February 2021

Genealogy Gems:

News from the Allen County Public Library at Fort Wayne No. 204, February 28, 2021

In this issue:

Better Searching and Researching

DNA and Genealogy Basics

Brantley Family Association of America Website

Technology Tip of the Month: Adobe Elements 2018 continued, Open Closed Eyes

PERSI Gems: Thawing

History Tidbits: 102 Years Later, Part 2--The 1918 Influenza Pandemic

Library Catalog Insider: Navigating Search Results in the Catalog

Genealogy Center’s March Programs: It’s March Madness Time Again!

Indiana Genealogical Society 2021 Annual Conference

Staying Informed about Genealogy Center Programming

Genealogy Center Social Media

Driving Directions to the Library

Parking at the Library

Genealogy Center Queries

Publishing Note

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Better Searching and Researching by Curt B. Witcher

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If you’re like me, there were a lot of family history activities you planned to get done over the winter months, particularly during this pandemic, and here spring is knocking at the door and our collective accomplishments list is likely rather modest. In the following, I offer some advice on how we can move forward more productively and feel better about what we have done at the same time. A number of years ago, after gathering community input and engaging colleagues throughout the library system, the Allen County Public Library crafted a new mission statement: “Enriching the community through lifelong learning and discovery.” I believe this mission statement could be redrafted for family historians: “Enriching our family stories through lifelong learning and discovery.” If we embrace this mindset, this method of doing our research, our family history findings will be amazingly enhanced. Committing to lifelong learning means that we are continually looking for opportunities to enhance our knowledge. It means we don’t just look for surnames but, in addition, we learn about the communities and time periods in which we are researching because time and time again we have found there is “gold” in this strategy. Learning about the areas and times puts our ancestors and potential ancestors in a context that maximizes our opportunities for finding all the records, not just the records we are used to finding and using. Lifelong learning makes lifelong discovery possible. Committing to lifelong learning means we are unwilling to throw in the towel because we can’t find a particular name or specific record in a popular database. Typically, we only use a percentage of the resources available to us for a particular ancestor, ancestral family, and ancestral location. For lifelong learning, we seek other places to look for data and records; and we know there are always other places. We attend seminars, workshops and conferences to gather even a few tidbits of information that might enlighten and lead us to think differently and approach both our documents and our strategies differently. We know there is more data and there are more records to be discovered, and even discovered again. And, oh my, do we live in the best of time for participating in educational opportunities! There are so many really good virtual offerings that cost us nothing but our time and attention. RootsTech 2021 just concluded yesterday--what an amazing forum of offerings! Later in this ezine you will see the Genealogy Center’s “March Madness, Genealogy Style” offerings as well as be reminded again about the virtual Indiana Genealogical Society Conference coming up in April. Learning opportunities abound like never before. Truly we are called to be lifelong learners. In the following you will find a modest number of specific ways to commit to lifelong learning and discovery in the family history space. Explore thoroughly and deeply the geographic areas where ancestors lived or are suspected to have lived. Investigate all the town, county and regional histories looking for more than just names. One simply cannot know enough about the events, organizations, neighbors, institutions, and economy of the places of our ancestors. Let’s ask better questions. Let’s move beyond simply asking the “who” questions. Let’s commit to asking many more “why” questions. Why is an ancestor here? Why can’t I find a church record? Why is an ancestor buried in a particular cemetery? Lifelong discovery is greatly enhanced the more we pay extra attention to citations and bibliographies. Citation analysis can shed so much light on records, writings, and repositories that could offer new insights on our research. The footnotes, endnotes, and bibliographies typically contain nearly countless clues and investigative paths in discovering more details about our families’ stories. Sometimes effective analysis needs to be several layers deep. A reference in a periodical article to a research paper often will provide a second set of resources for us to explore. And that second set of resources could provide us with knowledge of records we previously were not aware of and did not use.

Lifelong learning and discovery means we recognize that “one and done” is not a thing. We are not satisfied with just one document to evidence a vital event, or ownership of a piece of property, or any other part of our ancestors’ stories. We look for evidence from obituaries, memorials, passing announcements, cemetery sexton’s records and tombstone inscriptions, burial notices, wills and probate records as well as memories found in other’s diaries and journals to complement a civil death record. Committing to lifelong learning and discovery--it's really the most exciting and rewarding path to our families’ stories.

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DNA and Genealogy Basics by Sara Allen

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DNA testing for genealogical purposes has increased in popularity over the last few years. It is an exciting process to help persons learn about their ethnic background, find living genetic relatives, and the ancient origins of their ancestors. The test results will not tell you the names of your ancestors, but rather the names of test takers with whom you share significant amounts of DNA. From that information, you and the match must communicate or view each other’s family trees to figure out the family connections. So, you can see that DNA testing does not take the place of traditional genealogical research, but is a wonderful additional tool in your genealogical toolbox to help learn more about family. There are five things you can learn from DNA testing: Ethnicity Estimate: If you want to learn your broad ethnic background, you can take an autosomal DNA test offered by four major companies: AncestryDNA, FamilyTreeDNA, MyHeritage, and 23andme. Results include a chart with estimated percentages of each ethnicity found in your DNA. This test provides an interesting result, but is known to be imprecise due to various factors. Bottom-line: Don’t be concerned about small variations from your known family ethnic background, but if your results include a significant percentage of a surprise ethnicity from a different continent than you expected, then seek the advice of an expert about how to interpret this result. Genetic Cousins: If you want to find your genetic cousins, you can take an autosomal DNA test offered by four major companies: AncestryDNA, FamilyTreeDNA, MyHeritage, and 23andme. Results will include a list of genetic relatives (anyone from parents to around 5th-7th cousins) found in the test database. The matches may be related on either your father or mother’s side and descended from a common ancestor of yours, as far back as about the 5th-7th great grandparents. You and your matches can compare family trees to find the connection and share information, such as photographs, documents, and family stories. Paternal Ancestry of a Male: If you are male and wish to learn more about your father’s direct paternal line, you can take the 37 marker or higher Y-chromosome DNA test from the FamilyTreeDNA testing company. Results include the ancient origins of the male’s direct paternal line (father’s, father’s, father’s line) showing where the paternal line originated thousands of years ago and how that tribe migrated over time to different regions of the world. Results also include a list of the names of matches found in the test database who share a common direct paternal ancestor with you - anytime from present day to approximately five hundred years ago. Bottom-line: If your results are unexpected, seek the advice of an expert. Maternal Ancestry: If you wish to learn more about your mother’s direct maternal line, you can take a full-spectrum mitochondrial DNA test from the FamilyTreeDNA testing company. Results include the ancient origins of the person’s direct maternal line (mother’s mother’s mother’s line) showing where the maternal line originated thousands of years ago and how her tribe migrated over time to different regions of the world. Results also include a list of the names of matches found in the test database who share a common direct maternal ancestor with you, anytime from present day to thousands of years ago. Bottom-line: If you seek recent relatives on your mother’s line, take the autosomal DNA test instead. Birth Family: If you wish to find your biological family, take the autosomal DNA test. After pursuing leads from the adoption records and genealogical records available to them, adoptees or those seeking paternity information should take an autosomal DNA test with at least one testing company with a large database of results. Bottom-line: If you have few or distant DNA matches only, you may need assistance from an expert in order to find the birth family via DNA testing. If you want to read more about it and seek an excellent guide, Baine Bettinger’s “Genetic Genealogy in Practice” (GC 929 B466ge) offers an excellent overview.

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Brantley Family Association of America Website by John D. Beatty, CG

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Over the years that we have published our e-zine, we have generally refrained from highlighting a resource devoted to a particular family or a specific county. However, we have recently become aware of an unusual convergence of the two that deserves our recognition and focus. The Brantley Family Association of America is a respected family genealogical society, one of thousands that exist online. Founded in 1987, it offers a one-name study of this surname and follows heavily the descendants of Edward Brantley, who settled in Isle of Wight County, Virginia, in 1638. The group has a remarkable website that could serve as a model for any family organization wishing to establish an online presence. https://www.brantleyassociation.com/index.html There is a mission statement and a membership page, which are standard features of single-surname websites. More notable is that the association believes in active research and regularly publishes research reports, or summaries of those reports. Those that are not published online have their contents encapsulated. They also have an extensive genealogical book available online. What makes the Brantley Association stand out, however, are the special projects it has undertaken which take it far afield from the usual surname website. The first is a draft schedule of the 1890 federal census of Washington County, Georgia, a provisional census that was spared the 1921 fire and kept locally in the courthouse of that county. The schedules are fully indexed for all names. A second project involves the records of Cobb County, Georgia (still ongoing), which involves digitized images of homestead records, estate records, marriage books, and court minute books. Its most ambitious venture to date is its so-called “Southampton Project.” Initiated in 2008 and working with local officials, the project captured some 60,000 images of records from Southampton County, Virginia, a key southside county along the North Carolina border that served as the home county for many settlers that later moved south. The project captures color digitized images of will and deed books, court order and court minute books, birth, death, and marriage registers, guardianship records, Committee of Safety minute books from the Revolutionary War era, and procession maps. While many of these sources are also available digitally on Familysearch, these images are often larger and clearer than what was originally captured on microfilm. Even more remarkable, each book is fully indexed for every name, bringing many hard-to-find names readily accessible, including those of enslaved persons. Southampton County was created in 1749, and it is fortunate that all of its record books survive from the colonial era, which is not the case for many other counties that suffered courthouse fires. If you have roots in Southampton County (and many with colonial North Carolina ancestors won’t be surprised that they do), this website is a must-see research tool. Even if you don’t have either Brantley or Southampton County ties, the website is worth consulting just to appreciate the tireless amount of work that went into its creation. It could serve as a model for other county digitizing projects and remains among the most accessible counties for research in Virginia. Log in and take a look.

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Technology Tip of the Month: Adobe Elements 2018 continued, Open Closed Eyes by Kay Spears

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You know that saying: “I’m sure they meant well”? With Adobe Elements Open Closed Eyes feature, you are about to find out what that old saying means. I believe this feature first made its appearance with the 2018 version of Adobe Elements. As far as I know, it hasn’t gone away with later versions, and to be very blunt, it hasn’t improved. I’m sure there are professional photographers out there who love the feature, but my opinion is that it doesn’t work the way that was envisioned. In order to discuss this feature, we must first board the Wayback Machine. Wayback Machine. I’m not sure if it is just my family, or if others of my age group experienced this. When my brother and I were young, this was how my father would take our pictures. First of all, he would get out his Brownie camera. In every single photo session, he’d stand my brother and me facing the sun. That would normally be followed with the words: “look up at the sun and smile.” As you might suspect, there are a lot of photographs of us grimacing, and an eye or two closed. Over the years, that also made for some wonderful family stories during the holidays. But, thanks to Adobe I now have an easy way to correct that…or do I? Find a photo with a closed eye and open it. The Open Closed Eyes tool is located in two places in Adobe. It is part of the Eye Tool Options on the tool bar and also located on the Menu bar under Enhance. Since we are talking about the Tool Bar, we will use that option. After selecting the Eye Option, click on the Open Closed Eyes button. When you do this, a dialog box will open. This dialog box will have some default faces to choose from. You can also select from your Computer or Organizer. Initially, I had three default faces, but because I experimented with them, I now have one default face left. So, it seems that the default faces don’t always stay around. I could probably get them back if I reloaded Photoshop, but doing that would require me to do all of my other settings all over again. I’m not doing that. If this option worked better I would, but it doesn’t. Back to the dialog box. You will notice that your photograph is open in the dialog box. By the way, the Open Closed Eyes is considered a “smart” tool. Notice that your “smart” tool has circled the faces in the photograph. Click on the face that has the eye problem; the circle should become highlighted. There is also a Zoom In and Out option. I recommend you Zoom into the face you are going to “fix.” If you still have all your default faces, select the one you want. Immediately, the eyes should open. Even if only one eye has a problem, both eyes will be changed. In the case of my photo, I now look like something from a 1950 Science Fiction movie. If you want to look like a child from the "Village of the Damned," then click OK. For this option to work, here is what I think must happen. The hue, saturation, and contrast of the replacement photo must match the one that has the issue. The eyes in both photographs probably need to be the same size and perspective. As of this writing, this automatic eye tool doesn’t easily do what it is supposed to do. There are also no option tools in the dialog box which would allow one to tweak the photo. For now, if you have a photograph that has a closed eye or eyes, and it’s really, really bothering you, you will have to manually do some manipulating. If there is only one eye closed, the simple solution is to copy and paste the good eye to a different layer. Then do a reverse flip of that eye layer, and maneuver it into place. Do a little feathering of the sides of the eye, and then you will have two open eyes. If both eyes are closed, then you would need to do some scouting of eyes from other photographs which would match the problem photo. Or, you could just leave the photograph alone and blame your father. Next article: Adobe Elements Enhance group continues with Spot Healing brushes

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PERSI Gems: Thawing by Adam Barrone and Mike Hudson

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Our February ice and snow are melting away. A local news videographer celebrated this recovery from our winter woes by capturing footage of water flowing from a downspout with a submerged camera. We hope you have cause for celebration as we approach springtime. This month, we bring you citations of great thaws of the past from our Periodical Source Index. http://search.findmypast.com/search/periodical-source-index Edward Whitman journal excerpt re great thaw and damage due to flooding, 1824 Henniker (NH) Historian, Jan. 2000 Electricity used to thaw pie, E. O. McDonald of the Water & Light Co., Lincoln Courier Herald, 1917 Logan (IL) Roots and Branches, Jan. 2015 Harry Kendall Thaw, playboy of Old Allegheny, fight for Evelyn Nesbitt with Stanford White, 1871 Reporter Dispatch (Allegheny City Society, PA), Sum. 2007 Menomonie program to thaw pipes, newspaper item, 1919 Quest (Dunn County Genealogical Society, WI), v.18n.3, Jan. 2011 Nightmare of the Chateaugay thaw and storm, teacher Lena Dunn memories, 1928 Franklin (NY) Historical Review, v.11, 1974 Silver thaw-Fraser Valley's paralysis of ice, 1935 British Columbia Historical News, v.25n.1, Win. 1991 Spring thaw near North Cape front cover photo, vehicles stuck in mud, 1967 Island Magazine (Prince Edward Island Museum & Heritage Foundation, Can.), n.72, Fal. 2012 Two men killed while thawing out dynamite, 1903 Through the Years (Rockwood Historical and Genealogical Society, PA), v.13n.2, Spr. 2007

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History Tidbits: 102 Years Later, Part 2--The 1918 Influenza Pandemic by Allison DePrey Singleton

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When I wrote about the Influenza Pandemic of 1918 in March I last year, I never would have imagined we would still be in the midst of our own pandemic a year later. When the United States “shut down” in 2020, we naively thought the pandemic would be over within a few weeks. Instead, we are in the midst of a historic event and someday scholars will be writing about the Coronavirus Pandemic of 2020 just as we remember that of 1918. In the article I wrote in March 2020, I discussed the Influenza Pandemic of 1918 and drew some comparisons to what was happening in 2020. Let’s explore a little further in the Influenza Pandemic of 1918 to see what we might expect this year. The Influenza Pandemic of 1918 had three major waves and lasted until 1919, although effects were present for years later. When learning about the 1918 Pandemic, many do not realize its long-lasting presence. When a year is associated with an event, it can be difficult to separate the two. Here is where it gets confusing. With the three waves of the 1918 Pandemic, the strain was changing slightly. The first wave was in the spring/summer of 1918, the second wave was in the fall/winter of 1918/1919, and the third wave was in the winter/spring of 1919. What happened after that? The virus mutated. It never really went away. So, in 1919/1920, there was still another outbreak of a similar virus to the Spanish Influenza, but it seemed to be less deadly. There was another outbreak in 1920/1921 and 1921/1922. These were different but similar to the seasonal influenza strain. Even more intriguing is that scientists can trace subsequent influenza virus strains and pandemics back to the 1918 Influenza strain. There were three more Influenza pandemics but none of them were as deadly as the 1918 Spanish Influenza Pandemic. As we continue to live through the current Pandemic and hopefully are documenting our experiences, can we look to the 1918 Pandemic for an idea on how this pandemic will end? Like the 1918 Pandemic, will it never truly end but instead continue to exist in new and different strains that might not be as deadly? While we have the advantage of modern medicine, it is always good to look to similar historic events to see how they unfurled to learn how a current event might also progress. Several newspaper articles are in the further reading section, but I would recommend taking a look at the newspapers from the time period you have access to in order to learn more. Sources and Further Reading: Newspaper Clippings: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1DAmOcVtMU6r_ESBatavtCslq17cbGsVK?usp=sharing “1918 Pandemic Influenza: Three Waves.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, May 11, 2018. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resources/1918- commemoration/three-waves.htm. Barry, John M. Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History. S.l.: Penguin Books, 2020. Billings, Molly. The 1918 Influenza Pandemic. Accessed February 20, 2021. https://virus.stanford.edu/uda/. “The Deadly Virus: The Influenza Epidemic of 1918.” Accessed February 20, 2021. https://www.archives.gov/exhibits/influenza-epidemic/. “History of 1918 Flu Pandemic.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, March 21, 2018. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resources/1918- commemoration/1918-pandemic-history.htm. Spinney, Laura. Pale Rider: the Spanish Flu of 1918 and How It Changed the World. London: Vintage, 2017. Taubenberger, Jeffery K., and David M. Morens. “1918 Influenza: the Mother of All Pandemics.” Emerging Infectious Diseases 12, no. 1 (2006): 15–22. https://doi.org/10.3201/eid1209.05-0979.

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Library Catalog Insider: Navigating Search Results in the Catalog by Kasia Young

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Hello March! This month, a quick tip on how to navigate through search results in The Genealogy Center’s catalog: 1. Start off with visiting our website at https://acpl-cms.wise.oclc.org/genealogy 2. Type your search query into the catalog window and click FIND 3. Make sure to use BRANCH facets to limit your searches to GENEALOGY only 4. Apply any other facets you would like, as discussed in our previous newsletters 5. Sort your search results on: Relevance, Popularity, Year of Publication, Author or Title via the dropdown menu, which is located on the right side of the screen, right above the results list 6. When sorting by Year of Publication, you can chose the order of display from the most recent publications to the oldest by clicking the blue button on the right of the SORT ON menu 7. When sorting by Author or Title, you can chose to have the results displayed in alphabetical or reverse alphabetical order by clicking the blue button on the right side of the SORT ON menu 8. Click on the first item displayed in the results list to see the detailed item description 9. From here, you can move through your results list by simply clicking NEXT RESULT, which is right above the Place a hold blue button, located on the right side of the screen 10. If you need to go back to the previous item, simply click PREVIOUS RESULT 11. To go back to the results list, click on SEARCH RESULTS 12. There is no need to use your browser's GO BACK or GO FORWARD arrows anymore We hope this tidbit will make your catalog browsing extra smooth! See you in April!

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Genealogy Center’s March Programs: It’s March Madness Time Again!

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Welcome to March Madness Month! Typically, we have a solid week of dedicated in-person programs to celebrate March Madness, Genealogy Style. This year, we are doing things a bit differently. Instead of just seven programs in one week, we are sticking to our Tuesday/Thursday virtual program schedule to bring you NINE virtual programs this month. We will also be sharing a “Gem from The Genealogy Center Collection” each Monday via social media. On Facebook Fridays, we will be featuring questions about YOUR family. Last but certainly not least, sometime during the month there will be a Brick Wall Question posted on Facebook. Keep an eye out for all the fun March Madness activities with The Genealogy Center! March 2, 2021, 2:30P, “Introduction to WorldCat Tools" with Aaron Smith and Kasia Young - https://acpl.libnet.info/event/4870967 March 4, 2021, 6:30P, “Can DNA Testing Help Solve Your Genealogical Problem?” with Sara Allen - https://acpl.libnet.info/event/4906609 March 9, 2021, 2:30P, "Who, What, Where, When, How to Look at Your Photographs: Analyze, Organize, and Preserve" with Kay Spears - https://acpl.libnet.info/event/4913634 March 11, 2021, 6:30P, “Expanding Your Family History Journey” with Melissa Tennant - https://acpl.libnet.info/event/4930877 March 16, 2021, 2:30P, “Introduction to Irish Internet Sites” with David Rencher - https://acpl.libnet.info/event/4913183 March 18, 2021, 6:30P, “A Lonely Voyage: Late 19th Century Irish Immigrant Women in the United States” with Elizabeth Hodges - https://acpl.libnet.info/event/4907467 March 23, 2021, 2:30P, “Genealogy Research in Poland and Their Former Territories" with Tom Szymkowiak - https://acpl.libnet.info/event/4916194 March 25, 2021, 6:30P, “An Extraordinary Irish Immigrant: Dr. Gertrude B. Kelly” with Miriam Nyhan Grey - https://acpl.libnet.info/event/4907493 March 30, 2021, 2:30P, “Digging Deeper: Lesser Used Court Records, County Court Orders & Circuit Court Case Files” with Deborah Lord Campisano - https://acpl.libnet.info/event/4913213 Please register in advance for each program.

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Indiana Genealogical Society 2021 Annual Conference

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There is still time to register for the Indiana Genealogical Society’s FREE 2021 Virtual Annual Conference, generously sponsored by VIVID-PIX. Lisa Louise Cooke will be giving four presentations on Saturday, April 10th beginning at 9 a.m. EDT. Lisa Louise Cooke is CEO of Genealogy Gems, a genealogy education company featuring The Genealogy Gems Podcast, available on iTunes, and the Genealogy Gems app. Her books include Mobile Genealogy, The Genealogist’s Google Toolbox Second Edition, How to Find Your Family History in Newspapers, and she has published 100+ videos at the Genealogy Gems YouTube Channel. She also produces The Family Tree Magazine Podcast, regularly writes for the magazine, and teaches for Family Tree University. Learn more here and register in advance for the Saturday program: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZApfypqjojG9GVXnSu8Kxd7bTyMq9M_NgF. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the program. As an added benefit, there is a pre-conference day on Friday, April 9th beginning at 9:30 a.m. EDT featuring speakers from the Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center. As with the conference, this will be virtual and FREE. Learn more here and register in advance for the Friday preconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwrcO2hqjwiGNPRZs01fDv4s9kc2R61zaa3. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the program. The conference is being sponsored by VIVID-PIX (www.vivid-pix.com) and is free to everyone. We hope to “see” you all there!

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Staying Informed about Genealogy Center Programming

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Do you want to know what we have 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.

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Genealogy Center Social Media

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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

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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 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 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 $85. 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. 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.

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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.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 ezine" in the subject line. Curt B. Witcher and John D. Beatty, CG, co-editors