In a by-gone era, newspapers carried way more little personal trivia and tidbits than is the standard today. (Today there is Twitter, Facebook, etc.) Also in this by-gone era, a larger city could afford a newspaper while surrounding villages could not.
Take the case of the Montesano, Washington, Weekly Vidette. The issue for Friday, November 30, 1894 featured snippets from the surrounding towns of Elma, Ocosta, Porter and Cosmopolis.
Snippets like from Elma: “Married Nov 22, Wm. Fraser and Miss Carrie Tidwell. Both are well and favorably known in this vicinity.” Or this from Porter: “Albert Iliff returned Tuesday from an extended visit at Aberdeen. What is the lady’s name, Al?” Or this from Cosmopolis: “Mrs. Cullens and sister, Miss Flora Hayes, were in town Wednesday.”
And here’s the point. Even in the 1894 “big town” of Montesano, newspaper publishers had to sell papers to cover costs. And who bought their newspapers? And why did they buy them? The biggest news of a town newspaper was town news, news of the people and what they were doing.
I do recommend using www.genealogybank.com or www.newspapers.com to find these snippets. Yes, there is a subscription cost but would you find these snips on your own?
There are three National Cemeteries in Washington. Know where they are? Tahoma, near Tacoma, is one. The next is near Medical Lake (Spokane). The third is tiny 1.7 acre Fort George Wright cemetery, established before 1900 when the city of Spokane gave land to the government to get the fort established.
Some 669 persons lie resting there, interred before the cemetery was closed to burials in 1959. At one time, there was a bitter fight between those wanting “urban development” and those wanting to preserve the cemetery. Lucky for Spokane, U.S. Rep. Thomas S. Foley spoke up and in 1965 plans to abandon the cemetery were changed. Now the Air Force, with personnel from Fairchild AFB, maintains the cemetery. A list of those buried there is available online.
It’s a lovely place to go walking. The cemetery lies on a bluff with a winding road, and various gravel paths, leading down to the Spokane River.
If
you want to discover your Scandinavian roots, attend this monthly
meeting and learn how to conduct your research. Meet with other
like-minded individuals who have discovered their ancestors going back
many generations. Geographic areas include Norway, Sweden, Denmark,
Finland, Iceland, and the Faroe Islands. This group meets regularly on
the second Thursday of the month, September-May. Members and non-members
are welcome.
WEBINAR: BOOST YOUR GERMANIC RESEARCH: UNDERSTAND HISTORICAL JURISDICTIONS
Wed, April 17, 2019: 11 am to 12:30 pm
CCGS Library
Did
you know that Germany was not a country until 1871? One must understand
who controlled a given area in order to find all possible records.
Topics included in this Legacy Family Tree Webinar are: Use of Meyer’s
gazetteer, changes in historical Germanic areas, tactics for determining
jurisdictions, and examples.
THIRD THURSDAY EVENING HOURS
Thurs, April 18, 2019: 6-9 pm
CCGS Library
Do
you find it hard to get to the Clark County Genealogical Library during
daytime hours? Come in on Third Thursday to tap into our richest
resource: knowledgeable librarians who can help you with your family
history search. We won’t do it for you, but we will provide guidance.
One librarian has Scandinavian research expertise. The library has over
10,000 books and resources, and free access on our computers to
Ancestry.com and AmericanAncestors.com. Bring your own computer and use
our free wifi.
GENERAL MEETING FOR GENEALOGY ENTHUSIASTS
Presentation: Beyond Names and Dates~Filling in the Stories of our Female Ancestors
Tuesday, April 23, 2019: 7-9 p.m.
Clark County Historical Museum,1511 Main Street, Vancouver, WA
For
most of recorded time, women didn’t leave much of a paper trail, but
they still have wonderful stories to tell. We’ll look at ways in which
local history, laws, politics, natural disasters, probate inventories,
and other resources can help. Presenter Pam Vestal is a full-time
genealogist and lecturer in Oregon, but her research extends far beyond
the Pacific NW, with clients all over the U.S., and research that
reaches beyond our borders.
WEBINAR: COMPARING THE GENEALOGY GIANTS: ANCESTRY.COM, FAMILYSEARCH, FINDMYPAST, MYHERITAGE
Wed, April 24, 2019: 11 am to 12:30 pm
CCGS Library
Should
you use all or only one genealogy website for your family history
goals? Learn how these genealogy giants–Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.org,
Findmypast.com, MyHeritage.com–compare in 2019 for historical records,
online trees, DNA tools and access options. This Legacy Family Tree
Webinar will review each site’s strengths and weaknesses that will help
you know which to use now, and which to keep in mind when your research
interests or budget change.
“The good things you do and throw in the river of life, will be returned to you in the desert of life.” Sa’adi
You’ve seen him on TV tracking the ancestors of Oprah and Smokey Robinson. The GFO’s Spring Seminar speaker started out in genealogy well before Alex Haley’s Roots
came out. Tony Burroughs quickly realized he wasn’t satisfied with what
had been written for Black genealogy. So, he literally wrote the book
on the topic: Black Roots: A Beginners Guide to Tracing the African American Family Tree. He’s won multiple honors over the years and has been featured on national and international television programs. Burroughs
is bringing six lessons to the GFO Spring Seminar from which anyone can
learn, regardless of ethnic heritage. Burroughs told Portland’s The Skanner newspaper, “People need to understand, ‘What is fundamental genealogy? What are the methods of genealogical research?'” Come learn from the master himself.We have cut our usual seminar price in half for this event, thanks to generous support from The Skanner Foundation.
Spring
has sprung, and that means it’s time for the GFO Spring Seminar! Our
seminars are all-volunteer events, which means that if you’re planning
to attend, we would love a few of you to sign up to help. ▪ Date: Saturday, April 27th ▪ Time: 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. ▪ Place: Center for Self Enhancement (SEI), 3920 N. Kerby Ave., Portland
Help Needed:Raffle Table Helpers (2-5 people) ▪ Stand at the raffle table during breaks and part of lunch, selling tickets ▪ Help count/sort tickets ▪ 2-3 people all day, 1-2 people 10:45 a.m. – 1:45 p.m. ▪ Raffle tables will be set up so volunteers can see and hear the speaker/screen. Raffle Ticket Sellers/Ambassadors (2-5 people) ▪ Arrive 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 27th ▪ Circulate among attendees chatting up the GFO before the seminar starts ▪ During lunch & breaks, mingle with attendees, esp. those who look bored/confused Book Seller (1 person) ▪ Sell books in afternoon from 1:00 p.m. to 4 p.m. (Morning is covered) ▪ Book sales tables will be set up so volunteers can see and hear the speaker/screen. Friday Set-up @ SEI (the more the merrier!) ▪ 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. @ SEI on Friday, April 26th ▪ Help arrange tables, hang signs, load/unload stuff ▪ You don’t have to attend on Saturday to help on Friday To volunteer, please email seminar@gfo.org. Thanks!
Reminder: Vote by May 6th
If you are a GFO member, please remember to return your ballot in this year’s election. We have three board positions, one endowment committee position, and a change in the bylaws for your consideration. The deadline for your physical ballot to reach us at the library is Monday, May 6th at 8 p.m.
Survey: How Many Events Bring You In?
This week’s survey asks: How many educational events do you attend at the GFO? We’d love to know which kinds of classes, seminars, and special interest groups bring you to the GFO most often. As
for last week’s poll, thank you for giving us your feedback about the
Open House. Most respondents liked the lessons on PERSI, J-STOR, DNA,
Genealogy & the Law, and Writing. They’d
like to see next year’s classes include a German Day, southern state
records, military resources, women ancestors, early Colonial research,
Evernote, and Dropbox. We’re already planning next year’s events, so this feedback is extremely valuable!
We have a surplus book set available with valuable military listings. Gen. Cullum’s Biographical Register of the Officers and Graduates of the United States Military Academy lists names of men to pass through West Point from 1910-1920.
Pages
appear clean with no extraneous marks; a few show small signs of age.
There are no loose pages, but bindings are beginning to show signs of
wear. These are former library books with stamps on and in them and evidence of removed labels, with scuffing and wear to the covers. This two-volume set from 1920 is available for $40. Contact booksales@gfo.org to buy them.
Free Webinar: “Researching Women in Archives”
Library of Congress On April 18th, American Ancestors offers a free webinar called “Researching Women in Archives” at Noon Pacific Time. “Women
make up 50% of your ancestry, yet their lives, experiences, and even
complete names are all too often forgotten by written history. Although
often overlooked in official records, throughout time women have been
the keepers of family and personal history. When they survive, diaries,
letters, account books, family Bibles, samplers, organization records,
and more can reveal more about a woman’s daily life than any government
document. Archivist Judy Lucey will discuss how these unique records and
manuscripts can be used to piece together a family story and how
digging in the archives can hit genealogical gold.”
FRIDAY, April 12th Mexican Ancestry Group 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. This month: Finding your Hispanic ancestors from Mexico, Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, and California This Special Interest Group (SIG) pertains specifically to Mexican ancestors from Mexico and the American Southwest (New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, and California). Beginning and intermediate researchers are welcome. Some subjects will include online parish records, Hispanic genealogy societies, Family History Library/FamilySearch.org. Ancestry.com, solving genealogical problems, methodology of organizing your research, etc. Of course this group will also be about sharing our research experiences, and having fun. If you know of any other people interested in Hispanic genealogy tell them about this up and coming group. They don’t have to be a GFO member to participate. For questions or comments, please email Vince Ramirez at sw@gfo.org. SATURDAY, April 13th Great Lakes Region Group 9:30 – 11:30 a.m. This week: Our topic is cemeteries! GFO’s own Laurel Smith will talk about locating the right cemetery and planning a visit to a cemetery, with a brief look at Billion Graves and a more in-depth look at Find A Grave. Laurel is a skilled genealogist and engaging presenter. You will likely leave this event with a toolbox full of new ideas for your own family history research. For more information contact Lynn Rossing at GreatLakes@gfo.org Writers’ Forum 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. This is a peer group of genealogists, who meet to learn about writing and to share our writing with each other. Peggy Baldwin facilitates this group and can be reached at writers@gfo.org or 503-916-9410. SUNDAY, April 14th Library Work Party 9:00 a.m. – noon There’s another work party at the GFO library today for those of you who can come. There’s lots to do and we’d love to have your help. Doors open at 9 and work usually wraps up around noon. Some people come for just an hour or so; others work the full time. You are welcome to do either. Any time you can share is valuable. Hope to see you there. Family Tree Maker for Beginners 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. Laurel Smith will show new and beginning users how to navigate this dynamicc software; how to import a tree or start a new one; and explore a few of the tools new users will need. Facilitated by Laurel Smith. FTM@gfo.org French Canada Group 3:30 – 5:00 p.m. Sharing stories of our history. Come and join this group to learn more about French Canadian ancestry and Acadia. The group leader, Bob LaMarche, can be reached at FrCan@gfo.org. WEDNESDAY, April 17th Learn & Chat 10:00 a.m. – noon At Learn & Chat some of the learning comes from speakers with particular expertise, but most of it comes from the sharing of experiences and knowledge of attendees who have developed methods that work for them. And if you have been doing genealogy for any length time, you have likely experienced the wonderful moments of exhilaration, the successes that you then share with others, and that drive you to continue researching. Unfortunately those times can be few and far between. Join us to talk about your genealogy questions and help provide support to others. Facilitated by Jeanne Quan and Sandy Alto who can be reached at Learnandchat@gfo.org. DNA Q&A 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. Lisa McCullough leads a discussion on various DNA related subjects, with each meeting focused on a particular subject. General questions are welcome at the end of each planned discussion. Send questions to dna_qa@gfo.org Irish Group 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. The first hour will be our guest speaker, Robert Burke, on the Irish language. After that we will have the opportunity to try to crack open our member, Jennefer White’s, brick wall. You can read about her challenge here. Focus: Although all of the island of Ireland is included, our primary focus is the genealogical research of the Republic of Ireland, also known as the Irish Free State, Éire, Ireland, and Southern Ireland. Members of the GFO as well as their guests and any interested members of the public are welcomed to attend the Irish Genealogy SIG. One hour of each two-hour meeting will be spent on presentations about Irish history, genealogy, and resources, while the second hour will focus on Irish Brick Wall questions. Contact Irish@gfo.org for more information.
Rick Sayre was the second principle speaker at the Montana State Genealogical Society Conference in Great Falls in 2018. One of his topics was “Mapping the West.”
The history of how maps of the American west came to be is a fascinating, stand-alone, topic. As we zoom along I-90 or I-70, we can barely imagine plodding along on a horse trying to map the vast terrain. (Watch Smithsonian Channel’s Aerial America where they fly over a state and narrate the history.)
Rick stressed the importance of using maps in genealogy: (1) locate and visualize ancestors in time and place; (2) locate boundaries, towns and geographical features; (3) locate and plat land parcels; (4) discover and follow family groups; (5) Identify migration routes; (6) discover the social context of our ancestors; (7) Organize and correlate disparate pieces of the puzzle.
This is “old news” to most of you, I’m sure. The “new news” is that “the variety of maps and map related tools available for research in the Western states include cadastral, topographic, fire insurances, military, gazetteers and atlases.”
Press Release for Bainbridge Island Genealogical Society (BIGS) For immediate release: The Bainbridge Island Genealogical Society (BIGS) will meet Friday, April 19, 2019, at the Bainbridge Island Public Library on Bainbridge Island, 1270 Madison Ave, from 10:00a.m. – 12 noon. The April meeting is the annual BIGS business meeting with election of officers plus the monthly presentation topic of “Family Search Free-for-all”by our ownJolene Aitchison. This program offers a Q&A on all things Family Search. Parking is available in the 2 library parking facilities, accessed from High School Ave and Madison Ave North. Free to members, a $5.00 donation is suggested for nonmembers. For more information go to http://www.bigenealogy.org or call 206-755-9283. BIGS is a 501c(3) non-profit organization. #######
Our speaker was Sunny McClellan Morton from Ohio. Photos courtesy of Sonji Ruttan the EWGS Secretary, Thanks Sonji.
Her first section was comparing the four major genealogical databases, Ancestry, Family Search, FindMyPast and MyHeritage. Next Section on PERSI, then lunch. Church records after lunch and finally a section on Find My Past.
Sign in table Sharlee Mikelson our Hospitality VolunteerPrince of Peace KitchenSeminar Attendee Raffle WinnerRaffle WinnerEWGS Blogger Janice MoerschelHarold Young Raffle WinnerElizabeth Culver Raffle WinnerEWGS President Dolly Webb Raffle Winner & Lynn Krogh from Ways & Means Debbie Golding Ways & MeansMy sister won a Raffle Prize while she was in the restroom
I’d like to let you know about an upcoming
educational program we are offering on Saturday, May 11, 2019 from 1:00
p.m. until 3:00 p.m. in partnership with Skagit Valley Genealogical
Society. The topic of the program is “How to Read a Cemetery”
and will be presented by Sylvia Ammons. This event is free and open to
the public. I’ve attached a flyer with more information. Please feel
free to forward or post on any wall you wish! We appreciate your help in
getting the word out, because we would like
as many people as possible to benefit from our programs.
Please contact me with any questions or feedback.
Thank you for helping us spread the word about these free and valuable
community resources.
The
German Interest Group of The Eastside GenealogicalSociety (EGS)will meet on Friday, May 3, 2019, from 1 to 3 pm
in the Primary Room of the Latter-day Saints Church at 10675 NE 20th
St, Bellevue, WA 98004 with doors opening at 12:45
pm for networking. Enter through the double wooden doors on the right
side of the Chapel. Visitors are always welcome at our meetings.
Topic:Facebook: It’s not just for “Friends” –
Much
can be learned using Facebook for genealogy. We will investigate some
WHYs, WHATs and HOWs regarding Facebook usage. I will show several
examples of WHY I use Facebook for genealogy and WHY you might
want to do so also. WHAT is available for genealogists on Facebook is
found in the ultimate listing of genealogy Facebook pages. We will look
at the list and show HOW to ensure you find the ones of potential
interest to you. I’ve also found that WHAT is available
on Facebook is birth, wedding, and death dates of family members which I
did not previously have recorded. We will investigate HOW to use the
various options available within Facebook: searching for a group,
joining a group, searching within a group, saving
posts to your own collection folders, accessing those saved posts when
you are ready to process them, and many more. Join us to learn the
benefits of using Facebook…a great tool for genealogists. You might
learn a few computer usage tips along the way.
Presenter:
Marilyn Mullins Schunke
– As a graduate of University of Washington’s Genealogy & Family
History Certificate Program, Marilyn volunteered at Heritage
Quest Research Library as a Board member, Education Coordinator and
Volunteer Librarian. Technology is her forte and she presented Windows
10 and Digital Organization classes and served, and continues to serve,
as Technical Assistant in Janet O’Conor Camarata’s
genealogy courses at Pierce College. She is a member of several local,
state and national genealogy organizations.
Are you of Finnish descent? Danish? Norwegian? Or Swedish? All of these ethnic groups have a center or museum here in the U.S.
The Finnish American Heritage Center is located at 435 Quincy Street, Hancock, MI 49930. “Established in 1932, the archive’s mission is to preserve and promote Finnish-American identity and history across North America.” Here is their website: https://www.finlandia.edu/fahc You might also “LIKE” their Facebook page.
The Museum of Danish America is headquartered in Elk Horn, Iowa. Established in 1983, their mission is to preserve the stories of Danish immigrants, their descendants, and the Danes in the U.S. today. Their website is: www.danishmuseum.org Bet they also have a Facebook page to LIKE.
Norwegians have two centers for information and study. The Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum is in Decorah, Iowa, and is a center with 12 historic buildings and a heritage center, library and archives. It was founded in 1877; the nameVesterheim comes from the Norwegian for “western home.” Their webiste ishttp://vesterheim.org
Coming in 2020 to Minneapolis is the National Norwegian Center in America. The Norway House was already there and this new research library open “to all those interested in Norwegian genealogy research.” Visit their website at www.norwayhouse.org.
The Swenson Swedish Immigration Research Center is located in Rock Island, Illinois. Augustana College was founded in 1860 by Swedish immigrants and therefore became a natural location for the Swenson Center. This is not a walk-in library; appointments are required. Their website is www.augustana.edu/swenson and they, too, have a Facebook page to LIKE. They will do your Swedish research for you; they offer a magazine, theSwedish American Genealogist; and they will translate old letters and documents for you.
Did you remember that for every one of these ethnic-geographical research areas, there is free information on the FamilySearch WIKI??? Click to www.familysearch.org/wiki and then SEARCH.
You are free to copy articles to any non-commercial web site or message board or printed publication you wish. Don’t bother to ask permission, just do it.
