah! Actually, I was hoping they would have it ready for the FGS Conference next month. Hopefully they will be exhibiting there and will at least have Version 7 on display.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Confusing Relationships
This past Friday, Charlene, a new-found "Shuder" cousin and her son came down from central Michigan for a visit with me and one of my first cousins. We got acquainted, shared some information, had a good time, and got a bit confused.
Our common ancestors, Nancy Jane Lavering and Isaac Shuder, were related to each other before they got married. As I attempted to explain their relationship and determine our relationship it just got more and more confusing. We finally did get it figured out though, I think. Nancy and Isaac were 1st cousins once removed, and Charlene and I are second cousins once removed, as shown in the image below, which can be read by clicking on it to make it bigger:
The problem I have with the standard relationship charts, is that you have to know your relationship to your common ancestor as well as the relationship of the person you are trying to determine your relationship to. Now, if I'd had the basic information for those ancestors and their children entered into the genealogy software that I use, which is Legacy, it wouldn't have been a problem, but I didn't and still don't. Actually, I did have it entered a couple of years ago, but that's another story. Anyway, Legacy has a neat feature that allows you to display and/or print a fancy chart mapping out these things. It's really a nice chart, but I couldn't use it. . .
Examples of the Standard Relationship chart can be found at:
Our common ancestors, Nancy Jane Lavering and Isaac Shuder, were related to each other before they got married. As I attempted to explain their relationship and determine our relationship it just got more and more confusing. We finally did get it figured out though, I think. Nancy and Isaac were 1st cousins once removed, and Charlene and I are second cousins once removed, as shown in the image below, which can be read by clicking on it to make it bigger:
The problem I have with the standard relationship charts, is that you have to know your relationship to your common ancestor as well as the relationship of the person you are trying to determine your relationship to. Now, if I'd had the basic information for those ancestors and their children entered into the genealogy software that I use, which is Legacy, it wouldn't have been a problem, but I didn't and still don't. Actually, I did have it entered a couple of years ago, but that's another story. Anyway, Legacy has a neat feature that allows you to display and/or print a fancy chart mapping out these things. It's really a nice chart, but I couldn't use it. . .Examples of the Standard Relationship chart can be found at:
- http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~gentutor/chart.html
- http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~hornbeck/chart.htm
** Update July 31, 2007 **
What is a First Cousin, Twice Removed? is an article in the Genealogy.com Learning Center that provides some helpful information on relationships. The Learning Center is a very good resource whether you are just starting your family search or even if you are a more advanced researcher.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Using Bloglines
Randy Seaver at Genea-Musings has mentioned Bloglines in several of his posts and yesterday I decided to give it a try. So far, I can say without hesitation, I love it! Thanks for the tip, Randy.
It did take me a couple of hours to go through my Favorites to get the nearly 100 blog urls (and, believe it or not, not all of them are Genealogy Blogs) added to Bloglines, but it is going to be so very handy to have them all in one spot and to easily see what has been updated since last logging in to Bloglines, so definitely worth the time it took. You can set up folders to categorize your blogs and you can also set up a favorites bookmark that allows you to easily add a new blog to your Bloglines account.
And, of course, there is the added benefit of using a web-based bloglist since it will be accessible on any computer anywhere that is connected to the internet. Which means, when I start going on research trips I'll easily be able to keep up to date on what is going on in the genea-blogging world.
Bloglines generally displays the posts without any formatting or ability to add comments but a simple click on the blog title will open a new window to display the blog with all of its formatting. Depending upon the options the blogger has selected for feeds, you may see the complete post or it may be just the first few lines of the post. Again, a click on the blog title opens the full post allowing you to see it as the blogger intended and giving you the ability to add your comments.
Bloglines has a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page if you want to learn more before signing up and using this FREE service.
It did take me a couple of hours to go through my Favorites to get the nearly 100 blog urls (and, believe it or not, not all of them are Genealogy Blogs) added to Bloglines, but it is going to be so very handy to have them all in one spot and to easily see what has been updated since last logging in to Bloglines, so definitely worth the time it took. You can set up folders to categorize your blogs and you can also set up a favorites bookmark that allows you to easily add a new blog to your Bloglines account.
And, of course, there is the added benefit of using a web-based bloglist since it will be accessible on any computer anywhere that is connected to the internet. Which means, when I start going on research trips I'll easily be able to keep up to date on what is going on in the genea-blogging world.
Bloglines generally displays the posts without any formatting or ability to add comments but a simple click on the blog title will open a new window to display the blog with all of its formatting. Depending upon the options the blogger has selected for feeds, you may see the complete post or it may be just the first few lines of the post. Again, a click on the blog title opens the full post allowing you to see it as the blogger intended and giving you the ability to add your comments.
Bloglines has a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page if you want to learn more before signing up and using this FREE service.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
New Opportunity for DNA Research?
A recent posting by Dick Eastman reported that Ancestry.com was partnering with Sorenson Genomics, a DNA research firm, to be able to provide DNA testing and somehow link that data to Ancestry's existing family information. This is big news, but how is it going to work? As with many of the announcements of other genealogical collaborations last month, there will be questions without answers and it will be a while before all the ramifications are known. Dick posted yesterday's press release with more details on the partnership.
An article in the Salt Lake Tribune makes the outlandish claim that "In less than three weeks, people will be able to find distant relatives by clicking a mouse. And they can be sure that their supposed family members are related to them because instead of using old documents, people will locate their relatives through DNA tests."
DNA replace documents? I suppose that could happen, but not likely in the near future. Find relatives with the click of a mouse? According to 'The Generations Network' and other database providers, we can do that now. The implication is that DNA testing will make it so. It will only happen if you and your relatives have been tested. It'll take years of collecting and testing DNA samples. The state of current DNA testing and its use for genealogical research is limited. Not enough people have had DNA tests done, most cannot afford it. Hopefully this partnership will make testing more affordable so more people can have it done, and if that happens it may make it easier to make the connections to unknown relatives. Only time will tell. I'm certainly looking forward to the time that I can find my relatives with just the click of a mouse!
For more information on this partnership and DNA testing check out these posts:
An article in the Salt Lake Tribune makes the outlandish claim that "In less than three weeks, people will be able to find distant relatives by clicking a mouse. And they can be sure that their supposed family members are related to them because instead of using old documents, people will locate their relatives through DNA tests."
DNA replace documents? I suppose that could happen, but not likely in the near future. Find relatives with the click of a mouse? According to 'The Generations Network' and other database providers, we can do that now. The implication is that DNA testing will make it so. It will only happen if you and your relatives have been tested. It'll take years of collecting and testing DNA samples. The state of current DNA testing and its use for genealogical research is limited. Not enough people have had DNA tests done, most cannot afford it. Hopefully this partnership will make testing more affordable so more people can have it done, and if that happens it may make it easier to make the connections to unknown relatives. Only time will tell. I'm certainly looking forward to the time that I can find my relatives with just the click of a mouse!
For more information on this partnership and DNA testing check out these posts:
- Tim Agazio - Genealogy Reviews Online
- Blaine Bettinger - The Genetic Genealogist
- Diane Haddad - Genealogy Insider
- Randy Seaver - Genea-Musings
Friday, June 01, 2007
Creative Genealogy - a new blog!
Jasia at Creative Gene and hostess of the Carnival of Genealogy, has started a new blog called Creative Genealogy.
In her first post, Jasia states"
I'm really looking forward to reading her tips and ideas for taking the presentation and sharing of genealogy to the next level. She has already posted on Photoshop Elements, Custom Family Reunion T-Shirts, and an Overview of Scrapbooking. Check it out!
In her first post, Jasia states"
"Genealogy research is entertaining, educational and rewarding. But if you've done it for any length of time you know it's also the result of a lot of hard work, frustration, and perseverance. Most researchers find a great deal of satisfaction from adding names to their family tree but many don't think much beyond basic document discovery when it comes to their genealogy research. But genealogy shouldn't end there, with just names and dates. There is even more satisfaction to be gained in sharing it with others!
Writing up one's family history in a fact-filled book with vintage photographs is the standard way to compile genealogy research. And that's a fine, traditional approach to telling one's family history. But let's face it, if you haven't been bitten by the genealogy bug you'll likely find the standard family history text a bit (or quite a bit ;-) dry and boring. But it doesn't have to be that way!This blog will look at a myriad of creative ways you can share the fruits of your genealogy research with your friends and family. And I assure you these ways will be anything but dry and boring!"
I'm really looking forward to reading her tips and ideas for taking the presentation and sharing of genealogy to the next level. She has already posted on Photoshop Elements, Custom Family Reunion T-Shirts, and an Overview of Scrapbooking. Check it out!
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Partnerships and Collaboration - ain't it great!
Dick Eastman at Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter has posted several very exciting notices of partnerships that have been announced this morning at the NGS Conference in Richmond. These partnerships are going to open up a whole new world of opportunities for researchers!
Quintin Publications Partners With WorldVitalRecords.com To Make Thousands of Genealogical Databases Accessible
Historic Ellis Island Passenger Records Receive Expanded Online Access This is a partnership between The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, Inc., World Vital Records, Inc. and FamilySearch.
More Than 4,500 Family History Centers Worldwide to have Free Access to WorldVitalRecords.com
Other recent announcements, posted by Dick and many other genea-bloggers, regarding partnerships and expanded availability of content include:
ProQuest CSA Teams Up with LexisNexis to Add Selected Serial Set Content to HeritageQuest Online "The addition of the Private Relief Actions and Memorials and Petitions from the LexisNexis Serial Set collection serves the growing genealogy and local history segment of the public library market. " Note that HeritageQuest is available only to libraries, not to individuals.
Footnote.com Teams With FamilySearch to Release Revolutionary War Pension Files "This new partnership brings together two organizations that will utilize their combined resources to digitize and make available many large historical collections. The first project will be the three million U.S. Revolutionary War Pension files, which will be published for the first time online in their entirety."
Godfrey Memorial Library and FamilySearch Centers Announce Partnership "The Godfrey Library has been digitizing much of their information and is now accelerating that effort. Even better, visitors to LDS FamilySearch Centers around the world will now have free access to the digitized material."
These are indeed exciting times for genealogists as well as researchers in general! I'm sure there will be more announcements in the near future. Don't you just love competition and collaboration, I sure do!
Quintin Publications Partners With WorldVitalRecords.com To Make Thousands of Genealogical Databases Accessible
Historic Ellis Island Passenger Records Receive Expanded Online Access This is a partnership between The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, Inc., World Vital Records, Inc. and FamilySearch.
More Than 4,500 Family History Centers Worldwide to have Free Access to WorldVitalRecords.com
Other recent announcements, posted by Dick and many other genea-bloggers, regarding partnerships and expanded availability of content include:
ProQuest CSA Teams Up with LexisNexis to Add Selected Serial Set Content to HeritageQuest Online "The addition of the Private Relief Actions and Memorials and Petitions from the LexisNexis Serial Set collection serves the growing genealogy and local history segment of the public library market. " Note that HeritageQuest is available only to libraries, not to individuals.
Footnote.com Teams With FamilySearch to Release Revolutionary War Pension Files "This new partnership brings together two organizations that will utilize their combined resources to digitize and make available many large historical collections. The first project will be the three million U.S. Revolutionary War Pension files, which will be published for the first time online in their entirety."
This past Tuesday, following the Footnote and FamilySearch announcement, Randy Seaver of Genea-Musings gave us his thought on what this means to the future of genealogy and research. You'll have to scroll down past the announcement to find his comments...
But, perhaps the most important recent announcement is that FamilySearch will Provide Access to the World's Genealogical Records. FamilySearch announced "its Records Access program to increase public access to massive genealogy collections worldwide. For the first time ever, FamilySearch will provide free services to archives and other records custodians who wish to digitize, index, publish, and preserve their collections. The program expands FamiliySearch's previously announced decision to digitize and provide online access to over 2 million rolls of copyrighted microfilm preserved in the Granite Mountain Records Vault. A key component of the program allows FamilySearch and archives to team with genealogy websites to provide unprecedented access to microfilm in the vault. The combined results ensure a flood of new record indexes and images online at www.FamilySearch.org and affiliated websites."Godfrey Memorial Library and FamilySearch Centers Announce Partnership "The Godfrey Library has been digitizing much of their information and is now accelerating that effort. Even better, visitors to LDS FamilySearch Centers around the world will now have free access to the digitized material."
These are indeed exciting times for genealogists as well as researchers in general! I'm sure there will be more announcements in the near future. Don't you just love competition and collaboration, I sure do!
Monday, April 16, 2007
DoHistory and Martha Ballard's Diary
DoHistory is a fascinating website that I came across several years ago, forgot about, but recently rediscovered.
From their About this Site page: "DoHistory invites you to explore the process of piecing together the lives of ordinary people in the past. It is an experimental, interactive case study based on the research that went into the book and film A Midwife's Tale, which were both based upon the remarkable 200 year old diary of midwife/healer Martha Ballard. Although DoHistory is centered on the life of Martha Ballard, you can learn basic skills and techniques for interpreting fragments that survive from any period in history. We hope that many people will be inspired by Martha Ballard's story to do original research on other "ordinary" people from the past."
Starting when she was 50 years old, Martha Ballard wrote in her diary nearly every day from January 1, 1785 to May 12, 1812 (27 years) for a total of almost 10,000 entries.
Who was Martha Ballard? - - "Martha Moore was born in 1735 in the small central Massachusetts town of Oxford, but the real story of her life begins in Maine with the diary she kept from age fifty. Without the diary her biography would be little more than a succession of dates. Her birth in 1735. Her marriage to Ephraim Ballard in 1754. The births of their nine children in 1756, 1758, 1761, 1763, 1765, 1767, 1769, 1772, 1779, and the deaths of three of them in 1769. Her own death in 1812.
"The notice of Martha's death in a local paper summed up her life in just one sentence: "Died in Augusta, Mrs. Martha, consort of Mr. Ephraim Ballard, aged 77 years." Without the diary we would know nothing of her life after the last of her children was born, nothing of the 816 deliveries she performed between 1785 and 1812. We would not even be certain she had been a midwife."
--from Laurel Thatcher Ulrich's A Midwife's Tale
Be sure to read the Project History page that tells how Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, a middle-aged University of New Hampshire history professor looking for her next project, met Martha Ballard in the two-hundred-year-old pages of the midwife's diary on a summer day in 1982.
The About the Online Diary page tells how the husband-and-wife team of Robert and Cynthia MacAlman McCausland spent their evenings for nearly ten years in transcribing verbatim Martha Ballard's 1,400+ handwritten pages to create the text version. It also tells how the image version was created.
The How to Use Primary Sources page includes a History Toolkit with "short essays designed to help the beginning historian conduct and organize his or her own historical research."
Other information available on the site includes:
From their About this Site page: "DoHistory invites you to explore the process of piecing together the lives of ordinary people in the past. It is an experimental, interactive case study based on the research that went into the book and film A Midwife's Tale, which were both based upon the remarkable 200 year old diary of midwife/healer Martha Ballard. Although DoHistory is centered on the life of Martha Ballard, you can learn basic skills and techniques for interpreting fragments that survive from any period in history. We hope that many people will be inspired by Martha Ballard's story to do original research on other "ordinary" people from the past."
Starting when she was 50 years old, Martha Ballard wrote in her diary nearly every day from January 1, 1785 to May 12, 1812 (27 years) for a total of almost 10,000 entries.
Who was Martha Ballard? - - "Martha Moore was born in 1735 in the small central Massachusetts town of Oxford, but the real story of her life begins in Maine with the diary she kept from age fifty. Without the diary her biography would be little more than a succession of dates. Her birth in 1735. Her marriage to Ephraim Ballard in 1754. The births of their nine children in 1756, 1758, 1761, 1763, 1765, 1767, 1769, 1772, 1779, and the deaths of three of them in 1769. Her own death in 1812.
"The notice of Martha's death in a local paper summed up her life in just one sentence: "Died in Augusta, Mrs. Martha, consort of Mr. Ephraim Ballard, aged 77 years." Without the diary we would know nothing of her life after the last of her children was born, nothing of the 816 deliveries she performed between 1785 and 1812. We would not even be certain she had been a midwife."
--from Laurel Thatcher Ulrich's A Midwife's Tale
Be sure to read the Project History page that tells how Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, a middle-aged University of New Hampshire history professor looking for her next project, met Martha Ballard in the two-hundred-year-old pages of the midwife's diary on a summer day in 1982.
The About the Online Diary page tells how the husband-and-wife team of Robert and Cynthia MacAlman McCausland spent their evenings for nearly ten years in transcribing verbatim Martha Ballard's 1,400+ handwritten pages to create the text version. It also tells how the image version was created.
The How to Use Primary Sources page includes a History Toolkit with "short essays designed to help the beginning historian conduct and organize his or her own historical research."
Other information available on the site includes:
And of course, there is Martha Ballard's Diary!
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Randy's Search for Cornelia Bresee
Randy Seaver over at Genea-Musings has created an index to his posts on his search for Cornelia Breese and her ancestors.
He is attempting to identify the parents of Cornelia Bresee who was born 5 December 1780 in New York. Cornlia married James Bell about 1797 in Schodack, Rensselaer County, New York according to records held by family members. They resided in Henderson township, Jefferson County, New York from about 1810 to their deaths in 1839/40.
Randy is documenting the searches he has done on various websites; providing information on the searches themselves as well as the results, and doing an excellent job of it. I highly recommend this series of posts. For beginners it is a very good "tutorial" on the research process itself and for those who have been "doing genealogy" for a while, it's an extremely good refresher course. There are a lot of new resources on the internet that have recently been made available and Randy seems to be covering the bases very well. I know I've gotten some good tips from him and he has highlighted some resources that I wasn't aware of. It doesn't matter that his search is for someone from New York... the basic process and sites searched can easily be applied to other surnames and geographical areas.
Of course, his posts serve a dual purpose for him by creating a research log for where he's searched and what he's found. A lesson there as well - keep track of what you've done and found, whether the result was positive or negative! Another side-benefit could be if he makes contact via his blog posts with other descendants or others researching the Bresee surname.
Thank you Randy!
He is attempting to identify the parents of Cornelia Bresee who was born 5 December 1780 in New York. Cornlia married James Bell about 1797 in Schodack, Rensselaer County, New York according to records held by family members. They resided in Henderson township, Jefferson County, New York from about 1810 to their deaths in 1839/40.
Randy is documenting the searches he has done on various websites; providing information on the searches themselves as well as the results, and doing an excellent job of it. I highly recommend this series of posts. For beginners it is a very good "tutorial" on the research process itself and for those who have been "doing genealogy" for a while, it's an extremely good refresher course. There are a lot of new resources on the internet that have recently been made available and Randy seems to be covering the bases very well. I know I've gotten some good tips from him and he has highlighted some resources that I wasn't aware of. It doesn't matter that his search is for someone from New York... the basic process and sites searched can easily be applied to other surnames and geographical areas.
Of course, his posts serve a dual purpose for him by creating a research log for where he's searched and what he's found. A lesson there as well - keep track of what you've done and found, whether the result was positive or negative! Another side-benefit could be if he makes contact via his blog posts with other descendants or others researching the Bresee surname.
Thank you Randy!