December 2019

Genealogy Gems: News from the Allen County Public Library at Fort Wayne No. 190, December 31, 2019 In this issue:

Ringing in the New Year and the New Decade

Getting to Know the Genealogy Center's Free Databases

Michigan’s Early Military Forces

Technology Tip of the Month: The Adventure Continues, Adobe Elements 2018, Fun Edits Guided Tab. Shape Overlay.

PERSI Gems--Wills

History Tidbits: Star Spangled Banner

Library Catalog Insider--Finding College, University, and School Yearbooks

DNA Interest Group

Start the New Year with WinterTech

January Technology in Genealogy User Group Meeting

Hidden Gems of Jewish Genealogy and Discovering the Shtetl

March Madness – Genealogy Style – Is Coming!

Staying Informed about Genealogy Center Programming

Area Calendar of Events

Genealogy Center Social Media

Driving Directions to the Library

Parking at the Library

Genealogy Center Queries

Publishing Note

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

Ringing in the New Year and the New Decade by Curt B. Witcher

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

For many it is hard to believe we’re beginning the third decade of the twenty-first century already. I trust the first two decades have been filled with many discoveries and great stories. I offer a New Year’s challenge to all—make the third decade even better. To do that, though, will require intentional, active steps. I offer some suggestions.

Do just one thing each day. Our family history files as well as our home offices and genealogy workspaces (e.g. kitchen and dining room tables, family room pool tables, etc.!) did not become cluttered overnight. So getting them back in order will not happen in a day. However, if you commit to filing (or scanning and storing) just one piece of paper or just one photograph a day, you will be amazed at the progress you will make over a relatively short amount of time. You might also be surprised at the discoveries you make. We know the importance of keeping a journal, both for our descendants and to assist us when we are working to write the stories of our ancestors and family members. Write something every day, even it if is just a phrase or a single sentence. You quickly will find how the early struggles of writing just a phrase will lead to easier times of writing a few sentences, and more.

Use every celebration to remember and record that celebration in yesteryear. There is a persistent lament among many that they don’t know what to write about. The blank page or the empty tablet screen intimidates and scares them. A solution is to make every celebration in 2020 a memory-trigger, an opportunity to recall what your family did on that day last year, several years ago, or last generation. What Valentine’s Day memories can you recall? Does Memorial Day awaken memories of family members who served? Do you remember summer picnics around the Fourth of July? Do picnics and parks fill your recollections of Labor Day? Does the changing of the seasons bring back memories of gardens, canning, and cooking?

Commit to making moments, and memories. You may be familiar with the national campaign to encourage fathers to spend time with their children: “It Only Takes a Moment to Make a Moment.” As the movement emphasizes, it only takes a moment to have a meaningful interaction with your child. I believe all family historians should adopt this same advice. Make the time to share your genealogy finds, your old photographs and keepsakes, and your stories with children and grandchildren, nephews and nieces, distant cousins and older relatives. It is absolutely the most valuable gift you can give.

Remember that it really is all about the story. There are all kinds of reasons you may be researching one side of the family, a particular ancestor, or a specific location. Make the time to find the stories. It is tremendously fun and invigorating. While you are collecting specific data and specific documents, take the time to “look around” and find the story. So you’ve found someone on a census record with a certain value of personal property or real estate. Do you know specifically what some of the personal property was? Does that shed any light on what their lives may have been like? What did they do with their real estate? Farm, blacksmith shop, grain storage, cooper? Truly look for friends and neighbors. Do they provide more clues about your families’ lives, assist you in writing your story? Best wishes for an amazingly engaging year of finding and telling your family stories!

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

Getting to Know the Genealogy Center's Free Databases by Allison DePrey Singleton

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

Whether or not you ever plan to visit the nation’s largest public genealogical collection, The Genealogy Center of the Allen County Public Library, you can access freely online some 4.1 million of its digital assets, including a variety of guides to help you get started in navigating the collection. When accessing the Center’s website, www.GenealogyCenter.org, you will find a number of databases filed under “Free Databases.” They include the following. African American Gateway The African American Gateway is a growing resource for African American research and includes information from the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean, and well as a few other countries. The links to websites in this gateway are paired with a bibliography of resources for African American research in The Genealogy Center collection. Allen County, Indiana Resources The Allen County, Indiana Resources collection of databases includes, but is not limited to, indexes of local obituaries, cemeteries, marriage, death and other courthouse records, as well as AfricanAmerican material. Also featured are images from the Firefighter Collection and local wills. Family Bible Records The Family Bible Records section features transcriptions and images from family Bibles donated to The Genealogy Center. Details include births, marriages, and deaths as well as information from items inserted in the Bibles, such as newspaper clippings, photographs, and funeral cards. Family Resources The Family Resources section features unique family histories and family files submitted by researchers who have granted permission for their material to be hosted on The Genealogy Center site. Contributions of additional data are most welcome. Genealogy Center Surname File The Genealogy Center Surname File can be searched to identify others researching a particular surname. Contact information is provided to encourage collaboration. Contributors to this file are Genealogy Center patrons. Indiana Resources Indiana Resources represent a widely varied collection of databases created by researchers who have donated their work to The Genealogy Center as well as Genealogy Center staff. This collection grows rapidly as more material becomes available. Native American Gateway The Native American Gateway is a resource for those exploring First Nations family history. Information on how to begin such research, links to materials from the National Archives, and links to popular data are complemented by a continually updated listing of resources held by The Genealogy Center. Other States Resources The Other States Resources collection represents a widely varied assortment of databases created by researchers who have donated their work to The Genealogy Center, as well as by Genealogy Center staff. This collection grows rapidly as more material becomes available. Our Military Heritage Our Military Heritage includes images of military-related books, pamphlets, government documents, original letters, diaries, biographies, photographs, videos, unit histories, and rosters, as well as service and pension records. A project of The Genealogy Center, this collection of data files offers materials ranging in time from the American colonial era through the Afghanistan and Iraqi wars. Contributions of additional data are most welcome. Another database is available at home via the On-Site Databases: PERiodical Source Index (PERSI) PERSI is the premier subject index for genealogy and local history periodicals and is produced by the staff of The Genealogy Center. You can search for family names of interest as well as geographic locations where ancestors may have lived. You can find guides and other types of finding aids under Pathfinders to get started in different types of research: Allen County, Indiana Guides – specific to our physical location Genealogy Center Collections – our brochure about The Genealogy Center Getting Started in Genealogy – a brief explanation that includes a link to free downloadable genealogy forms Guides – these include the methodology (some may be dated but are great starting points): Adoption, Census, Eastern European, English & Welsh, French-Canadian, German, Heraldry, Irish, Modern Research, Newspaper, Religious Congregations, Scottish, and Swiss National Archives Finding Aids – searchable State and Subject Snapshots (an extensive and up-to-date bibliographic listing of key resources on a variety of subjects)

Key Title Index (for the “American Genealogical & Biographical Index”, an every-name index to over 800 printed genealogies and other compiled sources housed at the Godfrey Memorial Library in Middletown, Connecticut.) On the home page of The Genealogy Center website, in the Family History Archives section, you will find books from the collection that have been digitized by FamilySearch and Internet Archive: Family History Books— https://books.familysearch.org/primo_library/libweb/action/search.do?vid=FHD_PUBLIC Internet Archive—https://archive.org/details/allen_county If you find reference to a book of interest on our website, you can enter the book’s title into WorldCat.org. This website will tell you where the closest library with that title is located. You never know if a particular book has been digitized until you begin to look. Enjoy exploring the website of The Genealogy Center, and please contact us with any questions. We want you to be successful in finding relevant family history materials.

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

Michigan’s Early Military Forces by Cynthia Theusch

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

When researching ancestors who settled early in a territory or state, you should look for them, if possible, in militia records. For those with Michigan roots, LeRoy Barnett and Roger Rosentreter have compiled “Michigan’s Early Military Forces: A Roster and History of Troops Activated Prior to the American Civil War” (Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 2003) Gc 977.4 B264M, a work that contains records of soldiers in the state spanning from 1775 to about 1860. Significantly, the book includes rosters from brief regional conflicts such as the Patriot War and Toledo War for which few other records exist. The rosters are categorized into six groups: the Revolutionary and Early Indian Wars; the War of 1812; the Black Hawk War; the Toledo War; the Patriot War; and the Mexican-American War. Each section includes an illustration of the theater of operations, a brief history of each war, bibliographic notes, and rosters of men. The authors state that Native Americans participated in these wars, but their names were not included in the rosters. For the first five wars that span from the Revolution through the Patriot War, each roster contains the same set of information: the soldier’s name, rank, military unit, service dates, and remarks. For example, these are records from the Revolutionary and Early Indian Wars section: 1) Joseph Blay private, Chene’s Company, service 24/03/80-24/05/80, Drafted. 2) Jacob Bogarts, carpenter, Detroit Militia, ??/??/??-??/??/79, Surrendered at Fort Sackville, AKA Jacob Bogard. In these examples, the authors are uncertain about the exact dates of Bogarts’s service, but they do show variant names from the original lists. The rosters from the Mexican War, 1845-1846, include more details about individual soldiers, such as their name, age, height, eye color, hair color, complexion, trade, born (if given), home (if given), rank, unit, dates enrolled, mustered and discharged, and remarks. Besides those from Michigan, some listed their homes in such states as Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, New York, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Some sample entries include: 1) Cephas Fullerton, 18 yrs, 5.10, Blue, light, light, farmer, Yates Co. NY, Detroit MI, Private, Com D 1st MI Inf. 11/14/47 Pontiac, MI, 11/14/47 Detroit MI, 7/26/48 Detroit, MI, no remarks. 2) Melville E. Morris, 24, 5.09, blue, sandy, light, printer, Steuben Co NY, Goshen IN, private, Com F 1st MI Inf, 11 15, 47 Niles MI, 12/2/47 Detroit MI, 7/28/48 Detroit MI, PMT 4SG 12/31/47. PEN. AKA Melvin Morris. Putting the records into historical context will make them more valuable to a family history. To learn more about a state’s military history, look for state histories that outline the role played by early militias and the conflicts that occurred there. Also, search the library catalog using the term “military” and the state’s name. You may find missing pieces about your ancestor that will extend your family history research to earlier years and locations.

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

Technology Tip of the Month: The Adventure Continues, Adobe Elements 2018, Fun Edits Guided Tab. Shape Overlay. by Kay Spears

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

While we are getting close to the end of our “Fun Edit” tab, we still have a few more to look at before we move on. Let’s see what we can get through this month, starting with Shape Overlay Effect. Shape Overlay Effect: For this experiment, I selected a photograph of my mom in a rowboat. Step 1, click on the Select a Shape button. There are many tool options that appear. I selected a heart. As soon as I clicked on the shape, a heart appeared on my photograph and the background faded. There was also a Size box around the heart. If you maneuver you cursor over the handles of the box, you can change the size of the shape. For Step 2, you can also move the shape to a different location on the photograph. If you are happy with your results, click the green check mark. Step 3 is the Outside Effect button. Experiment and click on all the options. You may also adjust the Intensity of each by using the tiny little Intensity slider. I chose the Black option, and then adjusted the intensity. Step 4 is Inside Effect. This option changes the image inside the shape by applying an “artistic” filter to it. Once again, experiment with each tool. There is also an intensity slider with this tool option. Step 5 is an optional crop tool. One crops the entire image, and one crops close up to the shape. There you have it, a pretty simple effect that was fairly easy to do. Speed Effect: I believe in order for this effect to work, you will need a photograph that has something in it that requires speed, for instance a car, bicycle, hot wheels, etc. I found a woman sitting in a rocking chair, so we’ll see what happens. Step 1, click on the Quick Selection Tool. If any of you are familiar with this tool, all I have to say is that it doesn’t seem to work any better in the Guided Tab than it does in the Expert. Practice selecting an area where you want to apply the speed effect. You may Add or Subtract. Step 2, click Add Speed Effect. When you click on this button, streaks appear on your image. My first thought when I looked at my image was that nothing I selected is showing. So I skipped over Step 1, and found out that yes you do need to do Step 1 - it’s just the effect is very subtle. Back to Step 2: you can change the angle, increase or decrease the effect. Step 3, add Focus Area. When you click on this, your cursor changes to a Cross-like pointer. You can drag a line over the image where you don’t want the speed streaks, and they slowly disappear. Step 4 is Refine Effect. This tool appears to be a simple erasure, and you can add or subtract the effect by using it. You may also change the size of the brush or the opacity. After some experimenting, I was left with an interesting look. I believe the key to this effect is choosing the correct type of image to begin with, and make sure that the image’s contrast and brightness is right. It doesn’t work very well on a light image. On to Speed Pan. Step 1: Once again, click on the Quick Selection Tool and select the portion of your image you want to be in focus. Step 2, click on Add Motion Blur. You may add or subtract the results of this tool. What this tool does is blur everything that you didn’t select in Step 1. Step 3: Refine Effect Brush, which cleans up the edges. You have add, subtract, and the option to change the size and opacity of the brush. And that’s all there is to this effect. This is a very simple technique, and I liked the looks of this one when I was finished. Last Fun Edit: Zoom Burst Effect. There are 4 steps in this one, but after experimenting with them, I wasn’t quite sure why Step 1 was crop. But you can do some experimenting on your own using Step 1 or not using Step 1. Step 2 is Add Zoom Burst. What this tool does is make a blur shaped like a “burst” on the photo. Step 3 is Add Focus Area. Drag your cursor cross over the area you would like to have in focus. Step 4, Apply Vignette. Clicking on this adds a dark vignette. Continued clicking of the vignette button increases the darkness of the vignette. The image I used was a close-up of a face. I then added my zoom burst and used the focus tool on just the eyes. The finished product looked amazing. We are now done with all of the Fun Effects. In the next article we will be going to the next Guided Tab: Special Edits.

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

PERSI Gems--Wills by Adam Barrone and Mike Hudson

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

Wills are among the records most useful in proving ancestral lines prior to the comprehensive keeping of vital records by civil authorities. In addition to lists of heirs and their places of residence, wills offer clues about creditors, land ownership, family heirlooms, and final wishes with regard to burial arrangements. The Periodical Source Index (PERSI) cites over 11,000 articles about wills, some going back centuries. If you are having difficulty locating wills for a particular locality, don’t forget to try a PERSI search for the place in question. The PERSI search page has three boxes labeled Who, Where & What Else: http://search.findmypast.com/search/periodical-source-index As an example, to search for wills in Essex County, Massachusetts, try: Who: Where: Essex, Massachusetts What Else: Wills In addition to thousands of wills indexes and abstracts cited by place in PERSI, you can also find some mentions of individual wills with a surname search. Here are some rather curious bequests we found: Ada Lance bequest for St. Mary's Church Kelvedon window in memory of her tortoise Felix, 1910- 2004 Essex (Eng.) Family Historian, n.144, Jun. 2012 Curious will, newspaper item, Jackoo the monkey, Shock the dog, and Tib the cat bequests, 1828 Midland (Eng.) Ancestor, v.18n.6, Jun. 2016 Emma Ann Righton will excerpt, Harriett Bradley to kill parrot, 1891, Leamington Spa, Eng. Midland (Eng.) Ancestor, v.17n.15, Sep. 2014 John Davis will excerpt, five shillings for Mary Delaport Davis to get drunk, 1788, Clapham, England Lancashire (Lancashire Fam. Hist. & Heraldry Soc., Eng.), v.3n.10, May 1982 John Goss will excerpt, left one shilling to wife Hester to buy hazelnuts, 1796 Bristol, Eng. Bristol and Avon (Eng.) Family History Society Journal, n.29, Aut. 1982 Sylvester Petyt bequest, coals for library in the Church of Skipton, news note, c. 1912 Keighley & District (Eng.) Family History Society Journal, Aug. 2012 Thomas Wratten will excerpt, bequests to hypocritical, blasphemous Methodists in family, 1785, Eng. Lancashire (Lancashire Fam. Hist. & Heraldry Soc., Eng.), v.3n.10, May 1982

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

History Tidbits: Star Spangled Banner by Allison DePrey Singleton

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

The flag that inspired our national anthem is a national heirloom currently housed at the Smithsonian’s Museum of American History. It is a well-known fact that Francis Scott Key wrote the words about a flag that continued to fly during a battle in the War of 1812. Many people may not know that the flag still exists and that anyone can visit it at the museum. Let’s explore the history of the flag known as the Garrison Flag or better yet, the Star Spangled Banner. During the War of 1812, Baltimore citizens was sure it would be attacked. To prepare for the upcoming battle, the commanding officer, Major George Armistead, decided to commission a massive flag for the garrison and a smaller “storm” flag to be flown during storms. For the garrison flag, Armistead declared that he wanted "a flag so large that the British will have no difficulty in seeing it from a distance." Mary Young Pickersgill was commissioned by the U.S. government to create both flags. She received $405.90 ($6,525.05 in today’s money) in 1813 for the Star Spangled Banner and $168.54 ($2,709.36 today) for the “storm” flag. Mary was not able to do the work alone, so she enlisted the assistance of her daughter, three nieces, an African American indentured servant named Grace Wisher, and possibly her mother, Rebecca Young. The women sewed the flag initially in Mary’s house until it became too large to manage. They then moved across the street to the Claggett's Brewery. The flag contained more than 300 yards of wool bunting and cotton and measured 30 feet high by 42 feet long. The other, smaller flag measured 17 feet by 25 feet. Both had 15 stripes and 15 stars due to the addition of Vermont and Kentucky to the union. Not until the passage of the third Flag Act in 1818 would the American flag go back to 13 stripes to represent the original 13 states. Each of the stripes were about 24 inches wide, the stars were 2 feet in diameter, and the blue background for the stars was 16 feet by 21 feet. The smaller storm flag was about the size of the blue background of the larger one. Mary delivered the flags to the garrison on 18 August 1813. They were used for almost a year until the fateful battle that brought the large flag to renown. The British began their assault on Baltimore from the water on 13 September 1814 and did not let up for 25 hours. Despite the onslaught and an intense storm, the Americans held the fort and Baltimore. The British sailed away and the garrison flag was raised. This is what Francis Scott Key saw and wrote his poem about on that fateful day. Key did not even return to Washington, D.C. as planned but checked into a Baltimore hotel room to put his thoughts to paper. He even had a tune in mind to go with his poem, a popular drinking song, “To Anacreon in Heaven.” A week after the battle, the poem began appearing in newspapers. By November, there was sheet music for the song. Key had created a national song and a symbol of victory. The flag was moved from the garrison to Major Armistead’s house at some point after the battle. When he died in 1818, his widow retained ownership. She lent the flag to at least five patriotic events. When she died, the flag was passed to their daughter, Georgiana Armistead Appleton, in 1861. The flag again became a symbol for a nation that was fraught with war. After the Civil War, many people requested to see the flag and were given snippets of it as souvenirs. When Georgiana died in 1878, she left the flag to her son, Eben Appleton. In July 1907, Eben sent the flag on loan to the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. He officially gave it to the Smithsonian in 1912. Since then, it has been restored twice, once in 1914 and once in 1998. Currently, it is on display at the Smithsonian Museum of American History.

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

Library Catalog Insider--Finding College, University, and School Yearbooks by Kasia Young

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

Happy New Year! To get you started on your family history journey this year, we will show you how to best navigate our new catalog to find college, university and school yearbooks. One of the tools that we will be using heavily to facilitate our searches are filters, which are located on the left side of the results screen. For materials located at The Genealogy Center, we will always be using the BRANCH filter, in this case, GENEALOGY. Another helpful filter is MATERIAL TYPE; we will mostly be using BOOK and ELECTRONIC RESOURCE filters. AUTHOR filter comes in handy too, especially with yearbooks. Let’s get started! If you know the title of the yearbook and the name of the institution, simply type the name of the school and the title in the search box on our new library website: https://acpl-cms.wise.oclc.org For example, a search for: North Side High School + Legend yields 3 results, 2 books and 1 electronic resource. You can use the filters to EASILY navigate to the BOOK or ELECTRONIC RESOURCE results. Although, it has been our practice to add links to the digitized versions of the resource to all of our catalog records, we strongly encourage you to check out the electronic resource records as well. Once you are in the catalog record, select MORE INFO tab, and scroll down to WEBLINK field. Click on the desired year to view the volume online. If you only know the name of the institution, but not the name of the yearbook, type the name of the school into the search box. Use BRANCH filter, and AUTHOR filter. For example, a search for: North Side High School yields 64 results, but only 49 with BRANCH filter, and only 12 with AUTHOR filter, in this case, North Side High School (Fort Wayne, Ind.). If you only know the title of the yearbook, type it into the search box and use the down arrow next to the FIND button to select IN TITLES. Use the BRANCH filter, keeping in mind that GENEALOGY might not always be the top choice. For example, a search for Totem, yields 103 results, but only 20 with BRANCH filter. The best way to browse through the results is to select the first record, then use NEXT RESULT arrow to move to the next record. We hope this will prove helpful in discovering your roots. Until next time!

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

DNA and Genealogy Interest Group

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

Our next DNA and Family History Interest Group meetings will be on Thursday, January 2, 2020. Have you done a DNA test for genealogical purposes? Do you completely understand the results you received? Do you need advice in interpreting your results? Are you interested and wonder what the best test is for you? Come to the DNA Interest Group Meeting to share and learn from one other! The basic information meeting is from 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m., followed by a more advanced discussion from 7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

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

Start the New Year with WinterTech

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

Make a resolution to learn more about the great technology that is available for family historians with The Genealogy Center’s WinterTech. During the winter, we plan one event per month, at 2:30 p.m., on the second Wednesday of each month, to coincide with the Allen County Genealogical Society of Indiana’s monthly meetings, which begin at 7:00 p.m. This way, you can come to the library for two events on the same day! On January 8, 2020, at 2:30 p.m. come to the Discovery Center to learn about “Using the Maker Lab to Preserve Family History.” Sara Allen will guide your discovery of how the Main Branch’s Maker Lab can be used to preserve your family history. Join her for a tour of the Lab and learn how to convert family wedding videos to DVDs; transfer family vacation slides to digital files; make 3-D replicas of family memorabilia, sports logos, company logos, and more. Stay for the ACGSI meeting at 7:00 p.m. in the Discovery Center, “Our Ancestor's Immigration Records.” Discover your immigrant ancestor through the available immigration and supplemental documents. Join Melissa Tennant to learn what information was collected, where to find these records and watch your immigrant's story come alive. The last WinterTech for this season will be Melissa Tennant describing the “African American Digital Collections at The Genealogy Center” on Wednesday, February 12, 2020. Remember, all of the WinterTech programs are at 2:30 p.m. on the second Wednesday of the month in the Discovery Center. Registration is recommended for all events. Register online at https://acpl.libnet.info/events! Just search Genealogy to find all of our programs. You can also register for any of these free programs by calling 260-421-1225 or emailing Genealogy@ACPL.Info.

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

January Technology in Genealogy User Group Meeting

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

The Genealogy Center and the Allen County Genealogical Society of Indiana hold a Technology in Genealogy User Group Meeting on the third Saturday of each month. Spend an enjoyable and informative hour in the Discovery Center on Saturday, January 18, 2020 at 10:30 a.m. Society members will be discussing the latest version of the Family Tree Maker software.

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

Hidden Gems of Jewish Genealogy and Discovering the Shtetl

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

Join genealogist Marlis Humphrey, well-known researcher and speaker, and currently serving as vice-president of the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (ISJGS) as she discusses “Hidden Gems of Jewish Genealogy” and “Discovering the Shtetl” on Sunday, February 16, 2020, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. in The Discovery Center. This program is sponsored by and offered in cooperation with the Northeast Indiana Jewish Genealogy Society.

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

March Madness – Genealogy Style – Is Coming!

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

Every year, we like to honor our Indiana roots by observing March Madness. Only we don’t have tip-offs and jump shots! We offer tips on family research and show you how to jump into the fun. So, this year, we have a full week of family history-related events to get you into the research mood. This year, our bracket includes: Sunday March 1, 2020, 2:30 p.m., Discovery Center Searching Online Census Collections – John Beatty Monday March 2, 2020, 6:30 p.m., Discovery Center Finding & Using State Census Records - Delia Cothrun Bourne Tuesday March 3, 2020, 6:30 p.m., Discovery Center Native American Enumerations: First Nations in Context – Curt Witcher Wednesday March 4, 2020, 6:30 p.m., Discovery Center Seldom Used Census … Non-Population and Slave Schedules – Cynthia Theusch Thursday March 5, 2020, 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Discovery Center DNA & Family History Interest Groups – Sara Allen Friday March 6, 2020, 2:30 p.m., Discovery Center The 1940 Census and Preparing for the 1950 Census – Allison DePrey Singleton Saturday March 7, 2020, 2:30 p.m., Discovery Center Piecing the Census Puzzle Together - Melissa Tennant Of course, you don’t have to choose among these offerings. You can attend all! Register online at https://acpl.libnet.info/events! Just search Genealogy to find all of our programs. You can also register for any of these free programs by calling 260-421-1225 or emailing Genealogy@ACPL.Info.

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

Staying Informed about Genealogy Center Programming

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

Do you want to know what we’ve got planned? Are you interested in one of our events, but forget? We offer email updates for The Genealogy Center’s programming schedule. Don’t miss out! Sign up at http://goo.gl/forms/THcV0wAabB.

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

Area Calendar of Events

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

Allen County Genealogical Society of Indiana January 8, 2020 - Allen County Public Library, Genealogy Center, 900 Library Plaza, Fort Wayne, IN, Discovery Center, 7 p.m. Melissa Tennant will present “Our Ancestors' Immigration Records.” Allen County Genealogical Society of Indiana Technology in Genealogy Users Group Meeting January 18, 2020 - Allen County Public Library, Genealogy Center, 900 Library Plaza, Fort Wayne, IN, Discovery Center, 10:30 a.m. This month Allen County Genealogical Society members will be discussing the latest version of the Family Tree Maker software. Mary Penrose Wayne DAR Chapter Library Help Day for Prospective DAR Members January 8, 2020 - Allen County Public Library, Genealogy Center, 900 Library Plaza, Fort Wayne, IN, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The George R. Mather Sunday Lecture Series January 5, 2020 - History Center, 302 E. Berry Street, Fort Wayne, Indiana, 2 p.m. Lecture presented by Keith Elchert and Laura Weston: “Classic Restaurants of Fort Wayne."

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

Genealogy Center Social Media

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

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GenealogyCenter/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/genealogycenter/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ACPLGenealogy

Blog: http://www.genealogycenter.org/Community/Blog.aspx

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/askacpl

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

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 302. 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 312. 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. The meters take credit cards and charge at a rate of $1/hour. Street parking is free after 5 p.m. 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 5 p.m. and 11 p.m.

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

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. Curt B. Witcher and John D. Beatty, CG, co-editors