Tuesday Trivia

by Charles Hansen

This is Part 1 of three parts of my article to summarize the presentation from Carol Buswell to my gene soceity, EWGS, last 7 April 2018;

Carol Buswell, from the National Archives at Seattle, was our afternoon speaker at our recent EWGS Spring Seminar. She was invited to teach us about the archives and how to find wanted records there.

Right off the bat she wanted us to know that “most generally, you do not search for a name in an archives; you search for a group of records pertaining to either the time period your person lived there, a geographic location,  or, perhaps to a government project or program he was involved with.” She really wanted us to realize that!

First off she asked did we know what a primary source was? We agreed that such are mostly documents created at or near the time of the event. “Well, she said, “ primary sources are what the archives collect.”  Such archives can be on the national, state, county or city level or they can be from companies, schools, historical societies, religious denominations, etc. But she was quick to point out the difference between public and private records and the National Archives collects only Federal Government-related, public records.

One slide Carol showed helped us to better understand:

Federal Agency Records are in the National Archives

State Agency Records are in the State Archives

County Agency Records are in the County Archives

City/Town Agency Records are in the City/Town Municipal Archives

A further explanation would be (hypothetically) rather like this, Carol explained. “Each agency holds records created since the inception of that agency.”

 *XYZ statehood date was 2 July 1820 so that state hold records FROM that date

  • ABC county was set off on 15 Sep 1824 so that county holds records FROM that date
  • EFG county was set off from ABC on 4 Mar 1830 so their records are FROM that date
  • CITY-A was created on 22 Dec 1844 so their records are FROM that date
  • CITY-B was set off from City-A on 5 Oct 1850 so their records are FROM that date

“Does that make sense to you?” Carol asked. “You cannot expect to find archival records from a time period when they did not have legal jurisdiction to gather records.”

 

NOTE: Please stay tuned for Parts 2 and 3 of my summary-article on Carol Buswell’s presentation to EWGS.

 

Spotlight on Whitman County Gen Society

by Charles Hansen

This is the hard-working board of the Whitman County Genealogical Society. From R to L:  Luke Sprague (webmanager), Sue Rogers Kreikemeier (president), Janet Margolis Damm (librarian), Monica Bartlett Peters (research chair), Judy Standar McMurray (newsletter editor), Corinne Lyle (recording secretary), and Margery Rounds Muir (vice-president). Missing was Judy Rice (treasurer).

Did you notice the plaque they show displaying the WSGS awards made to their members??? They proudly display this in their library and at meetings.

I was privileged to attend their seminar-meeting on April 21 and it was a cracker-jack morning. Two speakers, Horace Alexander Young and Father Mike Savelesky, taught us all “great stuff.” (Which I will summarize in future blog posts.)

Want to know more about this most-southeasternly genealogical society in Washington? Click to www.whitmancgs.org. You’ll be amazed at what a little group has accomplished.

Monday Mystery

by Charles Hansen

Thanks to you all who took the time to take me (and my book) to task for that too-old list of Washington passes….. Fran and Patty added Sherman Pass, Chinook Pass and the Hwy 20 North Creek Pass. Whoops.

Today’s Mystery: Know where this is?

This Sol Duc Falls, one of THE most photographed waterfalls in our state. The falls are located up a .8 mile trail just off Hwy 101 west of Port Angeles. The falls flow over four channels with a 37-foot drop with an 11-foot flume drop.

So how did that name come about?

Before 1992, it was “Soleduck,” a Quileute name meaning “magic water” or “sparkling water.” These falls flow down and mix with hot springs forming theraputic pools known to local Indian tribes way before the first white settlers came in the 1880s. A huge 4-story resort was built there in 1912 to lure tourists from Seattle. What an adventure they had getting there! First by boat from Seattle to Port Crescent (now Joyce), then by auto to Lake Crescent, then by boat across the lake and then up the Soleduck River by horse carriage. (Would it have been worth that effort to you to soak in a hot pool…that I’m sure did not look anything like they are today!)

Was privileged to take that hike and soak with my son and daughter last week. Lucky me.

Puget Sound Genealogical Society April Meeting

by Charles Hansen

Puget Sound Genealogical Society

Saturday, April 28 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Class will be held at: Kitsap Regional Library 1301 Sylvan Way, Bremerton
WEBINAR: DID I GET EVERYTHING: CREATING A
CHECKLIST FOR GENEALOGY RESEARCH
with Thomas MacEntee: Learn how to assemble a genealogy research
checklist to take your genealogy to the next level.
Registration required. Call Genealogical Center
Jackie Horton, Publicity Chairperson

 

David Allen Lambert Coming to Vancouver — You Should, Too!

by Roxanne Lowe

Register now for the Clark County Genealogical Society‘s Spring Seminar on Saturday, May 26. An added bonus to the day is the Washington State Genealogical Society’s Recognition Event during the lunch hour. Registration information and form are available here.

Clark County and their partners have organized a weekend-long event, packed with a wide variety of activities. The Saturday seminar key speaker will be David Allen Lambert. Serving as chief genealogist for the venerable New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS), David’s seminar topics include 1) World War 1 Military; 2) Great Migration Era settler research; and 3) Probate & Deed Records research.

Friday, May 25
7:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

As an honored guest at the Hudson Bay Company Gala Reception Friday evening, David Allen Lambert will be sharing his genealogical gems; seemingly small finds that lead to amazing stories. CCGS is collaborating with Friends of Fort Vancouver to bring some of the wonderful Fort interpreters as guests. The Hudson Bay Company Gala Reception will be held at the Artillery Barracks of the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, 600 Hathaway Rd. in Vancouver.

Saturday, May 26
8:00 a.m. – 3 p.m.

The seminar includes three lectures from David Allen Lambert, NEHGS chief genealogist. Additionally, the Washington State Genealogical Society will announce their annual recognition awards. The event will be at  the Historic Red Cross Building, 605 Barnes Street in Vancouver.

Sunday, May 27
10:00 a.m. – 3 p.m.

The Clark County Genealogical Society will host a library open house at 715 Grand Blvd, Vancouver. A guided cemetery tour is also planned; brochures will be available for other self-guided tours.

Before and During Memorial Weekend

For 5 days before and during Memorial Weekend, The Fort Vancouver Tapestry will be displayed at the CCGS Library. Completed in 2005, this historic community project required 57 skilled stitchery workers contributing 100,000 hours over 5 plus years.

Accommodations

For out-of-towners, the Hilton Hotel offered special rates. The CCGS group reservation code is CCG. Click here for the special rate.

GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s Thursday Evening E-News

by Charles Hansen

THE GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s

Thursday Evening

E-News, Edition

19 April 2018

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!

For a complete GFO CALENDAR click here.

Also, if you missed your free copy of our monthly Insider for April 2018, 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 www.gfo.org.

Curious about the status of your GFO Membership? We’d love to have you as a GFO Member!
***

Genealogy Problem Solvers are on the case
great grandfather and family

Saturday, April 21st, 9:30 – 11:30am

The challenge this month for our Genealogy Problem Solvers group has been submitted by Julie Ramos, convener of GFO’s Afro-American SIG. Its a classic Black family genealogical problem: identifying ancestral parents and siblings in the period following the Civil War, and then extending the family history back into slavery. Many of the sources are key not just to Black family research, but to any family before and after the US Civil War. As always, those who attend will have an opportunity to ask their own Brick Wall question on any subject, time period, etc., and if the resolution requires an extended response, it could be the challenge for a future meeting

GPS is a monthly support group where we help each other find information about a family line. We will learn to do a reasonably exhaustive search and develop research plans. The focus will shift depending on the needs of the group. Several experienced researchers have volunteered to help. Beginners and intermediate researchers are encouraged to submit problems to work on. For more information contact Katie Daly at GPS@gfo.org.
***

Don’t miss GFO’s free GenTalk this Saturday!
GenTalk - Locating People

Come out to hear professional genealogist Leslie Brinkley Lawson as she discusses best practices in forensic genealogy research.

WHAT? Locating People In The Last Century
WHEN? Saturday, April 21st, 2 – 3pm
WHERE? GFO’s Library in the Multi-Purpose Room
HOW? Free & Open to the Public

Do you find it easier to find a person in 1880 than in 1980? If your answer is “yes,” then this is the presentation for you. Learn the skills you need to find those missing people in the 20th century…how to reassemble their lives; figure out where they went and where their children are today. We’ll touch on databases available on the internet, as well as other reference sources.
***

What’s hot in Genealogy this May? Oh, this and that.
Virginia

Virginia Special Interest Group Meeting

Saturday, May 5th, at 10am
Virginia Genealogy Trivia Quiz

Come to our May meeting and test your knowledge of Virginia history and research. See just how much you know and where there are gaps in your knowledge.

We will have a list of questions taken from past meeting presentations. Then we will devote the remainder of our time for sharing and give everyone a chance to talk about their research problems, to ask questions, to share a new discovery, or a research technique or record group.

~
Great Lakes SIG

Great Lakes Region Special Interest Group

Saturday May 12th, 9:30 am at GFO’s Library

We will look at the Ohio River as a major regional transit corridor, Judi Scott’s recent presentation on orphan trains, a genealogy visit to LaCrosse, Wisconsin, and an ancestor’s puzzling move from Bohemia to Minnesota. You are invited to bring stories about your family and research in the Great Lakes Region. Questions? Contact Lynn at GreatLakes@gfo.org.

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Cuban Special Collections

Enrique Hurtado de Mendoza Collection of Cuban Genealogy

New online database!

Florida International University (FIU) has recently made its Enrique Hurtado de Mendoza Collection available online for free.

An article by FIU News calls this database the “Cuban equivalent of Ancestry.com.“

The database online includes an extensive set of family trees, civil records, and sacramental documents.

We definitely recommend checking out this resource as you prepare for the May 19th GFO GenTalk, My Cuban Cousins.

~
Cuban Cousins GenTalk

GFO’s May GenTalk is coming up!

Saturday, May 19th, 2pm Presenter: Janice Sellers

Janice Sellers says, “I was always told that I had cousins who had immigrated to Cuba, but no one could remember their names or even which branch of the family they were from. And Cuba is a difficult country to research. As more records have become available online, I was able to uncover enough clues to find and contact some of my Cuban cousins. In the summer of 2015, I traveled to Cuba to see what traces I could find of my family there.”

Janice is a professional genealogist who specializes in forensic, Jewish, black and newspaper research. She has presented numerous talks to diverse audiences at local, regional, state, and national events.

Come learn all you ever wanted to know about tracing your Cuban ancestors.

All GFO’s GenTalks are Free and Open to the Public!

~
GFO-SIG-DNA-Thumb

GFO’s DNA Beginners Class

Saturday, May 26th, 9am – noon at GFO’s Library

The class will tackle some major aspects of both AncestryDNA and MyHeritage to help you enhance your testing experience. As MyHeritage accepts autosomal tests from all the major companies, if you have tested, upload your raw data to the company before coming to class. It is always wise to be in more than one company’s database.

Finding common ancestors with your AncestryDNA test results can be difficult with few responses from matches, missing or locked pedigree charts, and no chromosome browser. We will explore a few methods to help you navigate AncestryDNA’s website to work around some of these obstacles.

MyHeritage might be the “new kid on the block”, but they are moving quickly to become a front runner in the autosomal DNA testing field. We will explore the new features that make it a company worth using.

All classes are free and anyone is welcomed. Please download the handouts and the evaluation feedback for class (available on the GFO calendar).

~
CCG Spring Sem 2018

Clark County Spring Seminar

Friday – Sunday, May 25th – 27th
Registration Form

During an event-filled weekend, the Saturday seminar key speaker will be David Allen Lambert. Serving as chief genealogist for the venerable New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS), David’s seminar topics include:
1) World War I Military;
2) Great Migration Era settler research; and
3) Probate & Deed Records research.

As an honored guest at the Seminar’s Hudson Bay Company Gala Reception Friday evening, David will share his genealogical gems, including some seemingly small finds that led to amazing stories. Clark County Genealogical Society is collaborating with Friends of Fort Vancouver to bring some of the wonderful Fort interpreters as guests.

Seminar seating is limited to 150 people.

Don’t delay! Sign up today!
***

This Week at GFO…
desk-calendar-12992149

SATURDAY, April 21st

Genealogy Problem Solvers 9:30 – 11:30am

The GPS group tackles a classic Black family genealogy problem. See the full description at the top of this E-News.

Italian Interest Group Noon – 2pm

Resources When You Need Help – When you need research assistance, where can you turn? Learn useful resources to further your research, whether in the United States or in Italy. Facilitated by Keith Pyeatt.

Mission Statement – The Italian Special Interest Group is dedicated to promoting Italian family history and genealogy through education of members and the public in methodologies of sound genealogical research and providing the necessary tools and expertise to be successful.

GenTalk – Getting from “Then” to “Now”: Locating People in the Last Century 2 – 3pm

Presenter: Leslie Brinkley Lawson, FGC

Do you find it easier to find a person in 1880 than in 1980? If your answer is “yes,” then this is the presentation for you. Learn the skills you need to find those missing people in the 20th century…how to reassemble their lives; figure out where they went and where their children are today. We’ll touch on databases available on the internet, as well as other reference sources.

SUNDAY, April 22nd

Library Work Party 9am – Noon
Please Volunteer Some of Your Time!

There’s another work party at the GFO library today for those of you who can come. There’s lots to do and we’d love to have your help. Doors open at 9 and work usually wraps up around noon. Some people come for just an hour or so; others work the full time. You are welcome to do either. Any time you can share is valuable. Hope to see you there.

Heraldry/Coats of Arms Workshop 1 – 3pm

Sponsored by the Willamette Chapter Colonial Dames of the Seventeenth Century.

Free and Open to the Public. Click here for flyer.

Join us to explore Heraldry and the proper use of British Coats of Arms.

How are they regulated? Who is eligible for a Coat of Arms?

Learn how to locate your Gateway ancestor, the key to connecting with your ancestors in the nobility in Europe. What are the most accepted sources of lineage information.

The GFO has many great sources!

Pam Stinson Awarded 2017 Outstanding Volunteer Honor

by Roxanne Lowe

Since 2003, the Washington State Genealogical Society has recognized over 500 outstanding volunteers and teams, nominated by their local society or genealogical organization for their service and dedication. These volunteers are the backbone of their local society, giving their time and expertise, to the organization and the field of genealogy. In the coming months, you will be introduced to each of the 2017 award recipients and learn why they received the 2017 WSGS Outstanding Volunteer and Team Award.

Pam Stinson

Today we’re introducing Pam Stinson of Sequim, Washington, who was nominated by the Jefferson County Genealogical Society (JCGS). She was recognized for her untiring support of the society.

Ms. Stinson served as vice president from 2013 to 2016 and spent many hours helping re-write JCGS’s policies and procedures, as well as update executive board and volunteer job descriptions. She also was instrumental in helping the team transition to an updated version of the society’s genealogical database.

Currently, Ms. Stinson is the chair of the technology committee which oversees the computer equipment, the JCGS website and the society’s technology needs. She is also the liaison to the local historical society with which JCGS shares a facility, where she maintains a good working relationship between the two societies.

Ms. Stinson is always willing to offer her time to make the Jefferson County Genealogical Society a great resource for all researchers. For all these reasons, she richly deserved being a recipient of a 2017 WSGS Outstanding Volunteer Award.

For more information on the WSGS Outstanding Volunteer Award program, visit the Recognition page of the WSGS website or contact Roxanne Lowe, Interim Recognition Chair, at Roxanne@thekeeffes.com.

Georgia Genealogical Society Webinars

by Charles Hansen

Free Webinars

The Georgia Genealogical Society Inc., is proud to announce that we have the capability for offering monthly Webinars to our membership and the general public thanks to the support of TechSoup and Citrix, Inc. GGS uses the GoToWebinar/Meeting software from Citrix.

Unless otherwise noted, webinars begin at 8:00pm EST.  

When possible, archived recordings and handouts for the webinars are (will be) available for Members Only.
Active individual and family members that do not currently have a username and password
may request one from the webmaster

Please note: The current GoToWebinar contract allows 500 participants. Any number can register, but only the first 500 people that sign in at the time of the live event will be able to participate.   The handout  for the current webinar is now on the Control Panel available to participants once signed in for the webinar. You may sign in as early as 30 minutes before the event. The broadcast will not be repeated. However, the broadcast will generally be recorded and GGS members will be able to view the recording.

Future Webinars

Datesort descending Topic Description Speaker
Wed Apr 25

Fraternally Yours: Finding Your Ancestor in American Fraternal Organization Records


Register to Attend this Webinar

 Was your ancestor a Freemason, an Odd Fellow, a Knight of Columbus, or a member of another fraternal organization? In this webinar, Senior Genealogist Rhonda R. McClure teaches you how to…

Rhonda R. McClure

Rhonda R. McClure, Senior Genealogist at NEHGS, is a nationally recognized professional genealogist and lecturer…
Wed May 23

Bringing Your Family Tree to Life


Register to Attend this Webinar

 Our ancestors had families, jobs, social lives and lived within communities that experienced both good times and bad. Discover how to bring your family tree to life and make it more than just a…

Tamara Hallo, MLS

Tamara Hallo is an educator, librarian and genealogist.  She has over 20 years of experience as an educator and holds a Master of Library…