September 2005

Genealogy Gems:

News from the Fort Wayne Library No. 19, September 30, 2005 In this issue:

Family History Month and the Records of Our Families

Transforming a German Place Name into a Research Lead

State Records – North Carolina Core Collection

Preservation Tip of the Month

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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Family History Month and the Records of Our Families by Curt B. Witcher

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Another Family History Month is upon us--and I truly hope it is much more than “just another” Family History Month for you! The Historical Genealogy Department, in cooperation with a number of local organizations and individuals, is offering a full calendar of things one can do to be active in genealogy and family history discovery this coming month. One can become a more successful searcher of our online catalog, Ancestry.com, and HeritageQuestOnline by attending the computer training sessions; one can learn how scrapbooking can become an exciting way to preserve and present family history information; one can get special, one-on-one assistance in British Isles research; and so much more. If you‛re interested in taking a refresher course in getting started on your genealogy for the first time, learning how to begin writing your family story, planning a successful research trip, or learning about your family‛s health history, we‛ve got something for you. A complete list of the October programs will be available next week at the following website: . We‛d be pleased to have you join us. The FriendsOfAllenCounty.org website is becoming increasingly fullfeatured. Recently two federated search options were added to the site. A federated search allows one to search across multiple databases for the same name. A researcher can engage this feature by clicking on the “Search Site” button. One will find a “Search Site” button on the main FriendsOfAllenCounty.org webpage. Clicking on that button will bring up a screen that explains the search option and provides one with a box in which to key a name of interest. The search executed by the “Search Site” option is a “fuzzy” or character-string search. Hence, searching for the name “Williams” will give one “Williams” and “Williamson” results. The “Search Site” button on the main FriendsOfAllenCounty.org webpage will search all the databases on the website. A second “Search Site” button found on the “Fort Wayne and Allen County, Indiana Databases” webpage will search all the Fort Wayne and Allen County databases. This is helpful if one wants to confine one‛s search results to just Allen County, Indiana data. Our thoughts remain with those struggling to pull their lives back together after the two ravaging storms that hit our gulf coast states. We all know so many individuals and organizations that are doing their part for the recovery effort. The staff of the Allen County Public Library have donated thousands of dollars directly to affected families and through the Red Cross. Our library has also adopted a small public library in Louisiana completely devastated by the storms. Our goal is to be instrumental in getting them back on their feet and serving the public again. Attendees at the recent Federation of Genealogical Societies conference in Salt Lake City donated hundreds of dollars to America‛s Second Harvest, Inc. as well as hundreds of pounds of soap, shampoo, and personal hygiene products that were shipped directly to relief sites. Those interested in family history continue to demonstrate in meaningful ways they are also interested in families. Not to be lost on those of us who are passionate about family and local history is the huge loss of personal, public, and private organizational records caused by these storms. If we are serious about preserving our heritage, discovering who our ancestors are, and sharing the details of their lives, we must be equally serious about seeing that the records in our communities and in our own homes, churches, and offices of organizations with which we are involved are preserved in a manner that will ensure their survival through disasters of all types. One of the best ways to ensure that information is preserved is to store true copies of the data in several different places, and sometimes even in several different forms. Members of your family should have copies of the family record pages from your family bible as well as back-ups to your computerized genealogy files. Your church, school, and local governmental entities should have their records regularly microfilmed or digitized by reputable companies that provide high quality products in standard formats. And then copies should be placed in libraries and archives. The Historical Genealogy Department welcomes being the preservation archive for copies of your family and local histories. Even your businesses and area associations should take appropriate care to preserve their historical records. It is up to us to ensure the records that document our heritage survive. Our descendants will expect nothing less from us.

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Transforming a German Place Name into a Research Lead by Don Litzer

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If you have the name of a German ancestral place of origin, and especially if you believe that you know the region in Germany from where your ancestors came, several sources may help in verifying that location and furthering your research. Spotting a place name on a map is important, but only a first step; you need to place it in a context with record sources. For German research, this means identifying the location of the church your ancestors would have attended (important because civil registration was not universal in Germany until 1876) and administrative territories responsible for your ancestors‛ vital and other civil records. For years, the standard source for such research was Charles M. Hall‛s Atlantic Bridge to Germany (929 H14a), published in ten volumes from 1974 to 1997. Each volume of this ground-breaking series provides a historical overview, a gazetteer of place-names linking variously to church and civil jurisdictions and records locations, and maps. The Atlantic Bridge to Germany series is now being produced by Linda Herrick and Wendy Uncapher of Origins. A new level of polish and thoroughness is evident in their revised editions for Baden (943.46 H434a), Alsace-Lorraine (944.38 H434a), and Pomerania (on order). The new editions include 1:100,000 scale maps from the Karte des Deutschen Reiches collection representing Germany as it existed prior to World War I, and which include all locations listed in the works‛ gazetteers. The upgraded historical overviews, rich with maps and diagrams explaining administrative history, territorial changes, and other genealogically significant information, are capped off by useful bibliographies. If a German village/town/city has its own church, the Atlantic Bridge to Germany refers you to available LDS-microfilmed records. However, if a village‛s residents belonged to another community‛s church, Atlantic Bridge to Germany won‛t indicate that church‛s location; you‛re still uncertain whether useful parish records are available. Kevan Hansen‛s Map Guide to German Parish Registers, discussed by John Beatty in July‛s Genealogical Gems, addresses this need. Each volume of Hansen‛s series, following a brief historical overview, has two sets of outline maps (one each for Lutheran and Catholic churches, Germany‛s principal confessions, with a narrative covering other religions). Each map, which shows the approximate parish boundaries in an Amt (local civil district), is accompanied by a list of the Amt‛s parishes including, if its records are filmed, the LDS number for the parish‛s first microfilm, and a list of the Amt‛s communities crossreferenced to the parishes by which they‛re served. At the end of each volume is an alphabetical index to place names. Map Guide to German Parish Registers (943 H198m) have been published for Hessen (Darmstadt), Baden, Mecklenburg (Schwerin and Strelitz), Schleswig-Holstein and Oldenburg, Wuerttemberg, and Hessen-Nassau. Options exist for regions not covered by the Hansen series. Brigitte Kreplin‛s Die Gemeinde und Wohnplatze Pommerns (943.16 K88g) links places to parishes and civil jurisdictions in Pomerania. Parishes of Ostfriesland (943.52 P219) cross-references places to parishes. For Bavaria, Saxony, and Prussia‛s provinces, pre-World War I gazetteers, collectively referred to as town gazetteers or Gemeindelexikonen, indicate the parish affiliation of small communities. These are available from LDS on microfilm; see Larry O. Jensen, A Genealogical Handbook for German Research, Volume I (943 J53ga), pages 61-70, and Fay Dearden‛s The German Researcher: How to Get the Most Out of an LDS Family History Center (929 D33ga), page 38. For other regions, an area search, beginning with Meyers Orts- und Verkehrs-Lexikon des Deutschen Reiches (943 W93m) is recommended.

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State Records – North Carolina Core Collection by Roberta Ridley

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35mm Microfilm Collection of 4318 reels Reel Guide: North Carolina Records, Core Collection – call no. 975.6 N181N, v.1 It has been said that “nothing could be finer than to be in Carolina....” and it may be true, but it‛s even better if you are fortunate enough to have ancestors from North Carolina. If that is the case, we would like to introduce you to the North Carolina Core Collection. This extensive collection of microfilmed county court house records has been preserved and made available by the North Carolina State Archives. The records have a chronological range from 1659 through 1977, but most fall between the mid 1700s and early 1900s. Researchers drawn to North Carolina for ancestor information can view a cornucopia of data types. Sample record groups featured include the following: apprentice bonds and indentures, bastardy bonds, births, court minutes, deaths, deeds, dowers, flesh marks, land sold for taxes, military records, Negro cohabitation certificates, real estate conveyances, tax records, wills and other types of probate records of estates, such as administrators‛ accounts, and guardian bonds. One listing for Gates County is “Registration of Slaves to work in Great Dismal Swamp, 1847–1861.” Of course, the offerings and time periods covered by each record will vary from one county to another. Marriages are among the most valuable record groups and include “Colored Marriage Registers 1839-1969” and marriage bonds, which begin as early as the year 1741. A microfiche statewide index for these marriage bonds provides the groom‛s name, bride‛s name, date of bond, bondsman and witness names. The records themselves are found within the county groupings in alphabetical order by surname. A marriage bond is a keepsake piece of history that can provide valuable details on ancestors, such as parents of the bride and groom, and names of bondsmen and witnesses, who may also be related. Many of the microfilmed bonds are completely hand written and others are on printed forms; all are copies of the original documents. These are but a few select items from the amazing North Carolina Core Collection. Visit us to explore that, along with our supplemental series of North Carolina Baptist Church Records and federal Tax Assessment Lists (1864-1866) for the state, and you will be amazed with your North Carolina findings.

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PRESERVATION TIP OF THE MONTH

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ACPL‛s Preservation Technician Becky Schipper offers advice on conserving your documents. A very handy and inexpensive guide for preservation of various types of materials is, “A Preservation Guide: Saving the Past and the Present for the Future,” by Barbara Sagraves. It is published by Ancestry (1995). Find it at ACPL at 929 Sa18p. ******************************************

HOTEL OF THE MONTH

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Each issue we will feature a local hotel, for visitors from out-of-town. Hampton Inn and Suites Ft. Wayne North 5702 Challenger Parkway Fort Wayne 46818 Hampton Inn is a large chain featuring attractive rates, and most people know what to expect from them. The rooms have hair dryer, coffee maker, iron, complimentary movies and internet access (WiFi in lobby). Hot breakfast and newspaper included each morning. There are 90 rooms, some of which are suites, an indoor pool and exercise room. Well located for the mall and restaurants, some of which will deliver to the Hampton. The library is an easy fifteen minute drive away.

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AREA CALENDAR OF EVENTS

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Allen County Public Library 3 rd floor atrium display area Passages: Immigration Allen County Genealogical Society of Indiana (ACGSI) Refreshments at 6:30, meeting at 7:00. Questions: contact Marge Graham, 260 672-2585 or gramar57@aol.com Wednesday, October 12, 2005 Aboite branch ACPL: John Martin Smith. “Black Legs, Regulators and the Hanging of Gregory McDougall; was your ancestor a black leg or regulator?” Computer Users Group Wednesday, October 19: Aboite branch ACPL, 7:00. Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) First Wednesday of each month in the Genealogy Department 9am – 7pm. 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 8 October: Shelbyville, IN, Shelbyville Town Hall (54 W. Broadway Suite 10), Indiana Genealogical Society Management Seminar, "Your Society Wants You! Effective Recruiting Strategies for Genealogical Societies" 9 October: Fremont, OH, Sandusky County Kin Hunters, Sandusky Township Hall, 2207 Oak Harbor Rd. (North St. Rt. 19) Fremont, Ohio, "Effective Use of the Allen County Public Library's Historical Genealogy Department" 22 October: Niles District Library, 620 East Main Street, Niles, MI, Local History and Genealogy Day, "Doing Effective Genealogical Research in Libraries" and "Mining the Mother Lode: Using Periodical Literature for Genealogical Research." 27 October: Indiana State Library, Indianapolis, IN, "Using Military Records for Genealogical Research." 19 November: Arizona State Genealogical Society Fall Seminar, Viscount Hotel, 4855 E. Broadway, Tucson, AZ, "Using Military Records for Genealogical Research," "Effective Use of the Allen County Public Library," "The Road Not Taken: Mega Internet Sites for Genealogists off the Beaten Path," "Doing the History Eliminates the Mystery!" Ryan Taylor 8 October: Westfield Genealogical Group, Westfield, IN KEEP IN MIND: October is family history month, and ACPL genealogical librarians and other local genealogical professionals will be offering programs on many topics at the library.

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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&ad dtohistory=&searchtab=address&searchtype=address&address=200+E+Be rry+St&city=Fort+Wayne&state=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/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. 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 of the lot. Available for short-term library parking. Limited to one hour. There are handicapped parking spots near the door. 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. 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 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. To subscribe to Genealogy Gems, simply use your browser to go to the website: www.FriendsOfAllenCounty.org. Scroll down toward the bottom of the first screen where it says, "Enter Your Email Address to Subscribe to "Genealogy Gems." Enter your email address in the yellow box and click on "Subscribe." 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 GenealogyGems you just received or send an email to kspears@acpl.lib.in.us with "unsubscribe e-zine" in the subject line. Ryan Taylor, editor