Whatcom Genealogical Society Fall Seminar September 26, 2015

by Charles Hansen

Whatcom Genealogical Society invites you to attend their Fall Seminar on Saturday, September 26, 2015, 9 am to 4 pm at Saint James Presbyterian Church, 1910 – 14th Street, Bellingham, WA.

Jill Morelli, Professional Genealogist, will speak on “The Push and the Pull: Decision Making of the 19th Century”, “Emigrant, Insanity in the 19th Century”, and

“Getting the Most from Insurance Maps”

Jim Johnson of Heritage Quest will speak on “Finding and Using Your Ancestors’ Church Records”; and he will bring his Heritage Quest Traveling bookstore.

Baskets full of items of genealogical interest will be raffled off, and lunch will be available.

Please join us for a very interesting and informative seminar.   For more information, please go to:   http://wagenweb.org/whatcom/WGS/wgs.htm

Seattle Genealogical Society Tip of the Week

by Charles Hansen

TIP OF THE WEEK  –  Bring Back the Interactive Map
Have you ever used the Newberry Library website “Atlas of Historical County Boundaries” page?

Renowned as the easiest, most complete site to track county boundaries, it has maps, text and tools to view historical county configurations against the modern county network.

The Legal Genealogist, Judy Russell, has an informative article about this interactive map at :
http://www.legalgenealogist.com/blog/2015/07/21/dear-newberry/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+T

Unfortunately at this moment, as you read, the interactive map portion of this site is “temporarily unavailable”. Please take the time to add your email address to the list of those that need to be notified “when this functionality has been restored”.  Let the Newberry Library folks know this interactive map is useful and important to you.

TIP OF THE WEEK  –  Update

Remember “U.S., Index to Alien Case Files, 1940-2003” from last issue’s “Tip of the Week”?  It is not only available at Ancestry.com as reported, but it is also available via FamilySearch.org.  Check out:  https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2540918

Seattle Genealogical Society September Updates

by Charles Hansen

STAY CONNECTED WITH SGS –  FACEBOOK & TWITTER

SGS has started a closed Facebook group led by member Lisa Chan – “The Seattle Genealogical Society Network”.  Available to anyone interested in SGS and genealogy, it’s an opportunity to discuss research interests and socialize with other genealogists from the Northwest and beyond.  Participants must have a Facebook account in order to join the group, but need not be a SGS member. To join, in Facebook search for the group by name and then click “Join Group”.

SGS is also on Twitter!  Keep up on interesting news and events concerning SGS and the world of genealogy.  Follow SGS at SeaGenealogicalSociety@SeattleSgs.

A NEW SIG FOR SGS

The first meeting of the Scandinavian Special Interest Group will be held on Sunday, September 20, 1:00pm-3:00pm, at the SGS Library. The time will be used to organize future meetings by reviewing people’s country of interest, level of experience, resources and simple facts on what is needed to get started. At least 10 people are needed to start a SIG so please email Karen Knudson at jerriamir@gmail.com if you are interested, but cannot attend the first meeting. Also note there will be a Scandinavian Workshop Program, Sunday, October 11th.  See the SGS Calendar of Events below.

Immigration and Nationality Records Review:
At the Seattle Public Library

US Citizenship and Immigration Services historical records expert Marian L. Smith will present an “Immigration and Nationality Records Review,” an overview of the Federal immigration and nationality records housed both at the National Archives (NARA) and USCIS.  The talk will include examples, identify finding aids, and explain research procedures.

The Seattle Public Library
Central Library – Level 4 – Room 1
Tuesday, October 20, 2015
7:00pm – 8:30pm

Marian L. Smith specializes in the history and uses of immigration and naturalization records.  She served as Chief Historian for the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) from 1988 to 2003, then its successor the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) from 2003 to 2014.  During that time her articles appeared in the National Archives journal Prologue, the FGS Forum, and other publications.  Marian now serves the USCIS Records Division as an historical records subject matter expert, whose current work focuses on automation, digitization, data integrity, and training.

Registration is encouraged, but not required.  Send an email using the library’s Ask-A-Librarian service or call 206-386-4636 and ask for the genealogy desk to register.  Space is limited at library events. Please come early to make sure you get a seat.
SGS CEASES PUBLICATION OF THE SGS NEWSLETTER,
REPLACED BY THE SGS eNews!

At its most recent meeting, the SGS Board of Directors decided to cease publication of the SGS Newsletter, our quarterly eight page publication containing news, announcements and the SGS Calendar of Events for the coming quarter.  Originally the SGS Newsletter was mailed to all SGS members; recently, due to cost constraints, SGS stopped mailing the SGS Newsletter, instead posting it online on the Members Only section of the SGS web site.

In making this decision, the Board recognized that the SGS eNews!, our twice-a-month electronic publication, has subsumed the SGS Newsletter, providing the same content in a much more frequent and timely fashion.  In addition, it reaches far more members than the SGS Newsletter did.

Our plan at this time is to post a link to each issue of the SGS eNews! online, where the SGS Newsletter has been posted recently, as well as to continue to email it to all SGS members and anyone else who signs up to receive it, whether SGS member or not.

If you have any questions or concerns about this decision, feel free to contact Reiley Kidd at SGSsecretary@gmail.com.

SGS CALENDAR OF EVENTS Continue reading →

Do Records Matter?

by Charles Hansen

The bookmark caught my eye.

I picked it up at the Central Washington branch of the Washington State Archives in Ellensburg. It was titled, “Why Records Matter.” And next, “Why is it important to protect records from damage or destruction?”

SpCoCths

The book mark listed four categories of reasons for keeping records:

  • Records protect life.
  • Records protect property.
  • Records protect rights.
  • Records are essential to restoring order and resuming operations following a disaster. 

If you’d like to learn all 17 points under those four headings, click to:

www.statearchivists.org/prepare/Why_records_matter.htm

I had never heard of the Council of State Archivists, had you? And I had never thought of record keeping in these terms; that little bookmark was a good find for me.

State Archives’ Southwest Regional Property Search Challenge…Answered!

by Roxanne Lowe
MurphyHouse

Patrick Murphy home, Montesano, Washington, circa 1914. Used by permission of the Murphy Family Archives.

In the May 2015 edition of Out of the Archives, Maggie Cogswell, Washington State Archives Assistant Research Archivist in the Southwest Regional Branch,  offered to assist with challenging property research within the Southwest Region of the state (Clark, Cowlitz, Grays Harbor, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, Skamania, Thurston, and Wahkiakum counties). Maggie received a letter from Roxanne Lowe* interested in learning more about her family’s property in Grays Harbor County (pictured here). Always up for a challenge, Maggie started this project in earnest, learning more about the Murphy family from Montesano than she knows about her own!

Follow Maggie’s journey here, and learn about how she used the records in the Washington State Archives to begin a quest to uncover as much information as she could for her researcher. You may just get inspired to research your property! 

 If you’d like to know more about your home, contact the regional branch that serves your county. Or–“Ask An Archivist!” and they’ll help you get started.

*Roxanne Lowe is a member of the Grays Harbor Genealogical Society, WSGS Recognition Chair and a member of the WSGS Blog Team.

 

Write for the FGS Forum

by Charles Hansen

The FGS Forum is looking for authors to write articles for upcoming issues:

Genealogy-Related Articles

  • How to Choose the Genealogy Database Program That’s Right for You
  • Cousin Connection: Reaching Out to Distant Relatives
  • ## Tips for Finding Your African American Roots
  • DNA Research Strategies for Adoptees
  • How to Plan an Unforgettable Family Reunion
  • Best Tools for Creating Interactive Family Histories

Society-Related Articles

  • Cloud Computing, Can Your Society Benefit?
  • ## Unique Project Ideas for Your Society
  • Is It Time to Bring Your Bylaws Into the 21st Century?
  • Enhance Your Membership Benefits with Special Interest Groups (SIGs)
  • ## Ways to Engage Your Long-Distance Members
  • Take Advantage of Discounted Technology Products with TechSoup

For more information

( http://voice.fgs.org/2015/08/share-your-knowledge-write-for-fgs-forum.html )

Serendipity Monday

by Charles Hansen

Serendipity Monday

Highlights of today’s post:

  • Using Pinterest for Genealogy
  • Association for Gravestone Studies
  • Flipster
  • Spotlight on Wilbur, Washington
  • “Skulls among Goodwill donations.”

The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) magazine, American Spirit, carried an article by Maureen Taylor in their Sept-Oct 2014 issue. Titled “5 Ways to Use Pinterest for Genealogy” it was a good read. Taylor offered these five ways to use this social media website:

  • Follow your favorites…. Like Ancestry, MyHeritage, FamilyTree Magazine, etc. “These sites’ boards feature abundant research tips.”
  • Keep track of your sources for research…. Keep images of books you’ve checked, or want to check.
  • Create boards for ancestors….. quoting Taylor: “Create a photo album of your ancestors’ lives using photographs, documents found online (if allowed) and links to images of places they lived….”
  • Document local history………..you could do a “come visit this area and do genealogy” by listing/showing the repositories in your area.
  • Compile a virtual family history cookbook……..

If this “piques your beak,” as they say, click to Amazon.com and order a copy of Thomas MacEntee’s book, Pinning Your Family History, for your Kindle for a whopping $2.99.

Continue reading →

Can WSGS help find owner of old charm bracelet??

by Charles Hansen

This post highlights something else our WSGS blog is good for!

 

Today in our paper, The Spokesman-Review, was a story dear to any genealogist’s heart. Jennifer Priest walked into a antique shop and spotted and bought this little charm bracelet. Each charm is engraved with a first name and the dates range from the 1930s to the 1960s. To read the full story, click on the link below. If you can offer help, contact Jennifer at TheCharmBracelet@hotmail.com.

 

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2015/aug/22/spokane-woman-seeks-to-identify-owner-of-engraved/

braceletdetail822_t210

Eastside Gen Society News Flash

by Charles Hansen

 

EGS

 

The Eastside Genealogical Society will meet on Thursday, September 10, 2015 in the Bellevue Regional Library, Room 1, 1111 – 110th Ave NE, Bellevue  98004 at 7pm, with doors opening at 6:30 pm for networking.

Topic:  A panel discussing “What I did on my family research vacation?” and then audience participation will be encouraged.

Also see our website for FREE genealogical help and other Special Interest Group meetings —  www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~wakcegs/  .  Visitors are always welcome at all meetings.

Dorothy Pretare

EGS Publicity Chairperson

dpgen@comcast.net

425-277-0831