Category Archives: WSGS Programs

How to Post on the Blog

by Roxanne Lowe

Do you want to broadcast information about your local society, workshop, genealogical tip, or a research query? Just post to the WSGS Blog! You can reach hundreds of genealogists from around the state. Just email a Word document, text file, PDF or graphic to WSGSBlog@wasgs.org and the blog masters will do the rest.

We’re always looking to publicize local events and workshops, feature stories, updates from your society, and other genealogical information that might be of interest to our many subscribers.

We hope to hear from you soon! And don’t forget to encourage your Society members to subscribe to the Blog for the most up-to-date information from around the state.

You may manage your subscription options from your profile.

Indexing Continues

by Roxanne Lowe

Have you joined other WSGS members and blog readers indexing records for the Washington State Digital Archives? I hope so. Today, I only had time to index two records. But that’s two records that a genealogist may be looking for. Every indexed record helps!

The list of collections being indexed changes all the time. Currently, the list includes:

  • 1878 King County Census,
  • Marriage records in Benton, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Wakiakum and Walla Walla counties
  • Automobile licensee fee books from 1909 – 1913
  • Polk Directory for Seattle from 1891 – 1893

By signing up for Scribe (the very cool indexing tool), you can choose what collection you’d like to index — it’s up to you! Remember: every record indexed is a win/win for free public access to these invaluable records.

Help Make More Records Available — From Home!

by Roxanne Lowe

October is Family History Month! Did you know that October is also American Archives Month?

Celebrate with the Washington State Genealogical Society by joining us as we index Washington State records so that genealogists everywhere can search the Digital Archives online.

The Washington State Archives has many records that are relevant to genealogists and other researchers. Their indexing tool, Scribe, allows you to become an honorary archivist by transcribing and indexing records. You choose what you want to index and Scribe keeps track of how many records you complete.

To make the celebration more fun, The Board of the Washington State Genealogical Society would like to challenge you to join us in making more records available. The “Scriber” with the most records completed in October will be featured on our blog.

Sharon Liebert Named Region 8 Representative

by Roxanne Lowe

Sharon Liebert

Sharon Liebert of East Wenatchee has been appointed the WSGS Representative for Region 8 by President Virginia Majewski. Besides being a member of WSGS, Sharon is a member of the Wenatchee Area Genealogical Society.

Region 8 includes Chelan, Douglas, Grant, and Okanogan Counties. There is still a vacancy for Region 1 South which includes parts of Island and Snohomish Counties. For more information about the responsibilities of the Regional Representative, click here.

Sharon will be featured in a future “Meet the Board” story. Welcome to the Board, Sharon!

Join These Super Star Scribers

by Roxanne Lowe

The Washington State Genealogical Society is asking its members and blog readers to support the state’s Digital Archives in October. We are unbelievably lucky in this state to have a resource like the Digital Archives. What a wealth of information, including historic photographs, BDM records, cemetery directories, maps and land records — many from pre-statehood. All access, all free. Transcribed and indexed by volunteers like you! Click here to join the army of volunteers.

Today, we’re highlighting two Digital Archive transcriber super stars:

Steven Baylor started indexing before there was a Scribe (the super easy online transcription application used to transcribe records).  Since official counting began, he has transcribed almost 150,000 records — and growing every day as it’s something he works into his daily schedule. Whenever he has a half hour here or a couple hours there, he sits down and indexes a dozen or so documents.  According to Steve who is a former President of WSGS and member of the Stillaguamish Valley Genealogical Society:

“It’s all part of paying it forward.  My research has been made easier by others who have spent hours indexing and I’m pleased I can do my part to increase accessibility of public records. Now that my wife has Alzheimer’s, I need to be at home most every day.  Indexing is something I can do and still feel like I am contributing to the genealogical community without having to travel anywhere.

Steve started indexing many years ago when he and other WSGS members worked with the Secretary of State’s office to index the 1910 Federal Census of Washington. After that labor-intensive undertaking, the Archives Office began using a “hybrid” system where they would mail paper copies of documents to transcribers who would index them online or on a disk and mail the paper copies back to Olympia.  Steve’s wife assisted him by reading names to him while he typed, then she would double-check the finished product before they clicked the send button. Great teamwork!

Charles being recognized for his accomplishments by former Secretary of State Sam Reed.

Charles Hansen started in 2003 when the Digital Archives was being built near the Eastern Washington University campus in Cheney (Charles lives in Spokane).  State officials began asking local genealogical societies to donate records to put in the infant digital archives. Charles had some DOS databases (remember DOS????) for early Spokane County births, deaths and marriages. He also had indexed the 1887 Spokane County Census. He generously gave those electronic records to start the digital archives. Shortly thereafter, Archives officials asked for volunteers to help index and volunteer at the archives, so he started indexing — being sent paper copies of the records and a floppy disk with the format to index.

The next transcription and index improvement was Scribe — the online digital application that allows users to become “honorary archivists” of the state’s historically important records. By using Scribe, volunteers are able to add information to the images, making them searchable online. It’s easy to use — just fill in the blanks and save the data. Each record can be viewed by many transcribers, but two transcriptions must match exactly before the record can become searchable.

Charles, a member of the Eastern Washington Genealogical Society and WSGS’s Blog Master, has indexed 151,240 records since record counts have begun.

But you don’t have to be a super star like Steve or Charles to make a difference! Any record transcribed or indexed is a record available to the public. To date, I’ve transcribed nine records (yes, 9!), but I’m committed to making these records available for public access. Help me!

To sign up for Scribe, click here.

 

Support the Digital Archives

by Roxanne Lowe

Have you ever noticed that the historic photo on the WSGS website home page is from the Digital Archives? We are so lucky in Washington State to have free, unfettered public access to the award-winning Digital Archives. Photographs are available for your society’s newsletter — always free access to use (with proper credit, of course). Or if you’re looking for genealogical records of your Washington State ancestors — they’re a Search Box away.

Regularly named one of the best websites for genealogy, the Washington State Archives’ Digital Archives was the nation’s first archive dedicated specifically to the “preservation of electronic records from both state and local agencies that have permanent legal, fiscal or historical value.”

The Washington State Genealogical Society and its members would like to show our appreciation for this invaluable resource by increasing the transcribed records to be made available online. Beginning October 1, we are encouraging all WSGS members and Blog readers to use the Archives’ online transcription application “Scribe” to transcribe as many records as possible. Use this link to create an account.

Sign up today. Practice transcribing a few records (there’s a very good user’s guide to help you get started). Let’s show our appreciation to the Digital Archives for their commitment to making historical records available to all of us.

 

WSGS Membership Opportunity at the NWGC

by Charles Hansen

Have YOU been meaning to become a member of the Washington State Genealogical Society? Maybe for a long time? You’ve enjoyed our blog, perhaps your society has benefited from our awards program or maybe you’ve enjoyed presentations from our speakers? Well, dear folks, the time to join is upon you!

Next week WSGS will have a membership table at the Northwest Genealogical Conference in Arlington. Perhaps you’ve read on our blog where WSGS President Ginny Majewski, and WSGS Vice-president Donna Potter Phillips are both slated for presentations (read about their classes here). It’s a really big deal conference. And I hope to see you there………. but this is a post about joining WSGS.

This is an amazing Amazon DOT…….. Google it to learn for yourself how marvelous a gadget it is. WSGS is giving one away at the conference! And we’ve got a great deal for everyone:

  • If you’re already a WSGS member, stop by our membership table and renew your membership for 2018 (only $12!), you’ll get a raffle ticket!
  • If you join WSGS (new memberships only) at the NWGC, take advantage of our amazing conference special: only $5.00 for the rest of 2017 and you’ll get a raffle ticket. If you extend your membership until the end of 2018 (only another $12), you’ll get a second ticket!

Come see us at the WSGS table and claim your ticket(s)! We’ll be waiting!!

Honoring our Past Presidents

by Roxanne Lowe

Serving as President of this organization is an honor and a privilege. As such, we want to honor those who provided leadership to our Society and to the genealogical community.

To recognize and honor the service of our Past Presidents, we have created the WSGS “Presidents’ Circle,” an exclusive group composed of men and women who served as president of our state society. They have helped shape WSGS into what it is today: an active and ever-changing organization dedicated to educating its members about genealogy and to cultivating public awareness of the educational, historical and personal value of genealogical research. Our past presidents include:

1984 – Alma Greenwood, Olympia Genealogical Society

1985 – Elsie Trautloff (deceased), South King County Genealogical Society

1987 – Maxine Bissell, Yakima Valley Genealogical Society

1989 – Kathleen Johnson, Long Beach

1992 – Pam Chilton, Lower Columbia Genealogical Society

1994 – Frank McLean, Yakima Valley Genealogical Society

1996 – Laura Pemberton Sparr, Skagit Valley Genealogical Society

2000 – Robert Witherspoon (deceased), Whatcom Genealogical Society

2004 – Stephen Baylor, Stillaguamish Valley Genealogical Society

2008 – Sue Ericksen, Yakima Valley Genealogical Society

2013 – Mikal McKinnon, Tri-City Genealogical Society

As a member of the “Presidents’ Circle,” each honoree received a lifetime membership to WSGS – a small thank you for their years of service, dedication and support. For more information, including photographs, visit the Presidents’ Circle page on the WSGS website.

 

Local Society Management Classes Offered – Free!

by Roxanne Lowe

WSGS President Ginny Majewski (center) with Board Members Nancy Cordell and Patty Olsen at “Nuts and Bolts of Society Management” class

Ginny Majewski, WSGS President, recently presented her “Nuts and Bolts of Society Management” class to a group of local genealogists hosted by the Lewis County Genealogical Society. By all accounts, the class was well-received and packed with valuable information, as well providing answers to a lot of society management questions — and some questions that attendees didn’t even know to ask.

Ginny’s “Nuts and Bolts” class is one of two society management classes being offered by WSGS on Wednesday, August 16, 2017, at the Northwest Genealogy Conference in Arlington, WA. The other class, taught by WSGS VP Donna Potter Phillips, is “How to Attract and Keep Members…Awake.” More information about the FREE society management classes is available in this Blog post.

For those local societies not able to take advantage of the management classes at the Northwest Genealogy Conference, arrangements are possible to present the classes at a more convenient time and location. Contact Ginny for more information.