January 2011

Genealogy Gems:

News from the Fort Wayne Library No. 83, January 31, 2011

In this issue:

Working with WorldCat

African Americans in World War II

Early Southern Conflicts

Technology Tip of the Month--Inserting Images into WordArt Using Microsoft Word 2007 or 2010.

Preservation Tip of the Month--Mounting Documents and Facsimiles

National Black Genealogy Summit--Hotel Ready for Reservations

Last Opportunity for WinterTech 2010-2011

March Madness--Genealogy Style

Irish & Scots-Irish Genealogy: Part One--A Two-Day Mini-Course

Librarians on Parade

Area Calendar of Events

Driving Directions to the Library

Parking at the Library

Queries for The Genealogy Center

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Working with WorldCat by Curt B. Witcher

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With a little more than 8% of 2011 in the books already(!), how are you doing on picking from the list of 50 things I mentioned last month that can help you make 2011 a genealogically significant year? I was pleased to hear from a number of you early this month on specific activities you chose. I hope the rest of you have committed to actively taking steps to accomplish things you consider important, since waiting for “just the right time” typically dooms an activity to never being accomplished. With an expanding number of databases available at our fingertips, I sometimes get concerned about certain consequential--and growing--data sets being relegated to the rank of the unused. WorldCat is one such database. WorldCat (under various names since its debut a number of years ago) remains a valuable resource for the researcher interested in finding all the information available for a family or geographic location. It may be simplest to think of WorldCat as one giant online catalog; and indeed, it is a catalog of more than 1.5 billion items in more than ten thousand libraries and repositories around the world. But its functionality is more enhanced and robust than most any other catalog you will likely ever use. First, what a benefit it is to search for a surname, a United States county, an Irish townland, or German city in one database and have the holdings of repositories worldwide queried. Second, if your query nets too many search results, you can quickly narrow those results by topic, content, language, publication year, or author. Once you have identified an item of interest, you can discover which institutions own the item. You can even sort the institutional listing by zipcode to identify the owning repositories closest to your home, the ones in your state, or a specific repository that engages in interlibrary loan or has an active e-reference service for look-ups and photocopying. Since WorldCat is much more than books and includes manuscripts, maps, and oral histories, searching this data file may uncover some amazing treasures. Once you identify items of potential value to your research, the subject listings, tables of contents, and reviews provided by others who have used the works can be invaluable. If you login (and signing up for a login is free and fast), you can also provide reviews for others interested in a particular work you have used. With this form of tagging, the genealogical research community can collectively and consistently enhance the research value of WorldCat for those doing family history research. There is other worthwhile functionality with WorldCat. With your login, you can create an almost unlimited number of research lists. You can make the lists public or keep them private, and the lists can be organized any way you would like--by subject, date, repository, etc. One advantage to such online lists is that no matter where you find yourself, if you have an online connection you can access those lists and get right to work on your projects. In a similar manner, you can also create bibliographies. You can put WorldCat on your mobile device and access it literally anywhere you find yourself. If you have used WorldCat in the past, take another look. If you‛ve never used it, it‛s well worth a few minutes of your research time. A final, unrelated note: this Friday, the second season of “Who Do You Think You Are?” begins airing on NBC at 8 p.m. ET. What a fun way to spend part of a Friday evening--seeing how experts engage in family research, hearing others‛ family stories, and observing how different documents are used in a research process. Watching this show not only provides some neat experiences, but it also lets network producers know we value this kind of programming and would appreciate more. Tune in and enjoy the experience!

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African Americans in World War II by Melissa Shimkus

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When considering African American participation in World War II, the heroic Tuskegee Airmen probably are first to come to mind. Most have not heard of Doris “Dorie” Miller, and are not aware that almost twenty-three percent of the African American naval deaths occurred at Port Chicago, California. “African American World War II Casualties and Decorations in the Navy, Coast Guard and Merchant Marine” (940.5410 Aa1kno) by Glenn A. Knoblock tells the stories of these unsung heroes. This comprehensive record includes accounts of 2,445 servicemen who were killed, wounded or decorated. Details about the historical treatment of African Americans in the military, along with descriptions of naval wartime efforts, are interspersed among fascinating stories of individual heroism and sacrifice. Enlistment and service information for each individual is provided, and an index makes locating a specific sailor simple. Numerous remarkable individuals found within the volume include Doris Miller and Leonard Roy Harmon, both awarded the Navy Cross. Doris Miller, a mess attendant on the USS West Virginia, received the award for carrying his mortally wounded captain to safety, then shooting down incoming planes during the attack on Pearl Harbor. Later, Miller served on the infamous USS Indianapolis, but transferred years before its sinking in 1945. He was killed during a torpedo attack on the USS Liscome Bay in 1943. Leonard Harmon, a stretcher bearer, was recommended for the Navy Cross after helping wounded men seek shelter while the USS San Francisco was under attack during the Battle of Guadalcanal on 12 November 1942. Harmon died later that day, protecting another sailor. The USS Wasp suffered the largest loss of African American stewards on one ship during the war. Forty-five stewards died after the ship was hit by three torpedoes on 15 September 1942. Among those lost was Willy Francis Kelly of Choccolocco, Alabama, who had served on the USS Ranger, USS Owl, and with the Fighting Squadrons, before his transfer to the Wasp, where he received a promotion and earned the Good Conduct Medal. The USS South Dakota was involved in numerous battles in the Pacific. On 19 June 1944, a 500 pound bomb hit the ship killing and wounding many in the gun crews. Five surviving African American gunners, Illinois Garner, Love Perry Jones, Gid Alphonso Porter Jr., Devore Scott Jr., and Harry Thomas Woody, received the Bronze Star Medal for shooting down enemy planes. The stories of these courageous World War II servicemen provide a glimpse into a neglected aspect of naval history.

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Early Southern Conflicts by Delia Cothrun Bourne

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When considering research in early nineteenth century military records, we tend to think first of the War of 1812 and the Mexican War. But there were several smaller conflicts that played a large part in the development and settlement of the southern states. The Genealogy Center holds indexes to compiled service records for two of these campaigns in the Gulf Coast region – the Florida War and the Second Creek War. The conflict in Florida stemmed from disagreement between Spain and the United States over the flight of runaway slaves into Spanish-held Florida and incursions of the Spanish into the area that had been British West Florida, now southern Alabama and Mississippi. These events resulted in the First Seminole War (1817-1818) and the eventual acquisition of Florida by the United States through treaty in 1821. After a period of peace during which whites pushed for the removal from Florida of bands of Native Americans, collectively known as Seminoles, the Second Seminole War erupted in December, 1835. Soldiers serving from 1836-38 during this conflict are documented on two reels of microfilm in The Genealogy Center: “Index to Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Soldiers Who Served During the Florida War in Organizations from the State of Louisiana” (NARA M239) and the “Index to Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Soldiers Who Served During the Florida War In Organizations From the State of Alabama” (NARA M245). Following the earlier Creek War of 1813-1814, Creek territory was first severely limited, then lost altogether through various treaties, although the head of each Creek household was given a half section (320 acres) to own individually. Unfortunately, land agents and settlers swindled many Creek families, who were unfamiliar with American concepts of land ownership, out of their property. By 1835, a few impoverished Creeks joined the Seminole revolt by raiding white settlers in the Florida panhandle, precipitating the Second Creek War. Several years of skirmishes followed, well into the 1840s, but as most Creeks left the area or stayed to be assimilated, the war was considered over by 1838. Relevant records in The Genealogy Center include two reels of microfilm titled “Index to Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Soldiers Who Served During the Creek War in Organizations from the State of Alabama” (NARA M244), which cover 1836-1837. These record indexes provide the typical alphabetical listing of soldiers, giving name variations, regiment, and rank at muster in and muster out. The actual records, which The Genealogy Center does not own, include little additional material beyond dates and places of muster and occasional notes. Although these often overlooked records may not provide significant breakthroughs in your genealogical research, they can be sources of additional background information on men from the states involved.

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Technology Tip of the Month--Inserting Images into WordArt Using Microsoft Word 2007 or 2010. by Kay Spears

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Anyone who has tried to insert an image into the text of Microsoft WordArt 2007 or 2010 will have noticed that option is missing. In fact, the whole look of WordArt has changed. In Word 97- 2003 you have the ability to insert images/graphics into the text of WordArt either by using the Paint Bucket or by right clicking and choosing format WordArt. The four options available in older versions of Word were Gradient, Patterns, Textures, and Pictures. Now, let‛s look at Word 2007-10. Go to Insert and click on WordArt. A drop down box appears displaying the capital letter “A” in multiple fonts and styles. These are your WordArt choices. When you click on one of these “A”s, a box opens saying “your text here.” Once you have entered your text, click the Text Fill tool on the menu bar. A palette of color choices will display as well as three other options: No Fill, More Fill Colors and Gradient. Other interesting effects options in Word 2007-10 can be found through the Gradient and Format Shape dialogue boxes. Textures and Pictures are missing from the options, but you can still insert them into your WordArt text using the following trick. Open a blank document (do not use the document that you‛ve been working on). In the blank document, insert WordArt and type in the text you want. Now, go to File>Save As. When the Save dialogue box opens, find “Word 97-2003 Document” among the “save as type” options. Choose that option and Save. Now, when you right click on your WordArt object, the old formatting options from Word 97-2003 will be available and you can insert a photograph. You can then copy and paste this WordArt object into your Word 2007-10 document. You will not be able to use any of the Word 2007-10 formatting options on this particular object. It will always have the older version formatting attached to it. Any other WordArt you create in the Word 2007-10 document will have the formatting that goes with the new version. So, it is possible to use two different versions of WordArt in one document. Next: Adding Footnotes in Microsoft Word

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Preservation Tip of the Month--Mounting Documents and Facsimiles by Curt B. Witcher

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When we find a keystone document in our research--a census record showing a multigenerational family, a christening record, a military photograph, a school graduation certificate--we sometimes want to find ways of displaying that document or a facsimile of the document. It is relatively easy to do this well. Choosing good mounting-boards or paperboards is the first important step. The boards should be of archival quality, which means they are acid-free or pH neutral and lignin free. Being free of lignin, the boards won‛t change, break down, and become weaker when exposed to light and air over time. Typically you will have a back-board that is larger than the document to be mounted and a front-board equal in size to the back-board that has a window through which the document can be viewed. The document is affixed to the back-board. Many documents have been successfully affixed by hinges made with Japanese paper (pH neutral and very strong) and starch paste. Recently, acid-free photograph corners or edge strips have come into favor as you don‛t have to affix anything directly to the document itself. The less you actually attach to the document the better. While often not done, it is a really good idea to experiment with materials and techniques before you actually work with the document you want to mount and display. Once the document is centered on, and affixed to the back-board, you are ready to hinge or attach the windowed front-board to the back-board. Attaching the two boards on just one side (e.g. a top hinge), or by means of mounting clips that are tied or banded together by rubber bands on opposite corners, are the best ways to affix the boards to each other. You want to be able to easily remove the document from the mounting if the need should arise. Remember these sound preservation practices: never do something you cannot easily undo and practice with materials and techniques before actually working on an original document.

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National Black Genealogy Summit--Hotel Ready for Reservations

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The National Black Genealogy Summit, taking place in Fort Wayne, Indiana on October 20-22, 2011, has named its conference hotel. It is the Courtyard by Marriott Fort Wayne Downtown. This modern, very comfortable facility is nearly brand new, having opened in September of 2010. It is located at 1150 South Harrison Street, just one block south of the Allen County Public Library and right across the street from the Grand Wayne Convention Center. There is even a skywalk from the Courtyard to the Convention Center. The summit planning committee has been able to secure a block of rooms at the downtown Courtyard for $92 per night. It‛s not too early to make your lodging reservations. You can make your reservations online by clicking on the link below. http://cwp.marriott.com/fwadt/blackgenealogicalsummit/  You can also call the toll-free line at 1-866-704-6163 and reference the group code “GBS.” Information about the program for the Summit will be forthcoming in the near future.

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Last Opportunity for WinterTech 2010-2011

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It's great when the entire day can be devoted to genealogy! February is your last chance this season to take advantage of a WinterTech lecture at 2:30 in the afternoon, and stay for the Allen County Genealogy Society of Indiana's monthly meeting at 7:00 in the evening. On February 9th, Dawne Slater-Putt presents "Exploring the Ever Expanding FamilySearch." There's more to FamilySearch than the Family History Library Catalog and the gateway to obtaining microfilmed records from around the world. FamilySearch.org also has searchable record indexes, collections of digitized images of original records, how-to articles on a wide variety of research topics, the FamilySearch wiki, and more. Call 260-421-1225 to register, or send us an email at Genealogy@ACPL.Info.

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March Madness--Genealogy Style

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Excited about taking genealogy road trips as the weather improves? Looking forward to roaming a cemetery without having to bundle up? Counting the days until the next genealogical gathering? Then you qualify for March Madness--Genealogy Style, Sunday, March 13 through Saturday, March 19, 2011. The Genealogy Center's annual premiere celebration kicks off the active research season. This year's sessions include the following. Why Do I Want to Look at a Revolutionary War Pension? Sunday, March 13, 1:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m., Meeting Room A Searching the Internet for Your Genealogy (Using Google and Other Search Engines). Monday, March 14, 2:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m., Meeting Room A Writing Personal History: Doing for Our Descendants What We Wish Great-Grandma Had Done for Us. Tuesday, March 15, 10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. , Meeting Room C ACGSI Computer Interest Group. Wednesday, March 16, 7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m., Meeting Room B Beginning Virginia Genealogical Research. Thursday, March 17, 2:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m., Meeting Room A Irish & Scots-Irish Genealogy: Part 1 - A Two-Day Mini-Course. Friday & Saturday, March 18-19, 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m., Meeting Rooms B&C. NOTE: Registration and a $50 fee are required for this program, and more than half of the spaces are filled as of this writing. Check our website http://www.genealogycenter.org/Events.aspx for more information. Call 260- 421-1225 to register, or send us an email at Genealogy@ACPL.Info .

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Irish & Scots-Irish Genealogy: Part One--A Two-Day Mini-Course

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Time is running out if you want to register for the Irish and Scots-Irish Genealogy, Part 1 on Friday & Saturday, March 18-19, 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m., in Meeting Rooms B&C. This two-day mini-course, taught by Steve Myers, is an excellent way for researchers with little or no experience in Irish records to receive a thorough grounding in the sources and techniques that lead to success. Classes include: “Doing Your Homework in North American Sources;” “Getting the Lay of the Land: Irish Place-names, Maps & Gazetteers;” “Griffith's Valuation and the Tithe Applotment Books;” “Church Records and Heritage Centres;” “Civil Registration & Other Vital Records Sources;” and “Censuses & Census Substitutes.” A complementary Part 2 mini-course, tentatively scheduled for March, 2012, will cover additional topics such as using Irish manuscript collections and local history publications. Cost for both days is $50. Program details and registration information are included in the brochure at http://www.genealogycenter.org/Libraries/2010/Irish_Part_1_brochure_2011Reduced.sflb.ashx. Attendance is limited, so register early to avoid disappointment. Half of the spaces are already reserved. For more information, call 260-421-1225 or email Genealogy@ACPL.Info.

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Librarians on Parade in February 2011

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Curt Witcher February 10-12, 2011--RootsTech: A Genealogy & Technology Conference, Salt Palace Convention Center, Salt Lake City, Utah. Friday, February 11th: Opening Keynote Session; Saturday, February 12th, Federation of Genealogical Societies‛ Luncheon, “High Touch and High Tech: Being a Successful 21st Century Genealogical Society.” February 26, 2011--Hemet-San Jacinto Genealogical Society & Hemet Public Library Seminar, Hemet Public Library, Upper Floor, 300 East Latham Avenue, Hemet, California. Presentations: “Historical Research Methodology,” “Using Church Records for Genealogical Research,” “Mining the Motherlode: Using Periodical Literature for Genealogical Research,” and “Roll Call: New Sites and Sources for Military Records and Research.” Dawne Slater-Putt February 9, 2011--Allen County Public Library, 900 Library Plaza, Fort Wayne, Indiana, Meeting Room C, 2:30 p.m., “Exploring the Ever Expanding Family Search.”

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Area Calendar of Events

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Allen County Genealogical Society of Indiana (ACGSI) February 9, 2011--Allen County Public Library, 900 Library Plaza, Fort Wayne, Indiana. 6:30 p.m. refreshments, 7 p.m. program. Ron Darrah will present, “Migration from the Colonies to the Midwest.” Allen County-Fort Wayne Historical Society, 302 East Berry, Ft. Wayne, IN February 6, 2011, 2 p.m.—Doris Yerger will present “20th Century African-American Women‛s Clubs.”

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Driving Directions to the Library

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Wondering how to get to the library? Our location is 900 Library Plaza, Fort Wayne, Indiana, in the block bordered on the south by Washington Boulevard, the west by Ewing Street, the north by Wayne Street, and the east by the Library Plaza, formerly Webster Street. We would enjoy having you visit the Genealogy Center. To get directions from your exact location to 900 Library Plaza, Fort Wayne, Indiana, visit this link at MapQuest: http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?formtype=address&addtohistory=&address=900%20Web ster%20St&city=Fort%20Wayne&state=IN&zipcode=46802%2d3602&country=US&geodiff=1 >From the South Exit Interstate 69 at exit 102. Drive east on Jefferson Boulevard into downtown. Turn left on Ewing Street. The Library is one block north, at Ewing Street and Washington Boulevard. Using US 27: US 27 turns into Lafayette Street. Drive north into downtown. Turn left at Washington Boulevard and go five blocks. The Library will be on the right. >From the North Exit Interstate 69 at exit 112. Drive south on Coldwater Road, which merges into Clinton Street. Continue south on Clinton to Washington Boulevard. Turn right on Washington and go three blocks. The Library will be on the right. >From the West Using US 30: Drive into town on US 30. US 30 turns into Goshen Ave. which dead-ends at West State Blvd. Make an angled left turn onto West State Blvd. Turn right on Wells Street. Go south on Wells to Wayne Street. Turn left on Wayne Street. The Library will be in the second block on the right. Using US 24: After crossing under Interstate 69, follow the same directions as from the South. >From the East Follow US 30/then 930 into and through New Haven, under an overpass into downtown Fort Wayne. You will be on Washington Blvd. when you get into downtown. Library Plaza will be on the right.

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Parking at the Library

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At the Library, underground parking can be accessed from Wayne Street. Other library parking lots are at Washington and Webster, and Wayne and Webster. Hourly parking is $1 per hour with a $7 maximum. ACPL library card holders may use their cards to validate the parking ticket at the west end of the Great Hall of the Library. Out of county residents may purchase a subscription card with proof of identification and residence. The current fee for an Individual Subscription Card is $70. Public lots are located at the corner of Ewing and Wayne Streets ($1 each for the first two halfhours, $1 per hour after, with a $4 per day maximum) and the corner of Jefferson Boulevard and Harrison Street ($3 per day). Street (metered) parking on Ewing and Wayne Streets. On the street you plug the meters 8am – 5pm, weekdays only. It is free to park on the street after 5pm and on the weekends. Visitor center/Grand Wayne Center garage at Washington and Clinton Streets. This is the Hilton Hotel parking lot that also serves as a day parking garage. For hourly parking, 7am – 11 pm, charges are .50 for the first 45 minutes, then $1.00 per hour. There is a flat $2.00 fee between 5pm and 11pm.

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Genealogy Center Queries

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The Genealogy Center hopes you find this newsletter interesting. Thank you for subscribing. We cannot, however, answer personal research emails written to the e-zine address. The department houses a Research Center that makes photocopies and conducts research for a fee. If you have a general question about our collection, or are interested in the Research Center, please telephone the library and speak to a librarian who will be glad to answer your general questions or send you a research center form. Our telephone number is 260-421-1225. If you‛d like to email a general information question about the department, please email: Genealogy@ACPL.Info.

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Publishing Note:

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This electronic newsletter is published by the Allen County Public Library's Genealogy Center, and is intended to enlighten readers about genealogical research methods as well as inform them about the vast resources of the Allen County Public Library. We welcome the wide distribution of this newsletter and encourage readers to forward it to their friends and societies. All precautions have been made to avoid errors. However, the publisher does not assume any liability to any party for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions, no matter the cause. To subscribe to “Genealogy Gems,” simply use your browser to go to the website: www.GenealogyCenter.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. Steve Myers & Curt Witcher, co-editors