October 2004

Genealogy Gems:

News from the Fort Wayne Library No. 8, October 31, 2004

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In this issue:

Giving Thanks and Religious Holidays

City Directories & Phonefiche

Confederate Pension Application Sources Available in the Historical Genealogy Collection, Part 1

Hotel of the month

Area Calendar of Events

ACPL Librarians on Tour

Driving directions to the Library

Parking at the Library

Queries for the Department

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GIVING THANKS AND RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS Curt B. Witcher

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The end of October heralds the beginning of the season of celebrations for many. Harvesting across the country has been in full gear for many weeks, and talk of Thanksgiving festivities is already filling many households. As citizens of this great country, there is certainly much for which we all can be thankful--and as genealogists engaged in the wonderfully enriching activity of discovering our ancestry and heritage, we are doubly blessed. As you begin your Thanksgiving plans, remember what a great time of year it is to record family stories. It is also an excellent time to update your photograph albums with new family shots. And it is certainly an excellent time to solicit as many eyes and minds as possible in identifying some of those nameless photographs. In these last sixty-one days of the year, nearly every religious tradition celebrates some holiday or feast day. What a perfect opportunity for all of us to see when the last history of our church, meeting-house, mosque, synagogue, or temple was written. If it has been a while (or never!), why not get a group of interested individuals together and commit to compiling an early twenty-first century history? In the process of doing such compilations, it is amazing the number of records that are uncovered, both official records of the religious entities and the letters, diaries, and daybooks of the leaders. Such endeavors also typically uncovered some wonderfully unique photographs. Researching and recording these histories helps ensure the information is available for future generations of genealogists and historians. And of course, the Historical Genealogy Department would be interested in receiving a copy of any work that might be compiled, whether published or not. Our library also provides nice homes for older church histories, yearbooks, and directories that folks may not have a need for anymore. Please do keep us in mind. A couple of news items: +The department Surname File on the “Friends of Allen County” website  has been updated recently. +Two mortality list databases have been added, one for the Indiana Farm Colony for the Feeble-Minded and one for the Fort Wayne State School. +The number of Allen County, Indiana church burial databases has doubled from five to ten. +On October 1st, the library introduced a brand new email reference service called “Ask a Librarian.” A part of this new service is an “Ask a Genealogy Librarian” feature. While the service is not designed for conducting individual research, it is a way for you to gain knowledge about what we have in our collection and get some suggestions on a genealogical research problem that might have you stumped. Simply send an email to .

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CITY DIRECTORIES & PHONEFICHE Elaine M. Kuhn

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Looking for an ancestor in between censuses? Trying to track down an old classmate? Some very useful tools when searching for friends and relatives are city directories and telephone books. City directory listings include the head of each household along with the spouse’s name, the person’s address, their place of employment (if any), and often some mention of whether the person owns, boards, or rents at that address. More recent directories list telephone numbers and how many years a person has resided at their address. Some directories are called “criss-cross” directories, meaning that one looks for an individual by their address and/or telephone number, rather than by their name. Telephone books provide similar information to city directories such as the name and address of the resident, but they do not list a resident’s employer. The Historical Genealogy Department holds a vast collection of city directories in various formats. City directories from some 240 American cities covering the years 1785 to 1860 are available on microfiche while directories from over 100 American cities covering the years 1861 to 1935 are available on microfilm. As the department is a repository for R.L. Polk directories, we also have over 45,000 print directories for U.S. cities ranging from 1964 to the present. The department also holds directories from various Canadian localities, primarily from the mid to late twentieth century. To determine which areas the department holds print directories for, use the library’s online catalog at www.acpl.lib.in.us and search by the name of the city or county you are interested in. Currently the department’s microfilm and microfiche holdings are not part of the online catalog, but they are searchable in the Microtext section’s card catalog. A little-known source that might help researchers tracking relatives in the late twentieth century is Phonefiche. Phonefiche is a collection of microfiche copies of telephone books for hundreds of U.S. cities. Phonefiche is an excellent resource to employ for cities that no longer publish annual directories or to fill in the gaps for years where city directories are not available. ACPL’s collection covers the years 1978-1990, and is arranged alphabetically by city. There is a Community CrossReference Guide (ACPL call no. 973 P5665) shelved in the Microtext section of the department for determining which smaller towns are included in larger city telephone books.

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CONFEDERATE PENSION APPLICATION SOURCES AVAILABLE IN THE HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION, PART 1 By Delia Cothrun Bourne

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At the end of the Civil War, the Federal government provided pensions to Union soldiers who were disabled, or to widows and dependent parents of those who had died. Later, the government provided pensions to all Union veterans or widows. Confederate veterans were not eligible for Federal pensions because they had fought for another country, the Confederate States of America (CSA), which no longer existed. In the decades following the war, the various state governments of the former CSA stepped in to provide pensions for those who had served their states by serving the Confederacy. Of course, no state outside of the Southern states provided pensions for Confederate veterans. Through a mutual agreement of reciprocity among the states, pensions were granted from the state of current residence rather than the state of service. Most states had regulations that linked length of residence to eligibility. Applications for the veterans could include such information as the veteran’s name, current address and length of residence, birth date and place, regiment and company with dates of service, statement or proof of disability or indigency, and information on employment, financial status and dependent children. Widows’ applications could include much of the same information, as well as marriage date and place, and death date and place of the veteran. Also included in the applications may be witness or physician statements. Some of these applications may have been indexed. Some of these indexes provide a great deal of information to aid in identifying the veteran; others provide only name and application number. Copies of some states’ pension applications, and/or indexes to the pensions are available at the Historical Genealogy Department. In 1867, Alabama began granting pensions to disabled Confederate, and expanded this to include widows in 1886, and then all indigent veterans or widows in 1891. The applications are listed alphabetically at the Alabama Department of Archives in Montgomery, but are not available in the Historical Genealogy Department of the Allen County Public Library. Between 1891 and 1939, the state government of Arkansas enacted a number of legislative measures to provide for veterans and widows. The Historical Genealogy Department owns copies of the applications for pensions on 123 rolls of microfilm. Two indexes exist for this set: One is Desmond Walls Allen’s “Index to Arkansas Confederate Pension Applications” (ACPL call no. GC 973.74 AR48ALR), which includes name of veteran and widow; company, regiment and division; application date and county from which enrolled; and death dates. The other index is Frances T. Ingmire’s “Arkansas Confederate Veterans and Widows Pension Applications” (ACPL call no. GC 973.74 AR48I). The citations in this index include veteran’s and widow’s names and application numbers; company, regiment and division; dates of service and applications; county of residence; and the death dates of the veterans and widows. Both of these indexes can be found in the Genealogy Department. To be continued.

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HOTEL OF THE MONTH

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Each issue we will feature a local hotel, for visitors from out-of-town. Hilton Fort Wayne at the Grand Wayne Center 1020 South Calhoun Street, Fort Wayne 260 420 1100; fax 260 424 7775 The great advantage of the Hilton is its location — only two blocks from the library. Stroll through the garden behind the Summit Square building and you’ve arrived! The large hotel, recently renovated, features spacious rooms with pillow-top mattresses. All areas have complimentary wireless high-speed Internet access. There are two restaurants and a bar in the hotel itself, and many fast-food places are a short walk away, as well as the more traditional Bill’s Palace. The hotel has an airport shuttle service.

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AREA CALENDAR OF EVENTS

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Allen County Public Library 3rd floor atrium display area Passages: Immigration Allen County Genealogical Society of Indiana (ACGSI) http://www.ipfw.edu/ipfwhist/historgs/acgsi.htm Wednesday, November 10, 2004 Aboite Branch of the ACPL, 5630 Coventry Lane 6:30 pm social time, 7:00 pm program Sharon Zonker appearing in costume and presenting "Civil War Ladies" 13, 2004 Computer Users Group Wednesday, November 17, 2004 at 7 pm. Aboite Library, 5630 Coventry Lane, Fort Wayne, IN 260-421-1310 Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) First Wednesday of each month in the Genealogy Department 9am - 3pm. Expert help from members of the DAR in becoming a member of that organization

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ACPL LIBRARIANS ON TOUR

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Curt Witcher November 6, 2004: Niles, MI, Niles District Library November 13, 2004: Cincinnati, OH, Hamilton County Genealogical Society Program January 8, 2005: Bloomfield Hills, MI, Detroit Society for Genealogical Research February 19, 2005: Madison, FL, Florida Genealogical Society April 30, 2005: Kalamazoo, MI, Kalamazoo Valley Genealogical Society

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DRIVING DIRECTIONS TO THE LIBRARY

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Wondering how to get to the library? Our exciting transition location is 200 E. Berry, Fort Wayne, Indiana. We will be at this location until late 2006. We would enjoy having you visit the Genealogy Department. To get directions from your exact location to 200 E. Berry, Fort Wayne, Indiana, visit this link at MapQuest: http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?country=US&countryid=250&addtohistory=&se archtab=address&searchtype=address&address=200+E+Berry+St&city=Fort+Wayne&sta te=IN&zipcode=46802-2706&search=++Search++&finditform=1 >From the South Exit Interstate 69 at exit 102. Drive east on Jefferson Blvd. into downtown. Turn left on Barr Street to Berry Street. The library is located on the corner of Berry and Barr Streets. >From the North Exit Interstate 69 at exit 112. Drive south on Coldwater Road, which merges into Clinton Street. Continue south on Clinton, the library will be on your left when you cross Berry Street. >From the West Using US 30: Drive into town on US 30. US 30 turns into Goshen Road. Coming up to an angled street (State Street.) make an angled left turn. Turn right on Wells Street. Go south on Wells to Wayne Street. Left on Wayne Street. When you cross Clinton, the library will be on your left on Wayne Street. Using US 24: After crossing under Interstate 69, follow the same directions as from the South. >From the East Follow US 30 into and through New Haven, under an overpass into downtown Fort Wayne. You will be on Washington Blvd. when you get into downtown. Turn right on Barr Street. Turn left on Berry Street. The library is on your left on Berry Street.

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PARKING AT THE LIBRARY

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Lot in front of the library, east side Available for short-term library parking. Limited to one hour. Tippman Parking Garage Clinton and Wayne Streets. Across from the library, however the skybridge is NOT accessible. Hourly parking, $1.25 per hour up to a maximum of $5.00 per day. Park Place Lot Covered parking on Barr Street at Main Street. This lot is one block away from the library. Hourly parking Monday through Friday, 9am to 6pm. Street (metered) parking on Wayne Street and Berry Street. On the street you plug the meters 8am - 5pm, weekdays only. It is free to park on the street after 5pm and on the weekends. Visitor center/Grand Wayne center Covered parking at Washington and Clinton Streets. This is the Hilton Hotel parking lot that also serves as a day parking garage. For hourly parking, 7am - 11 pm, charges are .50 for the first 45 minutes, then $1.00 per hour. There is a flat $2.00 fee between 5pm and 11pm.

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GENEALOGY DEPARTMENT QUERIES

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The Historical Genealogy Department hopes you find this newsletter Interesting and helpful. Thank you for subscribing. We cannot, however, answer personal research emails written to the e-zine address. The department provides 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 visit the “Ask a Genealogy Librarian” link at the library’s web site http://www.acpl.lib.in.us/ask/genealogy.html

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PUBLISHING NOTE

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This electronic newsletter is published by the Allen County Public Library's Historical Genealogy Department, and is intended to enlighten readers about genealogical research methods as well as inform them about the vast resources of the Allen County Public Library. We welcome the wide distribution of this newsletter and encourage readers to forward it to their friends and societies. All precautions have been made to avoid errors. However, the publisher does not assume any liability to any party for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions, no matter the cause. If this issue of "Genealogy Gems" has been forwarded to you and you would like to receive your own copy in the future, visit www.FriendsOfAllenCounty.org and fill out the subscription form at the bottom of the page. Another way to subscribe is to send an email to genealogygems-subscribe@friendsofallencounty.org Sue Kaufman, editor