| THE GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s Thursday Evening E-News Edition March 12, 2020 |
| Curious about the status of your GFO Membership? We’d love to have you as a GFO Member! |
| gfo.org | 503-963-1932 | info@gfo.org Be sure to check the complete GFO CALENDAR. Also, don’t miss the current issue of The Forum Insider |
| Coronavirus Impacts: Open House, Seminar, SIGS, GenTalk |
| The
Genealogical Forum of Oregon is actively monitoring communications from
local, state and federal authorities about the ongoing coronavirus
pandemic. Today, Oregon Governor Kate Brown instructed all groups
in the state to cancel events hosting 10 people or more in high risk
populations. Older adults are considered high risk. A large percentage
of our members and SIG participants are older. Therefore, we have taken these actions: Canceled Special Interest Group meetings. Canceled GenTalk about PERSI on March 21. Rescheduled the Open House to Sept. 25-Oct. 4. Rescheduled the DNA Seminar with Karen Stanbary to August 8-9. Those who have registered for the seminar remain registered for the future dates. All registered attendees will receive a direct email about refunds if they need them. |
| Courtesy Tri-Met The library typically attracts a minimal number of people and we believe it can remain open for the time being. At the GFO library, we are using disinfecting wipes on keyboards, mice, desktops, chair backs, and door handles multiple times a day. You can help keep us all healthy too. The Centers for Disease Control has some basic, effective prevention steps: ▪ If you or anyone in your household has a cough or feels sick, stay home. ▪ Cough or sneeze into your elbow, not your hand. ▪ If you do cough or sneeze into a tissue, wash your hands immediately for 60 seconds or use alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Please observe the steps in the following videos, released by the WHO, that provide instructions on how to properly wash your hands and disinfect your hands with sanitizer. It’s easy to forget to cough into your elbow, but it’s really important not to cover your mouth with your hand (and then touch surfaces others will touch), or worse, to cough out into the air. Experts say washing hands really does prevent epidemics. Let’s work together to keep all of us healthy. |
| Membership Meeting Will Happen March 21 in Much Smaller Form |
| Our bylaws require an annual Membership Meeting in March to finalize the ballot for the election of the Board. Given the circumstances, we are not asking you to attend. We are arranging just enough people to come as the bylaws require a nomination for Director at Large be made from the floor. This is the meeting at which the ballot for the upcoming Board election is finalized. We have a willing candidate for each of the three positions open this year: President, Secretary, and Director at Large. |
| Hall of Fame Nominations Sought |
| It’s time for GFO Hall of Fame Nominations! Any GFO member may nominate another member by April 1. Nominees must have a well-documented history of service, leadership, and accomplishment in more than one facet of the GFO, over a long period of time. Please include: ▪ Name, list of services, activities, positions, and accomplishments; ▪ A narrative describing the nature of their work in terms of its importance to the success of the GFO; ▪ A short biography. Please send to secretary@gfo.org by April 1. The board will decide if any merit selection. Winners are awarded in June and receive a free Life Membership and their name on our Hall of Fame plaque. |
| Have a Fun Genealogy Story? Share it with our Insider |
| We’re looking for stories for the May 2020 Insider issue at this time, and we need your help. What we’re looking for: genealogy and history- centric articles, tips, resources, ideas, serendipity stories, techniques, events, etc. Please email insider@gfo.org by April 4th to get your news and items of interest into May’s issue. Again, submissions are due by April 4th, please. |
| News from the Library |
| New Digital Content ▪ Berks of Old ▪ Craig Links ▪ Edgar Newsletter ▪ Francisco Researcher [Francisco surname and variations] ▪ San Luis Obispo County Genealogical Society, Inc. [bulletin]. New Books ▪ The Blows of yesteryear: an American saga ▪ Genealogies of Hadley families: embracing the early settlers of the towns of Hatfield, South Hadley, Amherst and Granby ▪ Painter families ▪ The Descendants of Peter and Margaret Rankin: from Kilsyth, Scotland ▪ Stratton notes ▪ Monumental inscriptions of the parish church of St. Mary, Oakley: (Part only) ▪ Who was Ann Gregg ▪ Colonial tavern keepers of Maryland and Delaware, 1634-1776 ▪ Chesapeake and Ohio Canal: a guide to Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park, Maryland, District of Columbia, and West Virginia ▪ The Civil War in Fairfax County: civilians and soldiers ▪ Communities of kinship: antebellum families and the settlement of the cotton frontier ▪ A guide to researching land in Oklahoma at the Oklahoma Historical Society. ▪ Genealogical research guide to Reno County, Kansas ▪ Hughes County history ▪ Ghost towns and historical haunts in Arizona: Stories and photos ▪ Baker County [Oregon] links to the past ▪ Camp Polk Cemetery, 1880-1999 ▪ Monmouth, Oregon: the saga of a small American town ▪ Collected memories: Umatilla Tales from the past: pioneer stories of the lower Willamette Valley |
| This week’s surplus book has a truly self-explanatory title: Historic Buildings Now Standing In New York Which Were Erected Prior To Eighteen Hundred. However, the “now” in that title is a bit dated, because this book was printed in 1914. This is a fun piece of pictorial New York history with photos on almost every page, accompanied by descriptions of the truly old buildings of New York. |
| It’s
a thin volume, 45 pages, and its cover is a bit tattered, its spine
taped to keep it intact. Pages inside are crisp and as vibrant as when
they were printed. This booklet contains library marks and a label. Price for pickup at the GFO: $18 Price to ship to you: $24 If you’re interested, please contact booksales@gfo.org. |
| Survey Results: |
| Last
week, we provided a list of research locations and asked what
percentage of respondents had been there. Respondents were allowed to
select more than one answer, and the percentages have been rounded. 75% Family History Library (Salt Lake City, Utah) 61% National Archives (Washington, DC) 32% NEHGS Library and Archives (Boston, MA) 32% National Archives (other locations) 25% DAR National Library 21% Allen County Public Library (Ft. Wayne, Indiana) 11% Mid-Continent Public Library (Independence, Missouri) Many of the respondents wanted to go to the places in the survey again. But here are the places mentioned that were not listed above: ▪ Musselman Library in Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania ▪ National Records of Scotland to research my Scottish connections ▪ New York State Archives ▪ Fayetteville Arkansas Archives and the Fayetteville Library ▪ The Newberry Library was a good one. ▪ Richmond Virginia it was a treasure trove of Virginia history. They have a fantastic archive. ▪ I’ve also visited the Oregon State Archives and the Minnesota Historical Society Library ▪ Indian and Colonial Research Center, Connecticut. A hidden gem with an amazing resources for a researcher with extensive CT and RI ties as well as Indian ancestors. ▪ University of Washington Libraries. ▪ Anything in England, now that I know where we came from. ▪ Tennessee State Archives ▪ I want to go to New England, so pretty much any library or archive there. ▪ The Fiske Library in Seattle because it is relatively nearby and I have never been there. |
| New Survey: Newspapers |
| Newspapers can be a great resource. This week, we’re asking if they’ve helped you solve any genealogical puzzles. |
| Sunday, March 15th Library Work Party – 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. We’ll be working to digitize more periodicals while we have fun chatting about genealogy. We will make sure everyone sits three feet apart, in accordance with state recommendations. French Canada Group CANCELED Per Governor’s Instruction. The group leader is Bob LaMarche. FrCan@gfo.org Wednesday, March 18th DNA Q&A – CANCELED Per Governor’s Instruction Leader: Lisa McCullough dna_qa@gfo.org GFO Library Open Late to 8:00 p.m. |