June 2005

Genealogy Gems:

News from the Fort Wayne Library No. 16, June 30, 2005 In this issue:

A Few Words from Curt Witcher

Place-Name Dictionaries

State Census Records

Preservation Tip of the Month

Hotel of the Month

Area Calendar of Events

ACPL Librarians on Tour

Driving Directions to the Library

Parking at the Library

Queries for the Department

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New to the Department and the E-zine by Curt Witcher

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Earlier this month, we welcomed a new librarian for the Historical Genealogy Department, Donald Litzer. Don’s most recent previous experience was at the McMillan Memorial Library in Wisconsin Rapids, WI where he served as Adult Services Librarian from 1996 to 1998 and Head of Adult Services from 1998 to 2005. Some of his previous library experience includes five years at the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County as well as work at Western Reserve Historical Society in Cleveland, Ohio. In his capacity as head of Adult Services at the McMillan Memorial Library, Don was the library’s liaison with the Heart O’Wisconsin Genealogical Society and assisted in developing their digital collection known as “Local History On-Line.” He also initiated, researched and implemented a project to have more than two thousand pages of previously un-microfilmed Wood County, WI newspapers microfilmed at the Wisconsin Historical Society. Don has been and is a member of a number of genealogical and historical societies including the Ohio Genealogical Society where he served on their board of trustees from 1993 to 1995 and the Heart O’Wisconsin Genealogical Society where he served as vice-president from 1999 to 2002. He is currently a member of the Wisconsin Historical Society and the Pommerscher Verein of Central Wisconsin. A number of years earlier, Don won the “Genealogist of the Year” award from the Nebraska State Genealogical Society. Don has also self-published a genealogical work entitled, “Roots and Wings: A History of the Danielsson-Carlsson, Bengtsson-Johansson and Mansson-Johansson Families of Tjallmo and Hallestad Parish, Ostergotland, Sweden, in Sweden and America.” I look for Don to be a very strong member of the department’s reference team and all of you should look for him as a future contributor to this e-zine. Also debuting this month is the first “Preservation Tip of the Month.” This will be a regular feature of the e-zine provided by the library’s preservation technician, Becky Schipper. I trust you will enjoy this new feature as a way of quickly learning easy, doable steps to preserving your valuable family documents and treasures. If you’re looking for a cool place to beat some of the summer heat, remember that a couple of days of researching here in the Historical Genealogy Department might just be what you need to recharge yourself. New materials are being added weekly, making the extant microtext and book collections a wonderful complement to the Ancestry.com, HeritageQuestOnline.com, and NewEnglandAncestors.org subscriptions we have for your use. Come see us on your summer vacation travels.

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Place-Name Dictionaries by Elaine M. Kuhn

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Have you always wondered how a place got its name? Do family records show that your ancestors were born near Forty-Five, Tennessee or perhaps Henpeck, Ohio, and you have no idea where these places are, or were? The answers to these questions can often be found in place-name dictionaries. The Historical Genealogy Department is home to hundreds of place-name dictionaries or gazetteers. Arguably one of the most heavily-used sources in the Historical Genealogy Department is the “Rand-McNally Commercial Atlas & Marketing Guide” (912 R15c) which serves as an excellent starting point for identifying county and location information of current cities and towns. Some of the more common types of placename dictionaries concentrate on a single state, like Ronald Baker’s “Indiana Place Names” (977.2 B17i) and Larry L. Miller’s “Tennessee Place Names” (976.8 M612miL). There are also titles covering specific local areas such as Rhoda Ellison’s “Place Names of Bibb County, Alabama: Abercrombie to Zuzu” (976.101 B47ea) and Henry Steiner’s “Place Names of Historic Sleepy Hollow & Tarrytown” (974.702 T17st). Some place-name dictionaries specialize in particular ethnic or international origins. “Swedish Place-Names in North America” by Otto R. Landelius (929.182 L233s), for example, discusses the Swedish roots of geographic entities across North America while William Bright’s “Native American Placenames of the United States” (973.003 B768nat) details the probable origins of geographic names such as Machodoc, Virginia and the Wapsipinicon River of Minnesota and Iowa. The collection of place-name dictionaries is not limited strictly to the United States. Among the Canadian sources one will find titles such as “Geographical Names of Manitoba” (971.27 G292), Michael Dawber’s “Where the Heck is Balaheck?” (971.3 D32w), and “Noms Geographiques de la Province de Quebec”, 2d ed. (971.4 Q33n). For lands across the Atlantic Ocean, try titles like Adrian Room’s “Placenames of France” (944 R674p) which includes both the location of a place and the origins of its name along with appendices detailing habitative names of residents (people from Paris are Parisiens, residents of Lyon are called Lyonnais) and towns that were renamed during the French Revolution. Another international source worth looking at is the “Cambridge Dictionary of English Place-Names” (942 W3498c) which provides the etymology, historical spellings and pronunciations of place names throughout the country. The above titles are just a sampling of the numerous place-name dictionaries located in the Historical Genealogy Department. To identify similar sources in the collection, search the Allen County Public Library’s online library catalog at www.acpl.lib.in.us with the phrase “names geographical”; narrow the search further by adding the country or state of interest as in “names geographical Wyoming”. Happy researching!

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State Census Records by Timothy Dougherty

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The Genealogy Department collection includes many of the state and territorial census records available on microfilm. These are special censuses that were conducted by the states themselves, and are separate from the more widely known Federal census records. The reasons for having taken these censuses varied. Territories and states took them to qualify for statehood, to try to gain additional representation in Congress, and to qualify for special funding projects, among other reasons. A researcher may find clues in these records that are not available anywhere else. The state censuses are valuable for several reasons. For one, they were conducted in years other than the federal censuses, often in mid-decade (e.g. 1875, 1885), affording a researcher the hope of filling in gaps existing in the federal censuses. By examining an 1885 or 1895 state census, for example, a researcher may pinpoint someone lost because of the destroyed 1890 federal schedules, or checking the 1852 California state census may yield an ancestor in one of the “lost” counties of the 1850 federal census. Secondly, state censuses often contain questions that the federal censuses do not. For example, the 1895 Minnesota state census asks how long the individual has been a resident of Minnesota, and how long he/she has been a resident of that particular enumeration district. The 1855, 1865, and 1875 New York state censuses list county of birth for natives of New York, and the 1865 Rhode Island census lists town of origin for those born in Rhode Island. Finally, the state census records can help further develop the stories of our ancestors, and may help solve genealogical problems. Although the Allen County Public library does not house all of the existing state and territorial censuses, it does maintain at least some of the available records for Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington state and Wisconsin. Not all states conducted their own censuses, and not all counties were recorded or are extant for the ones that did. Most of the state census material is not indexed, but the Genealogy Department does have indexes for a few states or for individual counties. The vast majority of the state census records, however, will need to be scrutinized line by line. The schedules are generally arranged by county and then by township or ward, so that may make the quest a little easier.

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PRESERVATION TIP OF THE MONTH

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ACPL’s Preservation Technician Becky Schipper offers advice on conserving your documents: The best way to label your photographs is to print or type your info on acid free labels and affix them to the back side of the photo.

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HOTEL OF THE MONTH

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Each issue we will feature a local hotel, for visitors from out-of-town. Comfort Suites South, 5775 Coventry Lane, Fort Wayne 46804 (260) 436-4300; fax (219) 436-2030 Very handy for those approaching Fort Wayne from the south, this Comfort Suites can be reached by leaving I-69 at exit 102 (US24). Room amenities include free local calls, coffee makers, microwaves, refrigerators, sofa beds. There are also whirlpool suites. The hotel includes an indoor pool and fitness room. Although it is about nine miles from downtown, the drive in is very simple, along Jefferson Boulevard. Good shopping and many restaurants are nearby. Internet ratings include top marks for service and cleanliness. Room rates start at $85.

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AREA CALENDAR OF EVENTS

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Allen County Public Library 3rd floor atrium display area Passages: Immigration Allen County Genealogical Society of Indiana (ACGSI) http://www.ipfw.edu/ipfwhist/historgs/acgsi.htm The meeting schedule will resume in September on Tuesday the 14th. Computer Users Group The computer users group will meet again in September. Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) First Wednesday of each month in the Genealogy Department 9am – 3pm. Expert help from members of the DAR in becoming a member of that organization

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ACPL LIBRARIANS ON TOUR

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Curt Witcher 11 July: “Effective Use of the Allen County Public Library & the Internet for Genealogical Research.” Decatur Public Library, 128 South Third Street, Decatur, IN, 7pm. 18 August: Midwestern Roots Pre-Conference, Panel Discussion on "History and Genealogy: Why Not Both?", Indiana History Center (Indiana Historical Society Headquarters), Indianapolis, IN, 6:00pm 27 August: "Your Society Wants YOU! Effective Recruiting Strategies for Genealogical Societies." Ohio Genealogical Society Chapter Management Seminar, Batavia, OH, 1:15pm 7-10 September: Federation of Genealogical Societies Conference, Salt Lake City, UT 9 September: Doing the History Eliminates the Mystery 10 September: Using the Forgotten and Maligned: Key Government Documents for Genealogical Research 14 September: “Timelines and Treasures: Future Plans and Current Collections in the Genealogy Department.” Allen County Genealogical Society Meeting, Aboite Branch Library, 5630 Coventry Lane, 7pm.

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DRIVING DIRECTIONS TO THE LIBRARY

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Wondering how to get to the library? Our exciting transition location is 200 E. Berry, Fort Wayne, Indiana. We will be at this location until late 2006. We would enjoy having you visit the Genealogy Department. To get directions from your exact location to 200 E. Berry, Fort Wayne, Indiana, visit this link at MapQuest: http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?country=US&countryid=250&addtohistory=&s earchtab=address&searchtype=address&address=200+E+Berry+St&city=Fort+Wayne&s tate=IN&zipcode=46802-2706&search=++Search++&finditform=1 From the South Exit Interstate 69 at exit 102. Drive east on Jefferson Blvd. into downtown. Turn left on Barr Street to Berry Street. The library is located on the corner of Berry and Barr Streets. From the North Exit Interstate 69 at exit 112. Drive south on Coldwater Road, which merges into Clinton Street. Continue south on Clinton, the library will be on your left when you cross Berry Street. From the West Using US 30: Drive into town on US 30. US 30 turns into Goshen Road. Coming up to an angled street (State Street.) make an angled left turn. Turn right on Wells Street. Go south on Wells to Wayne Street. Left on Wayne Street. When you cross Clinton, the library will be on your left on Wayne Street. 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. Turn right on Barr Street. Turn left on Berry Street. The library is on your left on Berry Street.

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PARKING AT THE LIBRARY

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Lot in front of the library, east side Available for short-term library parking. Limited to one hour. Tippman Parking Garage Clinton and Wayne Streets. Across from the library, however the skybridge is NOT accessible. Hourly parking, $1.25 per hour up to a maximum of $5.00 per day. Park Place Lot Covered parking on Barr Street at Main Street. This lot is one block away from the library. Hourly parking Monday through Friday, 9am to 6pm. Street (metered) parking on Wayne Street and Berry Street. 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 Covered parking 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 DEPARTMENT QUERIES

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The Historical Genealogy Department 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 Historical Genealogy Department, 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.FriendsOfAllenCounty.org. Scroll down toward the bottom of the first screen where it says, "Enter Your Email Address to Subscribe to "Genealogy Gems." Enter your email address in the yellow box and click on "Subscribe." 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 GenealogyGems you just received or send an email to kspears@acpl.lib.in.us with "unsubscribe e-zine" in the subject line. Ryan Taylor, editor