August 2019

Genealogy Gems:

News from the Allen County Public Library at Fort Wayne No. 186, August 31, 2019

In this issue:

Labor Day--and All Its Reminders

Lloyd Bockstruck’s “American Settlements and Migrations”

“The Family Tree Cemetery Field Guide”

Technology Tip of the Month: Adobe Elements 2018 continued, Fun Edits Guided Tab

PERSI Gems--Five Sets of Six History Tidbits: A Quilted History

DNA Interest Group--Special Meeting Notice

Family History Digital Daze Is Coming to an End!

Be a Tourist in Your Own Hometown: Fine Books Room and Lincoln Collection Tours October’s Family History Month Happenings

Finding the Lost: Holocaust-related Genealogical Research – November 17, 2019

Staying Informed about Genealogy Center Programming

Area Calendar of Events

Genealogy Center Social Media

Driving Directions to the Library

Parking at the Library

Genealogy Center Queries

Publishing Note

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Labor Day--and All Its Reminders by Curt B. Witcher

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I hope your summer has been one filled to overflowing with family history and family heritage activities. Whether you went to a family reunion, attended a conference or seminar, or interviewed a family elder, I hope you shared many stories and found new pieces of your family’s history. For many, Labor Day marks the unofficial end of summer. In spite of that, I encourage you to continue to use the pleasant days of late summer and fall to visit research centers and ancestral hometowns, and take part in family history networking and educational activities in your area--and here at the Allen County Public Library’s Genealogy Center! We are so fortunate to have the ability to take nearly endless numbers of photographs with our smartphones when we’re at family gatherings and reunions. Wherever we are, there’s a camera! A generation ago, who would have imagined such a thing? And a generation ago, our families did not need to worry about keeping track of (appropriately archiving and labeling) many thousands of new images each year. Estimates suggest that just over 1.2 trillion photographs were taken in 2018. Of those 1.2 trillion images, how many will be findable and viewable in 2028? Will your images be discoverable? And will you have associated enough metadata with your images that in 2043 (a generation from now) someone not in the picture will be able to identify those in the picture? As summer winds down, take the time to organize and preserve the pictures, documents, and family treasurers you have collected over the past several months. It will help you in the short term as you prepare for end-of-the-year holiday gatherings; and it will certainly help you in the long term as you put together the pieces of your family’s stories. I have written before about the concept of “history in our hands.” Organizing, identifying, and describing this summer’s finds will make that information and those discoveries so much more appealing and sharable when you gather around the Thanksgiving table in a few months. In the long term, taking care now with recent finds of all kinds ensures they are known to our descendants and those family members who long to know our parts of their families’ stories. It remains ever urgent for us to ensure that our electronic documents and images bring as much joy to our great grandchildren, grand-nephews and grand-nieces as our ancestors’ photograph albums and paper scrapbooks have brought to us. We won’t be able to bring that joy to descendants if we only casually care for those digital assets, or worse, lose most of our digital assets every time we upgrade our mobile devices. In addition to Labor Day marking summer’s passing, it is noteworthy to recall how our ancestors’ labors might help us tell a richer story about their lives and forbearers. The celebration of Labor Day is dedicated to honoring the toil and achievements of American workers. That toil and those achievements may have generated records that can help us find and tell our family stories. My paternal grandfather, Valentine Witcher, worked at the Jasper Municipal Electric Company before his passing at a relatively young age. As he died well before I was born, and my father shared little about his dad’s life, I can benefit from any records or publications generated by his employer to provide me with a clearer picture of his life. Even work records as seemingly trivial as pay stubs can at least put some framework around one’s tenure at a particular job. Those who toiled as general store proprietors and faithfully logged transactions in their ledgers left a record of those living in their communities and sometimes even life changing events such as the purchase of wood and two-penny nails to construct a young child’s coffin. The labors of those who worked on the railroads as conductors, brakemen, firemen, and porters can be evidenced in records that tell their stories. Inland riverboat captains evidenced their labors through their cargo logs. Over many generations, teachers recorded the results of their labors in grade books that record the educational successes and challenges of our ancestors. And it goes on and on. Enjoy your Labor Day, and use your labors and the labors of your ancestors to help find your families’ stories.

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Lloyd Bockstruck’s “American Settlements and Migrations” by John D. Beatty, CG

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Why did our ancestors choose to settle in a particular place? What factors influenced their movement from one place to another? Historians tell us that the peoples in America’s past were all part of larger historical groups that followed defined settlement and migration patterns. Understanding those patterns enables us as researchers to place our ancestors into larger historical contexts, giving us clues about their cultural background, belief systems, and even leads on their origins. A year before his death, the late Lloyd de Witt Bockstruck, genealogical scholar and long-time librarian for the Dallas Public Library, authored “American Settlements and Migrations: A Primer for Genealogists and Family Historians (Baltimore: Clearfield, 2017) Gc 929 B631am. This short work, produced with tiny type and devoid of illustrations, is easily overlooked but remains a jewel and worthy of more attention in the genealogical community. The dictionary defines a “primer” as a “small introductory book on a subject” or “a short informative piece of writing.” This book fills that definition, setting forth in a series of chapters short, informative essays on the historical settlement patterns of every region of the United States to the end of the nineteenth century. The first chapter gives a broad overview of colonial American settlement in the period before 1700. Then, arranged by region, additional chapters discuss the original thirteen colonies; the West Indies; the post-Revolutionary settlement of Florida, Kentucky, and Tennessee; the Old Northwest; the Old Southwest; the Trans-Mississippi West; the West; the Pacific Coast; and concluding with Alaska, Hawaii, and several Canadian provinces. These chapters contain no annotations. However, Bockstruck lists all of the major published historical and genealogical works for each region that deal with settlement and early settler families. The text, while difficult to read on account of the tiny font size, is useful for its succinct description of settlement patterns. For example, in Chapter Four on the Middle Colonies, he gives of the different distinct settler groups in Pennsylvania: the Welsh settlement in parts of Montgomery, Delaware, and Chester counties; the Connecticut settlement in the Wyoming Valley; and the various distinct German settlements. There are surely more detailed texts elsewhere on the histories of each of these groups, but the value here is having them presented together succinctly and coherently. In addition to the font size, the lack of illustrations makes the book more challenging to read. It could also have benefitted from a bibliography and index. Nevertheless, this work is worth the extra effort it takes to read, and genealogists will find useful sections throughout.

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“The Family Tree Cemetery Field Guide” by Sara Allen

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How does one prepare for doing on-site cemetery research? Tromping through graveyards always takes preparation, and when you find the stone (if it exists), it may be weathered or contain symbols that need interpreting. What other kinds of records may record burial information? The recently-published “The Family Tree Cemetery Field Guide: How to Find, Record, and Preserve Your Ancestors’ Graves” by Joy Neighbors (Cincinnati: Family Tree Books, 2017), (GC 929 N316fa) provides answers to these questions and is a great book for assisting those researching the burials and burial places of their ancestors. Reading the book straight through is interesting and entertaining. Each chapter stands alone so that you can turn directly to the section of the book that most interests you. Chapters include such topics as planning your trip, cemetery records, reading headstones, headstone iconography, recording cemetery data online, making sense of your research, preserving cemeteries, and next steps in your research. The book also includes worksheets, a bibliography of related books and websites, and an index. A unique feature of this book is the step-by-step instructions it provides on how to use Billion Graves, Find A Grave, USGenweb, and FamilySearch, all websites that record cemetery and burial information for online users. Chapters on gravestone reading and cemetery preservation provide helpful tips on what to do and not do when cleaning a headstone and how to get involved in cemetery preservation work. Another useful feature is the chapter on “Digging Deeper,” which expands on all kinds of death-related records that might be overlooked, including death certificates, probate records, religious records, obituaries, funeral home records, coroner’s records, city directories, land records, court records, institutional records, and WPA records. This approach really helps the reader think of the various record groups they need to examine for gaining a fuller understanding of their ancestor’s life and death. The wide audience for this book ranges from general readers to genealogists to those intending to work on cemetery research, preservation, or tourism.

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Technology Tip of the Month: Adobe Elements 2018 continued, Fun Edits Guided Tab

by Kay Spears

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Are you ready for some more fun effects? Well, let’s see what we “wild and crazy guys” can do. We are back in the Guided tabs>Fun Edits. We left off with Old Fashioned photo. The first one after that in my version is called: Out of Bounds. I’m thinking this one may be a little tricky. Out of Bounds: The definition says that this effect will make a portion of your photograph jump out of the photo like a 3-D Effect. Well, we will see. Step One is Add Frame. There is an Add Frame button to click. As soon as you click, a frame will appear on your photograph. Now we need to adjust it. The picture I’m working with is my grandmother’s graduation photo. I have positioned the heads outside the frame. There is also a Skew option button. This requires the use of three fingers to hold the Ctrl+Alt+Shift keys down. Adobe must think we are all pretty nimble. If you are using a Mac computer, the Ctrl key is usually replaced with the Command key. You may also take this time to adjust the Width. If the frame is where you want it, click the green checkbox. When I clicked the green check box, nothing happened. I read the instructions again, and it seems that they are a little misleading. You have to click the green check box two times. For instance, maybe you do not want to Skew or make the Frame wider. You still need to click the green check mark two times. At least I had to. On the second click, you should see that the part of the photograph you didn’t frame is hidden beneath what appears to be a semi-transparent white layer. Step Two: click on the Selection Tool. I will warn you, the Selection Tool may be a little hard to maneuver. When you pick the Selection tool, your cursor changes to a circle with a cross in it. The way you use the tool is to drag it over the area you want to select. Sometimes it has a mind of its own, and selects too much. On your tool bar at the bottom are Tool Options. This particular tool has an Add and Subtract feature. Use them to get your selection where you want it. When you get it to where you want it, click on the Out of Bounds button. When you do this, you will probably understand what effect Adobe was going for. There are a few more tools in this effect: Add Background Color, and Shadows. Play with those. My opinion on the Out of Bound tool is that it is one of the harder ones to use. To make it a little easier to use, I suggest you start with a simple photograph that only has one item in it and practice with that one until you are comfortable with it. The next Guided Tab is Painterly. This one doesn’t sound so hard. As with all of the guided tabs there is the thumbnail you can roll your cursor over, and it gives you an example. Step one: click on Paint Brush. Your cursor will change into a paint brush shape. A Paint Brush dialog palette has also opened. There are a number of options in this palette. You may change your brush style, size, opacity, angle, and the options of Hide or Show. I suggest for your first time you select Show. If you are like me, you like to see what you’re doing. Your image should have a slight transparent-like screen over it; start clicking your brush over the area on the photo you want. This brush appears to be erasing the semi-transparent screen. Step two: Select a Canvas Color. We have Black, White, or Custom. In order to get the Custom color, you need to click on a portion of the photo with a dropper tool. The dropper will pick the color you click on. I had better luck seeing what I was doing when I selected the white. Step 3. Select a Texture. There are six textures, Heavy Canvas, Canvas, Hard Charcoal, Coarse Weave, Homemade Paper, and Fibers. Pick one. You can also change the opacity. Step Four, Effects. There are six effects, Dry Brush, Paint Daubs, Smart Looks, Sprayed Strokes, Watercolor, and Rough Pastels. Just clicking on each one will change your photograph. Play with them and see which one you like. Remember, the visual effect will be different for each photograph. The Watercolor Effect looked the best on my Grandmother’s photo. I’m a thumb up on the Painterly tool. Have you had enough fun? Well, there is still more to come in the Effects gallery. Next time maybe we will have all easy ones to go through. And remember that all of these effects can be done without the assistance of the Guided Tab in the Expert Tab. Adobe Elements 2018 continued, Fun Edits Guided Tab

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PERSI Gems--Five Sets of Six by Adam Barrone and Mike Hudson

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Family photos are prevalent in the newsletters and journals that we index for the Periodical Source Index (PERSI), but none are more impressive to this reader than the precious few depicting six generations assembled in front of a camera lens. Try a PERSI search here: http://search.findmypast.com/search/periodical-source-index The Wahkaw, v.12n.4, Dec. 1992, published by the Woodbury Co. (IA) Genealogical Society, carried a 1909 news story and accompanying portrait of Lydia Thomas Ault Shrake (b. 1814), Mrs. Margaret Elder (b. 1835), Mrs. Rachel Goff (b. 1851), Mrs. Melissa Spaulding (b. 1873), Mrs. Cora Gulley (b. 1891), and Baby Gulley (b. 1908). The baby’s mother explained: “Every one of us in these six generations was married young and that is the reason this remarkable record was possible. Grandma Shrake was married at 18, Grandma Elder at 15, Grandma Guff at 17, my mother at 15, and myself at 16.” This family resided at Wyalusing, WI, and Watertown, SD. The Tree Shaker, v.28n.2, Spr. 2003, of the Eastern Kentucky Genealogical Society, reprinted a 1926 story from the Ashland (KY) Daily Independent. Mrs. Rillda Slone (age 93), a native of Floyd Co., KY, was pictured with Mrs. Hicks (age 76), Mrs. Rillda Phalin (age 56), Mrs. Nellie Erwin (age 39), Mrs. Bertha Hauck (age 19), and Teddy Lester Hauck (age 19 months). Kinfolk Search, n.315, Jun. 2011, by the Reynolds County (MO) Genealogy and Historical Society, included a donated snapshot, perhaps a Polaroid, with the handwritten caption “6 Generations”. Clara Elizabeth Cone Sanders, Lethie Sanders Brawley, Ilene Brawley Perdue, and Vehelia were identified. We find that Clara Sanders lived from 1881 to 1981 and is buried in the Yount Cemetery in Reynolds County. Panning for Nuggets of Old, v.3n.2, Sep. 1982, published twice yearly by the Crawford County (AR) Genealogical Society, shared a remarkable contemporary wire story from the Associated Press. The headline: “Six generations meet to honor Mothers Day.” Frankie Underwood (age 90) of Fitzgerald, GA, took her first flight to be greeted at the San Francisco Airport by five generations of her descendants: Olene Cox Hutto (age 73), Kathlene Langella (age 55), Joann Jacobi (age 38), Kimberly Peters (age 19), and Tara Kathlene Peters (age 2 months). Mrs. Underwood proclaimed: “Bless that pretty baby. Bless your heart; ain’t she a darlin’.” In their Newsletter, n. 503, Oct. 2014, the Birmingham (AL) Genealogical Society printed a story and photograph credited to the WJFW television station in Rhinelander, Wisconsin. Bea Kofler (age 100) of Rhinelander asked, “Can you imagine yourself being 100-years-old and having a great-greatgreat grandchild? It’s unbelievable, but it’s happening.” Of newborn Mason Borowski, Mrs. Kofer declared: “He’s too precious.” In these waning days of summer, gather those precious to you in front of a camera lens to help the little darlin’s remember the generations who came before them.

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History Tidbits: A Quilted History by Allison DePrey Singleton

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Treasured quilts are closely related to Americana and family history. They are made with love by family, friends, and community members throughout history and passed down through the years. They have a utilitarian purpose and express an artistic purpose. What is the history of quilts? How did they become an integral part of American history? Quilts are not just American. In fact, they are much older than the United States as a country. The first quilts were documented in the 12th century, and the oldest known quilt dates from the late 14th century, the Tristan Quilt. Created in Sicily, this quilt depicts the story of Tristan and Isolde and has been separated into different sections at some point in history. These sections are held by two different museums in London and Florence. A third quilt (piece), also depicting the story of Tristan and Isolde, is in private ownership and thought to be the work of a different quilter. European immigrants brought over quilts and the knowledge of quilting to America. During the colonial period, wealthier women did most quilting, sine they had leisure time to devote to the art. As works of art, their work were meant to be displayed. Most women of lower or middle classes had enough to do with spinning and weaving their own fabric in order to make clothes and coverings for their families. As time passed, more women took up quilting as a way to keep their families warm using scraps of fabric. This was especially true on the frontier, where the scarcity of fabric forced pioneer women to use every available resource. Remember that the frontier moved west over time, and the initial wild frontier was close to the Atlantic Coast. Quilting also became more popular as industrial production improved and fabric was made by machines instead of in the family home. Women had more time to devote to quilting and other textile art forms. Quilting has been used over time not only to provide a cover to keep warm but also as an art form. Quilters use their medium to tell stories, both through the fabrics and by the design used. There are thousands of quilt patterns and dozens of styles of quilts. While patterns may be used, many quilters are talented in making their own patterns and designs. While many may think quilting is a lost art form, the craft is carried on by millions of quilters in the United States alone. Pull out your family quilts and take another look at them. Research the pattern to see what your ancestor might have been doing and the time period of the quilt. Next time you visit a family member, ask if they have a family quilt that has been passed down to them. These are a useful and beautiful part of our history.

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DNA and Genealogy Interest Group

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Our next DNA and Family History Interest Group meetings will be on Thursday, September 5, 2019. Have you done a DNA test for genealogical purposes? Do you completely understand the results you received? Do you need advice in interpreting your results? Are you interested and wonder what the best test is for you? Come to the DNA Interest Group Meeting to share and learn from one other! The basic information meeting is from 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m., followed by a more advanced discussion from 7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

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Family History Digital Daze Is Coming to an End!

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Our summer program series focusing on the many digital options for genealogists will wind to a close as Delia Cothrun Bourne presents “All the News That’s Fit to Digitize: News Sentinel Text Archive & Other Fort Wayne Digital Newspapers.” This program will be on Saturday, September 21, 2019, 2:30 p.m., in Meeting Room C of the Main Library. The News Sentinel Text Archive is a great addition to the various online sources for Fort Wayne newspapers. Join us in exploring these fabulous resources for hometown history! For more information see the brochure at http://www.genealogycenter.org/docs/summer19 . You can now register online at https://acpl.libnet.info/events! Just search Genealogy to find any of our programs. You can also register for any of these free programs by calling 260-421-1225 or emailing Genealogy@ACPL.Info.

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Be a Tourist in Your Own Hometown: Fine Books Room and Lincoln Collection Tours ***************************************

When planning vacations, we visit museums and unique attractions, but we often miss out on what’s in our own backyard! On Sunday, September 8, 2019, Fort Wayne invites you to “Be a Tourist in Your Own Hometown!” The library’s Special Collections Division is offering tours of the library’s Fine Books Room, at 1:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m. and 4 p.m., as well as tours of the Lincoln Library Collection at 12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Space is limited, so register now online at https://acpl.libnet.info/events, call 260-421-1225 or email Genealogy@ACPL.Info. Come on in and be a tourist!

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October’s Family History Month Happenings

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Get ready for Family History Month! Aside from great programs, extended research hours and daily one-on-one consultations, The Genealogy Center is offering short video tips published on social media throughout the month! Keep an eye on our social media platforms! Make plans to engage with us in October! Tuesday October 1, 2019 Genealogy Video Tip - Find amazing resources through the use of the African American Gateway. Wednesday October 2, 2019, 7:00 p.m., Shawnee Branch Food For Thought: Recipes as Memoir – Allison DePrey Singleton Genealogy Video Tip – Discover what we have in our state and subject guides, and where you can get a copy of them. Thursday October 3, 2019, 6:30 & 7:30 p.m., Discovery Center DNA & Family History Interest Group Meetings - Sara Allen Genealogy Video Tip – Find out what the Periodical Source Index (PERSI) is and how it is used. Friday October 4, 2019 Genealogy Video Tip – Do you want to be a better genealogist? Come and take a look at some of the guidebooks we have listed on our Next Steps Pathfinder. Saturday October 5, 2019, 2:30 p.m., Discovery Center Beginning Your Family History Journey – Melissa Tennant Sunday October 6, 2019, 2:30 p.m., Discovery Center I Seek Dead People: Using America’s GenealogyBank to Find Obituaries and More! – Allison DePrey Singleton Monday October 7, 2019 Genealogy Video Tip – Having trouble finding the church your family attended in Germany? Your problem may be geographical. Have a look at Kevan Hansen’s awesome map guides to German parish registers. Tuesday October 8, 2019 Genealogy Video Tip 1 – Discover the various types of records we have to help you as you begin researching your house’s history. Genealogy Video Tip 2 – Learn how to use DNA testing to identify an unknown grandparent. Wednesday October 9, 2019, 7:00 p.m., Discovery Center Allen County Genealogical Society Monthly Meeting: Tips for Interviewing Military Veterans – Kayleen Reusser Genealogy Video Tip – Discovery tools for finding African American materials in The Genealogy Center’s collection. Thursday October 10, 2019 Genealogy Video Tip 1 – Beginning your Native American/First Nations family history research. Genealogy Video Tip 2 – Discover how to find post 1819 passenger lists at The Genealogy Center. Friday October 11, 2019 Genealogy Video Tip - Discover why Civil War battle site names are so confusing. Saturday October 12, 2019, 1:30 p.m., Georgetown Branch Morbid Genealogy – Allison DePrey Singleton Genealogy Video Tip – Explore the African American Newspapers databases available at The Genealogy Center. Sunday October 13, 2019, 2:30 p.m., Discovery Center Working with a Single Record – Cynthia Theusch Genealogy Video Tip – What does an Ambrotype look like? Hints for spotting an Ambrotype. Monday October 14, 2019, 6:30 p.m., Discovery Center Exploring MyHeritage Library Edition - Sara Allen Tuesday October 15, 2019 Genealogy Video Tip – Discover the “dangers” of OCR and digital newspapers. Wednesday October 16, 2019 Genealogy Video Tip - Explore Native American history and heritage with the Native American Gateway. Thursday October 17, 2019, 6:30 p.m., Discovery Center PERSI Help Session – Adam Barrone Friday October 18, 2019 Genealogy Video Tip - Have Canadian roots? Check out the types of records we have available. Saturday October 19, 2019, 10:00 a.m., Discovery Center Allen County Genealogical Society Technology Interest Group Genealogy Video Tip – Learn about the extensive physical and digital collection of family histories at The Genealogy Center. Sunday October 20, 2019, 2:30 p.m., Discovery Center What Doesn’t Kill Us: Historical Illnesses and Causes of Death – Delia Cothrun Bourne Monday October, 21, 2019, 6:30 p.m., Discovery Center Saving Digitally from Genealogy Center Resources - Delia Cothrun Bourne Genealogy Video Tip – What does a Daguerreotype look like? Hints for spotting a Daguerreotype. Tuesday October 22, 2019, 6:30 p.m., Discovery Center Selected Midwestern Resources at The Genealogy Center – Delia Cothrun Bourne Wednesday October 23, 2019, 6:30 p.m., Discovery Center Ancestry DNA 101 – Sara Allen Genealogy Video Tip - Some hints for storing photographs, journals, etc. Thursday October 24, 2019, 6:30 p.m., Discovery Center Railroad Pension Records: Their Value for Genealogical Answers – Kim Harrison Genealogy Video Tip - A richness of resources for Cherokee and Five Civilized Tribes family history in our snapshots. Friday October 25, 2019, Midnight Madness Extended Research Hours, 6:00 p.m. – Midnight 6:30 p.m.: Finding & Using Catholic Church Records – Pat Stamm 7:30 p.m.: What’s in the Collection? Tour and Introduction to The Genealogy Center Collection – Allison DePrey Singleton 8:30 p.m.: Biographical Works in Genealogical Research - Curt Witcher Saturday October 26, 2019, 8:45 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Theater A Day with Judy Russell (Paid Event) Lectures include: “An Act for the Relief of Gregory Thomas and Others—The Private Laws of the Federal and State Governments” “No Person Shall . . . Gallop Horses in the Streets--Using Court Records to tell the Story of our Ancestor’s Lives” “When Worlds Collide: Resolving Conflicts in Genealogical Records” “2019: The Year of the Copyright.” For a description of each presentation and information on time schedule, go to www.acgsi.org. This special event is sponsored by the Doug and Joni Lehman Charitable Foundation and is a ticketed/paid event. Genealogy Video Tip – Learn how The Genealogy Center is a great resource for South Africa records. Sunday October 27, 2019, 2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m., Discovery Center Brick Wall Panel – Genealogy Center Librarians Monday October 28, 2019 Genealogy Video Tip - Do you know that our library has a great collection of Irish local history? Have a look at some of the fabulous and hard-to-find books, right here in our Irish aisles. Tuesday October 29, 2019 Genealogy Video Tip – Suggestions for searching for a missing man (or woman). Genealogy Video Tip - What does a Tintype look like? Hints for spotting a Tintype. Wednesday October 30, 2019 Genealogy Video Tip - See what City Directories can do for you. Thursday October 31, 2019, 6:30 p.m., Discovery Center Find My Past: A Tool for British, Irish, and American Ancestry – John Beatty You can now register online at https://acpl.libnet.info/events! Just search Genealogy to find any of our programs. You can also register for any of these free programs by calling 260-421-1225 or emailing Genealogy@ACPL.Info.

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Finding the Lost: Holocaust-related Genealogical Research – November 17, 2019

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In conjunction with the community-wide "Violins of Hope" program November 9-24, 2019 (more details can be found at ViolinsOfHopeFW.org), the Northeast Indiana Jewish Genealogy Society will host United States Holocaust Museum's Megan Lewis on November 17, 2019. She will present two programs about Holocaust research from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. in The Discovery Center. Following the "Basics" presentation, she will provide case studies from different parts of Europe. Megan is currently a research librarian in the museum's Library and Archives reading rooms. All are welcome to attend this informative and moving event.

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Staying Informed about Genealogy Center Programming

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Do you want to know what we’ve got planned? Are you interested in one of our events, but forget? We are now offering 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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Area Calendar of Events

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Mary Penrose Wayne DAR Chapter Library Help Day for Prospective DAR Members September 4, 2019 - Allen County Public Library, Genealogy Center, 900 Library Plaza, Fort Wayne, IN, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Miami Indian Heritage Days September 7, 2019 - Chief Richardville House, 5705 Bluffton Road, Fort Wayne, Indiana. Saturday. 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Miami Harvest: Edible and Usable Plants and Materials with Dani Tippmann.

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