Author Archives: Charles Hansen

WSGS Conference Ellensburg, Washington Day One

by Charles Hansen

Since it was supposed to be hot on Friday June 26, 2015 we wanted to start early to get to Ellensburg before it got hot, but as usual we got going about 8:30 a.m. It was hot before we even got out of town, and by the time we got to Ritzville it was even hotter. At Vantage the wind was very calm down by the river.

100_2010But as we climbed up from the river toward RyeGrass Pass the wind generators were nearly all turning. I guess with so little water to generate electricity they are using as much wind power as they can to save the water behind the dams.

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At the Ryegrass rest stop Mount Rainier came into view and it looks so cold at the top.

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We got to Ellensburg and drove right past the Quality Motel, and turned around and found it this time. Since we were very early we went into the attached restaurant and had a milkshake, sure was nice on a hot day. Checked to see if we could check in and they were not ready for us yet. Frank McLean came in about then and we talked a little and looked at the rooms we were going to be in for the conference.

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We got to get our registration packets while we waited for our room to be ready and finally just before 3 p.m. our room was ready, so we checked in, and carried the suitcases and everything else we had from the hot car to our room. I then went to the WSGS board meeting, all members are welcome at the board meetings, and after the board meeting the the computer lab was set up.

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Roxanne Lowe, Roger Newman and Frank McLean at the computer lab.

Got hungry and found a few other board members and had dinner.

Then back to our room to check out the WIfi and get to bed since day two starts early.

One of our friends from Spokane had been told the WIfi was not working and would be fixed till Monday, but it worked fine in our room.

Dick Eastman Explains The Truth About Spokane’s Rachel Dolezal

by Charles Hansen

As I’ll bet you are aware, there has been a storm of publicity in Spokane over Rachel Dolezal and her string of lies which built her career. In this week’s newsletter (www.eogn.com for 22 Jun 2015) Dick Eastman delivers a genealogy answer to her:

A Genealogist Traces Rachel Dolezal’s Ancestry and Finds No Black Relatives
Rachel Dolezal has recently stirred up a controversy concerning he ancestry. She resigned Monday as head of her local NAACP chapter after reports surfaced that she was born white yet has claimed she is black. If you are not familiar with this recent news story that has been on all the news networks, start at https://goo.gl/QykhVSto find a few hundred reports about her recent controversy. Now a professional genealogist says that Dolezal’s claim is bogus.

Professional genealogist Elizabeth Banas has researched Dolezal’s ancestry back to 1671 and found that her family were entirely white, including some who were Mormons. Archives show that Rachel’s ancestors came to the US from Europe and have no bloodlines linking them to slaves or to Africa. Even a great grandmother who has almost identical features to Rachel was identified as white in two census documents.

Of course, there is always a possibility of an adoption that cannot be found in official records or that a baby was switched with another at birth. However, Dolezal’s parents claim that is impossible. They say Dolezal was born at home and spent her entire childhood living with her biological parents.

Details may be found in the Daily Mail at http://goo.gl/FzWemn.

City Directory Don’ts…. from St.Louis, MO, 1936

by Charles Hansen

Below is something I found in a 1936 St. Louis, Missouri, City Directory. I was browsing through this directory online at Ancestry and spotted this page and just had  to share it with all my genealogy friends:

City Directory Don’ts

DON’T put your Directory in an out-of-the-way place, but keep it where

your customers can see and use it without stopping some one to find it.

DON’T think that a Directory is paying for itself unless you use it any more

than an idle clerk can make you money.

DON’T look mad when a customer asks to look at your Directory.

DON’T look happy when a neighbor wants to borrow your Directory,

for if you do, he will borrow it again, and if all were borrowers,

when would the next Directory be published?

DON’T forget that an up-to-date city must have a Directory;

and a merchant that has no Directory is what?

DON’T forget that a Directory borrower today will forget to return it

tomorrow and you will call him what?

DON’T forget that the man who has a Directory pays for it and the borrower

gets for nothing what another man pays for. What do you call him?

We think of a City Directory as a past-tense resource. But to the merchants and civil servants of the day it was a valuable day-to-day “now” resource………. and one that was obtained only by paying a fee. 

Victoria Genealogical Society October Seminar

by Charles Hansen

The Victoria Genealogical Society is proud to report that our 2015 Annual Seminar Program is now finalized for October 24th at Victoria, BC, CAN.

We have an impressive lineup of speakers to address this year’s theme, “Creating Connections Through DNA: Genetic Genealogy in the Digital Age“.  More info at http://www.victoriags.org/seminar.php

I wanted to let you know with the hope that you would pass this information to your members and followers. Some may like the idea of combining a visit to Victoria with genealogy……a great little get-a-way.

Whitman County Gen Society Newsflash

by Charles Hansen

The dedicated-but-small membership of the Whitman County Genealogical Society in Pullman, WA, just went on their annual “picnic.” This is really an annual outing and since I am a member I joined them this time. The group rendezvoused in Pullman early on a Friday morning and drove the 90 minutes southeast to the town of Pomeroy and a great lunch at the being-restored Pataha Flour Mill. Here are Mary, Janet, Marge and Luke at the entrance…. old vintage “stuff” was everywhere! (Monica and Don not shown.)

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Tip of the Week FGS Webinars

by Charles Hansen

FGS is restarting their Webinar Series again and the first one will be how to keep your Volunteers Happy, Helpful and Engaged. This one will be on June 23, 2015 at 8 p.m. Eastern and then will be available for 30 days and then moved to the member only site. For More Information go here .

Seattle Genealogical Society Bonus Tip of the Week

by Charles Hansen
BONUS TIP OF THE WEEK –
MOCAVO NOW PROVIDES ALL U.S. CENSUS INDEXES AND IMAGES FOR FREE
Mocavo recently announced that the indexes and images for all United States Federal Censuses are now available for free to everyone on their web site.  See their full announcement at http://blog.mocavo.com/2015/05/u-s-federal-census-images-viewer-now-free-for-everyone for details.

Seattle Genealogical Society Tip of the Week

by Charles Hansen
TIP OF THE WEEK – FIFTEEN FREE WEBINARS FOR BEGINNING AND INTERMEDIATE GENEALOGISTS
The Family History Library and the Research Specialists of the United States and Canada Reference team are offering a free, never before offered, week-long seminar in October of 2015 in Salt Lake City. The focus will be exclusively U.S. research. The sessions will be ideal for beginning and intermediate genealogists interested in learning about U.S. records, FamilySearch resources, and Family History Library collections.  The seminar is now full for anyone wishing to attend in person. However, fifteen of the thirty classes will be broadcast via webinar. For more information please see the following: https://familysearch.org/blog/en/united-states-research-seminarTo attend one or more of these webinars, just click on their links below to attend.
ALL TIMES LISTED BELOW ARE MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME; SUBTRACT ONE HOUR FOR PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME.  You can join the webinar up to 30 minutes prior to each start time; just go to the link below, and click on JOIN.

12 October, Monday:

13 October, Tuesday:
14 October, Wednesday:
15 October, Thursday:
16 October, Friday:

 

Seattle Genealogical Society Upcoming Events

by Charles Hansen

 

SGS NEEDS VOLUNTEERS at the 2015 PACIFIC NORTHWEST SCOTTISH HIGHLAND GAMES
Saturday, July 25 & Sunday, July 26, 2015
Enumclaw Expo Center
COME LISTEN TO THE BAGPIPES – WATCH THE DANCERS – VISIT THE CLANS – AND HELP SGS PROMOTE GENEALOGY


We need volunteers to help at the Seattle Genealogical Society and Library booth during the Pacific Northwest Scottish Highland Games in Enumclaw next month. We have been participating for many years and it is a great way to let the public know about SGS and to promote membership. Our participation also gives us valuable community outreach credit for our grant applications with 4Culture. which has resulted in thousands of dollars for our equipment and projects. Game attendance is about 30,000 for the weekend. Most of the people who come to the SGS booth don’t have an understanding of their Scottish or Irish heritage and have not done any research. They primarily want to know two things:

1. “What clan do I belong to?”
2. “What tartan can I use?”

We will have a number of reference books available at the booth that help answer those questions. If you decide to help us that weekend – you will receive an e-mail attachment prior to the games that will give you a refresher course on Scottish and Celtic genealogy. There will also be a handout about SGS and other information. Highland Games material, maps and instructions will be sent out about 10 days before the games after we receive confirmation of our location and tickets.

Volunteers will cover a 2-hour shift each day.
We will supply you with a free ticket for the games. This will entitle you to enjoy the rest of the day at the Games. Parking will be at your own expense at $5.00 per day. We encourage carpooling.

Contact JEAN A. ROTH, SGS Director of Education at (206) 782-2629 or jeanaroth@juno.com by June 25, as I have to pre-order tickets to get SGS the best rate.  Please provide your name, email, phone contact, and if you are over 62 (to get Senior discount).

SGS CALENDAR OF EVENTS


All programs are at the SGS Library at 6200 Sand Point Way unless otherwise indicated. Please Check the SGS Web Site for additions, changes, and corrections. Programs may be postponed.

Sunday, June 21  FATHERS DAY – SGS Closed

Saturday, June 27, 10:00 am – 12:30 pm,
SGS DNA Interest Group   
Location change for this meeting only – Seattle Genealogical Society Library – 6200 Sand Point Way NE.  This meeting will review new discoveries in DNA testing and focus on learning to analyze your autosomal DNA testing results.  To be added to our email list, contact sgsdnasig@gmail.com

Saturday, June 27, 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm
ETHNIC SERIES: SCOTTISH and SCOTS-IRISH WORKSHOP
Leader: Patricia Younie, Clan coordinator and historian will discuss researching these two different groups from Scotland and Ireland that were important early settlers in North America.

JULY


Saturday July 4 and Sunday, July 5     SGS Closed for Holiday

Wednesday, July 8, 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm.
BRICK WALL PROBLEM SOLVING
DATE CHANGE – SEE JULY 22, BELOW

 Wednesday, July 15, 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm
PROGRAM MEETING: “ROUTES to OUR ROOTS”: EXPANSION WESTWARD FROM THE ATLANTIC
Our “Manifest Destiny” with Trails, Timelines, and Transportation. We’ll discuss North America’s major migration patterns and regional history.
Speaker: Jean A. Roth , SGS Director of Education

Saturday, July 18, 1:30 pm – 4:00 pm
BEGINNING GENEALOGY CLASS
An overview of basic genealogy techniques and resources. Advance registration requested – email SGSVicePresident@gmail.com.
Instructor: Janice Lovelace, SGS Vice President

Wednesday, July 22, 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm.
BRICK WALL PROBLEM SOLVING
Join SGS members for a problem-solving session.  This is an open forum format.
Leader: Jean A. Roth

Saturday, July 25 and Sunday, July 26
SCOTTISH HIGHLAND GAMES – Enumclaw.
SGS will have a booth and offer genealogical help. We need volunteers for both days and for two hour sessions. You will be provided with a ticket for the games.  Please contact Jean Roth at jeanaroth@juno.com or (206) 782-2629

Sunday, July 26, 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm      PROGRAM: “INSANITY IN THE 19th CENTURY: ONE FAMILY’S STORY”, Speaker: Jill Morelli.
We are told as children, “Shhh, don’t talk about Aunt Jane.” As genealogists, we may find that she was in an insane asylum or mental health hospital (depending on the era of the confinement). Explore the history of institutionalization and treatment of the insane from Bedlam to the 20th century with an in-depth look at the life of one man confined in Illinois in the 19th century. Records publically available will be compared with those accessible through the courts.