April 2010

Genealogy Gems:

News from the Fort Wayne Library No. 74, April 30, 2010

In this issue:

Pass It On!

Southern Presbyterian Newspapers

Voter Records, Valuable Resources

Technology Tip of the Month--Further Adventures with Adobe Photoshop: Three Tools You Should Know!

Preservation Tip of the Month--Separating Old Photographs That Are Stuck Together

Celebrate Preservation Week

Genealogy Center Mini-Course: Family History 101

Learn About Ancestry.com

StoryCorps Is Coming in July!

Librarians on Parade

Area Calendar of Events

Driving Directions to the Library

Parking at the Library

Queries for the Department

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Pass It On! by Curt B. Witcher

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In my more than three decades of work with family historians in the Genealogy Center here in Fort Wayne, it has been amazing and gratifying to see all the wonderful ways genealogists have shared their knowledge, their experiences and their work with others. More so now than ever, it is vitally important that we take active steps to ensure that our family histories, and the records we use to document them, are available for our children‛s children to discover and enjoy. That is why I am excited about the American Library Association‛s “Preservation Week,” May 9th to the 15th. This first-ever initiative, entitled “Pass It On: Saving Heritage and Memories,” encourages communities across the country to celebrate and educate around the themes of collecting and preserving local and family history. Libraries are encouraged to get involved by creating displays and offering programs. And we are doing just that in the Genealogy Center. Each day of preservation week, we will offer a program addressing some aspect of “passing it on.” Monday‛s program, “Photo Restoration Using Adobe Photoshop,” is a crowd-favorite and features Kay Spears demonstrating effective ways to utilize Adobe Photoshop, so that you are passing on the best and truest digital images. The library‛s preservationist, Becky Schipper, will discuss practical preservation tips and tools that everyone will find useful in her Tuesday presentation. Wednesday evening, Dawne Slater-Putt will present a program on organizing your genealogical information--hard copies, computer files, photographs and so much more. I think we all could use a little help with organization. Thursday afternoon, I am presenting a two-hour session that will focus, first, on simple, practical ways of preserving family documents and heirlooms and, second, on simple ways to begin writing your family story. Writing down what we know about our family stories, recording how our research has enlightened us, and sharing our memories of important life events are all part of passing it on. Friday, Kay Spears will share her expertise again, this time offering important tips and techniques for scanning documents. Preservation week will conclude with a program on how to effectively search Ancestry.com. It is important to improve our use of online sources, so we can construct better genealogies to pass on to our children and their children. There are other ways to “pass it on” as well. The FamilySearch research wiki is a new and phenomenal way to share your expertise with the larger genealogical community. If you know the unique repositories, records, and strategies for successfully researching in your locale, why not share that with others? If you do share, more people will be able to do better research and compile more worthwhile histories. And isn‛t that what we want? Then those histories can be passed on. WeRelate.org is an excellent site for posting family and local history data, so that a number of individuals can work together online. It‛s also a great site for posting what I call orphan data--data that you don‛t believe fits into your family history, but that is too valuable just to discard. Examples of such data might be photographs of non-relatives, certificates, daybooks, and even GEDCOM files. Instead of burying these orphan documents in a file cabinet, why not post them where others can benefit from them? Another researcher may be able to provide additional context for your orphan data. Another way of passing it on is to provide a copy of your work to the Genealogy Center of the Allen County Public Library. For years, we have offered a photocopy exchange program. If you grant us permission to copy your compilation for our research collection, we will make a complimentary bound copy for you and return your original no worse for wear. We also accept electronic copies, and we welcome the opportunity to scan “all things military,” from service and pension records to posters, images of medals, and discharge papers, as well as letters and diaries. It is so important to take the time and make the effort to “pass it on.” Of what ultimate use is our research if others cannot benefit from it? One of the saddest things to discover is a lifetime of genealogical research being thrown away by disinterested family members because they just didn‛t know what it was--because it wasn‛t passed on. Step up this month and pass it on!

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Southern Presbyterian Newspapers by Melissa Shimkus

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When searching for vital records in the southern United States, researchers quickly discover that some records have been destroyed. They also may find that their ancestors lived in an area that did not require birth, marriage and death records until the 20th century. Knowing the religious denomination of an ancestor can suggest supplemental records, such as baptism, marriage, and burial registers or religious newspapers. Researchers looking for Presbyterians in the South should consult Brent H. Holcomb‛s four volumes of abstracts of marriage and death notices in southern Presbyterian newspapers. Each volume is organized by date and has a name index. The abstracts found in “Marriage and Death Notices from the ‘Charleston Observer‛ 1827-1845” (975.7 H73MD) are not only a substitute source of vital records data, but also of additional details about an ancestor‛s life. For example, Revolutionary War soldier Col. James M. C. Montgomery, who later served from 1791 to 1792 during Indian disturbances at Dean‛s Station, Tennessee, had been a school-mate of General Andrew Jackson. The notices from this volume also can be accessed at Ancestry.com. An ancestor‛s obituary may reveal the family‛s migration route, as does that for James M. Morrison, who joined the Presbyterian Church in Rocky River, North Carolina, in 1809, moved to Valley Creek, Alabama, in 1816, and settled in Yalobusha County, Mississippi, in 1835, where he died in 1848. These details appear in Holcomb‛s volume titled “Death and Marriage Notices from ‘The Watchman and Observer‛ 1845-1855” (975 H69DE). Though “The Watchman and Observer” was published in the South, it included marriage and death notices of church members who had moved north, such as those for the Rev. Garner A. Hunt, who died in New Jersey at age 84, and Mrs. Mary Gildersleeve, who died in Canandaigua, New York. Excerpts from “Marriage and Death Notices from ‘The Southern Presbyterian,‛ Vol. 1: 1847-1865” (975 H69MB) illustrate how these vital event items can define relationships and provide other clues for additional research. For example, the marriage notice for Fannie Maxwell and R. Wilson who wed in Belair, Florida, in 1859, noted that Fannie was the eldest daughter of John Maxwell. Alabama resident Robert Sprait‛s 1862 obituary mentioned that he was born in County Down, Ireland, and immigrated to America 22 years earlier. A second volume of notices from “The Southern Presbyterian” extends coverage to 1879. In the absence of a vital record, determine an ancestor‛s religious affiliation and look for a substitute in ecclesiastical sources. Holcomb‛s volumes of abstracts of southern Presbyterian newspaper notices are examples of this type of valuable source.

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Voter Records, Valuable Resources by Delia Cothrun Bourne

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Voter lists often are cited as possible sources for research, but many disregard their value believing that, at best, they are only indications of a person‛s presence in a specific place, at a specific time. But voter record collections can supply much more information than that. The Genealogy Center holds “The Foreign-Born Voters of California in 1872,” a microfiche edition of a publication compiled by Jim Faulkinbury in 1994. Entries in this list are arranged alphabetically and include voter‛s full name, age, birth country, date and place of naturalization, court in which naturalization took place, year registered to vote and county. For example, Carl Schneider of San Francisco, age 49, was born in Prussia, was naturalized in the Cincinnati, Ohio Superior Court on 7 October 1844, and registered to vote in 1867. Martin Schnabel of Placer County, age 24, was born in Germany but received his citizenship by the naturalization of his father. Henry Martyn Scudder, age 44, was born in Ceylon to American parents, so was a citizen even though born in a foreign country. He registered to vote in San Francisco in 1866. And Juan Maron, age 61, was born in Baja California, Mexico, but became a citizen by treaty when California became an American possession. Also included are demographic tables showing, for each county, the percentage and number of voters by country of birth. This is an invaluable source for those researching ancestors who lived in the Golden State both before and during early statehood. Another example of the bounty of information that can be found in voter records is the “Deceased Voter Registrations 1934-1975” for Allen County, Indiana. These records, held in the Genealogy Center on ten reels of microfilm, are arranged alphabetically and provide name, original address and subsequent addresses of the voter, ward and precinct, and the voter‛s signature. For example, Hugh M. Stephenson‛s record indicates that he was born in Selina (Celina), Ohio, was 41 years old when he registered to vote on 22 January 1934, and died 4 December 1969. His residence was listed as 1002 Northwood Boulevard throughout that period. Dewey Gillespie was born in Rhea County, Tennessee, 31 August 1896 and lived at 1121 Thayer Street when he registered on 29 September 1942. During the next few years, he lived on McCulloch and Eliza streets. He died 19 April 1974. And the registration card for Rex Potterf, director of the public library, lists his multiple residences and captures for future generations his flamboyant, sweeping signature. Voter records provide a wealth of information and offer multiple clues for genealogical research. Be sure to take advantage of these valuable resources.

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Technology Tip of the Month--Further Adventures with Adobe Photoshop: Three Tools You Should Know! by Kay Spears

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In the next short series of articles, I will explore three tools in Adobe Photoshop. These tools are a little more advanced, but you will find them to be very useful. The first tool, Levels, can be used to correct both black & white and color photographs. It is located in two places, on the Menu bar and in the Layers palette. I will be working with the one “nested” in the Layers palette. Secondly, I‛ll discuss how to correct black and white photographs using the Channels tool located on the Layers palette. And finally, I will tell you how to restore those oversized, rolled-up military or family reunion photographs. I‛ll review how to flatten them, scan them and then merge the scanned pieces together into a panoramic view by using the Photomerge tool. Next article: Correcting Black & White and Color Photographs Using a Levels Tool

*************************************** Preservation Tip of the Month--Separating Old Photographs That Are Stuck Together by Becky Schipper

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I was asked recently how to separate photographs that had become stuck together over time. I also have had questions about removing the old, paper album pages from the backs of photos. I have searched far and wide to find answers to these questions. I have not been successful. I have gathered information from many reliable sources including: the Image-Permanence Institute, Heritage Preservation, RetouchPRO, FEMA, the Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts, Solinet, Gaylord Brothers, Etherington Conservation Services, and the Library of Congress. All of these agencies recommend contacting a photographic conservator for this procedure. There are several websites that give advice on separating photographs, but they differ widely on the steps and materials to use. I did not find any that I would recommend. The suggestions range from soaking in warm water to soaking in cool water. Other suggestions include putting the items in the freezer for 20 minutes, microwaving them for five seconds, using a scrap booking product called Un-du and holding them above a pot of steaming water. None of these procedures are tested or recommended by preservation professionals. Photographic conservators may be located through the following two organizations: Guild of Bookworkers (www.guildofbookworkers.org) and the American Institute of Conservation (www.conservation-us.org).

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Celebrate Preservation Week!

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Come to the library in May to celebrate the American Library Association‛s Preservation Week. The Genealogy Center will offer a variety of programs on gathering, organizing and preserving family records, photos and memorabilia. Find other ideas at the Preservation Week website www.ala.preservationweek.com . Events include: Monday May 10, 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM Globe Room Photo Restoration Using Adobe Photoshop Kay Spears (Basic computer knowledge is helpful with this class.) Tuesday May 11, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM Globe Room Preservation Tips & Tools Rebecca Schipper Wednesday May 12, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM Meeting Room A Organizing Information: Hard Copies, Computer Files, Pictures, etc. Dawne Slater-Putt (Allen County Genealogical Society of Indiana monthly meeting--visitors welcome) Thursday May 13, 2:00 PM – 4:30 PM Globe Room Preserving Your Family History--A Practical Overview Curt Witcher Part One: Basic Information to Preserve, Conserve, and Store Family Heirlooms & Documents Part Two: Writing & Recording Your Family Stories Friday May 14, 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM Globe Room Basics of Scanning Kay Spears (Basic computer knowledge is helpful with this class.) Saturday May 15, 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM Meeting Room A Searching Ancestry.com Delia Bourne (Part of Tree Talks) For more information, visit our website at http://www.acpl.info/genealogy/programs.html and register via email at Genealogy@ACPL.Info or by calling 260 421 1225. Join us to learn about preserving your valuable family mementos.

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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 June 18 and 19, 2010. Instructors Margery Graham, CG and Steve Myers, MLS, will again 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 17-18, 2010.

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Learn About Ancestry.com

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Learn how to get more from Ancestry.com, one of the largest research databases, on Saturday, May 15, 2010, in Meeting Room A, from 10 11 a.m. Delia Bourne will discuss the various collections available and provide techniques to maximize your research efforts. For more information, visit our website at http://www.acpl.info/genealogy/programs.html and register via email at Genealogy@ACPL.Info or by calling 260 421 1225.

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StoryCorps Is Coming in July!

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We are pleased to announce that StoryCorps is coming to Northeast Indiana! Since 2003, more than 50,000 people have had their stories recorded by StoryCorps and preserved at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress, and millions have heard some of these stories over National Public Radio stations. With the stated mission of providing Americans of all backgrounds and beliefs the opportunity to record, share and preserve their stories, StoryCorps uses everyday people to record 40-minute interviews with their friends, family and neighbors. Sponsored by Northeast Indiana Public Radio, the StoryCorps MobileBooth will be in the area in July. To help you take advantage of this opportunity, the Genealogy Center will offer a number of events on preserving personal, family and community history. Lectures on scrapbooking, photograph restoration, and organizing and preserving of family treasures are being planned to supplement NIPR‛s activities during StoryCorps‛ visit. Watch our website at http://www.acpl.lib.in.us/genealogy/programs.html for more information.

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Librarians on Parade in May 2010

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Curt Witcher May 13, 2010, Allen County Public Library, 900 Library Plaza, Ft. Wayne, IN, Globe Room, 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Two part presentation: Preserving Your Family History--A Practical Overview Part One: Basic Information to Preserve, Conserve, and Store Family Heirlooms & Documents Part Two: Writing & Recording Your Family Stories Delia Bourne May 15, 2010, Allen County Public Library, 900 Library Plaza, Ft. Wayne, IN, Allen County Genealogical Society meeting, Meeting Room A, 10 a.m. Presentation: “Searching Ancestry.com” Dawne Slater-Putt May 12, 2010, Allen County Public Library, 900 Library Plaza, Ft. Wayne, IN, Allen County Genealogical Society meeting, Meeting Room A, 7 p.m. Presentation: “Organizing Information: Hard Copies, Computer Files, Pictures, etc.” Kay Spears May 10, 2:00, Allen County Public Library, 900 Library Plaza, Ft. Wayne, IN, Globe Room, 3:30 p.m. Presentation: “Photo Restoration Using Adobe Photoshop” May 14, 2010, Allen County Public Library, 900 Library Plaza, Ft. Wayne, IN, Globe Room, 2 p.m. Presentation: “Basics of Scanning”

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Area Calendar of Events

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Allen County Genealogical Society of Indiana (ACGSI) May 12, 2010, 6:30 p.m. social time; 7 p.m. program. Allen County Public Library, 900 Library Plaza, Fort Wayne, IN, Meeting Room A. Dawne Slater-Putt will present “Organizing Information: Hard Copies, Computer Files, Pictures, etc.” Allen County-Fort Wayne Historical Society, 302 East Berry, Ft. Wayne, IN May 2, 2010, 2:00 p.m. – Peggy Seigel will present “Fort Wayne‛s Medical Pioneers."

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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 ezine" in the subject line. Steve Myers & Curt Witcher, co-editors