August 2012

Genealogy Gems:

News from the Fort Wayne Library No. 102, August 31, 2012

In this issue:

History in Our Hands...

Women in the Revolution

The American West: Overland Journeys, 1841-1880

Technology Tip of the Month--Adobe Photoshop: Reducing a Moire Pattern (Part 1)

Quick-Tip of the Month for Preservation--Preservation of Clothing

Family History: Beyond the Basics, A Two-Day Mini-Course!

Family History Month--October 2012: Celebrate Every Day!

Out and About

Area Calendar of Events

Driving Directions to the Library

Parking at the Library

Queries for The Genealogy Center

***************************************

History in Our Hands... by Curt B. Witcher

***************************************

As our summer days are waning, and many of our children and grandchildren are back in school, my thoughts turn again to all the great family information discovered and shared at reunions and other gatherings over the past several months. There is always such excitement when connecting with family, meeting new relatives, and sharing discoveries--whether from the recently released and indexed 1940 census or from a newly discovered photograph album. What happens after the initial excitement, though, remains a constant concern for me. Do we really appreciate that we have “history in our hands?” What happens to that family history is in our hands as well. I encourage making a practice of actively archiving family information at least several times a year. Be creative when thinking of how to “archive” family data. Recall the LOCKSS mantra written about previously--lots of copies keeps stuff safe. Share those summer discoveries with family members who may not have been able to attend that recent reunion or who don’t have access to all the data and images shared at the reunion. Sharing family data widely creates an informal network of backups, which helps ensure that it will remain available for future generations. Don’t just place that newly discovered information and those images in the piles of unrecorded and unfiled data that fill many of our studies, offices, and dining room tables. Organizing your discoveries, research, and conclusions, and inputting the information into a genealogical data management program, e.g. Family Tree Maker, Master Genealogist, Roots Magic, and the like, is another means of caring for the “history in our hands.” Another different but amazing “history in our hands” moment happened mid-August. A colleague and friend from Historic Fort Wayne brought in a number of War of 1812 artifacts to complement the “Nation Forged by War” display that starting getting attention in The Genealogy Center around the first of this month. Holding the artifacts and authentic reproductions in my hands gave me a renewed sense of what it meant for those of our ancestors who defended this country during its “second Revolutionary War.” The artifacts and authentic reproductions include: chain shot, bar shot, and expanding bar shot that were fired from cannons to disable a ship’s rigging; a brass blunderbuss with flared muzzle; a shot and ball mold as well as a vent pick and brush; a wood and glass rumlet, captured from the captain of the Privateer L’Activ by American Captain Allenson; a sailor’s wooden rumlet; and a small black powder barrel and a powder horn. You simply must stop by to see them if you’re in the area. My hands touched items that War of 1812 soldiers would have touched--truly “history in our hands.” How awesome is that?! [Note: Nearly three hundred thousand War of 1812 pension images are available on fold3.com for free use from anywhere in the world. It’s a good start. ] Finally, we know how newspapers are the chroniclers of the lives and times of people in a particular community. For a number of months, I have had the distinct pleasure and honor of serving with an extremely talented group of individuals on an advisory committee for the Indiana Historic Newspaper Digitization Project. With federal grant money, the Indiana State Library is working on digitizing over one hundred and twenty thousand pages of pre-1922 Indiana newspapers. When the first phase is complete, these historic newspapers will be freely available on the Library of Congress’ “Chronicling America” website, as well as on the Indiana State Library’s website. I can hardly wait to view these treasure troves of history from my own netbook. This outstanding project is being undertaken by a corps of dedicated professionals who are working hard to put “history in our hands.”

***************************************

Women in the Revolution by John D. Beatty

***************************************

Bibliographic works are often overlooked and underappreciated by genealogists. In the rush to find specific names in compiled family histories and record extracts, researchers often fail to discover sources of a more general nature that could illuminate their ancestors’ lives and place them into larger contexts. These sources are worth examining if for no other reason than they provide us with a more thorough understanding of the times in which our ancestors lived. If we’re lucky, they also may offer additional clues. By gathering into a single source a listing of related books and articles, bibliographers perform an important service. They shine a spotlight on the obscure and present new avenues for historical inquiry. Such is the case with Eric Grundset’s three-volume “America’s Women in the Revolutionary Era: A History through Bibliography,” published in 2011 by the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (973.3 G925AM). In more than 3,000 pages, Grundset categorizes thousands of books, articles, published manuscripts, online sources, and dissertations that discuss or document women and girls at the time of the Revolutionary War. The scope of the project is breathtaking. Volumes One and Two contain four parts: “General Studies;” “Women in the Family and in Society;” “Women, Culture, Education, and the Creative Arts;” and “Women, Girls and the War Effort during the American Revolution.” These four parts divide thirty chapters and a huge array of subheadings that cover a wide gamut of topics. Education, labor, paintings, toys, clothing, disease, death, abuse, childbirth, child rearing practices, illegitimacy, sexual relations, legal status issues, women’s rights, foodways, folklore, domestic arts, courtship, divorce, camp following, and runaways represent just a fraction of the subjects covered. Grundset devotes several chapters to both African-American and Native American women, including aspects of slavery, abolition, and domestic life for one, with sections devoted to specific tribes for the other. Some subcategories contain references to specific women, including their roles as diarists, witnesses, and in performing specific occupations or skills. An index at the end of Volume Two lists not only these women, but also provides multiple cross references to the many subcategories. For example, if you have an interest in women as fortune-tellers during the Revolution, you will find that category along with related subjects and can locate easily a variety of references within the two volumes. Volume Three takes all of the references found in the first two volumes and reorganizes them. The first part contains an alphabetical list of all of the authors, since they are not included in the index to the first two volumes. The second part sorts all mentioned published works chronologically by publication date, year by year. This sorting allows researchers of a defined period – say the 1860s – to find specific works of interest, since that era may have influenced how a subject was treated. Genealogists who limit their experience with these volumes by only delving into the indexes in search of ancestors will come away disappointed. But if they are writing a family history and want to know more about their eighteenth-century female ancestors – what they ate, how they educated their children, how they dealt with such personal issues as menstruation, and how they viewed the war around them, these volumes will lead to sources that provide a wealth of insight.

***************************************

The American West: Overland Journeys, 1841-1880 by Steven W. Myers

***************************************

Many genealogists have ancestors, or siblings and cousins of ancestors, who were among the pioneers making the long and dangerous trek across the plains in the mid-nineteenth century. Nothing captures the adventure and hardships of such a journey quite like the personal accounts of those that made the trip. Many of these narratives have been published, offering researchers opportunities to discover details of travel in the precise year and on the specific trail used by their family relations. Mentions of particular individuals also may be found, doubling rewarding the diligent. A large number of these trail accounts is collected in “The American West: Overland Journeys, 1841-1880,” available on 663 microfiche in The Genealogy Center (cabinet E-1). Included are histories and personal narratives of westward migrations by covered wagon, foot and stagecoach for those traveling the Butterfield Stage Route, and the Bozeman, California, Gila, Mormon, Oregon, and Santa Fe trails. The accounts are organized by trail, and then by author within the section for each trail. A printed “Guide” (978 Am359g) to the collection provides a brief introduction, a list of the publications reproduced in the set, and a subject index. The entry for each trail narrative supplies the author, title, publication information, and a list of the major topics covered in the account. The subject index includes names of individuals, places and Indian tribes, as well as references to accounts that cover topics as diverse as cannibalism, forts and trading posts, the fur trade, maps, mining, religion, ship travel, vigilantes and frontier justice, and women. An index entry in the “Guide” under appendicitis refers the reader to Charles Steedman’s “Bucking the Sage Brush; or, The Oregon Trail in the Seventies.” There we find described the painful demise of a young man named Harris or “Billy,” who suffered for days before his death with what could only be described at the time as “an inflammation of the bowels” on the lower right side. The author, writing of his journey after the identification of appendicitis in 1886, lamented the fact that even the army surgeon they encountered on the trail could do nothing for Billy but offer him pain medication. Another index entry, under “prisoners,” leads to Fanny Kelly’s lengthy “Narrative of My Captivity Among the Sioux Indians.” Fanny’s journey west in 1864 was interrupted when her wagon train was attacked by a large party of Sioux Indians, who killed three and took her and three others captive. These and many other detailed accounts contained in this microfiche collection will help any family historian, with relatives who traveled west, write the story of that arduous journey.

***************************************

Technology Tip of the Month--Adobe Photoshop: Reducing a Moire Pattern (Part 1) by Kay Spears

***************************************

I would like to repeat something I’ve said before. Some photographs cannot be restored. It doesn’t matter how hard you try or how many steps you go through trying to correct the problem. The more experienced you become with image restoration, the easier it is to recognize photographs that should be set aside. Photoshop programs are not magic fixers in every situation. One problem that can cause a lot of frustration is the Moire pattern. What is a Moire pattern? If you look closely at a photograph printed in a newspaper, magazine or brochure you may see a grid of little squares or dots. This pattern is created by the offset screen printing process and is a problem that often cannot be fixed. However, if a printed photograph is the only image of Uncle Mortie that you have, you may want try reducing the effect of the Moire pattern. Before you attempt to correct a Moire pattern with Photoshop, try to correct the image by rescanning it. Usually, I do not recommend correcting anything with a scanner, but most scanners come with a “descreening” option. If your scanner has this option, you need to figure out the number of lines per inch (LPI) used in screening the original image. Newspapers, magazines, and books generally use different LPI settings, with newspapers being the lowest, usually at 85LPI, then magazines at 133LPI or 150LPI, and some books at 200LPI. These LPI options should be available to you in your scanner settings. When you choose “descreening” on most scanners, a drop down box will allow you to change the LPI settings. Choose the LPI that matches the source you are scanning. When you rescan the image using “descreening,” the Moire pattern will disappear, but the resulting image will be slightly blurred. You will need to decide which you prefer, a photo that is slightly blurred or a photo with a visible Moire pattern. What if using Photoshop is the only option you have in correcting the problem? Next month, we will review how to use Photoshop to reduce the effect of the Moire pattern.

***************************************

Quick-Tip of the Month for Preservation--Preservation of Clothing by Delia Bourne

***************************************

(Editors’ Note: Earlier this year, we published a brief item on textile preservation highlighting the Minnesota History Center’s website which contains information on the display and storage of clothing and textiles. The following article complements the previous piece by providing useful, specific details about preserving your family’s heritage clothing.) As you sort through a deceased relative’s closet or cedar chest, you may discover items of clothing that you want to save--maybe an antique wedding dress, an heirloom baptismal gown, or a military uniform. Many items start out in a closet or dresser. Although hangers are fine for day-to-day use, they will cause damage to the shoulders of items that hang for long periods of time, stretching the fabric as the garment’s own weight pulls it down. In addition, metal hangers can rust (no more wire hangers, ever). Items in a dresser or trunk will be pressed down by other items stored on top of them. To preserve a piece of clothing, first make sure it is as clean as possible. Check any instructions that came with the item. If the item is washable, use as mild a detergent as possible, perhaps one made for washing infants’ clothing. If it cannot be washed, consult with a professional dry cleaner. Many dry cleaning shops are branches, so be sure to ask for the main store, and ask to speak to an expert. Some dry cleaners offer a service that will vacuum seal an item, but many experts feel that this process is unnecessary. Once the item is clean, fold it with as few creases as possible. Pad the sleeves, shoulders and bodice with acid-free tissue paper, white cotton sheeting or muslin. Also pad each fold so that no sharp creases form. Place the item in an acid free box and place the box in a cool, dry place. You may place more than one item in a box, but remember not to pack the box too tightly or make it too heavy. The whole idea is to allow space around items so that they aren’t crushed. Inspect the items you have preserved annually. Refold them in a different direction so that creases will not set, and replace any tissue or cloth that is discolored. With just a little care, the clothing that is important to your family can be preserved for generations.

***************************************

Family History: Beyond the Basics, A Two-Day Mini-Course!

***************************************

Time is running out to register for "Family History: Beyond the Basics," a mini-course presented by Margery Graham and Steve Myers on Friday and Saturday, September 7 & 8, 2012. This workshop is an excellent way for beginners and intermediate researchers to build on what they know or to review important concepts and sources. Attendees are free to bypass any individual session to take advantage of additional research and consultation time. Marge and Steve say you'll learn lots and have fun, too! Classes include Problem Solving: Breaking through Brick Walls in Your Research; Probate Records; Land Records and Tax Lists; Military Records; Church Records; Tracing Your Ancestors Across the Atlantic; and a tour of The Genealogy Center. Program and registration details are included in the brochure at http://www.GenealogyCenter.org. Attendance is limited, so registering early is highly recommended to avoid disappointment.

***************************************

Family History Month--October 2012: Celebrate Every Day!

***************************************

Family History Month 2012 is a month away, so it's time to make plans to attend some - or all - of the genealogical events offered every day during the month. The month will feature researching family history in other departments of the library, analyzing photographs, brickwall research, instructional classes on some of our electronic databases such as the Origins Network, Ancestry, and the Periodical Source Index (PERSI), and sessions on using some of the machinery in The Genealogy Center. A highlight of this year’s Family History Month is the return of our traditional Midnight Madness Extended Research Hours on Friday, October 26, offering the opportunity to do family history research until midnight. For detailed class descriptions, more information, and to register for individual sessions as well as the extended research hours, see the brochure at http://www.GenealogyCenter.org/Libraries/2012_Brochures/FHM.sflb.ashx.

***************************************

Out and About

***************************************

Curt Witcher September 18, 2012--IPFW “Rewire, Refire, Reboot” Adult Education Program, IPFW Alumni Building, 1528 East California Road, Fort Wayne, Indiana, 10:45 a.m. Topic: “Finding Your Family History: An Adventure of a Lifetime!”

September 20, 2012--IPFW Hispanic Heritage Month presentation, Allen County Public Library, 900 Library Plaza, Fort Wayne, Indiana, Meeting Room B, 6:30 p.m. Topic: “Finding Your Latino Roots.”

September 22-23, 2012--Ewing Family Association 12th Biennial Gathering, Quality Inn, Rt. 7 North, Gallipolis, OH. “Down the Ohio and Westward.”

Dinner presentation on Ewing Archives on Saturday, September 22nd. Breakfast Q & A on Sunday, September 23rd.

September 29, 2012--Ivy Tech “Finding Our Voice, Sharing Our Spirit Within & Across Cultures” Community Workshop, Allen County Public Library, 900 Library Plaza, Fort Wayne, Indiana, Meeting Room C, 3:30 p.m. Topic: “Introduction to Family History” and tour of The Genealogy Center.

Melissa Shimkus September 22, 2012, DeMotte Public Library, 901 Birch Street Southwest, DeMotte, Indiana, 10:00 a.m.: "Ancestry: The Beginners Way To Search” and 11:30 a.m.: "Becoming Expert at Using Ancestry."

Cynthia Theusch September 8, 2012--Western Michigan Genealogical Society, Grand Rapids Public Library, 111 Library Street NE, Grand Rapids, MI, 1:30 p.m. Topic: “Works Project Administration (WPA)”

***************************************

Area Calendar of Events

***************************************

Allen County Genealogical Society of Indiana (ACGSI) September 12, 2012--Allen County Public Library, 900 Library Plaza, Fort Wayne, Indiana. 6:30 p.m. refreshments, followed at 7 p.m. by Curt Witcher’s presentation: “All that Other Stuff: Other Census Records Beyond the Population Schedules.” Allen County-Fort Wayne Historical Society/The History Center, 302 East Berry, Ft. Wayne, IN September 1, 2012, Miami Indian Heritage Days, 1-4 p.m., Dani Tippman will present on “Miami Harvest.” This event will be at 5705 Bluffton Road, Fort Wayne. September 28, 2012, Buffalo Tro, 6-9 p.m. Ticketed event focusing on the frontier times of the area with a catered meal provided. Paid reservations are a must (260-426-2882, www.FWHistoryCenter.com). This event will be at 5705 Bluffton Road, Fort Wayne. George R. Mather Sunday Lecture Series resumes in October.

***************************************

Driving Directions to the Library

***************************************

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.

***************************************

Parking at the Library

***************************************

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 half-hours, $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.

***************************************

Genealogy Center Queries

***************************************

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.

***************************************

Publishing Note:

***************************************

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.org. Scroll to the bottom, click on E-zine, and fill out the form. 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