December 2009

Genealogy Gems: News from the Fort Wayne Library No. 70, December 31, 2009

In this issue: New Beginnings in a New Year Artificial Limbs Furnished to Civil War Soldiers Compiled Military Service Records, Winnebago Indian Disturbances of 1827 Technology Tip of the Month--Photo Restoration with Adobe Photoshop, Version 9.02: The Nitty Gritty III, Layers Preservation Tip of the Month--Repairing & Storing Cards, Including Sports, Greeting, and Postcards Connect with WinterTech in the New Year March Madness, Genealogy Style More Great Opportunities for 2010 Librarians on Parade Area Calendar of Events Driving Directions to the Library Parking at the Library Queries for the Department

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New Beginnings in a New Year by Curt B. Witcher

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I hope 2009 was a time of great discovery and much success in your genealogical activities. Some may tire of me saying this, but I so fervently believe that we are living in the best of times for genealogists. When we survey the landscape, it is amazing to behold all the data being digitized, all the books being published, all the indices being compiled and shared, and all the great collaborative efforts that are making our collective abilities to do research so much more productive. And even more exciting than that is the fact that these “best of times” will only get better as more and more technology is applied to preserving historical data and making that data more widely available. These “best of times” though are not without their challenges. For many, the bad economy has made it a difficult year, both on a personal level and on a genealogical level. Some states saw the economic downturn combine with tax reform to take millions of dollars away from public and state libraries. Still other states‛ public library and state archive funding models were so hard hit by the economy that they didn‛t need anything else to nearly put them out of business. A few governors proposed closing their state libraries while others wanted fifty percent cuts in public library funding, in effect closing all but the most essential services of those organizations. However, through all of these hardships, most libraries have prevailed. In the New Year, we need to be even more watchful that the institutions that preserve and make accessible our historical records don‛t get marginalized or get “disappeared.” We know the importance of preserving the records that document our rich heritage. I will be among the first to admit that I have really been on a soap-box this past year regarding the need for all of us to take renewed responsibility for telling our stories and capturing living memory for those who come after us to use. I remain passionate about this critical need. However, I will promise not to write so much about this issue in the coming year. In return, though, I hope I can get a promise from all of you that you will really do something active in 2010--devise a way of archiving those genealogy-related email messages that contain precious family stories and one-of-a- kind information, begin or continue your journal writing, and attend that family reunion with heirlooms to start discussions, as well as with digital cameras and recorders to capture that living history. The future of your family‛s history is truly in your hands. On January 1, 2010, the Genealogy Center will debut its Facebook page and a new blog. Both are designed to be conduits through which you can easily and quickly stay in-touch with programs and activities in the Center. The official Genealogy Center blog is located at http://genealogycenter.wordpress.com. The Center‛s genealogy librarians will post announcements, upcoming programs, and research tips to keep you informed. Through the comments section, we hope to offer another avenue for dialogue with our customers. You can become a fan of the Genealogy Center on Facebook by searching for "Genealogy Center" within http://www.facebook.com. On our Facebook page you can learn up-to-date information about the Center and connect with other researchers. With both the Genealogy Center blog and Facebook, we hope to network with the genealogy community and provide timely information on the variety of offerings of the Genealogy Center. Also new to the Genealogy Center in 2010 are two databases--“Paper of Record” and the “Historical Detroit Free Press.” These two databases will come online at the library during the month of January and will be available for use in the Center. “Paper of Record” is a growing collection of newspaper data from across the United States as well as several other countries. It is being distributed by the company that has provided us with the World Vital Records databases for a couple of years. The number of newspapers that have been published in communities all over the continent for centuries is so vast that finding the actual newspapers of our ancestral hometowns online typically seems remote. Nonetheless, with the number of organizations engaged in making these valuable documents available, it is certainly worth a look. The “Historical Detroit Free Press” database will cover the years from 1831 to 1922. The nearly ninety years of this newspaper will provide researchers with personal and historical information for not only Detroit and Michigan but for the Midwest as well. Though a new year is dawning, you can expect the same great service, the same engaging programs, and the same rich collections of historical and genealogical resources for your use here in the Genealogy Center. Visit our website at GenealogyCenter.Info, attend a program, or come see us in person. I think you‛ll be glad you did. Best wishes for a most successful New Year!

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Artificial Limbs Furnished to Civil War Soldiers by Dawne Slater-Putt

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Many patrons visit the Genealogy Center with a list of specific books to consult. Such preparation before a research trip is to be lauded, but don‛t overlook the benefits of casually browsing the stacks for that unexpected or interesting find! For example, “Artificial Limbs Furnished to Soldiers” (973.74 Aa1uw) is a photocopy of an 1866 Surgeon General‛s Office report listing Union Civil War soldiers who received prosthetics. Arranged alphabetically, it includes each soldier‛s rank, company, regiment, state, residence, date, type of limb received, its cost, and the manufacturer. It might interest his descendants to know that Private W. B. Kress of Fort Wayne, Indiana, a member of Co. H, 75 th Indiana Infantry, received an artificial arm on 11 February 1865. Kress‛s prosthetic arm cost $50 and was made by the Marvin Lincoln company of Boston, Massachusetts. By 11 May 1866, when the Surgeon General‛s report was filed, the federal government had furnished its Union veterans with 2,134 prosthetic arms, 3,784 legs, 14 hands, 9 feet and 104 “apparatus” at a total cost of $357,728. Providing prosthetics for Confederate veterans was not a function of the federal government, but of the individual former Confederate states. Some state-specific lists of Confederate soldiers who applied for artificial limbs exist, such as “Artificial Limbs for Confederate Soldiers” by Patrick J. McCawley of the South Carolina Department of Archives and History (973.74 So8mc). McCawley‛s book describes the South Carolina General Assembly‛s actions to furnish Confederate veterans with prosthetics from 1866 through 1909, followed by an alphabetical index to veterans‛ applications for limbs that includes veteran‛s name, county, year of record series, folder and item number. Ansley Herring Wegner‛s “Phantom Pain: North Carolina‛s Artificial-Limbs Program for Confederate Veterans” (973.74 N81weg) is a combination history and index to records at the North Carolina State Archives. The index portion of the book lists the soldier‛s name, county, unit, date, type of limb, and record citation. Digitized images of Virginia Confederate soldiers‛ applications for artificial limbs are in the Confederate Disability Applications and Receipts database on the Library of Virginia‛s website. Genealogists may search the database most efficiently by cutting and pasting  into their computer browser, and combining the search term “artificial” with the soldier‛s surname in the top search box. Most applications include the veteran‛s place of residence and affidavits describing where and how he was wounded. Rejected as well as approved applications are included among the images. Researchers may be able to find similar record indexes or digitized images for other Confederate veterans by using keyword searching in the online catalogs of individual state libraries and state archives, or via Internet search engines.

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Compiled Military Service Records, Winnebago Indian Disturbances of 1827 by Cynthia Theusch

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After four Winnebago braves attacked a farmhouse in June 1827 near Prairie du Chien in what is now Wisconsin, volunteers from Illinois and Michigan were called up to help federal troops quell the ensuing “disturbances.” Only a few skirmishes took place and most of the 1,000 volunteers had served less than two months before the Winnebago surrendered in September. Available at the Genealogy Center, “Compiled Military Service Records of Michigan and Illinois Volunteers Who Served During Winnebago Indian Disturbances of 1827” is a three-roll National Archives microfilm set pertaining to these troops. Records are arranged by company and then in alphabetical order by the name of the soldier. Volunteers from Illinois may have served in the Mounted Riflemen or in companies commanded by Captains Field, Hamilton, Nair, Strode or Whiteside. Michigan volunteers served in companies under Captains Dickinson, Johnston, Smith and McNair. Captain Smith‛s company consisted of volunteers from the Menominee tribe who were assigned the rank of “Warrior.” In front of each company‛s records is a record-of-events jacket that highlights the stations, movements and activities of the unit. One such jacket provides this description: “Muster Roll of a Company of mounted Riflemen Commanded by Capt. Achillis Morgan who at the special request of Alexander Wolcott, Jr., Esqr., Indian Agent at Chicago, Volunteered their services for the defence of Fort Dearborn on the 28th day of July 1827 and were discharged on the 16th day of August 1827.” Each soldier‛s record consists of muster roll abstracts in a jacket-envelope noting the volunteer‛s name, unit and incoming and outgoing rank. Because of the short period of service, most jackets contain only one card abstract of a muster roll entry relating to the soldier. Each abstract shows the soldier‛s name, unit, period of service, whether present or absent on particular days, name of the person who completed the muster roll jacket, and remarks such as “served with his own arms” or “served with public arms.” The records of Menominee warriors who served provide an English translation of their name, as with May-aw-ko-may, “The Straight Nose Warrior” and Pe-de-dah, “The one who comes making a noise.” The identification of parentage for some of the warriors is an added genealogical bonus, as with O-me-gw-on, “The Feather,” son of O-shaw-wo-nim. These military records may help fill a gap in your ancestor‛s life. For those with Menominee forebears, they may add another generation to the family tree in a time period that is difficult to research.

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Technology Tip of the Month--Photo Restoration with Adobe Photoshop, Version 9.02: The Nitty Gritty III, Layers by Kay Spears

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Now that you‛re familiar with the basics of cloning, we will move on to Layers. Why use layers when restoring photographs? Layers allow you to work on one element of an image without disturbing the others. Changes made using layers, such as color touch-ups, are easily reversible without going through a large number of steps – just drag the layer with the undesirable changes to the trash can! To work with layers, you need to open the Layers palette. Go to Menu > Window > Layers. The Layers palette has a thumbnail image of your photograph, which may be turned off. However, you may find that retaining the thumbnail helps you track which layer you are altering. There is also an eye icon next to each layer. Clicking on the eye allows you to make that layer either visible or invisible. You may add as many layers as you want, and arrange them in any order by clicking and dragging. Make sure you keep track of the layer that is “active.” To add a new layer, click on the icon that looks like a sheet of paper with a folded corner, located on the lower right of the Layers palette, right next to the convenient trash can icon. When you open up your photograph in Adobe, notice that it is identified as the background layer. The background layer is always the bottommost image in your Layers palette. If you want to move the background layer to the top, it needs to be converted to a regular layer by either double clicking on it or right clicking and choosing > Layer from Background > New, and clicking ok. Now that layer can be moved through the stack of other layers on the palette. Another excellent use of layers is with photographs that have come apart. The pieces can be put back together just like a jigsaw puzzle by using the Layers palette. First, arrange all the pieces together on the glass of the scanner and scan as one image. Scanning the pieces separately creates variable images that are hard to put together again. The Magic Wand, the Lasso tool or the Erase tool can each be used to reassemble the photograph. Choose whichever is easiest for you to use. In all cases, you will want each piece of the photo to be on its own layer. If you use the Magic Wand tool, select a piece. Then right click and choose > Layer via copy. This creates a new layer with just that one piece on it. Repeat this process for all of the pieces. When you use the Lasso tool, use the “mouse” to draw freehand around the piece and then repeat the same steps used for the Magic Wand. If you use the Erase tool, duplicate the image once for each piece by right clicking on the layer and choosing > Duplicate layer. Then just erase all but one piece on each layer, keeping a different piece of the photograph on each separate layer. Whichever method you use, you will end up with a separate layer for each piece. Then move each piece into place by using the arrow keys on your keyboard. When they‛re in place, you will want to merge all the pieces together by right clicking on the topmost layer and choosing > Merge down. Repeat this process. Once they are all on one layer, you probably will need to do some crack repairs by using the Clone tool. Then you will have a perfectly seamless image. Next--Feathering

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Preservation Tip of the Month--Repairing & Storing Cards, Including Sports, Greeting, and Postcards by Becky Schipper

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During the holidays, you may have received some cards you would like to save and pass along to your children and grandchildren. Many of us also have collections of trading cards or postcards commemorating significant events, either in the life of our community and country or in the lives of family members. Cards we are intending to keep always should be handled with clean hands or soft, lint-free gloves. Any mending of tears should be done on the back using an archival tape, not a pressure sensitive tape. Cheap tape purchased off-the-shelf in big box stores can deteriorate quickly, turning yellowish-brown and damaging the cards. Cards that are dirty can be cleaned with a document cleaning pad or eraser with a very light touch. Always test the eraser you intend to use on a blank piece of white paper to ensure that erasing does not leave any marks and to get used to the amount of pressure to apply for removal of dirt and stray marks. Cards then should be stored in acid free enclosures, away from heat and light sources. Polyester plastic enclosures are preferred because they allow viewing the item without disturbing it. Groups of cards should be stored vertically in acid-free, lignin-free boxes. The contents of each box should be noted on a separate sheet of paper to facilitate locating the correct card without handling others unnecessarily.

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Connect with WinterTech in the New Year

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Confused about which software to use to organize your genealogical data? Then you're in luck, as our technology education series, WinterTech, continues in January with "Genealogy Software to Record Your Family History." Cynthia Theusch will highlight various features of three of the most popular programs, Family Tree Maker, Legacy, and The Master Genealogist, at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday January 13, 2010, in Meeting Room C. Remember that you can also stay for the monthly meeting of the Allen County Genealogical Society of Indiana at 7 p.m. Call 260-421-1225 or email Genealogy@ACPL.info to register for "Genealogy Software To Record Your Family History." In February we will offer the last of this WinterTech series with Kay Spears presenting the "Basics of Scanning Photographs." For more information, visit our web site at: http://www.acpl.lib.in.us/genealogy/programs.html

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March Madness, Genealogy Style

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As winter ends and spring begins, we are offering “March Madness, Genealogy Style” from March 14th to March 20th. Our March Madness will provide a week of fun and education to “rev up your research.” Daily events that week are listed below. +Sunday March 14, 2010, 1:00-2:00 PM: “Genealogy Center Tour” -- Genealogy Center Entrance Join us for a tour of the Genealogy Center. If you ever have felt overwhelmed by the sheer size of the department, this tour will help familiarize you with the different areas and their contents, as well as research procedures. Space is limited. Call 260-421-1225 or email Genealogy@ACPL.Info to register. +Monday, March 15, 2010, 2:00-3:00 PM: “How To Use the Genealogy Center Basics” -- Globe Room Have you taken the tour of the Genealogy Center and still felt confused? Do you wonder how all the details make sense to other people? Spend time with a staff member who will explain the catalog, microtext area, and how to use the facility. Note: This session is not a beginning genealogy class, but rather an explanation of the collection. Call 260-421-1225 or email Genealogy@ACPL.Info to register. +Tuesday, March 16, 2010, 2:00-3:00 PM, “Using Periodicals at the Genealogy Center” -- Meeting Room A Why would anyone want to use those little newsletters for genealogy research? What can you find in those little newsletters? And where can you find those little newsletters? This lecture will discuss the benefits of using all types of genealogy and local history periodicals in the quest for your ancestors, provide a brief overview of how to use the “Periodical Source Index” (PERSI), and give information on how to locate the specific issue you seek in the ACPL Genealogy Center's massive collection. Call 260-421-1225 or email Genealogy@ACPL.Info to register. +Wednesday, March 17, 2010, 10:00-11:00 AM, “Writing Your Family History: A Primer” -- Meeting Room A This course will present an overview of some of the attributes of good genealogical writing and will offer some guidance on how to produce a book or article of lasting quality. The class will NOT discuss or review genealogy software. Instead, we will look at various forms of genealogical writing, the philosophy of documentation, and other aesthetic attributes that go into making a quality family history. Call 260-421-1225 or email Genealogy@ACPL.Info to register. +Thursday, March 18, 2010, 10:00-11:00 AM, “Using Footnote.com” -- Meeting Room A Learn how to browse through documents or search for an individual's documents or a specific historic event using Footnote.com. View, print, and save original historical and federal documents from the Colonial era to events of the 20th century. Footnote also allows you to share personal stories and upload digital copies of historic documents that you own. Call 260-421-1225 or email Genealogy@ACPL.Info to register. +Friday & Saturday, March 19 & 20, 2010, 9:00 AM-4:00 PM, “Irish & Scots-Irish Genealogy: Part 2, A Two Day Mini-Course” -- Meeting Room B-C This workshop is an excellent way for researchers with some experience in using basic Irish records to learn about additional sources and techniques that lead to success. Topics covered include Irish local history publications and manuscript collections. There is a fee for this program. Call 260-421-1225 or email Genealogy@ACPL.Info for more information.

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More Great Opportunities for 2010

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We have a wide range of activities planned for the rest of 2010, including the Allen County Genealogical Society of Indiana's “Beginning Genealogy Workshop” on April 3rd, the “Family History 101” and “Family History: Beyond Basics” mini-courses June 18 & 19, and September 17 & 18 respectively, and our month-long celebration of “Family History Month” in October. Stay tuned here in Genealogy Gems and at http://www.acpl.lib.in.us/genealogy/programs.html for more information.

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Librarians on Parade

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Curt B. Witcher January 3, 2010--Allen County-Fort Wayne Historical Society, 302 East Berry, Ft. Wayne, IN, 2:00 p.m. Topic: “A Commitment to Excellence in Genealogy: How the Public Library Became a Major Tourist Attraction in Fort Wayne, Indiana" January 30, 2010--Genealogical Society of Kendall County, Boerne, TX, 9:00 a.m. to 4 p.m. Topics: “Roll Call: New Sites and Sources for Military Records and Research,” “Mining the Mother Lode: Using Periodical Literature for Genealogical Research,” “Using Church Records in Your Genealogical Research,” and “‛Pain in the Access:‛ Getting More from the Internet for Your Genealogy”

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Area Calendar of Events

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Allen County Genealogical Society of Indiana (ACGSI) January 13, 2010, 6:30 p.m. social time; 7 p.m. program. Allen County Public Library, 900 Library Plaza, Fort Wayne, IN, Meeting Room A. Marge Graham will present “The Fifer Sisters and the Brick Wall They Created.” Allen County-Fort Wayne Historical Society, 302 East Berry, Ft. Wayne, IN January 3, 2010, 2:00 p.m. – Curt Witcher will present “A Commitment to Excellence in Genealogy: How the Public Library Became a Major Tourist Attraction in Fort Wayne, Indiana."

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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