Seattle Genealogical Society Volunteers Needed

A century ago, the Thousand Island area of the St. Lawrence River (some 1864 actually) was the playground of some of America’s richest people. They came and built “cottages” (mansions!) as their summer retreats. Clayton, Jefferson County, New York, was sort of a jumping off point for these well-heeled folks to board their private yachts and sail to their summer “cottage.” Bet you didn’t know that Thousand Island Salad Dressing was first concocted there by the wife of a local fisherman…….. it was for salmon, not salad. But I digress.

We’ve all been told a hundred times to check out the small-little-town libraries, museums and historical societies where our ancestors might have lived. Well, BINGO on Clayton! While on my cruise trip in May, we moored for a day at Clayton. I made a beeline for the Thousand Islands Museum and Clayton Research Library Collection. Yes, the little museum was impressive….. it gets cold enough there that in days gone by there were trotting-horse races held on the ice… but it was the genealogy collection that really impressed me.

There were binders shelved around three sides of the room; two sides held over 300 binders labeled by surnames, families that had lived in the area. And these were fat-stuffed binders with newspaper clippings, obits, letters, all sorts of goodies! Of course I looked at the binder for POTTER and first thing was a spiral-bound booklet titled Potters of New York…. A resource I’d never seen before! Likely a local author’s compilation.

The third side of the room was their local veterans’ memorials, some dating back to the Civil War. On the final side of the room were binders labeled businesses, churches, schools, groups, cemeteries, rivers, etc. The four walls surrounded a 12-foot table with 12 comfy chairs.

So, Lesson #1: do not neglect contacting even small towns for they are always very proud of their history and most always have resources on the folks who made that history. And Lesson #2, if you have a Thousand Island ancestor, contact the Clayton Research Library, 312 James Street, Clayton, NY, 13601, or click to www.timuseum.org or email info@timuseum.org.

Let’s Talk About….. Washington Place Names

Jul7 by Donna Phillips

How Washington Place Names Came To Be: From The Untamed Olympics, by Ruby El Hult, 1954

(GV= George Vancouver)

Strait of Juan de Fuca – 1592, Portuguese captain/sailor first to sail into the Sound

Heceta Head – 1862, Bruno Heceta, Capt. of Spanish ship/exploration

Destruction Island – 1775, Spanish men went ashore for wood/water were killed

Mt. Olympus – for Greek god, Capt. John Meares, 1788

Port Discovery – Capt. George Vancouver, 1790

Dungeness Spit – Capt. GV, 1792, rem’d him of Dungeness on English Channel

Port Angeles – “Puerto de Neuestra Senorade Los Angeles” 1791 by Francisco de Eliza…. Officially changed 1862

Port Townsend – Capt. GV, 1792, “in honor of noble marquis of that name”

Mt Rainier – Capt. GV, for his old friend Capt. Peter Rainier

Hood Canal – Capt. GV, “Right Honorable Lord Hood” —- GV, thinking of his homeland, “named many places for friends and English noblemen of his acquaintance.”

Puget Sound – Lt. Peter Puget, with GV, 1792 by Capt. GV

Gray’s Harbor – Capt. Robert Gray, first to sail into Columbia River, 1792

Port Gamble – Wilkes Expedition, 1841, unsure if John or Robert Gamble, 1868 after founding of Pope/Talbot mill 1853

Renton – Capt. Wm Renton, pioneer of Seattle area, 1875

Camano Island –1847, in honor of Francisco de Eliza, 1790

O’Leary Creek, flows into Gray’s Harbor—1850, Irishman Wm O’Leary

Lake Crescent – 1890, crescent-shape

Crescent Beach – 1892, town laid out as deep water lumber shipping port; razed 1920s as part of coast defense system

Lake Sutherland – John Sutherland, 1865, Canadian fur trapper

Ebey – Col. Isaac N. Ebey, first permanent resident Whidbey Island, 1851

Seattle – Chief Sealth

Kingston – 1853, originally Apple Tree Cove

Mt Baker – 1792, Joseph Baker sailed with Capt. GV

Winthrop – Theodore Winthrop, 1853, traveling journalist

Denney – Arthur Denney, representative for WA Terr

Lauridsen – G.M. Lauridsen. Danish world traveler, bought lots in Port Angeles

Elliott Bay – Prof D B. Elliott, 1898, from Chicago Field Museum to study

Everett – John Everett, came with fur trappers, 1890

LaPush – French, la bouche, the mouth so said but WRONG

Fidalgo – Salvador Fidalgo early sailor 1790s

Forks – 1912, laid out by early homesteaders

McCleary – Henry McCleary, 1898

I gleaned these bits/answers from Ruth’s book; I did not fact-check them with Google. Begs a good point: do we swallow so-called facts without checking their veracity???

Earn a Reward for Pursuing a Pioneer

Jul5 by Roxanne Lowe

More than 1,500 Washington Pioneers have been documented in our Pioneer Pursuit Contest. Thank you to all who have submitted genealogies, but we’re looking for more! It is estimated there were nearly 350,000 people living here in 1889, and thousands more who came and went before 1889.

As an incentive for submitting (and having approved) a genealogy of a Pioneer and his/her descendants, you will earn a prize. Yes, everyone earns a prize:

Top three local societies with the most submissions (based on the number of members in the society): $300, $200 and $100.
Each society that participates will receive $20.
Top three individuals submitting the most submissions: $150, $100 and $50.
Each individual who participates will receive a year’s membership in WSGS.

Remember, you don’t have to be related to a Pioneer — just pick someone. Here is a list of places to start.

We want to document every man, woman and child living in Washington Territory on or before Nov. 11, 1889. YOU can help us do that! For more information, visit the Pioneer Pursuit web page or email us at Info@wasgs.org.

Tacoma Pierce County Genealogical Society Book Club

Jul5 by Charles Hansen

Tacoma Pierce County Genealogical Society Book Club Meeting

Saturday, July 15 at 4:00 pm via Zoom

Please join us as we discuss a fictional genealogical book, The Marriage Certificate by Stephen Molyneus.

More information at:

Amazon: The Marriage Certificate

We will also choose future books.

Please download and import the following iCalendar (.ics) files to your calendar system.

Monthly: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/tZUkfuCqrzgsG9RrrhNAdU65Lz86P0s92mu1/ics?icsToken=98tyKuGppzIjGNWWthiHRpwcHYr4XerzmHZdjfpvjg3tLQFXV1WjGvgaZIIvA4GC

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81999213610?pwd=Qkk2WFZTZ2Rzdzc1Z0szN1AzdEZCUT09

Meeting ID: 819 9921 3610

Passcode: 479394

One tap mobile

+12532050468,,81999213610#,,,,*479394# US

+12532158782,,81999213610#,,,,*479394# US (Tacoma)

Dial by your location

+1 253 205 0468 US

+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)

Meeting ID: 819 9921 3610

Passcode: 479394

Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/keibNHDdyf

Bainbridge Island Genealogical Society Becoming Washington Who Came to the Northwest and Why

Jul5 by Charles Hansen

On July 21, 2023 BIGS Presents

At 10AM, Friday, July 21, 2023,

A Zoom Virtual Event,

Janice Lovelace will present:

Becoming Washington:

Who Came to the Northwest and Why.

What conditions existed for your ancestors to leave their home and make a journey to
a new place? What conditions existed to encourage settlement in the Americas,
especially the Pacific Northwest? This presentation focuses primarily on the push and
pull factors for voluntary immigration in the mid-19th to mid-20th centuries. What
laws applied to immigration and what documents can genealogists find?

Janice Lovelace is a genealogical researcher, educator, author, and lecturer, with over
thirty years of experience. She completed the Genealogy and Family History
certificate at the University of Washington in 2012, the certificate program in
genealogy at Boston University in 2013, and ProGen in 2014. A frequent speaker, Dr.
Lovelace also an instructor at the Midwest African American Genealogical Institute
(MAAGI). A retired college faculty member, Dr. Lovelace authored the National
Genealogical Society’s online continuing education course African American Roots: A
Historical Perspective.
So, please go to our website, bigenealogy.orgto pick up your Zoom link beginning on July 20^th, the day before the presentation.

Everyone Welcome! No membership necessary.

Let’s Talk About…. Canada Day, July 1st

Jul4 by Donna Phillips

As we celebrate American Independence on July 4th annually, our Canadians celebrate their independence on July 1st. Why?

July 1, 1867: The British North America Act (today known as the Constitution Act, 1867) created Canada. On June 20, 1868: Governor General Lord Monck signs a proclamation that requests all of Her Majesty Queen Victoria’s subjects across Canada to celebrate the occasion on July 1.How much do we know about our Canadian neighbors? See how you do on this 20-question quiz……. answers way at the bottom!

Canadian Trivia

1. 1. Name the territories and provinces that comprise Canada?

2. 2. Which Canadian province is officially bi-lingual?

3. 3. What are the two national sports of Canada?

4. 4. How many points are on the Maple Leaf on the flag?

5. 5. The first YMCA in Canada was opened in what city?

6. 6. Which Great Lake does not share a border with Canada?

7. 7. When is Canada Day celebrated? (Formerly Dominion Day.)

8. 8. Which spreadable good was invented by a Canadian pharmacist?

9. 9. In some Canadian provinces, doctors can give a prescription to do what?

10. In 1995, Quaker Oats gave this away in their cereal boxes.

11. PEI residents are known by this starchy nickname?

12. Which territory or province is largest?

13. Curling was invented in what country?

14. Who is the immediate past Prime Minister of Canada?

15. Who is the current P.M.?

16. “Double-double with timbits” in Canada means what?

17. Seal flippers are a delicacy in Newfoundland, yes or no?

18. What natural phenomenon in 2021 in British Columbia caused a massive marine die out?

19. Which Canadian city staged an elaborate ruse that Nazis were invading in 1942?

20. Who is the most famous Canadian folk singer?

ANSWERS:

1. Ontario, Northwest Territories, Newfoundland/Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Alberta, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Yukon

2. New Brunswick

3. Hockey and LaCrosse

4. Eleven

5. Montreal

6. Michigan

7. July 1^st

8. Peanut butter, 1884

9. Park passes (to get outdoors!)

10. Hockey card

11. “Spudheads,” for potatoes

12. Nunavut

13. Scotland

14. Harper

15. Trudeau

16. Coffee (2sugars/2creams) and donut holes (in Tim Horton’s)

17. Yes

18. Heat wave

19. Winnipeg

20. Leonard Cohen (and you guessed Gordon Lightfoot, right?)

This was a game played on board the Pearl Mist by a Canadian entertainer who said he used Google to compile the list….. “so blame Google for any mistakes!”

Stillaguamish Valley Genealogical Society Annual Potluck

Jul4 by Charles Hansen

Stillaguamish Valley Genealogical Society

Annual Summer Potluck & New England Research Group

Tuesday, July 11

SVGS Library
6111 188 PL NE
Arlington, WA

Potluck 12:00 pm – 3 pm

We welcome all to join us for our annual July Summer Potluck. Hamburgers, hotdogs and fixings will be supplied, please bring a side, dessert or a beverage to share. This event is open to members and the public. It is a great time of fun and fellowship.

New England Research Group 10 am – Noon

Come early and meet others doing New England research. Topic this month:
Patriot and Loyalist ancestors. (This group normally meets the first Tuesday of the month at 10 am) Then stay for the potluck!

South King County Genealogical Society July 2023 Meetings

Jul2 by Charles Hansen

A few of our regularly scheduled programs are paused for the summer, but we do offer something nearly every week for your enjoyment. Our monthly meetings with featured speakers will return in September.

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Be in the know! Receive notices for our virtual meetings, as well as the latest genealogy news and tips, by subscribing (free) to the online group at https://skcgs.groups.io

Skcgs.groups.io is the SKCGS online discussion and collaboration arena where:

we communicate and share information with each other
other than your email, you are not required to provide personal information
you can unsubscribe at any time

PROGRAM UPDATES

All meetings are online via Zoom except the in-person Genealogy Help at the Auburn Library
Live transcription (captioning) is available during our Zoom meetings by request
Online meeting participants need to register for SKCGS Zoom meetings.Register at our website skcgs.org or use links below. Upon registration, Zoom will send a confirmation email with instructions on joining the meeting.

JULY – EARLY AUGUST 2023 MEETINGS & EVENTS

Monday, July 10, 2023 ⋅ 1:00pm – 3:00pm PT
Genetic Genealogy/DNA Interest Group (online)
“Is DNA Testing Anywhere But Ancestry.com Worth Your Time & Money?”
What is your research objective? We’ll discuss aspects of DNA testing and possible data upload to sites outside of the testing companies, pro and con.
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIucuCvqTsqHNcN7wBEC0fB_3-TRYD1rZLm
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Subscribe to the free SKCGS Genetic-Genealogy email list for meeting reminders and discussion: https://skcgs.groups.io/g/Genetic-Genealogy

Monday, July 17, 2023 ⋅ 1:00pm – 3:00pm PT
Technical User Group (online)
“Research Planning: Research Trips and Beyond”
Read in advance: How to Create a Genealogy Research Plan: A 5-Step Example: https://familytreemagazine.com/research/sample-research-plan/ and/or view: Genealogy Research Planning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlXUtw1Lzxw
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAucuigqj4uH92bWWD2uycX9Z1uSsRLY4K6
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Subscribe to the free SKCGS Tech User Group email list for meeting invitations and discussion: https://skcgs.groups.io/g/TUG

Monday, July 24 26, 2023 ⋅ 1:00pm – 3:00pm PT
Genealogy Chat (online)
Meet up and chat about genealogy subjects and topics. We have no agenda; we just like one another!
Register in advance for this Zoom meeting:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUud-uqpzoiGtEMxlqDBQ_fUeS8oZjScF71
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Subscribe to the free SKCGS email list for meeting invitations and discussion: https://skcgs.groups.io/g/Society
Thursday, July 27, 2023 ⋅ 11:00am – 1:00pm PT
Genealogy Help with SKCGS at the Auburn Library (in-person)
Genealogy questions? SKCGS offers one-on-one help with a volunteer
1102 Auburn Way S
Auburn, WA 98002
Registration not required. In-person event. Safety guidelines and current protocols followed. More information at King County Library, email kcls-auburn@kcls.org

Saturday, August 5, 2023, 10:00am – 12:00pm PT
Family Tree Maker Users Group (online)
Question & Answer. Each month, we will learn about using the features of FTM.
Register in advance for this Zoom meeting:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYsdu6uqzgiGdDn7eCsOAgkvdOXktX127sz
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Subscribe to the free SKCGS FTM email list for meeting reminders and discussion: https://skcgs.groups.io/g/FTMUG
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MEMBERSHIP: We welcome guests to our meetings and special interest groups, which are free. Naturally we hope that visitors will want to become members. Support like yours helps us to educate and engage with our community to foster interest in family and local history. Regarding our programs, even if and when we can meet again in person, we will continue with some virtual programs. You can find more information about membership at our website at https://www.skcgs.org/support-skcgs/membership.

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SOUTH KING COUNTY GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY
PO BOX 143
BLACK DIAMOND, WASHINGTON 98010