Spotlight on Clark County Gen Society Library

Vancouver, Washington, is a history “hot site” for Washington. With Fort Vancouver’s history going back 200 years and the First People’s history going back much further, Vancouver was an exciting place to visit. 

Past president and current librarian for CCGS is my long-time friend, Lethene Parks. In between sessions of a history conference that we both attended, she showed me around their society’s library. And she just as proudly showed off their Pioneer File.

 

 

Vancouver that weekend was in full bloom and I made a promise to myself to go back and tour and learn more of the rich history of that area. Here is my photo of Fort Vancouver:

Query on Perry Summerfield

 

Hello, I’m recently re-located back to my roots here in Port Orchard and have been doing some research on my great-great grandfather Perry Summerfield, he lived in the Puyallup area I would say around 1890-1930’s ? Any info would be great. I am planing a drive down there soon, oh and he used to work with Ezra Meeker, a farmer, and something to do with the Wash Fair.
Thanks
Charles Summerfield <1973lespaulrr@gmail.com>
907-841-5327

South King County Genealogy Society Meeting

South King County Genealogy Society General Meeting is scheduled for this Saturday, June 17th beginning at 10:00 am at Wesley Home – Lea Hill, 32049 109th Pl SE, Auburn. Arrive by 9:30 am with your morning coffee and share your research with an experienced genealogist.

Be Your Own Digital Archivist: Preserve Your Research – Are you doing everything you can to safeguard your genealogical research? Your documents? Your data? Your scanned images? We will talk about the importance of taking charge of your own materials and making sure they aren’t going to disappear.

Our guest speaker is Cyndi Ingles of Cyndi’s List – Cyndi is the creator, owner and “webmaster” of the award-winning web site Cyndi’s List of Genealogy Sites on the Internet, www.CyndisList.com, a categorized index to more than 335,000 online resources. In its first three years, Cyndi’s List was three times voted the best genealogy site on the World Wide Web. Cyndi has been interviewed for many television and radio broadcasts including ABC News, NBC News, the BBC, and National Public Radio. She has also participated in the Ancestors II television series on PBS. Cyndi, a genealogist for more than 35 years is a past-member of the board of directors for the National Genealogical Society. Cyndi is an internationally known guest lecturer for various genealogical society meetings and seminars (http://www.CyndisList.com/speaking-calendar/).

Friday Serendipity

*** News Flash: Washington is the cloudiest part of the U.S.!

*** Images of America books

*** Washington’s Ethnic Diversity

*** Cats and Commas

 

According to a blurb in the Tacoma newspaper back on April 2, 1937, and coming from Cambridge, Massachusetts, a Harvard meteorologist proclaimed that St.Petersburg, Florida, was America’s sunniest spot. And the State of Washington the cloudiest section of the country. And the Olympic Mountains deemed the rainiest place. At least we didn’t get the Snowiest section or Driest Section or Thunderstorm Section.  (Another blurb on another page I copied for March 6, 1939, said that “one of every 1000 citizens in Washington is a prison inmate, a penitentiary census statistic indicated today.” Hummmmm……

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Ever wished you had a picture book of your hometown showing what it looked like back in the olden days? Images of America just might have what you crave. Take Washington state, for instance. There are 175 titles listed for our state with nearly forty for the Seattle area alone! There is a picture book for Ruston, Shelton, Oysterville, Camas, Forks, Soap Lake and even Pullman, so they do have smaller towns too. Click to www.imagesofamerica.com and check it out. (I just checked; they have a book for Kalamazoo, Michigan, where I was born!)

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According to “Washington State Facts,” the Evergreen State in 2004 was 10% foreign-born. And the six largest reported ancestries are German (19%), English (12%), Irish (11%), Norwegian (6 %), Mexican (6%) and Filipino (3%).  By 2015, this had changed (according to Google). Our state was 75% white, 8.7% Asian/Pacific Islander,  20% non-white which included Native Americans. I enjoy the ethnic diversity of our state.  Hope you do too.

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THE GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s Wednesday Evening E-News


THE GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s
Wednesday Evening
E-News
7 June 2017

For more information visit www.gfo.org, contact us at info@gfo.org, or call our library at 503-963-1932. We love hearing from you!

Also, if you missed your free copy of our monthly Insider for May 2017, you’re in luck because we saved you a copy HERE. NOTE: The Insider issues are now located under the “Learn” > “Our Publications” menu at our new website (still gfo.org).
Curious about the status of your GFO Membership?? We’d love to have you as a GFO Member!
***
Super Volunteers to the Rescue!! Help on Sundays??

Volunteer spots are open for Sundays, 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Continue reading →

JEFFERSON COUNTY GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY JUNE Meeting

JEFFERSON COUNTY GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY

PO Box 627

Port Townsend, WA 98368

Contact for this release: Judy Tough 385-3065 or tough@olympus.net

FOR RELEASE: June 8 -16, 2017

AMERICA’S TRANSPORTATION REVOLUTION:

MIGRATION and PROSPERITY

In the1800s America underwent a Transportation Revolution that greatly affected workers, farmers, and communities all across the nation. Dr. Austin Kerr, Ohio State University History Professor and member of Jefferson County Genealogical Society (JCGS), will share the story of his family to illustrate the changes and impacts of the Revolution on the movements of people and their economic opportunities. The public is invited to hear this free presentation at the monthly meeting of JCGS on Saturday morning, June 17, 9:30 – 11:30, at the Chimacum Grange, located across Hwy 19 from the Tri-Area Community Center in Chimacum. (Please note this temporary change of venue.) <www.wajcgs.org>

Dr. Austin Kerr, retired History Professor from Ohio State University

Tuesday Trivia

*** Washington’s State Song….. can you sing it?

This poem by Helen Davis, and musically arranged by Stuart Churchill, was adopted as the Official Song of Washington State on March 19, 1959. I’ll bet you’ve never heard it…….or even of it, right?  Here tiz:

This is my country; God gave it to me.

I shall protect it; Ever keep it free.

Small towns and cities; rest here in the sun.

Filled with our laughter; Thy will be done.

Washington, My Home; wherever I may roam

This is my land, my native land, Washington my home.

Our verdant forests green, caressed by silvery stream

From mountain peak to fields of what

Washington, My Home. 

There’s peace you feel and understand

In this our own beloved land

We greet the day with head held high

And forward ever is our cry

We’ll happy ever be; as people always free

For you and me—-a destiny; Washington My Home.

Sorry, but sounds kinda corny to me. What do you think???

 

Puget Sound Genealogical Society June Meeting

Puget Sound Genealogical Society
Saturday, June 24 10:30a.m. – 12:30p.m.
at Kitsap Regional Library. 1301 Sylvan Way, Bremerton
DISCOVER COUNTY HISTORIES ONLINE
with Janet Camarata. Learn about town, county, and
regional histories that are in print, where to find them
and how to assess their value.
Registration is required: call Genealogical Center
(360)475-9172
Thanks Jackie Horton, Publicity Chairperson