Author Archives: Charles Hansen

Monday Mystery

by Charles Hansen

How did you do answering those ten questions about Washington history and geography?  Here are the answers:

  1. I-90 spans 3022 miles going from Seattle to Boston.
  2. Tri-Cities are comprised of Kennewick, Pasco and Richland.
  3. The “kettles” near Kettle Falls on the upper Columbia River were made by large stones swirled in the current to make “kettles” in the rock; they are now under water.
  4. Lake Roosevelt, the man-made lake formed behind Grand Coulee Dam, is the state’s largest river….. it is also the Columbia River.
  5. The Hoh River is a river in the S. state of Washington, located on the Olympic Peninsula. About 56 miles (90 km) long,[3] the Hoh River originates at the Hoh Glacier on Mount Olympus and flows west through the Olympic Mountains of Olympic National Park and Olympic National Forest, then through the foothills in a broad valley, emptying into the Pacific Ocean at the Hoh Indian Reservation.
  6. Vampires in Forks? Have you read the Twilight series? You tell me.
  7. Deception Pass was so named when a group of sailors led by Joseph Whidbey, part of the Vancouver Expedition, found and mapped Deception Pass on June 7, 1792.[2]George Vancouver gave it the name “Deception” because it had misled him into thinking Whidbey Island was a peninsula.
  8. Baldy was given the more dignified name of Mt. Spokane in 1912.
  9. Spotted Owls in the forests? I’ve never seen one…have you?
  10. According to a big sign on I-90 going east after crossing the Vantage Bridge, Grant County claims that honor.

Puget Sound Civil War Roundtable Meeting

by Charles Hansen

Upcoming PSCWRT Meeting

October 11, 2018
The renown writer and historian, Walter Stahr returns to Seattle to tell the story of his latest book – Stanton: Lincoln’s War Secretary. Stahr captures the essence of the controversial Edwin M. Stanton who, while a staunch Democrat, revered the Republican Lincoln and supported the war effort with all his considerable talents.

Stanton was at the epicenter of the Andrew Johnson impeachment as he sought to advance the cause of freedmen during the dark days of the Lincoln assassination and reconstruction.  This will likely be the most influential discussion of the season.

Mr. Stahr is also the author of Seward: Lincoln’s Indispensable Man and John Jay: Founding Father. Mr. Stahr practiced international law for 25 years, including seven in Hong Kong and five with the SEC.
http://walterstahr.com/

Social hour begins at 6:00 pm, Dinner at 6:45 pm, and program at 8:00 pm.  Click the button below to make a reservation. Students may attend free without a dinner.

PSCWRT Website

GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s Thursday Evening E-News

by Charles Hansen

THE GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s

Thursday Evening

E-News, Edition

September 20, 2018

Curious about the status of your GFO Membership?

We’d love to have you as a GFO Member!

For more information visit www.gfo.org, contact us at info@gfo.org, or call our library at 503-963-1932.

Be sure to check our complete GFO CALENDAR.
Also, don’t miss the current issue of The Forum Insider
***

Don’t forget to register before October 8th for the Early Bird Prices

WHO? You’ve probably heard of Cyndi Ingle and her invaluable website, Cyndi’s List.

WHAT? Internet Genealogy. Come hear from the guru behind one of the most online comprehensive reference lists genealogical research has ever seen!

WHEN? Saturday, November 3rd, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Sunday, November 4th, 9:30 a.m. to noon.

WHERE? Milwaukie Center, 440 SE Kellogg Creek Dr, Milwaukie, OR 97222

Topics will include: Ten Resources I Use Every Day, Advanced Googling for Grandma, Unappreciated Treasures, Digital Research Plans, Google Maps & Google Earth and Online Resources for the Western U.S.
***
Lisa McCullough 09112018

GFO’s September Stars – Kristin Parks & Lisa McCullough

Despite short notice, Kristin Parks and Lisa McCullough did a superb job of researching the fate of Charles Morgan’s father, David Morgan, at this summer’s May Genealogy Problem Solvers session.
Kristin Parks

Kristin and Lisa developed a plausible hypothesis for the South Wales origin of David Morgan, building on DNA data to find probable descendants of David Morgan. Charles was so pleased with their assistance that he awarded a generous donation to GFO.

We’re so glad to have Kristin and Lisa’s ongoing assistance with all things GFO!
***

The Jewish Genealogical Society of Oregon is pleased to announce that the speaker for their October meeting will be Avraham Groll, Director of JewishGen.org.

He has graciously agreed to do a combination of two of his most popular programs: Jewish Life in Poland – Parts 1 and 2. This will be a two hour meeting.

Due to Avraham’s travel schedule this program will start at a later time than our usual programs. The meeting will be held at Ahavath Achim, 3225 SW Barbur Blvd, Portland, OR 97239.

Please note the 2 p.m. start time.
***

We Might Be Slow To Respond To Emails Next Week
hands-545394 640

The GFO is making a switch next week to a cheaper, more versatile email service.

Nobody outside the GFO should notice a thing — unless we hit a glitch. If we do run into a snag, we thank you in advance for your understanding as it may take us a little bit longer response to emails.

Your patience is greatly appreciated. Feel free to also call our reception desk at 503-963-1932 if you need additional assistance.
***

Save these dates for some exciting GFO events!

Doing research in Pennsylvania?

Researcher Elsie Deatherage will be the guest speaker for the Great Lakes Region group’s meeting on Saturday, October 13th at 9:30 a.m. in the Multipurpose Room at GFO. Pennsylvania has several distinct ethnic and religious groups that kept different records than we may be accustomed to, but that are really helpful. Learn how to overcome the challenges of state boundary issues, the shifting borders of counties and townships and the difficulties in locating churches and cemeteries. We will look at the on and offline resources that are unique to the Keystone State. There will also be time to share our research quandaries and discoveries. Feel free to contact us at GreatLakes@gfo.org. We look forward to seeing you.

Are you one of over 30 million Americans who have Irish ancestors?

Join GFO’s Irish Special Interest Group on Wednesday, October 17th, 6 – 8 p.m., as Karen Hubbard will present a timeline of Irish history. This will help group members put their Irish ancestors in context with their times, and better understand how to research them. We’ll also try to help with “brick walls” in Ireland, or answer other questions about Ireland and Irish research. If you’d like to submit a brick wall question for us to address, email Irish@gfo.org, at least one week in advance.

GFO DNA Advanced Meeting – October 27th, 9 a.m. to noon

Tim Janzen will give a presentation on DNA Painter and creating network diagrams. Anyone interested in using DNA for genealogy is welcomed. Time will be provided for questions.

GFO DNA Beginner’s Meeting – November 24th, 9 a.m. to noon

Emily Aulicino will lead the group in a discussion regarding any questions on the basic DNA tests and the major testing companies. Please submit your questions to her at dna_ea@gfo.org up to one week prior to the class. This is the chance to cover your particular issues which could include what tests work for what problems, exploring how to use spreadsheets to help you organize your data, viewing the company websites, and more. Anyone interested in using DNA for genealogy is welcomed. Time will be provided for additional questions.
***

SATURDAY, September 22nd

African American Ancestry Group 12:30 – 2:30 p.m.

Julie Ramos facilitates this group, which focuses on researching African American ancestry. Meetings take place on the 4th Saturday of the month at 12:30 p.m.

If you know of any other people interested in African American genealogy, please tell them about the group. You do not have to be a GFO member to participate, as all our Special Interest Groups are free and completely open to the public!

British Interest Group 1 – 3 p.m.

The group will discuss online sources for news. Frances Hart will report on her trip to the UK. There will also be time for open discussions about your recent successes and brick walls. This group focuses on research in the British Isles, i.e. England, Wales, Scotland, and Scots-Irish. We try to have speakers who provide interesting experiences or online databases for research in these countries. One hour of the two hour meeting is devoted to Brick Wall questions. Anyone with an interest in English/Welsh/Scottish research is welcome to join us. Questions may be directed to Duane Funk at UK@gfo.org. Website: http://gfo.org/intgrp/british.htm. Library Catalog: http://www.gfo.org/library/uki/eng.htm.

GFO’s Research Library will close at 12:45 p.m. on this date, Saturday, September 22nd, to allow room for the two above-noted fantastic Special Interest Groups.

SUNDAY, September 23rd

Beginners’ Boot Camp 9:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Class Full: Registration Closed

Laurel Smith leads a full day of beginning genealogy lessons at the GFO. There will be sessions about the census, vital records, immigration and naturalization, discussions about genealogy software and database use, organizing your research and more — all geared toward beginners. Bring a sack lunch so the discussion can continue while we eat.

Here’s what attendees are saying: “Boot Camp was rocking, wow do I regret not having it before I started my work…such a good teacher…a marathon that was time well-spent…informative and motivational…with humor and positive energy…more than exceeded my expectations!”

Contact Information: Laurel Smith at info@gfo.org or at 503-963-1932 if you have questions about your registration.

If you missed registering for this class, it happens again Tuesday, January 8, followed by one on Sunday, March 24 during the annual GFO Open House.

Friday Serendipity

by Charles Hansen

My newspaper, The Spokesman Review, is both blessed and lucky to have Jim Kershner as a regular correspondent. Here is his bit from Sunday, 9 Sep 2018……. and fits well for a WSGS Serendipity blog post:

A mass meeting of citizens in Krupp, Wash., west of Odessa, unanimously voted to petition the U.S. Post Office and the Great Northern Railway to change the name of the post office and the station from Krupp to Marlin.

With war raging against Germany, people had turned against German-sounding names. The name Krupp was particularly problematic, since it was the name of a German munitions company.

Apparently few were in favor of keeping the name Krupp. Yet plenty of debate was devoted to selecting a new name. Some of the suggestions included Wheatland, Marne, Merica, and Wheat.

They settled on Marlin, in honor of Henry Marlin, one of the earliest settlers in the area.

“Marlin raised 12 children here, and his cattle ranged all the way between what is now Odessa and Wilson Creek,” said a correspondent.

The name of the post office was, in fact, duly changed to Marlin. Yet changing the official name of the town itself was another matter. The town had already been incorporated as Krupp in 1911, and to this day it has never been changed, even though the post office is still named Marlin.

On maps, the name is sometimes listed as both Krupp and Marlin — or as Krupp, with ‘Marlin P.O.” in parentheses.

In the 2010 census, Krupp had a population of 48, making it the smallest incorporated town in the state.

In 1918, it had about twice as many residents.

Did you have ancestors who lived in Krupp…… or Marlin???

Frenchtown Rendezvous

by Charles Hansen

The upcoming Frenchtown Rendezvous, this October 6, 2018, in Walla Walla, WA. 
 
This is a great event for anyone who is interested in the history of Eastern Washington. Our program this year is of particular interest to archaeologists and geneaologists. It features a workshop on writing and publishing family history led by Christina Dubois, retired editor of Columbia Magazine of the Washington State Historical Society, and a presentation by historical archaeologist Maryanne Maddoux about the ongoing digitization of the Harriet D. Munnick Papers by the St. Paul Mission Historical Society, and her experiences as lab manager at the field school excavation of a French-Canadian homestead at Champoeg, OR. 
 
Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. We’d love to see you there!
 
 
Sarah Hurlburt
Secretary, Frenchtown Historical Foundation
 
 

Wednesday Nostalgia

by Charles Hansen

Ever been to The Brick in Roslyn? I know the place from my favorite TV show, Northern Exposure. But The Brick has a cool history.

In 1889, John Buffo and Peter Giovanni opened a tavern in this location. The tavern was rebuilt in 1898 using 45,000 bricks and took the name “The Brick”.

Want to read more about this famous Washington saloon? Click to www.bricksaloon.com.  Lots of good stuff there.

Today The Brick looks a bit sad and sorry………..  too bad.

Skagit Valley Genealogical Society Educational Program

by Charles Hansen

I’d like to let you know about an upcoming educational program we are offering on October 13, 2018 from 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. in partnership with Skagit Valley Genealogical Society. The topic of the program is “Mapping Your Ancestors” and will be presented by Janet O’Connor – Camarata.

 

This event is free and open to the public. I’ve attached a flyer with more information. Please feel free to forward or post on any wall you wish! We appreciate your help in getting the word out, because we would like as many people as possible to benefit from our programs.
Please contact me with any questions or feedback. Thank you for helping us spread the word about these free and valuable community resources.
Hope to see you there!

SVGS 10.13.18 Meeting Flyer

 

Kathleen Headden, Reference Librarian

Burlington Public Library

820 E. Washington Ave.

Burlington, WA 98233

360-755-0760, ext. 7906

 

Whitman County Genealogical Society Mini Seminar

by Charles Hansen

Whitman County Genealogical Society

is hosting a FREE Fall mini-seminar

Bishop Place Independent Living Social Room, 811 SE Klemgard, Pullman, WA

Saturday, October 13, 2018

featuring:

“All About Heraldry and Its Use in Genealogy”

By Anthony (Tony) Durnford deGray Birch

 

“Digital Research – Tips, Tricks and Resources” By Lee Pierce

9:00 am: The doors open.

9:30 am-10:30 am: Anthony (Tony) Birch is a retired higher education administrator and long standing member of Eastern Washington Genealogical Society. He doesn’t claim to be a heraldry expert, but a family historian trying to make sense out of things he has inherited or found through research. His presentation will focus on heraldry, and how the genealogist/family historian can use heraldry to learn more about their ancestors. He will share examples of his ten-year search of his ancestors’ crests and coats of arms and what the many images, forms and colors mean.

10:30-10:45 Break and refreshments.

10:45 am-11:45 am: Lee Pierce is the archivist for the Eastern Region Branch of the Washington State Archives in Cheney, Washington. His mission is to collect, preserve and provide access to the records of local government agencies of the 11 furthest east counties of the state. He will be showing and telling about the digital archives and how best to use it, as well as other government resources that are available to researchers.

If you have any questions or need more information contact WCGS President, Sue Kreikemeier at:

aerocraft@completebbs.com or 509-635-1303. Please RSVP to Sue or whitmancgs@gmail.com

by October 6 to accommodate handouts & refreshments.

While the seminar is free, donations are welcome at the door.

Directions: Turn off Bishop Boulevard onto Klemgard Ave., follow Klemgard Ave. up the hill and turn left at the top. Do not go into the front entrance, but turn right, continuing up the hill and turn left at the white car ports. Find an appropriate parking place, enter the building through the main doors and go straight ahead to the Social Room.

BIOGRAPHIES OF FALL SEMINAR SPEAKERS

Anthony (Tony) Durnford deGray Birch’s biography includes the following:

  • BS and MS degrees from Oregon State University
  • MBA from University of Washington
  • 40 years working in higher education, including 16 years as administrative vice-president of Clark College in Vancouver, Washington
  • Selected by his community college peers as Outstanding Chief Business Officer for the four-state Northwest Region in 1996
  • Came with his wife, Janette, to the Inland Empire in 2006
  • Longtime member of Eastern Washington Genealogical Society where he and his wife are “greeters”
  • He and Janette were honored in 2015 as Washington State Outstanding Volunteers
  • He and Janette have done the following:

Compiled seven books about their ancestors

Volunteered with Find-A-Grave for many small cemeteries in the Palouse area

Enjoyed a number of weeklong trips to the Family History Center in Salt Lake City, Utah

Lee Pierce’s biography includes the following:

 

  • Been in the archival field broadly since 1997
  • BA in history from Eastern Washington University in 1998
  • MA in history from Eastern Washington University in 2000
  • Worked for the Arizona State Historical Society Museum’s archives at Papago Park in Tempe
  • Worked as a freelance researcher and a freelance processing archivist
  • Began working at Eastern Region Branch of the Washington State Archives in 2005
  • Currently the Archivist at Eastern Region Branch of the Washington State Archives
  • Enthusiastic historian of the American military experience, most especially the period of the American War of Independence and from WWII to present
  • Writes fiction in his “spare time”
  • Member of the City of Cheney’s Historic Preservation Commission