January 2023

Genealogy Gems:

News from the Allen County Public Library at Fort Wayne No. 227, January 31, 2023

In this issue:

Crossroads and Connections: Find Your Family Story

Occupations and Our Ancestors FBI Case Files on Fold3

Technology Tip of the Month: The Case of the Black-not-Black Text

PERSI Gems: Clowning Around

History Tidbits: Business Histories

Genealogy Center’s February Programs

Genealogy Center Program Call Outs!

Staying Informed about Genealogy Center Programming

Genealogy Center Social Media

Driving Directions to the Library

Parking at the Library

Genealogy Center Queries

Publishing Note

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

Crossroads and Connections: Find Your Family Story by Curt B. Witcher

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

You’ve probably heard—there are a lot of descendants of German immigrants in the United States! You’ve likely also heard there is a big-deal conference for those researching German ancestors here in Fort Wayne, Indiana, June 9-11, 2023. (Indeed, I am pretty sure you’ve heard of this event as I mentioned in last month’s ezine!) I am so keen on this conference; I’d like to share why. I find the conference theme itself compelling -- Crossroads and Connections: Find Your Family Story. First, Indiana is known as the Crossroads of America because so many of our ancestors at least “touched a toe” in this state on their way to the Great Plains and westward. A fair number of those immigrant ancestors who headed toward Indiana decided to stay in the Hoosier state and make it their home. A consequential percentage of those immigrants were Germans. Second, conferences are absolutely a terrific means to gain new knowledge about records and resources as well as new publications, a terrific means of making connections. And we know how exciting and fulfilling it is to find our families’ stories. So, who is bringing this conference to Fort Wayne, Indiana? This event is being sponsored by the International German Genealogy Partnership (IGGP), a group of societies interested in German heritage and family history. That partnership is about networking to share ideas, contacts, and research information to help individuals and members document their Germanic heritage, wherever it is found. And what better way to do that than an international conference. The IGGP program committee has made this a truly international conference with not only topics about German lands but also international presenters. Speakers will be coming not only from Germany, but also Switzerland, Austria, Ireland, Australia, Brazil, and Serbia. These experts do not usually present in the United States, making this a rare opportunity to learn from them. And, of course, experts in the field of German genealogy from the United States will be in person. And, of course, experts in the field of German genealogy from the United States will be in person in Fort Wayne as well. Three highlighters among the international presenters are listed in the following. ***Dr. Thomas Aigner, the person behind Matricula, the place one can find church registers from Austria, Germany, Poland, Serbia and Slovenia ***Viktor Pordzik, the archivist of the Bremen Archive ***Andrea Bentschneider, an expert on Mecklenburg Complementing the international team of presenters are exceptional speakers who are known on the lecture circuits here in the United States. Among my favorites are the following individuals who were listed in this ezine last month. ***Jim Beidler ***Gail Blankenau ***Joe Everett ***Michael Lacopo ***Teresa McMillin There will be numerous brand-new presentations for those who are more experienced researchers. And new to the IGGP conferences scene will be German script workshops, held on site, by Kathy Schober. One would learn something from all of these individuals even if you were trying not to! Over 80+ presenters will present new information, in person and/or virtually, and on demand. Keep checking the website often for additional information. https://iggp.org/ Why am I spotlighting this conference two months in a row? In just about thirty days the earlybird registration discount ends. It would be a shame to miss out on the best possible pricing for this information-packed event. And in this “most German town” (as Fort Wayne is known historically), during the dates of the conference there will be Fort Wayne’s annual award-winning GermanFest. Authentic German food, drink and festivities will surround the entire conference. This truly could be your most immersive genealogy research experience ever (at least, without leaving the United States). If that wasn’t enough, you will be able to take advantage of the more than a million physical research items and some of the best licensed databases in The Genealogy Center of the Allen County Public Library. Early bird registration for this conference ends soon. Click on the following link to take advantage of the savings. https://whova.com/portal/registration/iggac_202306/fk4i88j4 More information will continually be made available at the IGGP website, https://iggp.org/, in the IGGP newsletter at https://iggp.org/cpage.php?pt= 89, and on their Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/IGGPartnership/. I would love to see you in Fort Wayne, Indiana June 9-11, 2023 at the Crossroads and Connections conference of the IGGP.

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

Occupations and Our Ancestors by Kate McKenzie

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

Our ancestors’ occupations have the ability to provide great insights into their lives. From farming to steel, to coal mining, railroads and beyond, their occupations impacted where they lived, their socioeconomic status, and how they interacted with the world around them. Your ancestor’s occupation can be found in a number of places: World War I and World War II draft cards, census records, obituaries, death certificates, marriage records, newspapers, and passenger lists, among others. The Genealogy Center’s catalog is a great place to begin exploring our holdings related to occupations. These sources can help us better understand their lives and working conditions. Navigate to genealogycenter.org. From there you can enter your keywords in the search bar at the top right. After you click ‘Find’, we recommend narrowing your search results by branch and selecting ‘Genealogy’ at the left. We’ll start with a general search…entering the keyword “occupations” into the search bar (and selecting genealogy as the branch) yields 231 results. The first three books that appear are: In and Out of Frederick Town: Colonial Occupations, Londoners’ ‘Occupations: A Genealogical Guide’, and ‘Female Occupations: Women’s Employment 1850-1950’… Let’s get more specific…entering the keywords “coal mine” and “West Virginia”, yields 14 results. One of the books that appears, for example, is “Fatalities in West Virginia coal mines, 1883- 1925: extracted from the Reports of mine inspectors.” This book is interesting because it provides information related to the name of the mine, name of miner, their nationality, number of dependents, and how they were injured. Also, it provides details related to insurance money, and whether the miner was survived by a widow. Many of our digital resources are linked in the catalog too! Another way to search is by the name of the organization that your relative worked for. I did a search for ‘International Harvester’, which had facilities here in Fort Wayne. We have a number of employee publications for this company, including ‘International Harvester Today’, ‘International Harvester Action’ and others. Here are some highlights from the catalog…check it out to explore hundreds of additional holdings in the collection to discover more about your ancestors’ occupations! 929.11 K13B - Baltimore and Ohio Railroad employees : 1842 and 1852, 1855 and 1857 929.2 L6291LR Farming Across America: A 300-Year Family History by Ronald H. Limbaugh 942 T923D - Dictionary of old trades & occupations by Andrew Twining 942 W842GO - Women’s Work in Industrial England: Regional and Local Perspectives by Nigel Goose 942.4601 Sh24t - Tracing Your Potteries Ancestors: A Guide For Family and Local Historians by Michael Sharpe (Staffordshire, England) 973.068 AF8332 Nr: 2004 - African- American Coal Mining Heritage by Tim Pinnick 973 W688E - Early America at work : a pictorial guide to our vanishing occupations by Everett Broomall Wilson 974.802 P687PER Steel: The Story of Pittsburgh’s Iron & Steel Industry by Dale Richard Perelman 977.102 D33MV - A time to remember : a history of the Miami Valley Hospital School of Nursing, 1899-1986 (Ohio) 977.2 W165PI - Pioneer farming in Indiana : Thomas Lincoln's major crops, 1816-1830 by Henry G. Waltmann 973 D5636 1839 Dictionary of Occupational Titles, Part 1: Definitions of Titles by the U.S. Secretary of Labor

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

FBI Case Files on Fold3 by Elizabeth Hodges

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

Fold3, a subscription-based database that can be accessed for free on-site in the Genealogy Center, is home to 596,318,073 total records. This database is considered the go-to resource for military records, but due to the “Russian-doll-like” nature of Fold3, most people don’t realize the non-military gems waiting to be uncovered! One interesting non-military record collection on Fold3 are the FBI Case Files. This collection comprises 2,313,321 digitized records from 1908- 1922. Beginning in 1908, the Bureau of Investigation (which became known as the FBI in 1935) kept files on millions of Americans. Even if you believe your ancestor was a law-abiding citizen, there is still a possibility that they might be mentioned in a case file. The case files on Fold3 are divided into four distinct groups: Bureau Section Files (1920-21), Mexican Files (1909-21), Miscellaneous Files (1908-22), and the Old German Files 1915-20. The Bureau Section Files are composed of more than 240,000 investigative reports and correspondence from other areas of the Department of Justice, whose functions were eventually absorbed into the Bureau of Investigation. The Mexican Files are records relating to Mexican neutrality violations. The records include reports, memorandums, and other documents relating to investigations of persons believed to be operating against U.S. interests during the Mexican civil wars. The Miscellaneous Files are arranged by file numbers corresponding to dates on which the investigations began. These files contain investigative reports, correspondence, and memos pertaining to alleged violations of federal laws. The Old German Files, the largest of the four groups, contains 400,000 records (1.8 million individual documents) relating to investigations on German immigrants and German-Americans who were considered politically suspicious before and during World War I. What is particularly interesting about the Old German Files is that the investigations were not limited to those who were German or German-American. A deeper dive into these files shows that anyone who was suspected of having the potential to be “pro-German,” socialist, communist, or simply anti-war between 1915-1920 was being watched by the Bureau of Investigation. For example, anyone suspected of being involved with the International Workers of the World (IWW) was being watched. The Bureau of Investigation investigated a former Fort Wayne resident and freight handler for the Wabash and Nickel Plate railroads, James Gilday, because he was accused of being “a detective working in the I.W.W. ranks.” Essentially, the Bureau of Investigation wanted to track down Gilday, so his file details primarily where he worked, where he lived, who his neighbors were, and where he moved to when he left Fort Wayne in May 1917. The Bureau investigated another Fort Wayne resident, Captain Edmund Van Buskirk, for “disloyalty” after allegedly making pro-German statements while he was stationed at Base Hospital at Camp Beauregard, Louisiana, and because they believed he was “of German descent.” The summary of this investigation is a gold mine of genealogical data! It details where he was from (as well as his parents and grandparents), his educational background, his employment history as the Allen County Health Officer, how many children he had, and that he was a Scottish Rite Mason. The easiest way to find these records on Fold3 is to scroll towards the bottom of the homepage and click “Non-Military,” then click “Publications,” and search FBI in the Publications search bar. While Fold3 is a subscription-based database, certain record sets (including the FBI Case Files) are free. As with many records in Fold3, the organization of the records is convoluted, so don’t make the mistake of limiting your search to the Old German Files or the Mexican Files because there are records for both filed under Miscellaneous. Despite the disorganization and difficulty of using Fold3, these records are fascinating and can offer great information to add to your family’s story. FBI Case Files on Fold3: https://www.fold3.com/publication/74/fbi-case-files For more information on the Investigative Files of the Bureau of Investigation: https://www.fold3.com/pdf/M1085.pdf

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

Technology Tip of the Month: The Case of the Black-not-Black Text by Kay Spears

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

Where’s Hercule Poirot when you need him? In the next set of articles, I will be featuring problems/issues/things gone wrong with computers/software/hardware that have crossed my desk. I will review the problem, the reason the problem happened, how we fixed it, and offer suggestions on how to avoid those problems in the future. Let’s take a look at the first mystery: “The Case of the Black-not-Black Text.” The problem/issue: Not too long ago a colleague sent a large document to a “professional” publisher to be printed. A lot of work went into this book. There were lots of pages, index, table of contents…everything a wonderful book could have. Imagine his agitation when a call came from the publisher telling him that some of the text/fonts/words were printing in grayscale, not black. The text appearance was uneven. Not a good look. He started looking in Microsoft Word for a fix. One might say he was a tad bit anxious. One cannot print a book with crappy text. So, what happened? In this case, two opposing entities, Microsoft Word and the Publisher. My colleague compiled his huge document/book using Microsoft Word. I’m not saying he shouldn’t have, there is nothing wrong with using Word, or any other word processor, especially if that is what you are comfortable with. Repeat after me: Compatible. You just need to be aware that sometimes one platform/software/whatever is not compatible with another. Here’s the rub: Microsoft Word uses RGB color format. RGB is what is used for digital stuff, it is Red – Green – Blue. Most printers, and that includes “professional” printers use the color format of CMYK. CMYK is Cyan – Magenta – Yellow -Key (most cases black). I will not go into how much percentages are involved in all of this, but let’s just say RGB and CMYK are not the same. What you see on the screen may not always translate correctly when printed. And, in this case that is what happened. The RGB black didn’t print black on a CMYK printer. So, what is the fix? Solutions, and let me introduce you to another villain, um, actor in the story, PDF. Aren’t PDFs wonderful? Aren’t they the best invention since the wheel? PDF can be opened from any platform, they are just that good! Just remember, my little Buckaroos, all PDFs are not created equal. This particular document was first created in Word, then when it was finished it was also saved as a PDF. And, that’s as it should be. If this PDF had been printed at home or work on a regular printer, maybe the text issue wouldn’t have been noticed. But it was not. What this PDF needed was a Print Production Preflight. In aviation, before a pilot leaves the ground, he goes through a check list called Preflight. Well, the term is also applied to publishing. If you have Adobe Acrobat Pro on your computer, you will have a tool called Print Production>Preflight. This tool should be used on documents that are being readied for printing. Along with a bunch of other checks and balances, one of the other things Preflight does is convert RGB to CMYK. And, that was the fix in this case…conversion of RGB to CMYK. The text is now black. Suggestions and things to remember. If you are going to print your book on your own and then make a quick cover, you probably won’t have this particular issue. But if you are sending your book to a professional printer, you need to ask questions. Don’t work and slave over compiling something which isn’t going to be compatible. Ask the publisher, in what format does he want the finished product? Ask if you are giving them what they need to produce a great looking finished product. Don’t be afraid to ask them to explain terms you may not understand. You might want to consider investing in Adobe Acrobat Pro in case you want a better-quality document to hand over. If you are going to print your document on your home printer, you might have a printer preference called “print text as black”. But what options your printer has depends on your printer’s driver. As far as compiling your document in Microsoft Word, that’s ok. Just remember Word only does RGB. If you are in the mood to develop a headache, you could always learn how to maneuver your document through Adobe InDesign. InDesign has CMYK, but InDesign has its own special issues. If there are any fast word processors out there that use both RGB and CMYK, I am not aware of them, but there may be. Just remember, it’s your book, it’s your money, don’t be afraid to ask questions. Next article: The Case of the Missing Image.

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

PERSI Gems: Clowning Around by Adam Barrone and Mike Hudson

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

The Allen County War Memorial Coliseum was recently occupied by a contingent of clowns, delighting visitors to the Tarzan Zerbini Circus, brought to town by area Shriners. Clowns have brought smiles to Fort Wayne children, young and old, for generations. In addition to clowns visiting with travelling circus shows, local clowns made their mark on our memories. Happy the Hobo hosted an after-school television program on station WFFT throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Sweetcakes the Clown performed for events around the region. I had personal interactions with each. In one of Sweetcake's bits performed at my childhood church, she called me up and handed me her magic wand. Being the inquisitive boy that I was, I noticed the device was not what it seemed. Sweetcakes spotted my initial attempt to disassemble the wand and adeptly liberated it from my prying hands before I was able to spoil the surprise she had planned. If you're feeling inquisitive and wish to pry into the history of clowns in your past, try a search in the Periodical Source Index: https://www.genealogycenter.info/persi/ Abe Goldstein, Cole Bros. Circus clown photo, 1935 Wisconsin Magazine of History, Vol. 41, Issue 2 (Win 1957) Choo-Choo the clown visits Maple Valley School, 1921 Maplevalley (WA) Messenger, Vol. 1, Issue Extra (Jun 1921) Clown teams play basketball, 1939 Sutter County (CA) Historical Society News Bulletin, Vol. 38, Issue 3 (Jul 1997) Eight foot clown attends opening of Regency Inn and Cafe, Yell C. Ward bio. sketch, 1966-1981 Goingsnake Messenger (Goingsnake District Heritage Association, OK), Vol. 28, Issue 1 (2011) Kate Jordan, daughter of clown Rev. Joshua Jordan bio., 1880s-1958 Butler County (AL) Historical and Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 47, Issue 4 (Oct 2011) Lou Pierotti's clown softball team Los Alamos (NM) Historical Society Newsletter, Vol. 17, Issue 3 (Sum 1998) Mary Osborne Bisenius Knevel, clown collector, bio., b. 1911, IN, MN Crossings (Stearns History Museum, MN), Vol. 31, Issue 1 (Jan 2005) Mr. France, Spencer House clerk account, captivating heiress eloped with country clown, 1859 Kentucky Explorer, Vol. 35, Issue 3 (Sep 2020) Mr. Smith arrived too late to prevent daughter from marrying unnamed clown, 1888, Bolton, Eng. Family Roots (Eastbourne, Eng.), Vol. 28, Issue 3 (May 2014) Quail Dobbs recalls twenty-five years as a rodeo clown, b. 1941 Permian Historical Annual (Odessa, TX), Vol. 44 (Dec 2004) Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus Clown College alumni held variety show, 1968- 1998, 2009 Reunions Magazine, Vol. 19, Issue 4 (May 2009) Tim Kavanagh as the class clown of North Country Union High School, 1984, VT Vermont's Northland Journal, Vol. 6, Issue 12 (Mar 2008)

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

History Tidbits: Business Histories By Allison DePrey Singleton

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

This month, we will be looking at more of a tip rather than a tidbit. Many times, when we are researching our ancestors, we learn their occupations. An even more valuable find is discovering the name of the businesses where they were employed. Researching those businesses and occupations can expand the stories of our ancestors greatly! How do we find these businesses? Research! You might find business records at historical societies, libraries, archives, museums, or even other businesses that might have bought out the original one. While the records for the business you are researching might not exist any longer, that just means you can look at similar businesses in similar locations to better understand your ancestors’ experiences and stories. These business and/or occupational histories can provide historical context and may explain some seemingly unusual decisions made by your ancestor. The Genealogy Center has business histories from all over the United States in our collection. The digitized resources are mainly for Allen County, Indiana, due to our location and access to the records. You can explore online records from businesses such as: General Electric (https://www.genealogycenter.info/generalelectric/) Eckrich Company (https://www.genealogycenter.info/search_eckrich.php) Lincoln National Bank and Trust Company (https://www.genealogycenter.info/search_lincolnnational.php) Bass Foundry (https://www.genealogycenter.info/search_bass.php) and many more. Next time you take a look at your research and see an occupation or a business listed, start searching. Check every repository you can find. You never know what amazing history tidbits you might find on your own ancestors and their occupation.

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

Genealogy Center’s February Programs

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

Join us for another month of free, virtual programs.

February 2, 2023, 6:30 p.m. EST “Deep Dive into AncestryDNA's DNA Story (Ethnicity Estimate)” with Sara Allen - https://acpl.libnet.info/event/7921465

February 7, 2023, 2:30 p.m. EST “The Making of a Mosaic: European Migrant Journeys during the Age of Steam: Part 1--Preparing to Leave Europe” with Dr. Nicholas J. Evans - https://acpl.libnet.info/event/7834844

February 9, 2023, 6:30 p.m. EST “Preserving the Past: Stories from the Records of Philadelphia’s Historic Congregations” with Carol Smith - https://acpl.libnet.info/event/7898418

February 14, 2023, 2:30 p.m. EST “The Making of a Mosaic: European Migrant Journeys during the Age of Steam: Part 2--The Journey to America” with Dr. Nicholas J. Evans - https://acpl.libnet.info/event/7835110

February 16, 2023, 6:30 p.m. EST “Eastern European DNA” with P.J. Elias - https://acpl.libnet.info/event/7908329

February 18, 2023, 2:00 p.m. The African American Genealogy Society of Fort Wayne's "Research Tools & Tips: Medical Genealogy and Your Health" with Dr. Alfred Brothers Jr. - https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAscuyoqDsrGtxt3OOVMSrO_sUNNoLiP9Bg

February 21, 2023, 2:30 p.m. EST “The Making of a Mosaic: European Migrant Journeys during the Age of Steam: Part 3--Internal Migration within the United States” with Dr. Nicholas J. Evans - https://acpl.libnet.info/event/7835192

February 23, 2023, 6:30 p.m. EST “Crossroads of History: Strolling Through Fort Wayne’s Parks” with Joshua Schipper - https://acpl.libnet.info/event/7898627

February 28, 2023, 2:30 p.m. EST “Digging up Deeds” with Barbara Coakley - https://acpl.libnet.info/event/7898643 Please register in advance to enjoy these engaging programs.

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

Genealogy Center Program Call Outs!

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

In partnership with the Northeast Indiana Jewish Genealogy Society, the Genealogy Center is offering three great programs by an engaging speaker and immigration expert, Dr. Nicholas Evans. This program series is titled “The Making of a Mosaic: European Migrant Journeys during the Age of Steam” and will be offered on the first three Tuesday afternoons in February at 2:30 p.m. Dr. Evans, from the University of Hull in England, will track the journey of Eastern European emigrants from their homes to the United States and elsewhere. February 7: Preparing to Leave Europe – This talk will illustrate how one can piece together the gathering of ancestors from their village/town of birth to the moment they commenced their journey west. Register: https://acpl.libnet.info/event/7834844 February 14: The Journey to America – This talk will illustrate the details of both the direct and indirect routes enabling Europeans to reach the American eastern seaboard. Register: https://acpl.libnet.info/event/7835110 February 21: Internal Migration within the United States – This talk will explore how migrant records enable one to piece together the numerous journeys that complete the migrant’s settlement in their new homes. Register: https://acpl.libnet.info/event/7835192 The African American Genealogical Society of Fort Wayne (AAGSFW) in partnership with the Multicultural Center at Purdue Fort Wayne is offering “Research Tools & Tips: Medical Genealogy and Your Health” in the Discovery Center of the ACPL Genealogy Center on Saturday, February 18, 2023 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. EST Discover the rich information available through medical genealogy research. Are there patterns of illness in your family? Did your family experience diseases like smallpox, typhoid, flu, or other illnesses that ravaged communities? Learn more about your family's stories surrounding specific illnesses or medical conditions through medical genealogy resources. The program will be presented by Dr. Alfred Brothers, Jr. from the AAGSFW. Dr. Brothers is the Vice Chairman of the AAGSFW. He is a charter member and specializes in Military Genealogy. Dr. Brothers is a Mid-West African American Genealogy Institute (MAAGI) instructor and leads our society with Research Tools & Tips presentations on Zoom and Facebook. He has been doing family research for over 40 years. Attend online OR in person! Registration required. Join us on Zoom! https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAscuyoqDsrGtxt3OOVMSrO_sUNNoLiP9Bg Join us In Person! Email us: AAGSFW@gmail.com to reserve your seat! Location: Discovery Room in the Genealogy Center, Allen County Public Library, 900 Library Plaza I Fort Wayne, IN

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

Staying Informed about Genealogy Center Programming

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

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.

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

Genealogy Center Social Media

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

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GenealogyCenter/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/genealogycenter/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ACPLGenealogy Blog: http://www.genealogycenter.org/Community/Blog.aspx YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/askacpl

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

Driving Directions to the Library

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

Wondering how to get to the library? Our location is 900 Library Plaza, Fort Wayne, Indiana, in the block bordered on the south by Washington Boulevard, the west by Ewing Street, the north by Wayne Street, and the east by the Library Plaza, formerly Webster Street. We would enjoy having you visit the Genealogy Center. To get directions from your exact location to 900 Library Plaza, Fort Wayne, Indiana, visit this link at MapQuest: http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?formtype=address&addtohistory=&address=900%20 Webster%20St&city=Fort%20Wayne&state=IN&zipcode=46802%2d3602&country=US&geodiff =1 >From the South Exit Interstate 69 at exit 302. Drive east on Jefferson Boulevard into downtown. Turn left on Ewing Street. The Library is one block north, at Ewing Street and Washington Boulevard. Using US 27: US 27 turns into Lafayette Street. Drive north into downtown. Turn left at Washington Boulevard and go five blocks. The Library will be on the right. >From the North Exit Interstate 69 at exit 312. Drive south on Coldwater Road, which merges into Clinton Street. Continue south on Clinton to Washington Boulevard. Turn right on Washington and go three blocks. The Library will be on the right. >From the West Using US 30: Drive into town on US 30. US 30 turns into Goshen Ave. which dead-ends at West State Blvd. Make an angled left turn onto West State Blvd. Turn right on Wells Street. Go south on Wells to Wayne Street. Turn left on Wayne Street. The Library will be in the second block on the right. Using US 24: After crossing under Interstate 69, follow the same directions as from the South. >From the East Follow US 30/then 930 into and through New Haven, under an overpass into downtown Fort Wayne. You will be on Washington Blvd. when you get into downtown. Library Plaza will be on the right.

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

Parking at the Library

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

At the Library, underground parking can be accessed from Wayne Street. Other library parking lots are at Washington and Webster, and Wayne and Webster. Hourly parking is $1 per hour with a $7 maximum. ACPL library card holders may use their cards to validate the parking ticket at the west end of the Great Hall of the Library. Out of county residents may purchase a subscription card with proof of identification and residence. The current fee for an Individual Subscription Card is $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.

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

Genealogy Center Queries

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

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

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

Publishing Note

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

This electronic newsletter is published by the Allen County Public Library's Genealogy Center, and is intended to enlighten readers about genealogical research methods as well as inform them about the vast resources of the Allen County Public Library. We welcome the wide distribution of this newsletter and encourage readers to forward it to their friends and societies. All precautions have been made to avoid errors. However, the publisher does not assume any liability to any party for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions, no matter the cause. To subscribe to “Genealogy Gems,” simply use your browser to go to the website: www.GenealogyCenter.org. Scroll to the bottom, click on E-zine, and fill out the form. You will be notified with a confirmation email. If you do not want to receive this e-zine, please follow the link at the very bottom of the issue of Genealogy Gems you just received or send an email to kspears@acpl.lib.in.us with "unsubscribe e-zine" in the subject line. Curt B. Witcher and John D. Beatty, CG, co-editors