February 2006

Genealogy Gems:

News from the Fort Wayne Library No. 24, February 28, 2006

In this issue:

Preparing for Spring

The “Great Migration” Series

Index to New England Naturalization Petitions, 1791-1906

Preservation Tip of the Month

Hotel of the Month Area

Calendar of Events

ACPL Librarians on Tour

Driving Directions to the Library

Parking at the Library

Queries for the Department

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Preparing for Spring by Curt B. Witcher

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The waning hours of February leave many with great anticipation about the arrival of spring. And for many genealogists, the advent of spring is the time we get serious about executing our genealogical research plans for the year--especially as those plans relate to research trips, seminars, and conferences. It’s always a great time to make a trip to the Historical Genealogy Department of the Allen County Public Library! Our collections have not been hibernating during the winter months, but rather they have experienced some exciting growth to provide you with even more record possibilities. Even as you begin to make your plans to attend the National Genealogical Society conference in Chicago, IL June 7-10, 2006, take a couple of extra days and treat yourself to a wonderful genealogical research experience in Fort Wayne! Black History Month may be drawing to a close, but that is certainly no reason to put away any African American genealogical research you may have been doing. Through the work of a dedicated volunteer, Margery Graham, abstracts of African Americans listed in the 1840 and 1900 censuses of Allen County, Indiana have been added to the FriendsOfAllenCounty.org website. In the next few weeks, more abstracts of African Americans from century-old Fort Wayne city directories will be added to the site as well. Society volunteers also have contributed other data to the FriendsOfAllenCounty.org website. Margery has provided burial abstracts for four more Allen County churches. That brings to fourteen the number of churches for which she has made important death information available for time periods that pre-date mandated civil death registration. Don Weber contributed another important newspaper abstract containing Allen County, IN pensioners in 1883. All these data files are just waiting for you to explore!

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The “Great Migration” Series by John D. Beatty

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The “Great Migration” series under the editorship of Robert Charles Anderson represents one of the most ambitious genealogical projects of its type ever attempted. The goal of the book series, first published in 1999 and still ongoing, is summed up succinctly in its preface: “to provide a concise, reliable summary of past research on the early immigrants to New England, which will reduce the amount of time which must be spent in discovering this past work, and will therefore serve as the foundation for further research.” Through the sponsorship of the New England Historic Genealogical Society, Anderson has set out to catalog and document as fully as possible every immigrant to New England from 1620 to 1640 – a time period when the largest wave of immigration occurred – while making a thorough survey of published literature and also conducting original research in primary sources. He succeeds admirably in his quest, creating a work with a high degree of accuracy and academic scholarship. The first series, “The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633,” covers its subject in three volumes. The second series, “The Great Migration: Immigrants to New England 1634-1635,” is still unfolding and includes four volumes to date through the letter L. Each volume contains biographical sketches of immigrants, arranged alphabetically. If the place of origin and parentage of a subject is known, it will be given, but ancestry is not included beyond a citation of what has been published. The children of each immigrant will be listed to the extent they are known, but they are not traced to their deaths, and their descendants are not given. Major dates and facts of the immigrant’s life are cited, but if the immigrant was a land speculator, not every deed will be listed. Extensive bibliographic citations make these volumes particularly valuable for doing further research. A companion to the series is “The Great Migration Newsletter,” first published in 1990, in which Anderson and fellow compilers George F. and Melinde Lutz Sanborn discuss the process of researching these immigrants, evaluating evidence, and solving research problems. They are instructive for anyone doing New England research.

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Index to New England Naturalization Petitions, 1791-1906 Microfilm Publication M1299 by Timothy Dougherty

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Naturalization records have long remained a challenging or often overlooked source for many genealogists. However, these records are a great asset in research. One example amongst several of this variety to be encountered in the Genealogy Department is an index to New England naturalization petitions, occurring between 1791 and September 26, 1906. This collection, in actuality, is an index to photocopies, or “dexigraphs,” of documents filed in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont for the time period mentioned in the preceding paragraph. Connecticut and Rhode Island are each indexed separately. The other four states are grouped together. Within each state or state cluster, the soundex system is employed as a means of indexing. These records are made up of naturalization proceedings in local, county, state and federal courts. A typical index card includes the following categories: name, address, certificate or volume and page number, title and location of court, country of birth or allegiance, birth date or age, date and port of arrival in U.S., date of naturalization, and names of witnesses. Not every category is filled out on every index card. The copies of the records themselves are maintained in the National Archives Northeast Region Branch (Boston). These are usually one to two pages long and include more detailed information. The collection concerns the petitions only, and is not necessarily an indication that the person was ever naturalized. Petitions may have never been followed up on, or denied for any number of reasons. Once established, citizenship could also have been renounced or revoked. In most cases, the declarations of intention were not filmed with the petitions, but the original declaration papers may still exist in the original court. The Historical Genealogy Department also houses two similar National Archives naturalization index collections originally compiled by the WPA at the same time. These are: M1674, Index (Soundex) to Naturalization Petitions Filed in Federal, State and Local Courts in New York, New York, Including New York, Kings, Queens and Richmond Counties, 1792-1906, and M1285, Soundex Index to Naturalization Petitions for the United States District and Circuit Courts, Northern District of Illinois, and Immigration and Naturalization Service District 9, 1840-1950. The latter includes the Chicago-land area and various counties from northern Illinois, northwestern Indiana, eastern Wisconsin, and eastern Iowa. Additionally, the department carries various other naturalization records.

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Preservation Tip of the Month by Becky Schipper

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ACPL’s Preservation Technician Becky Schipper offers advice on conserving your documents: Before the mid 19th century, printing inks were often made of carbon, natural pigments, varnish and linseed oil. These inks are very resistant to light, air and humidity. Most modern printing inks are long lasting but will deteriorate over time if exposed to adverse environmental conditions. Typewriter, Laser Printer and Copy Machine inks are moderately resistant to light, air and humidity. All important documents should be stored out of direct light and with as close to 45 - 50% relative humidity as possible.

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HOTEL OF THE MONTH

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Each issue we will feature a local hotel, for visitors from out-of-town. Hilton Garden Inn 8615 Highway 24 West Fort Wayne, IN 46804 Phone: 260-435-1777 Toll free reservations: 1-877-STAY HGI (1-877-782-9444) Fax 1-260-435-1778 Located on the southwest side of Fort Wayne at US 24 and I-69, the Hilton Garden Inn is a modern facility with indoor pool, cooked-to-order breakfast, and fitness center. Every room is equipped with a coffee-maker, microwave, refrigerator, and data port. Although it does not offer a restaurant of its own, the 15-minute drive into and from downtown Fort Wayne passes many fine local eateries such as Casa Ristorante, national chains including Logan’s and Smoky Bones, and the Jefferson Pointe Shopping Center. The Inn also houses the Pavilion Pantry, a 24-hour convenience store. Rooms start at $89, and suites at $99.

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AREA CALENDAR OF EVENTS

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Allen County Genealogical Society of Indiana (ACGSI) Meeting March 8, Aboite Branch ACPL: Curator Roger Myers will speak about the Greater Fort Wayne Aviation Museum Refreshments at 6:30, meeting at 7:00. Questions: contact Marge Graham, 260 672-2585 or gramar57@aol.com Allen County Genealogical Society of Indiana (ACGSI) Computer Users Group Wednesday, March 15: 7 PM at Shawnee Branch ACPL Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) First Wednesday of each month in the Genealogy Department 9am – 7pm. Expert help from members of the DAR in becoming a member of that organization.

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ACPL LIBRARIANS ON TOUR

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Curt Witcher: March 9th “Workshop on Technology for Family History and Genealogical Research” sponsored by the Computer Science Department of Brigham Young University in Provo, UT. Luncheon presentation, “The Computer Needs of Practicing Genealogists,” as well as panel participant. March 10th and 11th "Computerized Genealogy Conference" sponsored by BYU. Topics are: Friday, March 10, 8:30A--The Future of the Past Friday, March 10, 11A--Online Sites for Revolutionary War Data and Research Friday, March 10, 2:30P--Mega Internet Sites for Genealogists Saturday, March 11, 8:30A--Getting More from the Internet for Your Genealogy Saturday, March 11, 1:15P--PERiodical Source Index (PERSI) Online March 25th, Delaware County Historical Society “Ancestorquest” program in Muncie, IN 10:30A--Native American Research 2:30P--Allen County Public Library Resources April 24th, South Bend Area Genealogical Society, South Bend, IN, 7P--New Collections and New Facilities for Genealogy in Fort Wayne. April 28th, Ohio Genealogical Society Conference, Toledo, OH, 4P--Exploring the Crossroads of the Nation: Indiana Records & Repositories. Ryan Taylor: April 7, Ottawa, Ontario--All-day workshop on English parish registers and online census, sponsored by British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa, and Ottawa Branch, Ontario Genealogical Society. April 8, Ottawa, Ontario--British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa. “Family History in the Newspaper.”

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DRIVING DIRECTIONS TO THE LIBRARY

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Wondering how to get to the library? Our exciting transition location is 200 E. Berry, Fort Wayne, Indiana. We will be at this location until late 2006. We would enjoy having you visit the Genealogy Department. To get directions from your exact location to 200 E. Berry, Fort Wayne, Indiana, visit this link at MapQuest: http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?country=US&countryid=250&addtohistory=&sear chtab=address&searchtype=address&address=200+E+Berry+St&city=Fort+Wayne&state=I N&zipcode=46802-2706&search=++Search++&finditform=1 From the South Exit Interstate 69 at exit 102. Drive east on Jefferson Blvd. into downtown. Turn left on Barr Street to Berry Street. The library is located on the corner of Berry and Barr Streets. From the North Exit Interstate 69 at exit 112. Drive south on Coldwater Road, which merges into Clinton Street. Continue south on Clinton, the library will be on your left when you cross Berry Street. From the West Using US 30: Drive into town on US 30. US 30 turns into Goshen Road. Coming up to an angled street (State Street.) make an angled left turn. Turn right on Wells Street. Go south on Wells to Wayne Street. Left on Wayne Street. When you cross Clinton, the library will be on your left on Wayne Street. 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. Turn right on Barr Street. Turn left on Berry Street. The library is on your left on Berry Street.

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PARKING AT THE LIBRARY

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Lot in front of the library, east side of the lot. Available for short-term library parking. Limited to one hour. There are handicapped parking spots near the door. Tippman Parking Garage Clinton and Wayne Streets. Across from the library, however the skybridge is NOT accessible. Hourly parking, $1.25 per hour up to a maximum of $5.00 per day. Park Place Lot Covered parking on Barr Street at Main Street. This lot is one block away from the library. Hourly parking Monday through Friday, 9am to 6pm. Street (metered) parking on Wayne Street and Berry Street. 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 Covered parking 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 DEPARTMENT QUERIES

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The Historical Genealogy Department 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 Historical Genealogy Department, 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.FriendsOfAllenCounty.org. 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  with "unsubscribe e-zine" in the subject line. Ryan Taylor, editor