May 2023
- jdobler8
- May 30, 2023
- 19 min read
Genealogy Gems:
News from the Allen County Public Library at Fort Wayne No. 231, May 31, 2023
In this issue:
Wandering and Wondering . . .
How Much Is That in Real Money
Canadian Census of 1931 and Other Recent Census Releases
Technology Tip of the Month: The Case of the Scary Upgrade
PERSI Gems: Hoosier Germans
History Tidbits: Vacations
Genealogy Center’s June Programs
Staying Informed about Genealogy Center Programming
Program Callouts
Genealogy Center Social Media
Driving Directions to the Library
Parking at the Library
Genealogy Center Queries
Publishing Note
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Wandering and Wondering . . . by Curt B. Witcher
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As I have written more than a few times in the past, last weekend could be considered one “bookend” in a military mid-year with the other bookend being Veterans Day. I trust that among your Memorial Weekend celebrations were at least a few moments devoted to remembering those who gave their lives in service to our country, particularly your ancestors who paid the highest price. As we wander through the late spring and early summer days we will arrive at the Fourth of July where we not only remember the founding of our country but most especially those who paid the highest price for that founding. Let’s ensure that July 4, 2023 does not arrive with us feeling regret that we have done nothing from Memorial Day to that day to find more stories about our ancestors who served in the military. So many more rich sources of data are available to us in our quest to find and document our ancestors’ military service. Projects preserving letters to and from the home-front have been going on for years and continue to expand; newspapers all over the country continue to be digitized and made more accessible on both fee and free websites—newspapers that chronicle in unique details the lives of our ancestors and their military service; the National Archives and the National Genealogical Society have finally resumed a Federation of Genealogical Societies’ “Preserve the Pensions” War of 1812 pension record digitization project that will make over six million pension records freely available for research; and books and pamphlets recounting the noble service of our ancestors are being published in small towns and communities all over the country. As we wander through the days of summer and early fall between the Fourth of July and Veterans Day 2023, we will have so many opportunities to find more family stories about our military ancestors. Indeed, I am almost positive that we will have even more occasions to share the family stories we have found with family members who are just waiting to know their ancestors more deeply and more personally. In our wanderings through the days and weeks of this year I truly have to wonder how much time and effort we are making to share our stories, to write-up our research, to ensure that all of the years of discovery we have invested in finding our families’ stories aren’t lost to our children and grandchildren. At least several times each week (it’s already happened twice this week) we are offered large collections of largely unorganized family papers and research notes. The disinterested family members who offer the papers to us know enough to realize that it would take many hundreds of hours to put such unorganized collections of materials in any understandable order, and then they would still be faced with what to actually do with the physical items. All this wondering leads me to some conclusions that I am sure are not unique. I wonder why we spend so much time “hunting and gathering”--hunting for records and gathering documents from repositories and websites--and almost no time compiling and sharing our findings. I know I have shared this lament before; however, it is so painful that I feel it warrants repeating. In so many ways, we are responsible for our descendants’ disinterest in our family stories. We don’t share our finds; we don’t take the time to weave and articulate the stories; and in the end, we don’t prevent our years of research from becoming contributions to recycling centers and landfills. So, what can we do? I believe simple is usually best. At every family gathering between today and Veterans Day, do at least one intentional activity to draw attention to an ancestor, particularly a recent ancestor or an eccentric one. Get an inexpensive picture cube at a craft store and continually place copies of interesting ancestors on your dining room tables and other places family gathers for cookouts and other get-togethers. Find opportunities to comment on a current activity, headline, or look that reminds you of a particular family member from the past. Plan a picnic in a family cemetery or at a family homestead (with permission from the current owner, of course). And I am sure you can think of many more. Our families’ histories embodied in our families’ stories are in our hands. No one is coming to save us from ourselves. There is no magic potion we can ingest or magic wand we can wave. Step by step, intentional act by intentional act, I believe we can do much better than we are doing. It truly is our responsibility to ensure our stories are passed forward.
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How Much Is That in Real Money by John D. Beatty, CG
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When your ancestors bought land or went to the store to buy goods, what value did their money have compared with modern-day dollars? How relatively rich or poor were they? Every good genealogist or family historian should want to place their ancestors into historical contexts, comparing their relative wealth and status not only with their neighbors but to the modern day. That process, however, can be tricky. While it is easy enough to compare the value of an ancestor’s land with those of his neighbors by looking at census schedules and tax lists, making modern comparisons is not so easily done. Some commodities have risen in value at faster rates than what historical consumer price indexes estimate. Nevertheless, historical price tables exist that allow us to make some general estimates, even when those figures may be slightly off or need further adjustment. A useful guide for answering such questions is John J. McCusker’s “How Much Is that in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States” (Worcester, MA: American Antiquarian Society, 1992), Gc 973 M1395ho. McCusker offers several historical tables with the relative prices of goods or consumer price indexes. His first table studies the value of such basic goods as wheat, flour, salt, rum, and molasses, using shillings of Pennsylvania currency between 1700 and 1720. He then provides a column with their comparative value in 1992 dollars. Another table features historical consumer price index estimates from several economic studies dating from 1700 to 1991, and these can be especially helpful for determining modern values. If, for example, your ancestor bought a house for $10,000 in 1953, and you want to know what the value of that house would be in 1987 dollars, you would go to Table A-2 and there find that the Composite Consumer Price Index for 1987 was 1,359. For 1953, located in the same column of the table, you find the price index for that year was 320. We divide the first figure with the second: 1,359 ÷ 320 = 4.25. We then use this ratio, 4.25, to multiply with $10,000, the amount paid for the house, to come up with the figure of $42,500 in 1987 dollars. However, because housing costs overran the historical consumer price index, the actual cost of the house would be closer to $55,000. Even so, we can use these tables in conjunction with the cash values we find on deeds of our ancestors or the cost of grocery items on old store ledgers to get an idea what our ancestors paid for these commodities. Going further, we can use the inventories of our ancestors’ probated estates to determine how much their personal property was worth relative to today. Most of us would be surprised by the small values, even when making modern dollar adjustments. If this type of economic inquiry interests you, it is easy to go down rabbit holes with additional social and economic studies. For example, since most of our ancestors farmed, you may wonder what their farmhouse looked like, and by studying its design, what it tells about your family’s wealth relative to their community. Sally McMurry’s book, “Families and Farmhouses in Nineteenth-Century America: Vernacular Design and Social Change'' (Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 1997), Gc 973 M229fa, offers an extensive study of farmhouse architectural design, complete with engravings and historical floor plans. She does not discuss costs until the end of the book when she explores mass-produced houses that made their appearance in the early 20th century. Still, her research sheds light on typical American farmhouses, and perhaps you will find one similar to your ancestor’s in her book. Using works like these will take you off the grid of standard genealogical sources, but they can be helpful in giving new perspectives and allowing us to write more interesting family narratives. Don’t be afraid of casting your research net more widely and using these kinds of sources.
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Canadian Census of 1931 and Other Recent Census Releases by Sara Allen
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On June 1, 2023, the Library and Archives Canada will release access to the 1931 Census of Canada on their website. It has been preparing for this release for months. The images will be available at its Census Search website: https://recherche-collection-search.baclac.gc.ca/eng/Census2/Index on that date. The Library will be partnering with Ancestry and FamilySearch.org to prepare an index to the census images, which will be available on all three sites at some point after June 1. What type of information should you expect to find on the 1931 Census of Canada? Many types of data will be included, such as: name of person, address, age, sex, marital status, relationship to head of household, place of birth, naturalization status, nationality, racial origin, religion, school attendance, ability to read and write, employment or unemployment data, whether the home was owned or rented, and if the family owned a radio. This will be an exciting day for all those researching Canadian family history. Meanwhile, there have been several other significant census releases in the last few years. The 1950 Census of the United States was released on April 1, 2022 and is now online at the National Archives website for free (https://1950census.archives.gov/), as well as at Ancestry and FamilySearch. Remember that U.S. census records include U.S. territories such as American Samoa, Puerto Rico and more. The United Kingdom Census of 1921 was released in 2021 and the records for England and Wales are available exclusively at FindMyPast database until 2025, after which other databases will be allowed to provide access to this census. You can search the census for free at: https://www.findmypast.com/1921-census/, but to view the image, you must pay a one-time fee to view one census entry, or subscribe with a personal subscription for unlimited access to the census and other records on FindMyPast. The US institutional subscription to FindMyPast (available at The Genealogy Center) does not include these 1921 census images. The 1921 Census for Scotland is available exclusively at the ScotlandsPeople website at https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/ and is viewable by purchasing credits. No census was taken in Ireland in 1921. Finally, someone asked about Mexican censuses recently. Currently the 1930 census of Mexico is the only Mexican census released to the public, available both at Ancestry and FamilySearch. One good website to visit to learn about census availability for any locality is the FamilySearch Wiki at: https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/Main_Page. Type in the name of a country in the search box, and at the general page for that country, there should be a link on the right side of the page under Record Type that says “Census.” Click on that link, and you should see a page with census information for that particular country, links to online census records, as well as possible information for how to access records that are not yet online. Happy hunting!
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Technology Tip of the Month: The Case of the Scary Upgrade by Kay Spears
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Just the other day, Hercule and I were discussing things that scare us. I mentioned that nothing sends a shiver down my back faster than a lurking IT person standing beside me. When I ask, what brought them out on such a dark and gloomy day, I hear a blood-curdling voice, “I’m here to upgrade your computer’s operating system.” I usually throw myself over my computer, screaming and crying. After they pry me from my computer, I remember I have backed up all of my files. No worries. I let them begin the dreaded upgrade, but I stand behind them just in case they need my help. Everything should be just fine…right? It all depends. Have I done my homework? You might be asking, what do I mean by homework? What would I have to do? Upgrades happen all the time…right? To which I reply, yes, they do. But there are some things one needs to do to prepare for those operating system upgrades. I don’t know about you, but through the years, I have purchased software programs and installed them on my computer. I love those programs, I am used to those programs, I’m a wiz at some of them. Why, some of them I’ve had since I began working on my computer. You might have done the same. Maybe you have some of these programs on your computer: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Acrobat, Family Tree Maker, RootsMagic, Master Genealogist, etc. You get the idea. Those are programs that you have installed on your computer, and they are managed by your operating system. Three of the most popular operating systems are: Windows, MacOS and Linux. These operating systems are upgraded every so often. When this happens, usually you are given a warning. You are given some time to look at what you have on your computer that might have an issue once that upgrade is pushed down. So, before you press that upgrade button, check on the compatibility of your programs with the system. A word of warning, some of those programs may not work with the latest upgrade. Remember that some software programs also have upgrades. Check the version you have to see if it is compatible with the upcoming upgrade. Even though you might love certain software programs, you might have to upgrade that software. Some of us may also have a software program on their computer that isn’t even manufactured anymore. You might have to do some shopping around to find something similar to the program you love. Whenever we have an upgrade here, I always check the compatibility of the system with my installed programs. I usually check Google first, but I also go into the manufacturer’s websites for answers, and sometimes I even talk to the IT person. If the upgrade is for your personal computer, you may choose not to upgrade. But then eventually, you will not be able to use that computer, or you won’t be able to share some of your work with other people. Upgrade, what a scary word! But, do your homework, check for compatibility issues. You may have to learn how to do some things all over again, or maybe not. Just be aware of changes that happen in Computerland World and how they might affect what you have on your computer. And yes, I have had to do some upgrading of software versions so that they are compatible with my operating system. I do have fond memories of Lotus-1-2-3. Next article: The Case of the Double Line
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PERSI Gems: Hoosier Germans by Adam Barrone and Mike Hudson
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We at the Periodical Source Index welcome the International German Genealogy Partnership to the Hoosier State for their biennial conference beginning June 9th.In anticipation of the arrival of presenters and attendees to Fort Wayne, we highlight PERSI as a key to a wealth of knowledge on German-American families. German and German-American societies publish a variety of useful research material in their newsletters and journals. Over the course of 38 years, PERSI indexers have consulted 100 serial publications devoted to German and German-American topics. Within these multi-year runs we scoured 3800 issues and cited 26000 articles with useful research content. This is only the beginning when considering the full scope of PERSI's coverage of articles mentioning people of German descent. We've cataloged millions of articles from over 10,000 publications of local, regional, and general interest. Try a search here: https://www.genealogycenter.info/persi/ I needn't look far for evidence of German heritage in Indiana. My own ancestry, more than half Germanic, includes many pre-Civil War immigrants from German states, from German-speaking regions of Canton Bern, Switzerland, from Alsace, from Holland and from Flanders. All these families came westward to northern Indiana through Ohio. The earlier ones first settled in Pennsylvania and Maryland. After my ancestors worked their way westward into Indiana, my wife's post-Civil-War German-immigrant ancestors came eastward after first settling in Davenport and Chicago. My in-laws brought my wife, a native of Lake County, Indiana, seventyfive miles southeast. I lured her another seventy-five miles eastward to Fort Wayne. A search of the Periodical Source Index reveals much evidence of Germans in Indiana. We learn of their journeys, their faith, their military service, their persecution, and their social, cultural, culinary, and libationary impact on the communities in which they lived. Here is a sample of our findings: Competing views of character and community, Hoosier German-Americans, temperance, early20th C. Yearbook of German-American Studies, Vol. 43 (2008) Crawfordsville brewery abandoned, not enough Germans, Waynetown Banner item, 1880 Indiana German Heritage Society Newsletter, Vol. 32, Issue 4 (Fal 2016) Freethinkers and impact on education, Indianapolis Society for German-American Studies Newsletter, Vol. 19, Issue 2 (Jun 1998) German Prot. church registers in southeast IN German Genealogical Society of America Bulletin, Vol. 2, Issue 10 (Oct 1988) Hoosier-German tales about witches and the devil Blumenbaum, Der (Sacramento German Genealogical Society), Vol. 22, Issue 2 (Oct 2004) J.H. Luers (Bischof) bio., Ger.; IN Deutsche Pionier (Deutschen Pionier-Verein, Cincinnati), Vol. 3, Issue 7 (Sep 1871) Joseph Lorenz Rustige journey from Westphalia to Indiana, 1808-1852 Palatine Immigrant, Vol. 33, Issue 2 (Mar 2008) New Harmony, eine deutsche Niederlassung in IN Deutsche Pionier (Deutschen Pionier-Verein, Cincinnati), Vol. 1, Issue 10 (Dec 1869) Revolutionary soldiers who d. IN, Palatine names Lost Palatine, Issue 3 (1982) Roger Franke recalls German grits, 1920s-1930s, IN Indiana German Heritage Society Newsletter, Vol. 24, Issue 3 (Sum 2008) Schnitzelbank Restaurant of Jasper delivers food to Sen. Dan Coats and colleagues in DC, 2014 Indiana German Heritage Society Newsletter, Vol. 30, Issue 1 (Win 2014) Thirty-second IN German-Amer. Monument, Louisville Society for German-American Studies Newsletter, Vol. 23, Issue 1 (Mar 2002) When Indiana banned German language, 1919 Indiana German Heritage Society Newsletter, Vol. 32, Issue 1 (Win 2016)
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History Tidbits: Vacations by Logan Knight
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With the arrival of June, thoughts turn to the great outdoors, summer holidays, and, of course, vacations. Nothing seems more natural. Yet, the history of how vacations became enshrined in American life is a peculiar and fascinating one. Early Americans disdained the idea of taking time off of work. Puritan forbearers subscribed to the idea that idle hands are the devil’s workshop. In other words, most people thought of leisure time as something that could give rise to vice and should be avoided. There was also the simple fact that people could not take time off when survival was a daily grind and far from guaranteed. It would not be until after the Civil War that attitudes would begin to change. Another thing inhibiting vacations was the lack of easy transportation. How could you go somewhere when the fastest method of transportation was on horseback or sailing on a ship? That reality was transformed with the development of a large railroad network, allowing the rich and middle classes to start taking what we would recognize as vacations. A change of attitude was also encouraged by ministers, doctors, and other societal leaders, who urged people to take breaks for their health and spiritual welfare. Finally, as time passed, companies began recognizing the usefulness of time off and began offering employees paid vacation time. These developments would allow for the creation of specific vacation destinations. The first of these were primarily pleasant natural environments such as beaches or forested wilderness. It was no coincidence that national parks began to be created at this time, when transportation and cultural attitude shifts allowed them to sprout up. By the early 1900’s, large cities with their various attractions were emerging as vacation spots, giving rise to the luxury hotel. The Great Depression and the Second World War put a temporary stop to the idea of vacations, but when they ended, people felt a pent-up desire to get out and about. The creation of the interstate highway system in the 1950s aided them in their quest. With widespread automobile ownership that had begun in the 1920s, vacations became widely available to most Americans. If you had a car, then you could drive to any vacation destination in the lower forty-eight. Many communities had come to depend on road travelers, with motels, gas stations, and restaurants popping up all over the country. The famed roadside attraction came into being primarily to separate tourists from their money. Much as earlier generations had depended on rail lines, their communities and their livelihoods depended now on their being situated next to the interstate. As roads changed, so did the fortunes of many towns. Yet, nostalgia for road trip vacations remains strong. For evidence of this fact, look no further than the recent surge of interest in Route 66. This once discarded road now plays host to many entries on the National Register of Historic Places. People now take tours along this highway not for any particular destination but to enjoy the journey itself. Finally, the 1950s and 60s saw the rise of travel by air, international vacations, and other mass innovations. Of particular note was the opening of Disneyland (1958) and Disneyworld (1971). These milestones inaugurated the rise of the theme park as a premiere vacation destination, which has become incredibly popular. Today, roughly one third of Americans take a two-week vacation once a year. Regardless of where they or go or what they do, they are all united in that exquisite pastime of enjoying a vacation!
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Genealogy Center’s June Programs
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Join us for another month of free, virtual programs. June 1, 2023, 6:30 p.m. EDT "What's New with DNA at MyHeritage?” with Daniel Horowitz, Genealogy Expert with MyHertiage - https://acpl.libnet.info/event/8624191 June 6, 2023, 2:30 p.m. EDT “Database Dive: African American Heritage” with Lori Hetrick - https://acpl.libnet.info/event/8553393 June 8, 2023, 6:30 p.m. EDT “Researching Roots in Georgia: A review of select resources and research institutions” with Tamika Strong - https://acpl.libnet.info/event/8553399 Special In-Person Program June 8, 2023 at 7P EDT, “A MyHeritage Gathering at the Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center” with Daniel Horowitz, Genealogy Expert with MyHeritage - https://acpl.libnet.info/event/8589575 June 13, 2023, 2:30 p.m. EDT “Introducing American Ancestors” with Claire Vail - https://acpl.libnet.info/event/8553409 June 15, 2023, 6:30 p.m. EDT “Introduction to Arab American Genealogy Research” with Reem Awad-Rashmawi - https://acpl.libnet.info/event/8592759 June 20, 2023, 2:30 p.m. EDT “All Shakespeares are not from England: Researching an African American Family from Tallahassee, Florida” with Dr. Juanita Gaston - https://acpl.libnet.info/event/8553415 June 22, 2023, 6:30 p.m. EDT “Finding and Using Pennsylvania Land Records to Solve Difficult Problems” with Megan Clark Young - https://acpl.libnet.info/event/8553421 June 27, 2023, 2:30 p.m. EDT “Fundamental Research in the South” with J. Mark Lowe - https://acpl.libnet.info/event/8553424 June 29, 2023, 6:30 p.m. EDT “Scotland’s Resources: There’s more to Scottish research than Scotlandspeople!” with Tina Beaird - https://acpl.libnet.info/event/8556873
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Program Callouts
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For the first two Thursdays in June we will have a great privilege of having Daniel Horowitz, Genealogy Expert with MyHeritage, spend some time with us. Daniel is a true friend to genealogists and has been engaged in activities to benefit us for many decades. Dedicated to genealogy since 1986, Daniel was the teacher and the study guide editor of the family history project "Searching for My Roots" in Venezuela for fifteen years. He was a board member of The International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (IAJGS) for ten years, now is involved in several crowdsource digitization and transcription projects, and holds a board-level position at The Israel Genealogy Research Association (IGRA). Since 2006 Daniel has been working at MyHeritage liaising with genealogy societies, bloggers, and media, as well as lecturing, and attending conferences around the world. Tomorrow, June 1, 2023, at 6:30 p.m. EDT Daniel will be presenting virtually “What’s New with DNA at MyHeritage?” https://acpl.libnet.info/event/8624191 One week from tomorrow, on June 8, 2023, at 7 p.m. EDT, Daniel will be in-person for a “MyHeritage Gathering at the Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center” in the Discovery Center. If you’re in the area, you will certainly want to stop by for a conversation with this engaging presenter. The Allen County Public Library is hosting the International German Genealogy Partnership Conference June 9-11, 2023. Walk-ins are welcome. It’s not too late to visit their website and plan to attend. www.IGGP.org.
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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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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/genealogycenter/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ACPLGenealogy
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%20 Webster%20St&city=Fort%20Wayne&state=IN&zipcode=46802%2d3602&country=US&geodiff =1 >From the South Exit Interstate 69 at exit 302. Drive east on Jefferson Boulevard into downtown. Turn left on Ewing Street. The Library is one block north, at Ewing Street and Washington Boulevard. Using US 27: US 27 turns into Lafayette Street. Drive north into downtown. Turn left at Washington Boulevard and go five blocks. The Library will be on the right. >From the North Exit Interstate 69 at exit 312. Drive south on Coldwater Road, which merges into Clinton Street. Continue south on Clinton to Washington Boulevard. Turn right on Washington and go three blocks. The Library will be on the right. >From the West Using US 30: Drive into town on US 30. US 30 turns into Goshen Ave. which dead-ends at West State Blvd. Make an angled left turn onto West State Blvd. Turn right on Wells Street. Go south on Wells to Wayne Street. Turn left on Wayne Street. The Library will be in the second block on the right. Using US 24: After crossing under Interstate 69, follow the same directions as from the South. >From the East Follow US 30/then 930 into and through New Haven, under an overpass into downtown Fort Wayne. You will be on Washington Blvd. when you get into downtown. Library Plaza will be on the right.
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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 e-zine" in the subject line. Curt B. Witcher and John D. Beatty, CG, co-editors