February 2022

Genealogy Gems:

News from the Allen County Public Library at Fort Wayne No. 216, February 28, 2022

In this issue:

We are Powerful!

News You Can Use

Researching Occupations in the United Kingdom

Our Growing South African Collection

Technology Tip of the Month: Adobe Elements, Version 2019: The Gradient Tool

PERSI Gems: Trash

History Tidbits: St. Patrick’s Day

Genealogy Center’s March 2022 Programs

The Genealogy Center at RootsTech 2022

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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We are Powerful! by Curt B. Witcher

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I am continually amazed by the great work all of you do in collecting your families’ stories and in documenting your families’ lives with as many sources of data you can possibly find. You understand the incredible importance of putting flesh on the bones of your ancestors; you fully appreciate that context is king--that it’s only in researching in the broadest and deepest contexts possible that you will find all the information possible for a particular ancestor. If no one has told you recently, I want to thank you for the powerful things you are doing. Yes, that’s right, powerful things! In committing to pursuing, preserving and presenting your families’ stories, you are telling your children and grandchildren that they are somebody. You are showing them that they have been lived for, cried for, bled for, and celebrated for generations. You are giving them the foundation and the tools to succeed. As we are looking forward to spring and possibly reengaging in more family gatherings, celebrations, and reunions of all kinds this summer, it’s a good time to recall the power of story, the power of what we are doing. Science is increasingly showing us the importance of story. Indeed, scientists report that experiencing a story alters the neurochemical processes in our brains. Oxytocin and cortisol are released, heightening social bonding, raising our awareness, and influencing memory formation. Listening to stories lights up the whole brain. Through the work we do, we are truly lighting up people’s lives. Stories are a powerful force in shaping human behavior. Stories help embed positive connections. Even those stories that talk about tragedy, sadness and loss have a positive impact on those who tell and receive them. Those who study early childhood development tell us that children who know more about their family history have their lives forever altered for the better. How, you might ask. Those same researchers say that knowing family stories is the number one predictor of a child’s emotional well-being, a very strong predictor of children’s beliefs that they can affect the world around them in good and positive ways, and a very strong predictor of a child’s happiness. Children who know more about their families’ stories are better able to bounce back from tragedies and are more accepting of diversity and change at nearly every level. Our children and grandchildren knowing their stories brings out their best possible selves. So, kudos to you for committing to being powerful, and for wielding your power in such a meaningful and life changing way. For more information please see an article I penned for the “NGS Magazine,” July-September 2017, v. 43, n. 3, p. 23-6, or better yet, watch Bruce Feiler’s RootsTech presentation at RootsTech 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8sZl-Ny2D0

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News You Can Use

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Vivid-Pix remains a true friend to the genealogical community. Besides offering an amazing piece of software that assists us in restoring old photographs, they have been doing some extremely interesting and vitally important work in the area of photo reminiscence therapy. Watch for an exciting announcement at RootsTech 2022! Vivid-Pix continues to play a significant role in twenty-first century genealogical education. They sponsored a twelve-part “Genealogy Librarian Education Series” that is still available online with downloadable syllabi. https://www.vivid-pix.com/librarian/ Last year Vivid-Pix sponsored the virtual Indiana Genealogical Society’s (IGS) annual conference, and they have generously agreed to sponsor this year’s virtual IGS conference being held April 1 and 2, 2022. Thanks to Vivid-Pix’s generosity the virtual conference is again free and open to all. There is still time to register. http://www.indgensoc.org/conference.php

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Researching Occupations in the United Kingdom by Sara Allen

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Have you ever viewed your ancestor’s occupation on a historical document such as a census, vital record, or city directory and been puzzled about the archaic terminology or unclear about what persons with that occupation actually did? If your ancestors were located in the United Kingdom, there is a great series of books called “Tracing Your Ancestors'' by Pen and Sword Publishers (https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Tracing-Your-Ancestors/s/45) that may address your questions. Some of the titles in this series include: “Tracing Your Legal Ancestors,” “Tracing Your Secret Service Ancestors,” “Tracing Your Seafaring Ancestors: A Guide to Maritime Photographs for Family Historians,” “Tracing Your Docker Ancestors,” “Tracing Your Medical Ancestors,” Tracing Your Trade and Craftsman Ancestors'' and “Tracing Your Coalmining Ancestors.” Let’s say you found that your ancestor was a cordwainer in London, England in the 1851 census, how could you find out what type work this ancestor did, how they occupied their day, the working conditions, the typical salary, and where records might be found? Let’s take a look at the title “Tracing Your Trade and Craftsman Ancestors” by Adele Emm for this material (GC 942 EM61T). From the chapter “Cordwainers and Shoemakers,” we learn that a cordwainer is a skilled leather worker who made shoes and other leather goods such as saddles and gloves. Sometimes the term was interchangeable for shoemaker, a lower-skilled and lower paid worker. Persons in this occupation typically served an apprenticeship and may have joined a guild. The records of the London Company of Cordwainers are held at Guildhall Library in London. The chapter contains many other resources to consult for more background on cordwainers and shoemakers. If you found a marriage record for an ancestor living in Liverpool, England, which gives his occupation as dock worker, you should consult, “Tracing Your Docker Ancestors” by Alex Ombler (GC 942 Om1T). Dockers or dock laborers could include various jobs on the waterfront, from stevedore (loader of cargo) to collier (coal barge crew) to winchman (controlling winches), and many others. This book provides a social history of dock workers up through the twentieth century, types of jobs, working conditions, day-to-day experience, unions, and resources for tracing your docker’s life and career. The resources cited in this book include listings for museums with significant collections of maritime artifacts, documents, and records, including the Museum of London Docklands (London), National Maritime Museum (Greenwich), Hull Maritime Museum (Hull), and the National Waterfront Museum (Swansea). This series of books provides such great background and social information about our British ancestors and their daily lives; we can all learn so much from reading them. One caveat about these print guides is that some information presented may be outdated; check especially for updated hours of operations, addresses, telephone numbers, and websites.

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Our Growing South African Collection by Allison DePrey Singleton

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The Genealogy Center at the Allen County Public Library has an expansive collection of materials covering North America, but it also includes collections from other areas of the world. One collection that might be surprising is the South Africa collection. In 2015, Keith Meintjes, a South African-born genealogist, began donating South African materials to our collection. In May 2016, John Beatty wrote about the physical collection in an issue of Genealogy Gems: https://acpl.lib.in.us/images/Documents/Gendocs/E-zines/2016/2016may.pdf. A set of materials debuting in this collection are the first four volumes of “The Cape of Good Hope Panel,” which will be on the shelves by the end of March. This series of annual tax censuses (or opgaafrolle) was collected by the colonial authorities in the seventeenth to nineteenth century Cape Colony. The censuses contain information not only about the complete settler population, by the end of the period a total of more than 50,000 individuals, but also the enslaved and indigenous Khoesan population that lived and worked within the colonial economy. The full set of tax censuses will be transcribed in an amazing collaborative project, allowing for the investigation of questions about the evolution of living standards and economic development, inequality and social mobility, networks and elite formation as well as slavery and labor coercion. Beyond the amazing physical collection, we have a digital collection of South African materials: https://www.genealogycenter.info/southafrica/. Researchers have access to Cemeteries Records, Natal Church Register Indices, Natal Witness Indices, and Sue Mackay's South African Settlers Project on our website. These records have been generously researched and donated by a variety of individuals. The Cemetery Records hold a partial index for Durban West Street Cemetery. The Natal Church Register Indices contain church cemetery indexes and some births, marriages, and deaths. The Natal Witness Indices, compiled by Michael Scogings, contain the following: Birth, Marriages, Deaths: 1846-1864, 1877-1878, 1882, & 1885, 1852; Statistical Information Regarding Settlements; 1854 List of Rateable Property Within Borough of Pietermaritzburg; 1855 Burgesses Roll, Pietermaritzburg; and 1858 Military Volunteers. Sue Mackay’s “South African Settlers Project” is a collection of transcribed information about the original settlers from England to South Africa. An additional resource to use in conjunction with the information on The Genealogy Center website is the eGGSA website: https://www.eggsa.org/index.php/en/. Some information is behind a membership wall, but other material is publicly available. If you are researching a South African ancestor, you might be able to find the information online before coming to visit the Keith Meintjes South African Collection at The Genealogy Center.

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Technology Tip of the Month: Adobe Elements, Version 2019: The Gradient Tool by Kay Spears

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As we continue our journey down the Tools Bar, we now come to one of my favorite tools: The Gradient Tool. I believe this tool has been with Adobe from the very beginning. I will admit that I may not use this tool in the manner in which it was intended. Because of that, I’m going to tell you what I’ve used it for and how. Sometimes, you just have to do things your own way. There are two Gradient Tools in Adobe, one located on the Tools Bar, and the other located on the Layer Palette as an Adjustment Tool, a Gradient Overlay. For now, we are only going to talk about the one on the Tools Bar. The Gradient Tool is a color tool. Like the Paint Bucket tool, it can put color on your image. Unlike the solid color of the Paint Bucket, the Gradient blends colors. I’ve used it for a variety of things: background fill, a foreground color for black and whites. You can fill your whole canvas, or just a small selection. You can change the transparency or the blend mode. You can do all kinds of things with a Gradient. This is another tool to have fun with. All versions of Adobe have the Gradient Tool, but some of the earlier ones don’t necessarily have all the options included in this version. In some versions the Gradient Tool is located on the Paint Bucket drop down, while other versions have it by itself on the Tools Bar. It looks like a rectangle with a blend of color on it. If you hover over it with your cursor, a pop-up appears that says Gradient Tool. Open an image, and then select the Gradient Tool. Your cursor will turn into a cross. For our purpose here, I am going to create a New Layer on my Layer Palette. This is the layer I’m going to use to put my gradient. This is a very simple tool. All you have to do is pick the gradient preset you want, go to the new layer, then click and drag. The shorter the drag, the tighter the gradient. Let’s talk a little about the options available to you when you use this tool. Depending on the version, you will see the gradient options either at the top below the main menu or at the bottom in the tool pane. The options available once you select Gradient Tool are: Gradient Default Presets, a Gradient Edit dialog box, Mode, Opacity, Reverse, Transparency, and Dither. Older versions may not have Dither. The Gradient Default Presets give you a number of different gradient colors and different libraries. You can also customize the gradient. In order to customize, you would go into the Gradient Edit dialog box. The Edit box has all the presets, plus a slider bar with color buttons. This is where you can customize a gradient. You may also save it, and it becomes part of the Preset Library. The Mode allows you to change the blending of the gradient, although I prefer to use the Blending Mode in the Layer Palette. Opacity allows you to pick how opaque it is. Same with Transparency. Reverse allows you to reverse the colors. Dither helps with the banding of color. There are also directions to pick for the gradient: Linear, radial, angle, reflected, and diamonds. I suggest you play with the Gradient Tool. Start with a white canvas and see what all the varieties of options can do. And, have fun. I do have a word of warning about gradients and printing. I have had some issues when printing something with a gradient. Sometimes the nice smooth look doesn’t print well. I have had occasion when you can see the color bands of the Gradient. If that happens, I have experimented with the format of the image, and the printer. This is a fun tool that can have a wide variety of looks. I’ve even replaced a badly developed sky with a gradient, and it looks real. Open this tool and enjoy it. Next tool is the Color Picker.

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PERSI Gems: Trash by Adam Barrone and Mike Hudson

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Fort Wayne residents are plagued with delayed collection of our trash and recyclables. We’re told the messy situation is due, in part, to the pending bankruptcy of the city’s contractor, worker shortages, illnesses, and winter weather. No matter the cause, trash is on our minds. Family and local historians are no strangers to the question of trash. We seek to prevent the disposal of family bibles, papers, photographs, and ephemera which document the lives of our people. Archaeologists excavate trash from long-defunct privy pits to gain historical clues about local life. Genealogy enthusiasts collect by nature and struggle with decisions about what is to be saved and what must go. I was recently presented with a pile of late 1930s-early 1940s utility bills for relatives. Recognizing these as proof of residence, I saved a few for the family scrapbook: one example of each invoice per year and extra for the year the family moved twice. I tossed the remainder. As you ponder the value and burden of trash, try a search in the Periodical Source Index (PERSI): https://www.genealogycenter.info/persi/ Some trashy tidbits for you to treasure or toss: Blue-on-white Chinese porcelaneous stoneware bowl from Russian hospital trash pit at Sitka, c. 1860 Asian Comparative Collection Newsletter (Univ. of ID), Vol. 6, Issue 2 (Jun 1989) California State Historical Resources Comm. puts dibs on moon trash, 2010 American History (Cowles History Group), Vol. 45, Issue 2 (Jun 2010) Crew dumping trash at Toytown, cover photo, note, c. 1962-1964 Florida Historical Quarterly, Vol. 91, Issue 4 (Spr 2013) Farmers complain about advertising trash found in buggies, 1907 Blackford County (IN) Historical Society News Feb 2016 Hammond trash problems from 1968 Flashback (Hammond Historical Soc., IN), Apr 2008 Isaac Enoch Bible salvaged from trash site, b. 1775 Appleland Bulletin (Wenatchee Area Gen. Soc., WA), Vol. 35, Issue 2 (Jun 2007) Mrs. H. C. Brummal fatally burned in trash fire, n.d. Hickman County (Hickman County Historical and Genealogical Society, KY), Dec 2014 New municipal trash containers lined up for delivery, photo and note, 2010 Cottage Grove Area (WI) Historical Society, Feb 2010 Other folk's rubbish, Chris Helme's collection of things he found in the trash, 2012, Eng. Keighley & District (Eng.) Family History Society Journal, Nov 2012 Private Andrew Bulkley, Co. I, 9th NY Heavy Artillery tombstone found in trash, 2008 Civil War News, Vol. 35, Issue 8 (Sep 2009) Trash collector or family historian? Minnesota Genealogist, Vol. 24, Issue 2 (Jun 1993) Tyree Monique Tate stole clothes from Goodwill Store and hid in trash compactor, n.d., MI Solitude in Stone, Apr 2009 What to save and what to trash, decisions, decisions Otter Tail County (MN) Genealogical Society Newsletter, Vol. 30, Issue 3 (Sep 2012)

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History Tidbits: St. Patrick’s Day By Allison DePrey Singleton

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As we go into the month of March, Americans have been seeing green shamrocks and other Saint Patrick’s Day décor in the stores for a while. They serve as a reminder that the holiday where Irish Americans show their cultural pride is nearly upon us. In the United States, a Saint Patrick’s Day parade is common in many communities, but what is the history of these parades? Let’s explore. Most Americans have ancestors that are not native to the United States. They came from other places in the world and helped create what many have called a “Melting Pot” over the years. When our ancestors came to the United States, many brought their culture and traditions with them. Evidence of this can be seen in how groups of people with common ethnic backgrounds created communities around those cultures. Many communities are still in existence, including Little Italy, Chinatown, and Lincoln Square. These ethnic communities and others across the country take pride in their ancestry and celebrate it in different ways. One ethnic community, the Irish, began to celebrate their heritage by holding a parade. While there is some disagreement on the location of the first one, sources indicated that New York City’s first Saint Patrick’s Day parade was held in 1762! Today, it is the largest Saint Patrick’s Day parade and oldest civilian parade in the world. Despite most Americans being of foreign ancestry, the Irish were not welcomed initially in the United States. Irish immigrants were met with signs stating “No Irish Need Apply,” told they were unwanted, and looked down upon. The Saint Patrick’s Day parade became their opportunity to show pride in their culture and heritage despite society’s prevailing opinions. The climate is vastly different today with people not only taking pride in their Irish heritage, but even those without Irish heritage celebrating it! In some ways, everyone's Irish on St. Patrick’s Day!

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Genealogy Center’s March 2022 Programs

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Join us for another month of free, virtual programs!

March 1, 2022, 2:30 p.m. EST “Fireside Chat: Researching Your Female Ancestors” with Elizabeth Hodges and Sara Allen - https://acpl.libnet.info/event/6235152

March 3, 2022, 6:30 p.m. EST “Working with Autosomal DNA Matches for Beginners” with Sara Allen - https://acpl.libnet.info/event/6235155

March 8, 2022, 2:30 p.m. EST “Irish Jewish Records are No Where and Everywhere” with Stuart Rosenblatt - https://acpl.libnet.info/event/6235188

March 10, 2022, 6:30 p.m. EST “Researching Formerly Enslaved Ancestors: It Takes a Village!” with Renate Yarborough Sanders - https://acpl.libnet.info/event/6235190

March 15, 2022, 2:30 p.m. EDT “Hiding in Cyberspace” with Luana Darby - https://acpl.libnet.info/event/6235191

March 17, 2022, 6:30 p.m. EDT “Let’s Talk! Irish Records and Stories” with the Indiana Historical Society, John Beatty, and Elizabeth Hodges - https://acpl.libnet.info/event/6111265

March 22, 2022, 2:30 p.m. EDT “Jumping the Pond: Beginning to Research Your European Immigrant Research” with Allison Singleton - https://acpl.libnet.info/event/6235265

March 24, 2022, 6:30 p.m. EDT “Preserving Your Ancestor’s Textiles and Handmade Treasures” with Melissa Barker - https://acpl.libnet.info/event/6235264

March 29, 2022, 2:30 p.m. EDT “Even More New Treasures: The Genealogy Center’s Digital Collections!” with Melissa Tennant - https://acpl.libnet.info/event/6235930

March 31, 2022, 6:30 p.m. EDT “Don’t Let Your Memories Fade” with Rick Voight – Link will be provided on the Genealogy Center Events page later in March.

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The Genealogy Center at RootsTech 2022

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When RootsTech opens on March 3, 2022, find “Allen County Public Library - Visit Fort Wayne” at the vendors’ virtual expo hall. https://www.familysearch.org/rootstech/expohall/

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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