November 2021

Genealogy Gems: News from the Allen County Public Library at Fort Wayne No. 213, November 30, 2021

In this issue:

Opportunities Abound

Which DNA Test Should You Order?

Sundown Towns: A Hidden Dimension of American Racism

Technology Tip of the Month: Adobe Elements Version 2019--Brush Tools continued

PERSI Gems: Refrigeration

History Tidbits: Sitting on Santa’s Lap

Genealogy Center’s December Programs

The Genealogy Center at RootsTech 2022

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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Opportunities Abound by Curt B. Witcher

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Now that we’re officially in the holiday season, we might as well really think about what is going to be exciting and different in the New Year! How can we leverage our holiday activities to advance our abilities to find and tell our stories in 2022? How can we quietly and painlessly make our end-of-year gatherings activities that will benefit us in our storytelling pursuits? Let’s take a look at a few suggestions. First, let’s remember what we shared a number of times this year about listening. Commit to being a better listener. Let’s listen our way through the holidays! This time of year is a remarkable time for storytelling and remembering. Let’s sharpen our listening skills to learn more about all our assembled relatives and their families. And then let’s use the newly learned information to ask better questions. Listening carefully not only enhances empathy between those participating in a conversation, it can also better prepare us to explore new topics, areas of the country, life events, and new collateral family members. Listening leads to great questions which leads to awesome answers. Second, we know that the longest journey begins with a single step so let’s take a step or two toward getting our collections of materials organized. If we scanned and electronically filed five documents each of the twelve days of Christmas (or the thirty days of December!), we would have taken care of sixty documents (or one hundred and fifty documents!) painlessly. Once you experience that level of progress relative to the effort expended, I can almost guarantee you’ll want to scan and file more. Sometimes I believe we overwhelm ourselves by trying to do everything all at once. We didn’t collect our documents and images all at once; we shouldn’t expect to file them in one setting. Third, let’s enlist help from our family members in easy, comfortable ways that they barely know we are asking them for assistance. Share approximately six unidentified photographs, no more than a dozen, at a family gathering during the holidays. You can put the images on your smart device or in the cloud for easier sharing. Ask family if they recognize anyone, or if the photographs remind them of particular individuals or places. They may not only surprise you by the information they have to offer, they may also have images of their own that complement what you have. Equally fine, family members may recall relatives not present who have knowledge about the images in question and further may even have letters, diaries, and miscellaneous documents of the people memorialized in the photographs. Fourth, start a new tradition--bring a dish with “relish.” If you’re planning on bringing grandma’s refrigerator oatmeal bar cookies for dessert, “garnish” the tray with a copy of the old recipe (perhaps with some of her notes written on it) and maybe a print or two featuring grandma baking in her kitchen or simply enjoying the homeplace. If you’re considering five-cup-fruit-salad as a colorful, light dessert, a copy of the recipe with splashes of fruit juices on it and stories about children helping put the salad together would be an amazing discussion starter. Finally, as you consider upgrading and updating your genealogical programs, and getting peripherals that complement gathering and telling your families’ stories, pay close attention to features that actually assist you in staying organized as well as provide easier and more straightforward ways to attach metadata to your digital assets. There truly is an abundance of opportunities this holiday season to turn personal and family activities into family history events.

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Which DNA Test Should You Order? by Sara Allen

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During the holiday season, many people purchase DNA kits for themselves or family members. The DNA companies run some of their best sales of the year around then, so it is a good time to invest in this testing. Which test should you order? It depends on your goals and what you hope to learn from testing. Some of the recommendations in this article are based on my personal opinions. For those curious about family background and for serious genealogists: Autosomal DNA testing will give you an ethnicity estimate and list of genetic cousin matches going back to about 5th-8th cousins on all family ancestral lines. Four major, reputable testing companies offer this test: AncestryDNA, Family Tree DNA, MyHeritageDNA, and 23andme. You can do as much or as little with your DNA results as you wish. Casual users may want to check their results, and then decide not to pursue It any further. Dedicated family genealogists can work with genetic cousin matches to share information, family photos and documents, and work together on the family tree. Adoptees can use this test to find their birth family. Testing company information: Of the four companies, MyHeritageDNA has more persons currently living in Europe in their customer database of around 5 million testers. Family Tree DNA has many Jewish members in their customer database (1.4 million total users). AncestryDNA has the largest customer database (around 20 million), has helpful tools for analyzing DNA, and has more US and UK members. 23andme is not geared toward the serious genealogist, but toward health information; however, it can be useful for those seeking answers to a family mystery (12 million total users). Family Tree DNA allows law enforcement to access their DNA database to track down some violent offenders, while the other companies do not (without a court order). Be sure to read each company’s privacy policy. Ethnicity estimate: All autosomal testing company ethnicity estimate results will be somewhat imprecise and not in total agreement with your known family ethnicity or tree. 23andme is considered by many DNA experts to be the most reliable of the companies on ethnicity estimates, but it will still be imprecise. My advice is to consider the ethnicity estimates as “just for fun.” Those of Asian background might try WeGene for a more detailed breakdown of Asian ethnic groups (but no cousin matching). Those of more recent UK ancestry might try Living DNA for a more detailed breakdown of UK DNA to the county or regional level (plus some cousin matches). Health information: Several autosomal DNA companies offer add-on health testing for an additional fee. 23andme is the only company that originated as a health company. They offer reports that include disease carrier status, predisposition to conditions, family health history tree, wellness reports, and drug metabolization information for some*conditions. AncestryDNA and Family Tree DNA offer wellness information or traits, but no carrier status, for an additional testing fee. There are other testing companies that offer different wellness and health tests without a genealogical component. If you have tested at any of the big 4 companies, you can upload your raw DNA file to Promethease (https://promethease.com/) for a small fee, or CodeGen (https://codegen.eu/) for free. These companies will provide genetic variants, predispositions or carrier status for over 2,000 conditions or genes. Adoption or unknown father: Take an autosomal DNA test with the DNA testing company with the largest customer database (currently AncestryDNA). Expand to more companies if answers are not found, and be sure to pursue adoption records as well. A paternity test through a reputable laboratory is the only way to legally prove paternity. The only accurate legal sibling or half-sibling test recommended by DNA experts is Parabon’s Affinity Test. Paternal background of a male: A Y-DNA test from Family Tree DNA testing company will provide the male test taker with the ancient origins of his direct paternal line (father’s father’s father’s etc. line) and possible DNA matches who may trace back to a common ancestor from one to about fifteen generations ago. This is a powerful tool to help genealogists learn more about a paternal line. Males seeking birth fathers should take an autosomal DNA test first. I would recommend that all male genealogists test their Y-DNA at the highest level they can afford for the sake of posterity and knowledge of paternal origins.

Maternal background of a male or female: Autosomal testing is almost always the first test recommended for those seeking information about their maternal line. A mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) test offered by Family Tree DNA will provide the test taker with the ancient origins of their direct maternal line (mother’s mother’s mother’s etc. line) and possible DNA matches who may trace back to a common ancestor from one to about 30 generations ago. I would recommend that all genealogists test their mtDNA for the sake of posterity and knowledge of maternal origins. Happy shopping and happy holidays!

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Sundown Towns: A Hidden Dimension of American Racism by John D Beatty, CG

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Many Americans, as well as religious and cultural institutions, have begun a process of reexamining the history of racism in local history contexts. By identifying ways in which minority groups have been discriminated against, they seek to find dialog, shine light on past history, and redress decades of wrong behavior. From about 1890 to as late as the 1970s, many Americans lived in socalled “Sundown Towns.” These communities enacted laws that prevented African Americans from owning property. Some even posted signs using racist language forbidding them the right to stay in those towns after dark. People of color have long known about these restrictions, but their history may be new to others, especially whites, who may be unfamiliar with how pervasive these laws and practices were in small towns and suburbs across the country for much of the twentieth century. A useful history of this discrimination is James W. Loewen’s book, “Sundown Towns: A Hidden Dimension of American Racism” (New York: The New Press, 2005), GC 973.068 L8255u. In a compelling narrative history, Loewen discusses how these laws were enacted during the Jim Crow era in America, not only in the South but also throughout the North, beginning decades after the Civil War. After an idealistic period immediately after the war when freed slaves were welcomed in northern communities, a dark period descended across the country. Segregation, threats, and even violence occurred during this period in an effort to force African Americans and minority groups to leave certain towns. Town councils passed real estate covenants forbidding the ownership of land in certain planned suburbs. Racist stereotypes prevailed, and even in the North, the Ku Klux Klan enjoyed a resurgence in the 1910s and 1920s. Driving out so-called undesirable people became a civic-minded activity that lasted until the reforms of the Civil Rights legislation of the 1960s and even for more than a decade afterward. Sundown towns sprang up across the South and Midwest during this period and were surprisingly widespread. Loewen recounts the stories of violence and threats in many individual towns in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Arkansas, and elsewhere. The work is well documented and makes for disturbing reading, even though most such communities have since undergone extensive reform and integration in recent times. Here in Indiana where I live, I was surprised by how many communities had sundown laws. The value of such a book may seem less apparent for genealogists than for local historians, but it still can be useful for the study of family history. Loewen explains that many local histories avoid any discussion of these issues and therefore offer a stilted view of their past. If our ancestors lived in “sundown” communities, that knowledge, however uncomfortable, may help us gain a better understanding of them and the world in which they lived. That will help us become more attuned to a variety of records, make us better researchers, and thus help us write better, more accurate family histories.

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Technology Tip of the Month: Adobe Elements Version 2019--Brush Tools continued by Kay Spears

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Let’s take a look at more of our Brush Tools: The Impressionist Brush Tool and the Color Replacement Brush. As I mentioned in the last article, both of these brushes are a destructive technique. The reason for that is the effect is applied directly to the image, without the protection of an added layer. Because of that, you should not only work on a copy of the original photograph, but also have a duplicate layer of your image in the layer palette. You can then turn the bottom layer off, but if you make a mistake on copy layer, you can easily make another duplicate layer and start over. The Color Replacement Tool. This has a simple definition: you will replace a color in the image with one of your choosing. Open an image. I suggest for learning purposes you open a simple landscape image. I’ve opened a photograph of trees. Select your brush tool, then select the Color Replacement Brush. The icon has a brush with a little square and a small curved arrow. Your options are brush size, tolerance, mode, limit, brush setting. To start, depending on your image, keep the brush size small. You should also see that your cursor/brush has turned into a circle with a crosshair in the middle. The crosshair is the important part of this tool. The color you select will be placed inside of where you maneuver your crosshair. To select a color, open your Color Swatch palette. This palette is located in the Menu>Window>Color Swatches. You can pick any of the colors in the swatch you want for a replacement. Now pick a color and go back to the image and practice with your Crosshair Brush. Adobe Elements will try to pick the edges of objects, but just remember to keep the crosshairs inside of where you want the color to go. Hold down your left cursor button to replace the color. Now, have fun with all the different tool options of this brush. The Impressionist Brush Tool. Now it’s time to become Claude Monet. The icon for the Impressionist tool looks like a brush with a squiggly line behind it. Select that icon. To begin, I suggest keeping the settings on low. I also suggest starting with a soft brush. I have opened an image with a big flower, just because that’s what an impressionist artist does. Actually, the reason I started with a big flower was that it is easier to see the different effects that are possible. Holding your left cursor button down, just start moving your brush around your canvas. Change the size and tolerance. Also open the Advanced option and experiment with the Brush Settings. You can go wild with this brush. Add filters, change brush types, have fun! The object of this tool is that when you are finished, your photograph will look like a painting. The Brush Tools are what I would call “fun” tools, which are a gift from Adobe Elements. Experiment with all of them, and since you’re working on copies you don’t have to be afraid you’re going to ruin anything. Listen to that inner artist, and enjoy! Next article we are going to try and look at three more tools in the Draw group: The Erasure Tool, The Paint Bucket Tool, and the Gradient Tool.

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PERSI Gems: Refrigeration by Adam Barrone and Mike Hudson

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I first saw an ice box in a cabin on Sand Lake in Rusk Co., Wisconsin. By the 1980s, this relic of another era served as a mere kitchen cabinet, but its ice-compartment door on the exterior of the cabin was still present. The convenience and reliability of electric or gas refrigeration prompted swift adoption of modern refrigerators by American households. As the growth of refrigeration improved food storage and transportation, the refrigerator manufacturing and repair industry offered opportunities for job seekers. The McCray Refrigerator Company, founded in 1887 at Kendallville, Indiana, became its city's largest employer. The Federal Census lists my great-grandfather, Cyrus Carothers, among their staff in 1910 and 1920 as a laborer and carpenter. Even today, the McCray factory's handiwork of this early period chills beverages behind the dining counter at Fort Wayne's Coney Island Wiener Stand. Harry Crothers, a grandson of Cyrus Carothers, fixed countless refrigerators throughout his career as an appliance repairman in Fort Wayne from the 1940s through the early 1980s. To learn more about the appliances built, repaired, used, or transported by your ancestors, try a search in the Periodical Source Index (PERSI): http://search.findmypast.com/search/periodical-source-index Some chilled citations: Berley Bub Rines, 3094th Refrigeration Unit, bio. sketch and military service, b. 1924 Paper Talks: Mid-Maine Edition, 2007 Bernard Landen's Invention, an iceless refrigerator, 1931 Ida County Historical Society Newsletter, v.35n.2, Feb. 2009 Challenge Corn Planter Co. changed to Challenge Refrigerator Co., 1883-1929 Grand River Packet, v.25n.1, Sep. 2007 Making refrigerator magnets and iron-on fabric transfers out of old photos Cedar Tree Branches, v.17n.4, Nov. 2009 McCray Refrigerator Company advertisement, 1913 Pioneer Echoes, Apr. 2010 Mutton refrigeration machinery of William Soltau Davidson, cover image, notes, 1882 Root and Branch, v.8n.4, Spr. 1982 Nash-Dietz Company completes installation of refrigerator, 1925 Platte Valley Kin Seekers, v.24n.4, Win. 2004 Sedan converted into refrigerator car for fish, 1925, note Trolley Tattler, v.9n.8, Aug. 2007 St. Louis Refrigerator Car Co. history, Anheuser-Busch Brewery Work, 1911-1960s Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis Historical and Technical Society, Inc., Newsletter, Sum. 1998

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History Tidbits: Sitting on Santa’s Lap By Allison DePrey Singleton

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After Thanksgiving, the holiday season gets into full swing in the United States. Many parents begin dressing their children in their holiday best to stand in a line and meet Santa. Do you remember standing in line at the local department store to sit on Santa’s lap? Did you follow the same tradition with your children? Why do we take small children to sit on the lap of a stranger? Let’s explore the history of this holiday tradition. The pastime of sitting on Santa’s lap has evolved over time. Many sources trace the origin to a store in Philadelphia in 1841 owned by Mr. Parkinson. According to newspaper articles, Parkinson’s Confectionary had a life-sized Santa Claus coming out of a chimney that astonished crowds of young and old in Philadelphia. It marked the first time a store had used Santa Claus as a draw for customers. The concept of having children share with Santa what they wanted for Christmas was well established. Children had written letters to him for years, but the idea of having them actually tell him in person was new. In 1890, James Edgar, another store keeper, dressed up as Santa Claus to meet with children in his store. He was savvy and knew that by bringing children to the store, their parents would also have to come. Once in the store, it was up to the shopkeeper to entice customers to buy their wares. Eventually, it became the standard for large stores and later, department stores, to have a Santa Claus meet with children. They built elaborate displays around Santa and had him wait for the children to come to him. Once photography became more affordable and commonplace, photographs of children sitting on Santa’s lap became the norm. No specific person or single event sparked the idea of having children sit on Santa’s lap to ask for Christmas presents. It grew out of the practices of a few businesses and marketing savvy shopkeepers who realized that Santa was a draw for families to come to their stores. Now, for many families, this is a tradition that cannot be missed. Sources and Further Reading: Bowler, Gerry. The World Encyclopedia of Christmas. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 2012. Forbes, Bruce David. Christmas: A Candid History. University of California Press, 2007. Marling, Karal Ann. Merry Christmas!: Celebrating America's Greatest Holiday. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2001. Miles, Clement A. Christmas Customs and Traditions, Their History and Significance. New York: Dover Publications, 1976. “Parkinson, James Wood.” Encyclopedia.com. Encyclopedia.com, November 27, 2021. https://www.encyclopedia.com/food/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/parkinson- james-wood. Restad, Penne L. Christmas in America: A History. New York: Oxford University Press, Incorporated, 1996.

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Genealogy Center’s December Programs

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Join us for another month of free, virtual programs!

Thursday, December 2, 2021 at 6:30 p.m. EST: “Which DNA Test Should I Order?” Presented by Sara Allen: https://acpl.libnet.info/event/5833585

Tuesday, December 7, 2021 at 2:30 p.m. EST: “Hoosier Germantowns and Their Fates.” Presented by Don Flick: https://acpl.libnet.info/event/5833491

Thursday, December 9, 2021 at 6:30 p.m. EST: “Legalese for Genealogists.” Presented by David Singleton: https://acpl.libnet.info/event/5897100

Tuesday, December 14, 2021 at 2:30 p.m. EST: “Researching Ship Passenger Lists.” Presented by Andy McCarthy: https://acpl.libnet.info/event/5834600

Thursday, December 16, 2021 at 6:30 p.m. EST: “Introduction to Louisiana Genealogy Research.” Presented by Elizabeth Hodges: https://acpl.libnet.info/event/5834624

Tuesday, December 21, 2021 at 2:30 p.m. EST: “What is WeRelate and How Can I Use It?” Presented by Cynthia Theusch: https://acpl.libnet.info/event/5834650

Tuesday, December 28, 2021 at 2:30 p.m. EST: “AncesTRY Me.” Presented by Josh Smith and Jeff Roberts: https://acpl.libnet.info/event/5884316

Thursday, December 30, 2021 at 6:30 p.m. EST: “Your North Carolina Family History Research Starts Here: An Intro to Government & Heritage Collections & Resources.” Presented by Kelly Agan: https://acpl.libnet.info/event/5884308

Please register in advance for each program.

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The Genealogy Center at RootsTech 2022

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Join us for the FREE 2022 Virtual RootsTech event and learn new ways to take your family history research to the next level. The Genealogy Center’s very own, Allison Singleton, will be presenting a couple of programs during the conference, and you can discover the Allen County Public Library exhibitor booth featuring new resources and materials from the experts at the Genealogy Center. Family history research starts with a question. As you enjoy the RootsTech sessions, be sure to let us know if you have any family history questions of your own via our booth chat. The genealogists at the Genealogy Center would love to help you dig deeper to find the answers to your family’s mysteries. So be sure to register for this free event and visit the Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center-Visit Fort Wayne booth!

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