May 2015

Genealogy Gems:

News from the Fort Wayne Library No. 135, May 31, 2015

In this issue:

It’s Wise to Organize . . .

Catholic Parish Records in the United States

Pennsylvania Land Records

Technology Tip of the Month--Using the Camera Distortion Tool Using the Camera Distortion Tool

Quick-Tip of the Month for Preservation--Preserving by Sharing

The Global Family Reunion Events--Three Days of Activities and Fun

Start a Family History Journey Summer Series

Out and About

Area Calendar of Events

Driving Directions to the Library Parking at the Library Queries for The Genealogy Center

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

It’s Wise to Organize . . . by Curt B. Witcher

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

In all the talking, thinking, and writing about family history, proportionately few pieces and presentations focus on the many aspects, and great importance, of organization. We search for names, we follow shaky leaves, we explore hints, and we download trees, documents, charts and records like there’s no tomorrow. But how organized are we once we have the data? Can we find the information again among all our files? When we are more organized, we do better research; when we are more organized, we better record our findings and stories for the benefit and enjoyment of others; and when we are better organized, we are better prepared to deal with the disasters that may come our way. Being organized carries such immediate and long-term benefits for our research that it is truly stunning to realize how little time we spend engaging in it. I am going to weave the topic of organization through four experiences I want to share with you in this column. 1. After disaster plaintive news footage. 2. The tale of a gift. 3. Two great questions from “Genealogy Gems” readers. It would be impossible not to have heard anything about the devastating floods and tornadoes that have struck large areas of the country over the last many weeks. Again and again, we saw “homes without houses”--papers and photographs strewn for blocks, and in some cases miles. News reports often included pictures of waterlogged cabinets and trunks, and libraries offering individuals assistance in salvaging what precious little remains after the flood waters recede. I have commented on the following point in the past, so I will be brief. Almost without exception, after a natural disaster of any kind, news crews capture scenes of victims sorting through ravaged remains for any scrap of paper or shred of photograph they used to have. That should never be us-- not today, not ever. If we value our genealogies and family records, our photographs and unique documents, then we will be organized enough to ensure they remain available to us and our descendants. Extremely close to the time we find a new document, take a new image, or obtain a new photograph, we should create digital back-ups with offsite storage--both physically off site and virtually off site in the cloud. There simply is no reason not to. Be organized enough to do this-- every time, right away. A couple of weeks ago, The Genealogy Center again was honored to become the forever home for an amazing family history collection from a mother and her daughter. The collection is amazing because of its size. It is dozens of notebooks of genealogical charts as well as copies of supporting, and complementing, documents. Quite sincerely, though, the collection is truly most amazing because of how carefully and consistently it is organized. Every notebook labeled on the front as well as the spine. The contents of each notebook are clearly marked and logically ordered so that someone totally unfamiliar with the family could, in a very short amount of time, understand the research that has been done, link the correct individuals with their supporting documentation, and even continue the research. One of my assistant managers commented to the donors about the careful organization, and how such clear organization would make it easier to process the work into our collection as well as make it easier to provide better cataloging so many more of the people and places would be discoverable in the online catalog. He struck a chord, as the mother smiled and told us a story about one of her research companions, now deceased. She and her research companion actually shared a few family lines. When her research companion passed away, the donor took responsibility for deciding what to do with the research files. The donor lamented that the files of her companion were so lacking in organization that, even though she shared a couple family lines with her friend, she could not make any sense of what her friend saved, recorded, and filed. The donor’s words to us: “It was useless, completely useless.” The lesson is clear. A reader of my column last month brought up an issue that I have heard numerous times over the course of my career. It was so well stated, and so timely, that is deserves to be articulated here. She asked in her email, “In preserving family history and in particular, photographs and snapshots, what does one do who has no son/daughter, no grandchildren, no nieces and nephews to leave these items to?” She went on to say that other siblings were not interested as none of them have any grandchildren, and that as far as she knows no one wants the collection of family pictures. Parts of my following response may tempt some to claim that Witcher is taking a walk on the wild side (again!). I will accept that criticism, though I will also ask that you think about the response-- really think about it. First, I believe that personal collections of photographs are intrinsically valuable simply because they were made--because the photographs were taken--because the collections exist. History is made, lived if you will, in the small places. The American Association of State and Local History long ago proclaimed that “all history is local.” Another way of stating that is life is lived in the small places, in our homes, and schools, and churches, and family and community gatherings. Second, the preservation of personal and local photographic collections will be increasingly important as we watch the demise of popular print periodicals where one had a chance of finding images of everyday America, of small-town America, of middle-class America. Couple this phenomenon with increasing numbers of news outlets wanting to create the news rather than report the news, wanting to report on opinion rather than report on facts, and wanting to direct or even orchestrate public perception rather than capture life as it is lived, one can appreciate how personal photographic collections containing real life in family and community contexts are so important. Historians and sociologists continue to expand and enrich our understanding of the past by studying new photographic collections from nearly every decade since the invention of photography to the present. We truly have history in our hands. Third, technology is opening so many doors for both further research and further enjoyment. We should be very careful about discarding materials initially assessed as having little value. Many are familiar with the exponential advances in facial recognition software in recent years. Some also may have heard about progress being made in perfecting the fairly rudimentary “query by image content” software that has been in use for a number of years. Hence, even the proverbial “shoebox of unidentified images” may have grand new life if these images are compared against silos of other photographs, and if these silos of images can be searched for shapes of Model-T Fords, Civil War musical instruments and insignia, and leather football helmets. The possibilities are impressive. What is old could truly be new again. Finally, because of the above three points, the answer to the question of who is able to receive and archive these photographic collections will increasingly be libraries, archives, and historical societies in the locales from which the families hailed. However, the degree to which those collections will be welcome will depend upon, you guessed it, the collections’ organization. It will be many years before most libraries and archives of any type will accept completely unorganized and disjoint collections of photographs (or other documents for that matter). If the entities are organized, and contain as much metadata as possible, they will be most valuable, and they will be preserved and shared for generations to come. Collections of family photographs (paper or digital) are typically best archived and made accessible to interested parties in institutions that are physically in the geographic areas the collections cover, or institutions that serve those specific geographic areas. It is very important to note that The Genealogy Center of the Allen County Public Library embraces the role of “repository of last resort.” Simply stated, if one cannot find an appropriate library or archive for an organized photographic collection, The Genealogy Center will be pleased to archive the collection and make it accessible to researchers. Indeed, we welcome digital copies of any organized manuscript or photographic collections regardless of where the actual artifacts are deposited. Another reader of this column last month posed a request that certainly has to do with organizing. He wrote, “I would appreciate an article about how to link the photos and the descriptions so they cannot be separated. I would think that software and photo geeks would have figured out how to do this, although I have not found a solution, even though I have looked online for quite some time.” Great request. A colleague with more programming and technical experience than me offered a few thoughts on this matter. There are a number of ways to embed metadata with a photo. The challenge is that the metadata may or may not be viewable when opened in another program. For example, if you embed metadata using Photoshop, that data might not appear when you view the photo’s metadata in Picasa or Paint. The IPTC (International Press Telecommunications Council) metadata format is supposed to be universal and read by anything that will get into a photo’s metadata. More details can be explored through the many links at their website < https://iptc.org/> Additionally, someone on the Technology for Genealogists group on Facebook posted something about XnViewMP. It’s a program that will let you add IPTC-compliant metadata to your photos, and it’s available for Windows, Mac, and Linux.  We will be looking for a guest columnist to address this particular topic more completely in a future issue of “Genealogy Gems.” I will conclude with a few thoughts of my own on keeping metadata married to the appropriate images. I completely and totally agree that the following is a pedestrian approach; however, linking photographs to individuals in genealogical data management programs and using the notes and annotating features of those programs as places for image metadata is an option that is easy to deploy. Another option even more basic and more pedestrian is to make sure your digital photographic images are always in appropriately labeled folders, and those image folders always contain an open-source worksheet or other similar program with the metadata for all the images in the respective folder. Being consistent with image naming conventions also assists in organizing digital photographs, with those image names being the linking data between the digital images and their metadata. History in our hands--making old new again; indeed, it is wise to organize!

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

Catholic Parish Records in the United States by Sara Allen

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

Church records can provide crucial details about our ancestors, especially when other records such as civil birth, marriage and death records are scarce or non-existent. Catholic and Lutheran churches in the United States and abroad are known for keeping excellent records, full of vital information about our ancestors. Many immigrants attended church at least in the first generation, and affiliated with those of their denomination and nationality in the new country. So even if one’s family does not currently attend religious services, it can be worthwhile to check to see if immigrant ancestors did attend, and left behind valuable records. Catholic records can include baptisms, first communions, confirmations, marriages and burials within the parish, and are often genealogically rich in data. An examination of the baptismal records of the Immaculate Conception Church in Ege, Noble County, Indiana (Microfilm, Fort Wayne-South Bend Catholic Diocese records, Reel #5) shows that each record gives the name of the person being baptized (normally an infant, but also adult converts), date of birth, date of baptism, names of parents, the place where parents were from, and names of godparents. This particular church in Ege was an immigrant parish with at least 50 percent of the families being from foreign countries, the majority Polish, but also of German, Irish and Canadian backgrounds. This means that many towns of origin listed for the parents were located in Europe or Canada, providing great clues for those trying to find home villages in the “old country.” One caveat is that the early Catholic records are usually in Latin, or, less frequently, in the immigrant language. But because these records follow a usual set format or template, once the template is learned, one can decipher most of the fields in the record, regardless of the original language of the record. Librarians here at The Genealogy Center can advise and help you translate church records. We also have several books about how to read foreign genealogical records, including those in Latin, such as: “Latin for Local and Family Historians: a Beginner's Guide” (GC 478.2 ST91LA). There are also Latin tutorials available on the internet, such as this one on FamilySearch’s Wiki: https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Latin_Genealogical_Word_List. Finding Catholic Church Records:

• Print: Some parish records have been extracted, indexed or photocopied in book format and placed on the shelves of this library or other libraries. For instance, The Genealogy Center has 22 volumes of the “Diocese of Baton Rouge [LA], Catholic Church records” from 1707 to 1900 (GC 976.3 C28D). Check the library catalog for our other holdings, and WorldCat.org for holdings in other libraries.

• Microfilm: Many historical parish records from all over the world have been microfilmed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons). Check the Family History Library catalog at https://familysearch.org/catalog-search, and if you find an item of interest, those can be borrowed for a small fee and viewed here at ACPL or at your local FamilySearch Center in a Mormon Church or affiliate library. In our permanent collection, we have the Fort Wayne-South Bend Catholic Diocese parish records, most dating prior to 1925, on microfilm. Check our Microtext Catalog for these and other holdings.

• Online: The FamilySearch.org website also has digitized parish records for some locations posted online, some of which have been indexed. For instance, the Chicago Catholic Diocese parish records, 1833-1925, have been scanned, digitized, and placed online. About 100,000 names from those records have been indexed, but the indexing is far from complete. The non-indexed items are able to be browsed page by page. To access the browse-only items on the website, click on the title of the database, select the parish, type of record, and time period, and then begin reading the book online. See if the volume has a table of contents or an index (usually in the front), or skip forward and backward in the book chronologically, to try to find the correct record.

• Church or diocese archives: If the church is still in existence, often the parish records can be examined by making an appointment with the church office or priest. If the church has closed, the records may have been transferred to the Diocesan Archives. See the book, “U.S. Catholic Sources: a Diocesan Research Guide,” (GC 973 H88U). Those who do not know the name of the parish their ancestors attended can find guidance and assistance about current and former churches from a local library’s genealogy department in the town or county where the family lived, from a local genealogical or historical society, or by contacting the Diocesan Archives for that geographical area. Church records are filled with very rewarding genealogical finds. Start looking for your family’s church records today.

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

Pennsylvania Land Records by John D. Beatty, CG(sm)*

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

Pennsylvania remains a difficult state for doing genealogical research. Using its land records effectively can provide important clues to family relationships, especially in the eighteenth century, when few other records exist. These records are among the most complex of any state and may baffle some who are accustomed to land records in public domain states. Founded as a proprietorship in 1682 under William Penn, Pennsylvania, as a colony, generated a great variety of records when distributing land to its residents. During the proprietorship era that lasted to 1776, Penn initiated the process of selling land only after a prospective purchaser had made an application for buying a specific tract. At first these requests could be made orally to Penn himself, but later under his heirs they became only written requests. The colony responded by issuing warrants, which were written orders to conduct surveys of specific parcels of land. Afterward, surveyors conducted the actual surveys using a system of metes and bounds and for each parcel, created a “return of survey.” These records contained actual diagrams of the land with adjoining landholders named, if any, and certified that the survey had occurred. Finally, after all of these steps, the proprietors issued a patent, granting formal title to the surveyed land. Sometimes the application, warrant, and patent all pertained to the same original applicant, while other times the original applicant may have sold his right to someone else who ultimately received the patent, often issued many years after the warrant. Although the Penn family proprietorship ended with the Revolution, the same complex system continued well into the nineteenth century. Researchers have access to several excellent databases of digitized images of many of these records, but they are not intuitive to use for the uninitiated. Ancestry.com has digitized most surviving eighteenth and nineteenth century land warrants in two separate databases, both accessible only by subscription: “Pennsylvania, Land Warrants and Applications, 1733-1952” http://search.ancestryinstitution.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=2350, and “Pennsylvania Land Warrants, 1733-1987” http://search.ancestryinstitution.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=2409. Many public libraries – including the Allen County Public Library – have subscriptions to Ancestry that patrons may use without charge while onsite at the facilities. Also, the Pennsylvania State Archives has digitized its extensive collection of warrant registers, patent indexes, survey books, and land ownership maps in a free website that is somewhat complex to use but well worth the effort: http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt?open=512&objID=3184&&SortOrder=100&level=4&p arentCommID=3162&menuLevel=Level_4&mode=2. Having a basic understanding of how Pennsylvania’s land system worked and how it changed over time is essential for making the most of these databases. Fortunately, a definitive, comprehensive guide exists to aid in that effort: Donna Bingham Munger’s “Pennsylvania Land Records: A History and Guide for Research” (Wilmington, DE: Scholarly Resources, 1991) (974.8 M92p). Munger traces the history of land sales in Pennsylvania, explaining the intricacies of the process and offering research tips. She discusses the different categories of purchasers and provides a useful map showing the development of counties and blocks of territory as they were opened for purchase. A concise description of the variety of land records and associated archival collections in the State Archives is also useful. Because the book is more than twenty years old, it does not include references to these digital collections. A helpful update can be found on the FamilySearch Wiki’s “Pennsylvania Land and Property” https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Pennsylvania_Land_and_Property which offers a more abbreviated summary of the subject but contains links and additional descriptions of the above websites.

“CG” & “Certified Genealogist” are service marks of the Board for Certification of Genealogists®, and are used by authorized associates following periodic, peer-reviewed competency evaluations. Certificate No. 1050, awarded 8 August 2014; expires 8 August 2019.

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

Technology Tip of the Month--Using the Camera Distortion Tool Using the Camera Distortion Tool by Kay Spears

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

Perspective = the art of drawing solid objects on a two-dimensional surface so as to give the right impression of their height, width, depth, and position in relation to each other when viewed from a particular point. If you study a photograph, you should notice that things in the distance are smaller. The lines of buildings recede at an angle as they move away from you. This is just a natural visual rule. There is a tool in Elements that may help with your photographs if there is a perspective problem or in the case of some old photographs that are warping. I have an old photograph that at one time was in a bubble glass frame – a frame that had curved, rather than flat, glass. Well when this photograph is scanned (which is a problem all by itself), it appears to be warped. Using the Camera Distortion Tool, I have been able to mostly correct this problem. To experiment, open the file of the problem photograph, then go to File>Filter>Correct Camera Distortion. This opens up a rather large dialog box with your photograph in it, and there should be grid lines over it. On the right side of the dialog box are numerous tools: Remove Distortion, Vignette, Perspective Control, and Edge Extension. The Tools you probably will want to use to correct the warp are Remove Distortion and Perspective, although it is possible to use all of them depending on the extent of the damage to the photo. The way you correct warping and perspective is to move the slide bars in the dialog box. You can put numbers in the percentage area if you want to. Either way, keep a close eye on your image as you do this. Sometimes when an image is warped, the corners will be darkened because of this. If this happens, use the Vignette tool to alleviate some of this problem. Experiment with this tool. I think you will be amazed at some of the affects you can achieve. Next month: Microsoft 2013.

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

Quick-Tip of the Month for Preservation--Preserving by Sharing

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

Remember that one of the simplest yet most important ways of preserving images and documents is to share digital copies of those entities. In June, as part of the Global Family Reunion events, The Genealogy Center will feature Heritage Photo Scanning in the Great Hall of the Main Library at 900 Library Plaza. We will scan family photographs that you bring to the library, and we will preserve them online as part of our goal to gather “300 in 3” – 300 family photos in the three days of Global Family Reunion. We will email images of your photos after the event. Times for this scanning opportunity are: Friday, June 5 – 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 6 – 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, June 7 – 1-5 p.m. Genealogy Gems subscribers who are not able to be in the Fort Wayne area may email digital images of heritage family photos at any time to Genealogy@ACPL.info. Please provide identifying information for the photos. Sharing is preserving!

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

The Global Family Reunion Events--Three Days of Activities and Fun

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

Join us for our local “branch party” celebration of the Global Family Reunion! The Genealogy Center, together with the library’s Children’s Services and Young Adults Services, will be hosting free events for the entire family Friday through Sunday, June 5-7, 2015, as an official satellite location of the Global Family Reunion. The Global Family Reunion is a celebration of everyone being part of the "global family." People across the country will be heard saying, "I'm a cousin!" Our local events – all of which are free and take place at the main library, 900 Library Plaza, include the following extensive list. Participate in as many as you can! ***Friday, June 5, 2015*** 9 a.m.-6 p.m. – We Came Here from There – Great Hall Whether your family came to Fort Wayne from another Indiana city, another state, or you want to “pin”point your ancestral origins in another country, attach your surname to our maps to show where your family is from. If you’re visiting Fort Wayne, show us where your family lives now! 9:30 a.m. – Family History Fun – Room A Have you ever wanted to learn more about your family? Where you came from? How you're related to that random cousin? Join us to discover more about your family! 10 a.m.-5 p.m. – Family Photo Op – Great Hall “Pack up the babies & grab the old ladies …” Bring the whole family to the library for a family photo opportunity. We’ll take your picture and email you a copy! Help us gather “300 in 3” – 300 family photos in 3 days. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. – Heritage Photo Scanning – Great Hall Bring your old family photos to the library & let us scan them. We’ll preserve them on the “Family Resources” page of The Genealogy Center’s website and email you copies of the images. Help us gather “300 in 3” – 300 family photos in 3 days. 10 a.m. – Babies & Books – Globe Room Explore books about families, rhymes, and songs in this special storytime just for babies and their favorite grown-ups. 10:30 a.m. – Toddler Time – Globe Room Active toddlers will learn as they play in this storytime full of rhymes, songs, books about families, and of course some jumping, too! 11 a.m. – Toddler Time – Globe Room Another time when active toddlers will learn as they play in this storytime full of rhymes, songs, books about families, and of course some jumping, too! 1-5 p.m. – Bocce Ball – Plaza Bring your family and join us on the plaza to play this fun Italian game that combines elements of bowling, croquet and billiards. 2-5 p.m. – You Are (Were) Here – Young Adult Services Take a photo in front of our green screen & we’ll superimpose it on a photo of the country of your ancestors’ origin. It will be almost as great as being there! Help us gather “300 in 3” – 300 family photos in 3 days. 2-5 p.m. – Make a Button – Young Adult Services Commemorate Global Family Reunion with a snazzy button. 2:30 p.m. – Family History Fun – Room A Have you ever wanted to learn more about your family? Where you came from? How you're related to that random cousin? Join us to discover more about your family! 4:30 p.m. – Ways to Display Your Family History Using Pinterest – Room A Learn how Pinterest can help you with your family history. View different boards to see how others are displaying their family photos, keepsakes, and family information and stories. All Day – Family Photo Op – Children’s Services Come to Children’s Services to get a silly picture of your family. We’ll have all kinds of silly props you can use to create a one-of-a-kind portrait celebrating your family. Help us gather “300 in 3” – 300 family photos in 3 days. (Don’t forget your camera!) All Day – Family Book Displays – Great Hall & Children’s Services Check out the book display in the Great Hall featuring books on “FAMILY” – family history, genealogy how-tos, and family-focused reading material in general. The Children’s Services department will also have lots of books about families for you to read and check out. All Day – Teen Photography Competition Winners on Display – Jeffrey R. Krull Gallery Visit the Jeffrey R. Krull Gallery on the main floor of the library to view winners of the 8th Annual Teen Photography Competition, sponsored by the Friends of the Allen County Public Library. All Day – Letterboxing – Children’s Services Your family is invited to work together in this growing “treasure hunt” pastime at the Library! Come to Children’s Services to find out how to get started. All Day – The Children’s Services Family Tree YOU are a part of the Children’s Services Family Tree! Come to Children’s Services to add your name to our family tree during Library hours. All Day – Who Is in Your Family? – Children’s Services During Library hours, visit the Art Room in the Children’s Services department to create a picture of YOUR family. Art supplies will be available. ***Saturday, June 6, 2015**** 9 a.m.-6 p.m. – We Came Here from There – Great Hall Whether your family came to Fort Wayne from another Indiana city, another state, or you want to “pin”point your ancestral origins in another country, attach your surname to our maps to show where your family is from. If you’re visiting Fort Wayne, show us where your family lives now! 9 a.m.-noon – Barr Street Market Art – Children’s Services at the Barr Street Market Visit the ACPL Children’s Services department at Barr Street Market on the corner of Wayne & Barr Streets to create an art project all about your family to take home. This is a family event for all ages! 10 a.m.-2 p.m. – Cornhole – Plaza Bring your family and test your skills at the great Midwestern game of cornhole! The competition happens on the Library Plaza. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. – Family Photo Op – Great Hall “Pack up the babies & grab the old ladies …” Bring the whole family to the library for a family photo opportunity. We’ll take your picture and email you a copy! Help us gather “300 in 3” – 300 family photos in 3 days. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. – Heritage Photo Scanning – Great Hall Bring your old family photos to the library & let us scan them. We’ll preserve them on the “Family Resources” page of The Genealogy Center’s website and email you copies of the images. Help us gather “300 in 3” – 300 family photos in 3 days. 10:30 a.m. – Storytelling – Room A Stories are such a great part of families and family history. Join us as we share tips for successful story telling—and share a few tips of your own. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. – Live Streaming from the Global Family Reunion main venue in New York City – Globe Room Watch on the big screen as the events unfold at the Global Family Reunion main venue on the grounds of the New York Hall of Science in New York City – the site of the 1964 New York World’s Fair. Noon-5 p.m. – Chess Club & Board Games – Young Adult Services Play chess & other board games from our stash, or bring your own. 12:30 p.m. – Family History Fun – Room A Have you ever wanted to learn more about your family? Where you came from? How you're related to that random cousin? Join us to discover more about your family! 2-5 p.m. – You Are (Were) Here – Young Adult Services Take a photo in front of our green screen & we’ll superimpose it on a photo of the country of your ancestors’ origin. It will be almost as great as being there! Help us gather “300 in 3” – 300 family photos in 3 days. 2-5 p.m. – Make a Button – Young Adult Services Commemorate Global Family Reunion with a snazzy button. 2:30 p.m. – Exciting Ways to Share Your Genealogy – Room A Ready to get your family excited about family history? Guest speaker Tina Lyons will talk about using photo books, videos, photo sharing sites, blogs, storybooks, and social media make family history fun and engaging. 4:30 p.m. – Being Creative ... with Your Family History Come see ways in which to display photos and other family history items and/or information within your home or other family events. Also learn what you can do to create gifts for family members. All Day – Family Photo Op – Children’s Services Come to Children’s Services to get a silly picture of your family. We’ll have all kinds of silly props you can use to create a one-of-a-kind portrait celebrating your family. Help us gather “300 in 3” – 300 family photos in 3 days. (Don’t forget your camera!) All Day – Family Book Displays – Great Hall & Children’s Services Check out the book display in the Great Hall featuring books on “FAMILY” – family history, genealogy how-tos, and family-focused reading material in general. The Children’s Services department will also have lots of books about families for you to read and check out. All Day – Teen Photography Competition Winners on Display – Jeffrey R. Krull Gallery Visit the Jeffrey R. Krull Gallery on the main floor of the library to view winners of the 8th Annual Teen Photography Competition, sponsored by the Friends of the Allen County Public Library. All Day – Letterboxing – Children’s Services Your family is invited to work together in this growing “treasure hunt” pastime at the Library! Come to Children’s Services to find out how to get started. All Day – The Children’s Services Family Tree YOU are a part of the Children’s Services Family Tree! Come to Children’s Services to add your name to our family tree during Library hours. All Day – Who Is in Your Family? – Children’s Services During Library hours, visit the Art Room in the Children’s Services department to create a picture of YOUR family. Art supplies will be available. All Day – Celebrate Your Family with a Button! – Children’s Services Celebrate the Global Family Reunion by creating and personalizing your own special “I’m a Cousin” button in Children’s Services during library hours. 6-9 p.m. – Rock the Plaza Summer Reading Kickoff Concert Your whole family is invited to Rock the Plaza as we kick off this year’s Summer Reading Program for all ages – kids, teens, AND adults – with live bands and family fun on the Main Library Plaza. Bring the whole family to hear music by the B45s, the Sunny Taylor Band and Isaiah's Vision. Let’s rock the Summer Reading Program and Global Family Reunion! ***Sunday, June 7, 2015*** Noon-5 p.m. – We Came Here from There – Great Hall Whether your family came to Fort Wayne from another Indiana city, another state, or you want to “pin”point your ancestral origins in another country, attach your surname to our maps to show where your family is from. If you’re visiting Fort Wayne, show us where your family lives now! Noon-4 p.m. – Badminton – Plaza Come and play with us on the Library Plaza! Bring your family for this fun, summer activity. Noon-5 p.m. – Chess Club & board games – Young Adult Services Play chess & other board games from our stash, or bring your own. 12:30 p.m. – Family History Fun – Room A Have you ever wanted to learn more about your family? Where you came from? How you're related to that random cousin? Join us to discover more about your family! 1-5 p.m. – Family Photo Op – Great Hall “Pack up the babies & grab the old ladies …” Bring the whole family to the library for a family photo opportunity. We’ll take your picture and email you a copy! Help us gather “300 in 3” – 300 family photos in 3 days. 1-5 p.m. – Heritage Photo Scanning – Great Hall Bring your old family photos to the library & let us scan them. We’ll preserve them on the “Family Resources” page of The Genealogy Center’s website and email you copies of the images. Help us gather “300 in 3” – 300 family photos in 3 days. 2-5 p.m. – You Are (Were) Here – Young Adult Services Take a photo in front of our green screen & we’ll superimpose it on a photo of the country of your ancestors’ origin. It will be almost as great as being there! Help us gather “300 in 3” – 300 family photos in 3 days. 2-5 p.m. – Make a Button – Young Adult Services Commemorate Global Family Reunion with a snazzy button. 2:30 p.m. – Ways to Display Your Family History Using Pinterest – Room A Learn how Pinterest can help you with your family history. View different boards to see how others are displaying their family photos, keepsakes, and family information and stories. All Day – Family Photo Op – Children’s Services Come to Children’s Services to get a silly picture of your family. We’ll have all kinds of silly props you can use to create a one-of-a-kind portrait celebrating your family. Help us gather “300 in 3” – 300 family photos in 3 days. (Don’t forget your camera!) All Day – Family Book Displays – Great Hall & Children’s Services Check out the book display in the Great Hall featuring books on “FAMILY” – family history, genealogy how-tos, and family-focused reading material in general. The Children’s Services department will also have lots of books about families for you to read and check out. All Day – Teen Photography Competition Winners on Display – Jeffrey R. Krull Gallery Visit the Jeffrey R. Krull Gallery on the main floor of the library to view winners of the 8th Annual Teen Photography Competition, sponsored by the Friends of the Allen County Public Library. All Day – Letterboxing – Children’s Services Your family is invited to work together in this growing “treasure hunt” pastime at the Library! Come to Children’s Services to find out how to get started. All Day – The Children’s Services Family Tree YOU are a part of the Children’s Services Family Tree! Come to Children’s Services to add your name to our family tree during Library hours. All Day – Who Is in Your Family? – Children’s Services During Library hours, visit the Art Room in the Children’s Services department to create a picture of YOUR family. Art supplies will be available. All Day – Celebrate Your Family with a Button! – Children’s Services Celebrate the Global Family Reunion by creating and personalizing your own special “I’m a Cousin” button in Children’s Services during library hours.

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

Start a Family History Journey Summer Series

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

This summer, we want to help you “Start a Family History Journey” by offering a series of Saturday morning classes for beginners – or for anyone who wants to ensure that the best paths to success are being utilized. These 90-minute classes will be on the last Saturday of each month, June through September, so join us each month to find the route to your roots. The first session is “Beginning Your Family History Exploration” on Saturday, June 27, 2015, at 10:00A in Meeting Room A. Discover the basics of gathering information from your living relatives and family sources, and the importance of organization in the research process. A brief overview of what records you may discover in your search, and how they may be used to further your family story. We will also introduce you to Ancestry’s census collection and how to use it as a springboard to other records. Finally, take a tour of The Genealogy Center to familiarize yourself with what you can find. Next up on Saturday, July 25, 2015 is “Beyond Just Starting,” at 9:30A in Meeting Room C. Learn how to verify the information you find, and the importance of documenting what you find and where you found it. Discover how to harvest as much information as possible from various records. We will also show you how to use the free FamilySearch website, and provide a virtual tour of The Genealogy Center’s licensed databases. The series will continue on Saturday, August 29, 2015 and Saturday, September 26, 2015, with “Following Up With More Records” and “Beginners Guide to Genealogical Software.” Mark your calendars now to attend! For more information, see the brochure at http://www.genealogycenter.org/docs/GettingStarted2015. To register for these free events, call 260-421-1225 or email Genealogy@ACPL.Info.

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

Out and About

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

Curt Witcher: June 7, 2015 The Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois One-Day Conference, Temple Beth El, 3610 Dundee Road, Northbrook, IL, 2:30 p.m. Presentation: "Navigating Libraries and Archives from Near and Far."

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

Area Calendar of Events

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

George Mather Lecture 7 June 2015 – History Center, 302 East Berry, Fort Wayne, Indiana, 2 p.m. Harriet Miller will present “The Amazing Life of Fort Wayne’s Minette Baum, 1879-1956.” ACGSI Annual Banquet 10 June 2015 – Allen County Public Library, 900 Library Plaza, Fort Wayne, Indiana, 7 p.m. Kelly Lynch will present “Listen for the Whistle” about Steam Locomotive No. 765. DAR Research Help 13 June 2015 – Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center, 900 Library Plaza, Fort Wayne, Indiana, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. The Mary Penrose Wayne Chapter of the National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) is available to help prospective DAR members research their lineage to prove ancestry to an American Revolutionary Patriot. Siege of Fort Wayne, 1812 13-14 June 2015 – The Old Fort, 1201 Spy Run Ave., Fort Wayne, Indiana, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. Camp Allen Muster, 1861-1865 27-28 June 2015 – The Old Fort, 1201 Spy Run Ave., Fort Wayne, Indiana, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday.

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

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%20Web ster%20St&city=Fort%20Wayne&state=IN&zipcode=46802%2d3602&country=US&geodiff=1 >From the South Exit Interstate 69 at exit 102. Drive east on Jefferson Boulevard into downtown. Turn left on Ewing Street. The Library is one block north, at Ewing Street and Washington Boulevard. Using US 27: US 27 turns into Lafayette Street. Drive north into downtown. Turn left at Washington Boulevard and go five blocks. The Library will be on the right. >From the North Exit Interstate 69 at exit 112. Drive south on Coldwater Road, which merges into Clinton Street. Continue south on Clinton to Washington Boulevard. Turn right on Washington and go three blocks. The Library will be on the right. >From the West Using US 30: Drive into town on US 30. US 30 turns into Goshen Ave. which dead-ends at West State Blvd. Make an angled left turn onto West State Blvd. Turn right on Wells Street. Go south on Wells to Wayne Street. Turn left on Wayne Street. The Library will be in the second block on the right. Using US 24: After crossing under Interstate 69, follow the same directions as from the South. >From the East Follow US 30/then 930 into and through New Haven, under an overpass into downtown Fort Wayne. You will be on Washington Blvd. when you get into downtown. Library Plaza will be on the right.

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

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. It is free to park on the street after 5pm and on the weekends. Visitor center/Grand Wayne Center garage at Washington and Clinton Streets. This is the Hilton Hotel parking lot that also serves as a day parking garage. For hourly parking, 7am – 11 pm, charges are .50 for the first 45 minutes, then $1.00 per hour. There is a flat $2.00 fee between 5pm and 11pm.

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

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. Dawne Slater, CG & Curt Witcher, co-editors