June 2022

Genealogy Gems:

News from the Allen County Public Library at Fort Wayne No. 220, June 30, 2022 In this issue:

MIDWESTERN ROOTS!

Celebrating the Fourth!

Hawaii State Archives (Digital Collections)

Google Genealogy Technology Tip of the Month: Adobe Elements 2019--The Pencil Tool

PERSI Gems: Pondering the Pond

History Tidbits: The Territories of 1898

Genealogy Center’s July 2022 Programs

Staying Informed about Genealogy Center Programming

Genealogy Center Social Media

Driving Directions to the Library

Parking at the Library

Genealogy Center Queries

Publishing Note

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MIDWESTERN ROOTS CONFERENCE! Come and dialog with Genealogy Center staff Elizabeth Hodges, Allison Singleton, and Curt Witcher as well as other national presenters. Numerous engaging and educational sessions. Midwestern Roots July 15 - 16, 2022 Preconference July 14, 2022 Indianapolis Marriott East 7202 E. 21st St. Indianapolis, IN

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Celebrating the Fourth! by Curt B. Witcher

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Let’s really celebrate July 4th this year--truly and intentionally celebrate in a family history kind of a way! C=Call, chat, communicate with someone in your family you have been meaning to get in touch with for a while but have been putting off. Ask the lingering question(s) and share your research findings to see if you can get just a little further in your quest. E=Engage with a family member who you think might have the same passion for family history and family story that you do. See what you can do to engage them in assisting you with pursuing, preserving and presenting your shared family history. Maybe together you can plot new steps and strategies for finding more of your family’s stories. L=Look in different and off-the-beaten-path places for new records and additional data. Maybe it’s something you’ve looked at quickly in the past but now it bears a closer look. Doing a more thorough dive into an area’s historical resources and carefully reading every document that has been collected may shed some new light on what information is being portrayed and as important, what is not stated or present. E=Excite a family member, close or distant, with what you’ve been finding in the family’s stories you’re searching in order to entice them to share information with you that s/he previously has been reluctant to share. Maybe sharing one of your new discoveries, or conversations you have had with other family members about needed information will encourage them to open up. B=Browse your notes, the books in your personal library, the online resources--old and new--to which you have access, your online trees, and your seminar recordings and syllabi summaries. One’s increased experience will often lead to new discoveries in old familiar documents. R=Read the history of an ancestral town or study more details about your ethnic group in the town, county, and region where you are searching. I have often stated, doing the history eliminates the mystery. It informs us as to why we find our family members and their stories where we do. As our friends at the Indiana Historical Society like to say, researching in “4-D” can have some amazing benefits. A=Act on that endeavor you have been putting off for seemingly ever. Pick an item or two off your genealogical lists of things you’re going to “get around to,” and actually do them. You might be surprised where that can lead you. T=Tell someone in your family some of the very interesting and surprising things you have recently found. Did something surprise you with your family listings on the 1950 census? Did a hint on an online tree open some new research avenues for you? Your sharing may get them to share. E=Enjoy exploring ways to leverage your social media channels to share with relatives near and far your findings, documents and photographs. Sharing your materials often entices others to share with you. You might just set off fireworks of possibilities. Here’s to great celebrations and many new discoveries in the coming summer days! And I hope to see you at the Midwestern Roots Conference in Indianapolis, IN in just a couple of weeks. https://indianahistory.org/research/family-history/midwestern-roots

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Hawaii State Archives (Digital Collections) by Cynthia Theusch

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Earlier in this month, I helped a patron locate a passenger list of an ancestor who left Hong Kong, China, and arrived in Honolulu, Hawaii, on 24 July 1896. Our search of Ancestry had turned up an index card of arrival information, but we were unable to locate a digitized copy of the actual manifest. Next, I attempted to search for ship lists departing Hong Kong as well as arriving in Honolulu. Searching Google for “Passenger Ships from China to Honolulu” resulted in a link to a collection from the Hawaii State Archives titled “Ships Passenger Manifests – Department of Accounting and …”, https://ags.hawaii.gov/archives/about-us/genealogy-research-guide/shipspassenger-manifests/. The paragraph just below the link stated: “The index for Chinese, Japanese, and Portuguese passengers can be searched for by name in our Digital Collection, Index to Passenger Manifests.” The patron was quite surprised when I clicked on the link and discovered information about these ship passenger manifests with digital images. She asked me to email her the link and said she would research other family members who had sailed to Honolulu. Using the Digital Archives of the Hawaii State Archives was straightforward. After clicking on “Records of Passenger Arrivals and Departures,” I selected “Ships Manifest (Legal Size) Years 1843 to 1890,” and then “Ships Manifests (Legal Size) - February 16, 1852 – July 23, 1856.” The first passenger form was dated 16 February 1856 and listed B. K. Studley as master of the American barque “Onyx,” sailing from San Francisco. Written just below the words “Passenger list,” was “Twenty-four passengers for Sydney less James D. Blair, 28, from U.S.A., occupation U.S. Army,” which was crossed out, lawyer, and Wm. H. Seaver, age 29, U.S. A., plasterer.” At the bottom of the page, Studley signed the form. A later search of the Digital Archives produced a photograph of Abraham Lincoln with a note written 3 October 1861 from him to Mrs. Lucy G. Speed regarding his acceptance of an Oxford Bible twenty years earlier. The homepage of the Hawaii State Archives can be found at https://ags.hawaii.gov/archives. Once it appears on screen, scroll down to the middle of the page to “Research Our Records.” There are several links to digital collections, research aides, genealogy, city directories, Hawaiian newspapers and more. This website is a great resource for researching ancestors and family members who either lived in Hawaii, made temporary stops there while sailing to another country, or even conducted business with Hawaii while it was a kingdom, a U. S. territory, or after it became a state.

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Google Genealogy by Allison DePrey Singleton

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As genealogists, we often look for new and unusual resources to assist us with our genealogy research. While seeking these resources, it can be easy to overlook one that is right under our noses: Google. While it may seem too simplistic or unlikely, there are often answers to brick walls just waiting to be uncovered. Let’s explore how to find them. First, make sure to do a search for your ancestors’ names. Try multiple different spelling variations and additional keywords. For example, you might want to search for your ancestor, “John Smith.” Make sure to begin with just the name in quotations and then add additional information to make more relevant results come up. You could try adding a middle name or just the middle initial, such as “John Nehemiah Smith,” to make it more specific. Perhaps you want to add birth and/or death dates, “John Smith” 1745-1803. You can add locations, other relatives, events, or even just the word genealogy. The next type of search you should attempt is to search for record sets to help you break through a brick wall. Perhaps you are seeking Civil War hospital records. You will want to search for the hospital name, “DeCamp General Hospital.” You can then add more descriptive words to the search to see if you can find a collection of records, such as “manuscript,” “collection,” or “records.” Another search you might consider is to look in a specific place on Google for information. Google has different collections you can search such as Images (https://images.google.com/), Scholar (https://scholar.google.com/), or Books (https://books.google.com/). You might even want to use Google Maps (https://www.google.com/maps) to explore the locations where your ancestors lived to learn about the community. There is even a part of Google that has historic newspapers: https://news.google.com/newspapers. Use these to dig deeper into your genealogy and to answer your research questions. Each type of search you do might help you break through a brick wall. If you are seeking a more indepth look at how to use Google, check out these videos by Lisa Louise Cooke: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLO4MJCRLjwXgiYzElrAmPR7HwzaVvgCtZ. She explores many different ways Google can be used for genealogy. Next time you do not know what to do next, try a Google search or two.

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Technology Tip of the Month: Adobe Elements 2019--The Pencil Tool by Kay Spears

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Occasionally, in Adobe Photoshop Elements or even Adobe Photoshop Pro, you come across a tool that has one scratching one’s head. You find yourself asking: why would I use this tool? In my opinion the Pencil Tool in Elements is one of those tools. But we are going to take a look at it anyway. The Pencil Tool is for drawing a line, any kind of line. Think back to the days when you had a pencil and paper in school in art class, and you had to draw something. Could you do it? Well, this is what this tool is for, but you are doing it on a computer and you will use a mouse, stylus pen, or your finger to draw that line. If you couldn’t draw a line in school, you will probably not be able to in Adobe. Another factor to take into consideration is that Adobe Photoshop Elements and Adobe Photoshop Pro are both Raster-based platforms. Usually, drawing or designing graphics is done in a Vector-based platform like Adobe Illustrator, CorelDraw, or Inkscape. But let’s take a look at this tool and the options that it has. In Version 2019, the Pencil Tool is located with the Draw Tools. And, guess what it looks like? A pencil. Like all the other tools in the Tool Box, if you hover over them, a pop-up button appears telling you what it is. Go ahead and click on the Pencil Tool. The Pencil Tools Options are: a brush option, size option, opacity option, and mode option. If you have experimented with other tools in Elements, you should be familiar with these. The most interesting option in the Pencil Tool Option, I think, is the Brush Option. Some interesting brushes are included, ranging from a Butterfly Option to a Calligraphy option. I’d recommend you play with this tool. Open up a blank white page and start experimenting with the settings. On a Windows PC, if you hold the Shift Key down, you will get a straight line, which you can then connect to another straight line. I think that is also the short-cut key for Mac too, but I’m not sure. By the way, in case you didn’t know, Mac and Windows have different short-cut keystrokes. So, that’s the Pencil Tool, a tool I don’t use very much in Photoshop. But if you can draw a straight line without shaking, give it a try. In the next article, we move on to the next group of tools in our toolbox, the Modify Group, which include the Crop Tool, Recompose Tool, Content Aware Move Tool, and Straighten Tool. I’m excited about this group, because one of my all-time favorite tools is in this group: Content Aware Move Tool.

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PERSI Gems: Pondering the Pond by Adam Barrone and Mike Hudson

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This month, we bring you citations of events at the pond. If you find yourself near a small body of water this summer, we hope no towns are swallowed, no locomotives are sunk, no dynamite is ignited, and no young men are startled by church ladies. In 1896, after the young men of Frog Pond, Oregon, were startled by young German Reformed ladies, the gents raced to the church. Hilarity ensued and one young man drank 32 glasses of lemonade. After sipping a little lemonade by the pond, try a search in the Periodical Source Index (PERSI) here: https://www.genealogycenter.info/persi/ Bathing at Long Pond, photos Lowndes County Historical Society Newsletter, Vol. 10, Issue 9-10 (Jul 1981) Frank H. Robinson vouches for truth of oil pond story, 1933, Sabine, TX Yellowed Pages (Southeast Texas Gen. & Hist. Soc.), Vol. 36, Issue 3-4 (Fal 2006) German Reform Church ladies startled young men, Frog Pond affair, Oregon City Enterprise, 1896 Clackamas (OR) Legacy, Vol. 29, Issue 3 (Jul 2016) Henry Ruscoe saved life of Harry James in pond, then accidentally shot him a week later, 1873 Genealogical Society of Anson County (NC) Newsletter, Sum 2012 Locomotive sinks in Pike's Pond, c. 1929 Alleghany Highlands (VA) Genealogical Society Newsletter, Vol. 12, Issue 1 (Jan 2003) Oakville town, swallowed by pond, c. 1857 Old Lawrence (AL) Reminiscences, Vol. 18, Issue 1 (Mar 2004) Round Pond killing, bloodiest event in co., 1865 Collage of Cape County (Cape Girardeau Co. Gen. Soc., MO), Vol. 13, Issue 2 (Sep 1993) Spectacle Pond to be rid of undesirable fish species with dynamite, 1926 Vermont's Northland Journal Vol. 6, Issue 5 (Aug 2007)

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History Tidbits: The Territories of 1898 By Allison DePrey Singleton

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1898 was a momentous year for the United States, with a war, an annexation, and a world’s fair, just to name a few. This article focuses on the acquisition of territory by the United States, a year of expansion for the country. Let’s explore. After the U.S.S. Maine exploded in Havana, the United States entered the Spanish-American War against Spain. Though not a long war, it became a decisive win for the United States that changed Spain’s territorial holdings forever. The 1898 Treaty of Paris ceded ownership of Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippine Islands to the United States. Cuba was also brought temporarily under U.S. control, which came to be known as the first occupation of Cuba. In 1902, Cuba became a free nation known as the Republic of Cuba. Puerto Rico is still part of the United States. In 1917, its residents became U.S. citizens, but the island remains a territory. Guam is also still a part of the United States. Residents of both territories do not have the right to vote at a federal level or have federal representation in Congress. The Philippine Islands became their own country, the Republic of the Philippines, after World War II in 1946. Another land that the United States acquired in 1898 was Hawai’i. Natives of the territory were opposed to the annexation, but the non-native businessmen there pushed for this acquisition. In 1893, those businessmen, with the support of armed U.S. soldiers and Marines, overthrew the Hawaiian monarchy. The U.S. President at the time, Grover Cleveland, had wanted the monarchy to be reinstated, but the provisional government refused. The next U.S. President, William McKinley, elected in 1896, supported the annexation, and not until 1959 did Hawai’i finally became a state. The 1890s were a time of uprisings, wars, inventions, and the end of the Gilded Age in the United States. It also marked the beginning of the Progressive Era, when social activism and political reform reigned supreme. Ending the century with the addition of these territories added to the sense of upheaval, as well as the fervent spirit of nationalism, that many people perceived at the time.

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Genealogy Center’s July 2022 Programs

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Join us for another month of free, virtual programs!

July 5, 2022, 2:30P, “Uncovering & Interpreting Indiana's Queer Past" with Nicole Poletika - https://acpl.libnet.info/event/6853465

July 7, 2022, 6:30P, “One Man's Y-DNA Results” with Sara Allen - https://acpl.libnet.info/event/6870425

July 12, 2022, 2:30P, "Preserving Documents & Photos Found in Genealogy Research" with Ariel Servadio - https://acpl.libnet.info/event/6846281

July 14, 2022, 6:30P, “Live! From Midwestern Roots” with The Genealogy Center Staff - https://acpl.libnet.info/event/6846284

July 19, 2022, 2:30P-4:30P, “What’s New in Family Tree Maker Q and A Discussion” with Mark Olsen - https://acpl.libnet.info/event/6853618

July 21, 2022, 6:30P, “Zoom Lens Genealogy” with Susan L. Ennis - https://acpl.libnet.info/event/6846757

July 26, 2022, 2:30P, “Building a Bridge Between Generations" with Daniel Loftus - https://acpl.libnet.info/event/6645258

July 28, 2022, 6:30P, “Prairie Gold: Researching in Iowa Records” with Theresa Liewer - https://acpl.libnet.info/event/6847674 Please register in advance for these engaging programs.

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Staying Informed about Genealogy Center Programming

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Do you want to know what we have planned? Are you interested in one of our events, but forget? We offer email updates for The Genealogy Center’s programming schedule. Don’t miss out! Sign up at http://goo.gl/forms/THcV0wAabB.

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Genealogy Center Social Media

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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GenealogyCenter/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/genealogycenter/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ACPLGenealogy

Blog: http://www.genealogycenter.org/Community/Blog.aspx

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/askacpl

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Driving Directions to the Library

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

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Parking at the Library

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At the Library, underground parking can be accessed from Wayne Street. Other library parking lots are at Washington and Webster, and Wayne and Webster. Hourly parking is $1 per hour with a $7 maximum. ACPL library card holders may use their cards to validate the parking ticket at the west end of the Great Hall of the Library. Out-of -county residents may purchase a subscription card with proof of identification and residence. The current fee for an Individual Subscription Card is $85. Public lots are located at the corner of Ewing and Wayne Streets ($1 each for the first two halfhours, $1 per hour after, with a $4 per day maximum) and the corner of Jefferson Boulevard and Harrison Street ($3 per day). Street (metered) parking on Ewing and Wayne Streets. On the street you plug the meters 8am – 5pm, weekdays only. The meters take credit cards and charge at a rate of $1/hour. Street parking is free after 5 p.m. and on the weekends. Visitor center/Grand Wayne Center garage at Washington and Clinton Streets. This is the Hilton Hotel parking lot that also serves as a day parking garage. For hourly parking, 7am – 11 pm, charges are .50 for the first 45 minutes, then $1.00 per hour. There is a flat $2.00 fee between 5 p.m. and 11 p.m.

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Genealogy Center Queries

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

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Publishing Note

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