April 2009

Genealogy Gems: News from the Fort Wayne Library No. 62, April 30, 2009 In this issue: The Genealogy Center--Your Family History Classroom Notices for Indentured Servants Papers of the St. Louis Fur Trade Preservation Tip of the Month--Adhesives May “Tree Talks” -- "Climbing Your DNA: Genetic Genealogy” Palatines to America--German Genealogy Conference Genealogy Center Mini-Course: Family History 101 Librarians on Parade Area Calendar of Events Driving Directions to the Library Parking at the Library Queries for the Department

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The Genealogy Center--Your Family History Classroom by Curt B. Witcher

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Many of us have heard the phrase life-long learning; indeed, some may have even grown a bit tired of its use. Overused or completely unfamiliar, the phrase accurately describes a concept that has a lot of merit. Committing to life-long learning means that we are always looking to explore, investigate, clarify, and understand the world around us and, in particular, the activities in which we engage. Periodically, studies make the news indicating how vital life-long learning is to extending life and enhancing the quality of one's life. Clearly, there is every reason to commit to being a life-long learner. And if your interest is genealogy, the opportunities for life-long learning are rich and nearly boundless. More so than usual over the next couple of months, the Allen County Public Library and its Genealogy Center would like to be your Family History Classroom. We have some dynamic programs planned that will be top-shelf learning experiences, and that will have immediate, practical use in your genealogical endeavors. In less than one month, we are offering a program entitled "Climbing Your DNA: Genetic Genealogy." Just as the Internet and the continued deployment of technologies are so radically impacting the genealogy field, genetic genealogy will assuredly do the same thing in a very short amount of time. Some would argue it already has done so. By now, numerous individuals have been able to solve some of their brick-wall genealogy problems by combining their documented research with the science of genetics. Others have opened completely new research avenues on family lines that had been a mystery. On Friday and Saturday, May 22nd and 23rd, 2009 the Genealogy Center of the library and the Allen County Genealogical Society of Indiana are co-sponsoring a genetic genealogy program entitled, “Climbing Your DNA.” The presenter for this six-session event will be Roberta Estes, one of the leading experts in the genetic genealogy field. Roberta, an area representative for the International Society for Genetic Genealogy, is both a scientist by education and training, and a genealogist with more than three decades of experience. She is an informed and engaging presenter who not only knows her field well, but is also passionate about helping others understand and appreciate the benefits of genetic genealogy. This is the time to update your knowledge about the important benefits the science of genetics is bringing to the genealogy field. The “Climbing Your DNA” program has been qualified for “library education units” (LEUs) so individuals working in public libraries may have an additional incentive to attend. If you cannot make both days of the program, please feel free to join us for the two sessions on Friday afternoon or for the four sessions on Saturday. More details about this important program are listed further on in this ezine. The following month, the Genealogy Center of the Allen County Public Library is hosting the national “Palatines to America: German Genealogy” conference. June 18-20, 2009 will be three days devoted to engaging in and learning about German genealogical research. The major presentations during the conference are listed below. “Research Basics for the 18th Century Palatine Families and Other Colonial Germany Ancestry” “Palatines Along the Hudson: Researching 18th Century Settlers on Livingston Manor” “Researching Your Northern German Ancestors” “Advancing Your Research with PERSI” “Colonial Immigration Records: Ship Passenger Lists and Naturalization Records” “Researching Alsatians, Palatines, Swiss and Locating the European Villages of Origin” “Researching in Germany” “Preparing Your Research for Publication” “Swiss Genealogical Records” “Primary Evidence of German and Swiss Origins in the 18th Century” In addition to the featured talks, there will be consultation opportunities for one-on-one assistance. These are fantastic ways to jump-start any research challenges that may be slowing you down. Visit the PalAm website to register: http://palamnationalconference.org/registration/ I invited you to explore these and other learning opportunities found in this ezine. And here‛s to life-long learning!

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Notices for Indentured Servants by Melissa Shimkus

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Many of our ancestors could not afford the fare to America, so they indentured themselves to others, who paid transportation costs. Contracts to work off that expense generally lasted for four to seven years and can be found among courthouse records. Some servants decided they did not want to complete their contract and abandoned their service. The holder of the contract, the owner, would post advertisements in the provincial newspaper notifying the public in hopes of having the servant returned. The Genealogy Center owns several books that include these notices of runaway indentured servants. “Eighteenth-Century White Slaves: Fugitive Notices” by Daniel Meaders (call number 929.11 Ei4) features runaway indentured servants mentioned in “The Pennsylvania Gazette” from 1729-1760. Originally, the book was to be the first in a four volume series on newspaper notices of runaway servants in the colonies, but the other volumes have yet to be published. Notices are arranged in order by date. Separate alphabetical indexes of the owners and of the servants provide the date of the advertisement. “Runaways of Colonial New Jersey” by Richard B. Marrin (call number 974.9 M34ru) is another source. The advertisements reproduced in this volume cover 1720-1781 and include indentured servants, slaves, military deserters, and escaped prisoners from the following newspapers: “The Pennsylvania Journal,” “The Pennsylvania Gazette,” “The New York Gazette,” “The New York Post,” “The New York Weekly Journal,” and “The Boston Newsletter.” An alphabetical index directs the researcher to the page within the volume. Advertisements typically supplied the owner‛s name, residence, reward amount, servant‛s name, age, trade, nationality, physical description including scars, and details on the clothing worn by the runaway. Matthew Burrass, an Englishman, ran from Lancaster, Pennsylvania in 1742. In the advertisement, his owner stated that Matthew claimed to be a brickmaker, but was really a baker. Also, Matthew took his wife with him when he left. Thomas Griffiths, another Englishman, left Burlington, New Jersey in 1774. His description indicated that he previously owned a tavern in London called the Sign of the King‛s Arms on Leaden Hall Street and also rented a farm near Bristol. When researching colonial times, newspapers can offer a wealth of information. The advertisements vividly illustrate the history of indentured servitude in colonial America, as well as provide useful genealogical information on possible ancestors.

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Papers of the St. Louis Fur Trade by Steve Myers

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The Chouteau family occupied the central place in the booming fur trade that spurred development of St. Louis into the “Gateway to the West.” Fortunately, researchers interested in this time period have ready access to a vast archive of family and company papers collectively microfilmed as the “Papers of the St. Louis Fur Trade.” The collection is divided into three parts which are fully introduced and described in two printed guides of the same title (call number 977.802 Sa227pa). Reel indexes for each part provide microfilm frame numbers for the beginning of each record series to facilitate use. Part one contains “The Chouteau Collection” with documents dating as early as 1752, although the bulk of the items are from the pre-Civil War nineteenth century. Accounts, bills, contracts, correspondence, and legal papers are all arranged in one chronological series. Part two contains the Chouteau family‛s “Fur Company Ledgers and Account Books, 1802-1871” which record payments for goods and services with the names of the person or company paid. Part three contains the “Robert Campbell Family Collection” including indexed letter books and ledgers of another fur trading company. For the researcher tracing individual family members who were active on the frontier or had connections with St. Louis and the fur trade the financial ledgers may prove especially valuable. One entry records Thomas Murphy‛s payment of $27 on April 8, 1825 for “Green Blankets sold him 29 November.” Genealogical connections are even possible occasionally. On the same page, the account of Jabez Warner was “paid by his brother Jude.” While most of the accounts center on affairs in St. Louis and environs, some detail activities in the far flung corners of the Chouteau business empire, such as Michilimackinac in Michigan Territory. A journal entry there on August 19, 1836 records the names of several men, including “Joseph Chaput, boatman & striker,” for “Cash advanced them in Canada and Goods sold them on the way from Montreal to Mackinaw.” Besides their usefulness in tracing individuals, the seemingly routine accounts can be interesting reading, providing the prices of everyday necessities, along with the mention of now unusual items such as “buffalo robes.” Reel 23 of part two helps provide access to the account books through its 1,398 page index of personal and place names, and includes dozens of references under the names of specific Native American tribes.

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Preservation Tip of the Month--Adhesives by Becky Schipper

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To answer some reoccurring questions regarding adhesives, I will attempt to explain below what adhesives I use in different repair processes. In repairing books, I use a mixture of one half PVA and one half methylcellulose. This mix allows me more time for working with the repair and also reduces the cost of the PVA. I use a methylcellulose powder that has to be mixed, cooled, and left to set up for an hour before combining with the PVA. Depending on the application, you can add distilled water to thin or add more PVA to thicken. This adhesive is not recommended for repairs on rare documents or photos. For repairing paper I use Lineco Transparent Mending Tissue and Gaylord Document Repair Tape. These come in several widths and thicknesses, and are nearly invisible after applying. They are both pressure sensitive and therefore not recommended for rare books or documents. For paper tears on high-use books of low or modest value, I also use Scotch Removable Magic Tape, #811. This tape is ph-neutral and is almost invisible after burnishing. I prefer the 1/2 inch width for easy alignment. This tape can be removed or repositioned without tearing the page or lifting off the print. None of the above mentioned adhesives are for use on rare materials. For those types of repairs it is always advisable to consult a conservator. For the do-it-yourself repairer, the smallest amount of PVA for sale that I am aware of is 4 oz. for $3.95 from Hollanders in Ann Arbor. They also carry methylcellulose. The repair tapes are available from most library or archival suppliers. www.hollanders.com www.gaylord.com www.shopbrodart.com

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May “Tree Talks” -- "Climbing Your DNA: Genetic Genealogy” by Delia Bourne and Melissa Shimkus

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This month's Tree Talks program is a one and one half day seminar on the use of DNA testing in genealogical problem solving entitled “Climbing Your DNA: Genetic Genealogy," featuring Roberta Estes on May 22 and 23, 2009 in the Main Library Theater. Ms. Estes, one of the leading experts in the field, founded DNAeXplain (www.dnaexplain.com) in 2003, following a successful 25 year career as President of Information Access Strategies, Inc., a consulting firm that manages and implements leading edge technology projects in the government sector. She is a professional scientist and business owner (BS Computer Science, MBA, graduate work in Geographic Information Systems), and has been an obsessed genealogist since 1978. When the infant scientific field of DNA for genealogy emerged, Roberta was one of the early DNA surname administrators and pioneer adopters of DNA analysis for genealogy. She manages over 20 surname projects including the large regional Cumberland, the Lost Colony and the North Carolina Native Heritage projects, performing a significant amount of both genealogical and DNA research and analysis pertaining to surname projects and individual clients‛ test results. Ms. Estes will be the featured speaker at the fifth annual ISOGG (International Society for Genetic Genealogy) conference. She has previously lectured widely, authored a column for a technology magazine, written books in the technology arena and is in the process of writing a book about her experiences with DNA and Genealogy. The Genealogy Center is pleased to welcome her as the instructor for this timely course. The schedule for the seminar is listed in the following: Friday, May 22nd 2 p.m.--Registration 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. -- DNA and Genealogy--Introduction 3:30 p.m. -- Break 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. – Getting in Touch With Your Feminine Side: mtDNA Saturday, May 23rd 9 a.m. -- Open, Welcome, Recall/Review/Re-Orient 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. -- Twists and Turns in the Rocky Road: Case Studies 10:30 a.m. -- Break 11 a.m. to 12 noon -- My Results are Back--Now What? 12 noon to 1:30 p.m. -- Attendees are on their own for lunch. 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. – Autosomal DNA Testing and You: What is It, What Does It Mean, and How to Use It 2:30 p.m. -- Break 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. -- Making DNA Loveable: How to Take Your DNA Results and Turn Them into an Heirloom Gift for Your Family 4 p.m. -- Break 4:15 p.m. -- Q&A Session if there is interest Early registration: $30 (postmarked by May 11, 2009). Registration: $35 (postmarked after May 11, 2009). For more information, see our website http://www.acpl.lib.in.us/genealogy/programs.html , call 260- 421-1225, or email Genealogy@ACPL.info.

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Palatines to America--German Genealogy Conference

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The Palatines to America National Conference and Annual Meeting will be held at the Allen County Public Library, June 18 - 20, 2009. Visit their website for all the details.  The general schedule is below. Thursday June 18, 2009 4:45 p.m. - 5:45 p.m. Workshop A - Palatines Along the Hudson: Researching 18th Century Settlers on Livingston Manor - Steven Myers Workshop B - Researching Your North German Ancestors - Robert Rau Workshop C - Advancing Your Research with PERSI - Delia Bourne Friday June 19, 2009 2 p.m. - 3 p.m. Workshop D - Researching in Germany - James Feit Workshop E - Preparing Your Research for Publication - Barbara Gargiulo Workshop F - Swiss Genealogical Records - John Beatty Friday June 19, 2009 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Workshops A - B - C will be repeated Saturday June 20, 2009 1 p.m. - 2 p.m. Workshops D - E - F will be repeated Online registration at the National Conference Registration site http://palamnationalconference.org/registration/ .

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Genealogy Center Mini-Course: Family History 101

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Our very popular mini-course, “Family History 101,” will be offered July 10 - 11, 2009. The classes, with instructors Margery Graham, CG and Steve Myers, MLS, provide an excellent way for the beginner to get started, for newer researchers to review important concepts and sources, and for seasoned researchers to refresh their skills. “Family History 101” will cover the following topics: Session 1: Getting Started on Your Family History--Start your family history adventure off on the right foot. Learn about important first steps, home sources, interviewing, organizing what you collect, standard forms, using computer catalogs, and more! Session 2: Basic Research Methods--Learn how to plan a successful search, gather evidence, and record and document what you find. Session 3: Census Records - A Cornerstone Source--Learn how federal population schedules, state census records, as well as auxiliary schedules and census substitutes can all help advance your research. Session 4: Vital Records - Birth, Marriage & Death--Learn how to use published and online sources for vital records, how to contact record offices, and how newspaper and cemetery records can fill in the gaps. Session 5: Published Local History & Family History Sources--Learn about the wealth of information available in local history publications, how to track down obscure sources, and how to find out what others have already done on your families. Session 6: Directories, Maps & Gazetteers--Learn about the many features of directories, maps and place name dictionaries that can help you pin down exactly where your ancestors lived and what they were doing there. The registration fee for the “Family History 101” mini-course is $50. Checks should be made payable to “ACPL Foundation” and mailed to: Genealogy Center, Allen County Public Library, P.O. Box 2270, Fort Wayne, IN 46801-2270. Mini-course attendance will be limited, so register early to avoid disappointment. Additional information and a workshop schedule will be posted soon on our Web site at http://www.acpl.lib.in.us/genealogy/programs.html Margery Graham and Steve Myers are already scheduled to offer “Family History: Beyond the Basics,” covering more advanced sources and problem solving, on Friday and Saturday, September 18-19, 2009.

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Librarians on Parade

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Curt Witcher June 10, 2009--Fort Wayne, IN, Allen County Genealogical Society Annual Banquet, Allen County Public Library, 900 Library Plaza, 7:00 p.m. Topic: “This I Believe: The Urgent Need to Record Living History.” June 22, 2009--Mansfield, OH, Mansfield/Richland County Public Library, 43 West 3rd St., Mansfield, 7:00 p.m. Topic: “Finding the World with WorldCat.” June 22-23, 2009--Mansfield, OH, Ohio Genealogical Society Summer Workshops, OGS Library, 713 South Main Street, Mansfield. Three topics on genealogical research methodology. John Beatty June 19 & 20, 2009--Fort Wayne, IN, PalAm German Genealogy Conference, Allen County Public Library, 900 Library Plaza, 2:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. respectively. Topic: “Swiss Genealogical Records.” Delia Bourne June 18 & 19, 2009--Fort Wayne, IN, PalAm German Genealogy Conference, Allen County Public Library, 900 Library Plaza, 4:45 p.m. & 3:30 p.m. respectively. Topic: “Advancing Your Research with PERSI.” Steve Myers June 18 & 19, 2009--Fort Wayne, IN, PalAm German Genealogy Conference, Allen County Public Library, 900 Library Plaza, 4:45 p.m. & 3:30 p.m. respectively. Topic: “Palatines Along the Hudson: Researching 18th Century Settlers on Livingston Manor.”

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Area Calendar of Events

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Allen County Genealogical Society of Indiana (ACGSI) May 13, 2009 at 7 p.m. (social time begins at 6:30 p.m.) at the Allen County Public Library‛s Main Library, 900 Library Plaza, Meeting Room A. Shirley Harris will present “Heritage Societies.” Allen County-Fort Wayne Historical Society, 302 East Berry, Ft. Wayne, IN May 3, 2009 at 2 p.m. Dyne Pfeffenberger will present “From the Emboyd to the Embassy: A History of Fort Wayne's Opulent Showcase." May 9, 2009 at 2 p.m. Jan Shupert-Arick will lecture on “The Lincoln Highway Across Indiana” followed by a book signing. May 23, 2009 at 1 p.m. Memorial Day Concert in the Barr Street Farmers Market provided by the American Legion Post 47 Band.

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Driving Directions to the Library

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Wondering how to get to the library? Our location is 900 Library Plaza, Fort Wayne, Indiana, in the block bordered on the south by Washington Boulevard, the west by Ewing Street, the north by Wayne Street, and the east by the Library Plaza, formerly Webster Street. We would enjoy having you visit the Genealogy Center. To get directions from your exact location to 900 Library Plaza, Fort Wayne, Indiana, visit this link at MapQuest: http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?formtype=address&addtohistory=&address=900%20Web ster%20St&city=Fort%20Wayne&state=IN&zipcode=46802%2d3602&country=US&geodiff=1 >From the South Exit Interstate 69 at exit 102. Drive east on Jefferson Boulevard into downtown. Turn left on Ewing Street. The Library is one block north, at Ewing Street and Washington Boulevard. Using US 27: US 27 turns into Lafayette Street. Drive north into downtown. Turn left at Washington Boulevard and go five blocks. The Library will be on the right. >From the North Exit Interstate 69 at exit 112. Drive south on Coldwater Road, which merges into Clinton Street. Continue south on Clinton to Washington Boulevard. Turn right on Washington and go three blocks. The Library will be on the right. >From the West Using US 30: Drive into town on US 30. US 30 turns into Goshen Ave. which dead-ends at West State Blvd. Make an angled left turn onto West State Blvd. Turn right on Wells Street. Go south on Wells to Wayne Street. Turn left on Wayne Street. The Library will be in the second block on the right. Using US 24: After crossing under Interstate 69, follow the same directions as from the South. >From the East Follow US 30/then 930 into and through New Haven, under an overpass into downtown Fort Wayne. You will be on Washington Blvd. when you get into downtown. Library Plaza will be on the right.

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Parking at the Library

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At the Library, underground parking can be accessed from Wayne Street. Other library parking lots are at Washington and Webster, and Wayne and Webster. Hourly parking is $1 per hour with a $7 maximum. ACPL library card holders may use their cards to validate the parking ticket at the west end of the Great Hall of the Library. Out of county residents may purchase a subscription card with proof of identification and residence. The current fee for an Individual Subscription Card is $70. Public lots are located at the corner of Ewing and Wayne Streets ($1 each for the first two halfhours, $1 per hour after, with a $4 per day maximum) and the corner of Jefferson Boulevard and Harrison Street ($3 per day). Street (metered) parking on Ewing and Wayne Streets. On the street you plug the meters 8am – 5pm, weekdays only. It is free to park on the street after 5pm and on the weekends. Visitor center/Grand Wayne Center garage at Washington and Clinton Streets. This is the Hilton Hotel parking lot that also serves as a day parking garage. For hourly parking, 7am – 11 pm, charges are .50 for the first 45 minutes, then $1.00 per hour. There is a flat $2.00 fee between 5pm and 11pm.

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Genealogy Center Queries

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The Genealogy Center hopes you find this newsletter interesting. Thank you for subscribing. We cannot, however, answer personal research emails written to the e-zine address. The department houses a Research Center that makes photocopies and conducts research for a fee. If you have a general question about our collection, or are interested in the Research Center, please telephone the library and speak to a librarian who will be glad to answer your general questions or send you a research center form. Our telephone number is 260-421-1225. If you‛d like to email a general information question about the department, please email: Genealogy@ACPL.Info.

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Publishing Note:

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This electronic newsletter is published by the Allen County Public Library's Genealogy Center, and is intended to enlighten readers about genealogical research methods as well as inform them about the vast resources of the Allen County Public Library. We welcome the wide distribution of this newsletter and encourage readers to forward it to their friends and societies. All precautions have been made to avoid errors. However, the publisher does not assume any liability to any party for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions, no matter the cause. To subscribe to “Genealogy Gems,” simply use your browser to go to the website: www.GenealogyCenter.Info. Scroll down toward the bottom of the first screen where it says, "Enter Your Email Address to Subscribe to "Genealogy Gems." Enter your email address in the yellow box and click on "Subscribe." You will be notified with a confirmation email. If you do not want to receive this e-zine, please follow the link at the very bottom of the issue of Genealogy Gems you just received or send an email to kspears@acpl.lib.in.us with "unsubscribe e-zine" in the subject line. Steve Myers & Curt Witcher, co-editors