Genealogy Newsline – Vol 1 # 12 – July 14, 2011
Edited by Leland K. Meitzler for Family Roots Publishing Co., LLC
This is the twelfth edition of the FREE Genealogy Newsline. If you should get more than one newsletter, chances are we have more than one active email account in our database for you. My advice is to just scroll to the bottom of the duplicate newsletter, and click on “Unsubscribe.” That will get rid of the duplicate newsletter. If you no longer wish to receive the Genealogy Newsline, please do the same.
IF YOU HAVE PROBLEMS WITH LINKS OR IN READING EMAIL NEWSLETTER, YOU WILL FIND IT ARCHIVED ONLINE AT: http://www.genealogyblog.com/?p=12837
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CONTENTS OF THIS GENEALOGY NEWSLINE
Partly Personal & Very Important!
Free USA Shipping on Purchases of $25 or more at FRPC through August 20, 2011
New USA & Canada Vital Records Posted at FamilySearch.org
Searching “Newspaper Briefs,” by Tom Kemp
Thinking of Going to Salt Lake City?
30 FREE Search Credits Available for ScotlandsPeople
Book Reviews & Announcements
- The Genealogist’s Guide to Tax Records
- Genealogical Research in Nebraska
- History for Genealogists
- Witter’s German-English Primer
More Genealogy News
The Midwest Family History Expo
Free USA Shipping on Purchases of $25 or more at FRPC through August 20, 2011
Events where Family Roots Publishing Co. LLC Will Exhibit in 2011
Going to Salt Lake City?
Check out Area-Info.net
Subscribe/Unsubscribe
About the Genealogy Newsline
The Genealogy Newsline Archive
Changing a Password
Leland K. Meitzler Biography
Copyrights & Permissions
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PARTLY PERSONAL & VERY IMPORTANT!
It has again been several weeks since the last Genealogy Newsline. In the mean time, we exhibited at the annual SCGS Jamboree in Burbank, California, then went on to exhibit at Family History Expos in North Platte, Nebraska; Rapids City, South Dakota; Sheridan, Wyoming; and Loveland, Colorado.
About the time we left for North Platte, we found that AT&T was blocking the Genealogy Newsline as being SPAM. In order to get unblocked, we have to clean up our email list – as we have many bad email addresses, created by a two-year period (and thousands of email changes) going by between the last Everton Newsline, and the current Genealogy Newsline.
We’ve been working diligently to clean up the list, and have finally come up with a process to do so. My friend, Lee Everton has offered to send issues of the Genealogy Newsline through his mailing service, which will clean out the bad email after just three bounces. Expect to get three consecutive Genealogy Newslines from Area-Info.net sometime within the next 6 weeks. They will be shorter than this one, but will be of interest to genealogists, and will help us get our list purged.
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FREE USA SHIPPING ON ALL $25 OR MORE PURCHASES OF BOOKS AND SUPPLIES ORDERED AT THE FAMILY ROOTS PUBLISHING WEBSITE THROUGH Saturday, August 20, 2011.
Buy $25 or more in books, charts, forms, or supplies at the Family Roots Publishing Co. online bookstore before Midnight MDT August 20, 2011, and the items ship free. FREE SHIPPING is available for purchases with items being delivered within the United States. Click here to search or browse over 1600 genealogy-related guidebooks, atlases and charts. Regional guidebooks for most countries, American states, and Canadian provinces are located here! Guides on writing, and recording genealogy, photography, DNA research, genealogy dictionaries, computer use, immigration, migration, and on & on are found at the site! We post new books nearly every day
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NEW USA and Canadian VITAL RECORDS DATABASES ADDED AT FAMILYSEARCH.ORG
The following USA and Canadian vital records databases have been added at FamilySearch since I last posted about the FamilySearch vital records. Note that most of the databases posted are digital images with waymarks to locate one’s ancestor. Many of the images also include indexes, so in many cases, it’s not difficult to find one’s ancestor, even if the data isn’t indexed as such.
I’ve also updated all four of the GenealogyBlog Online Database Links Files. See:
United States Birth & Christening Records Found at FamilySearch.org
United States Marriage Documents & Indexes Found at FamilySearch.org
United States Death & Probate Records Found at FamilySearch.org
Canadian Vital Records Databases Posted at FamilySearch.org
California, San Mateo County, Colma, Italian Cemetery Records – Imaged Records – Index cards and daily log book of the Italian Cemetery in Colma. This collection is being published as images become available. 13,690 images as of 24 June 2011
Idaho, Clark County Records – Imaged Records – Clark County marriage affidavits, naturalization records, declarations of intention, deeds, patents, brands and marks, mining records, probate records, and estate files located at the Clark County courthouse. Time period varies by record type. Additional records will be added to this collection as they become available. 16,791 images as of 19 June 2011
Indiana Marriages 1811-1958 – Indexed in partnership with the Indiana Genealogical Society. Name index of marriages recorded in the Indiana Territory and in the State of Indiana between 1811 and 1959. This collection includes searchable index data for marriage returns and licenses from the following counties: Adams, Allen, Bartholomew, Benton, Blackford, Boone, Brown, Carroll, Clark, Clay, Daviess, Dearborn, Decatur, De Kalb, Delaware, Dubois, Elkhart, Fayette, Franklin, Harrison, Henry, Huntington, Marshall, Ohio, Owen, Rush, and Sullivan. Microfilm copies of original records are available at the Family History Library and at family history centers. Currently this collection is 43% complete. Additional records will be added as they are completed. – 1,160,821 Records as of 3 Jun 2011 – up 37,713 records since 18 Apr 2011
Iowa, County Marriages 1838-1934 – Name indexes for county marriages in Iowa. Currently, portions of the following counties are represented in this collection: Adair, Appanoose, Audubon, Boone, Buchanan, Calhoun, Clarke, Clinton, Crawford, Davis, Decatur, Des Moines, Dickinson, Dubuque, Franklin, Hamilton, Hancock, Hardin, Harrison, Henry, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Jones, Keokuk, Lee. Currently this collection is 5% complete. Additional records will be added as they are completed. 121,790 records as of 7 June 2011
Maryland, Register of Wills Books, 1792-1983 – Digital images from court records at the Register of Wills in Maryland. Includes the following counties: Baltimore City, Caroline, Cecil, Kent, Prince George’s, and Queen Anne’s. This collection is being published as images become available – Browse through 309,148 images as of 5 July 2011 – up 47,039 images since 11 May 2011
Massachusetts, Plymouth County, Probate Estate files 1686-1881 – Imaged Records – Probate estate files of Plymouth County located at Suffolk County Courthouse in Boston. The files are arranged by number then alphabetical by surname. The files cover the Series 1, 1686-1881. This collection is being published as images become available – 7,172 images as of 20 June 2011
Michigan Births, 1867-1902 – Imaged Records – Name index and images of Michigan statewide birth registration entries – 1,409,988 records from 164,866 images as of 3 June 2011
Mississippi, Tippah County Marriages 1858-1978 – Imaged Records – Collection of marriages recorded by the Probate Court and the Circuit Court in Tippah County, Mississippi, 1858-1950. The records were filmed at the county courthouse in Ripley, Mississippi. 17,039 images as of 5 July 2011
New York Orange County Probate Records 1787-1938 – Images of probate records and estate files from the Orange County Surrogate’s Court in Goshen, New York. At this time this collection does not have a name index or any finding aid. – 90,229 images as of 5 July 2011 – up 30,334 images since 18 May 2011
New York Queens County Probate Records, 1899-1921 – Images of probate records and proceedings from the Queens County Surrogate’s Court in Jamaica, New York. – 81,645 images as of 27 June 2011 – up 47,263 records since 13 May 2011
North Carolina, County Records, 1833-1970 – Imaged Records – Collection of various county records including, wills, guardianships, estates, voter registration books, coroner’s inquests, etc. It was filmed at the North Carolina Department of Archives and History in Raleigh. This collection is being published as images become available. To date, the site includes Beaufort County wills, 1808-1968; Gaston County estates & wills; Northampton Coroners’ reports Vol 1 1793-1905 – 77,359 images as of 27 June 2011
North Carolina Probate Records, 1735-1970 – Imaged Records – Includes probate matters recorded at county courthouses in North Carolina. Includes wills, guardianships and estate records in bound volumes. Although the coverage dates include a larger span of years, most of the records in this collection are from 1800-1930. 1,145,307 images of 29 June 2011
Ohio, Cuyahoga County Records – Imaged Records – Birth affidavits, delayed births and corrections, marriage records and voter registration. This collection is being published as images become available. 18301 images as of 23 June 2011
Ohio, Montgomery County, Probate Estate Files, 1857-1900 – Imaged Records – Images of probate estate files from the Montgomery County Records Center and Archive in Dayton, Ohio. Usually the files are chronological and have a case file number. This collection is being published as images become available. 25,212 images as of 27 June 2011
South Carolina Probate Records, Files and Loose Papers, 1732-1964 – Imaged documents – This collection includes wills, records of estates and guardianships recorded by the counties of South Carolina. Most of the records fall between the mid-1800s through 1930. The records are by county, then by date range and then alphabetical by name – 654,824 images as of 20 June 2011
Tennessee County Marriages 1790-1950 – Name index and images of Tennessee county marriage records acquired from local courthouses. Records include marriage registers, marriage licenses, marriage bonds, and marriage certificates from the following counties: Carroll, Cheatham, Cocke, Grainger and Greene. There may be others, I just can’t locate the information. Currently this collection is 8% complete. Records consist of packets, with multiple documents per packet. – 338,031 records as of 10 June 2011 – up 94,571 records since 10 May 2011
Tennessee Probate Court Files, 1795-1927 – Imaged Records – This collection includes probate records from Tennessee counties. These records were kept either as loose papers or in files, rather than bound volumes. The databases are by county, and they include an index to the wills within the county. 967,360 images as of 19 June 2011
Tennessee Probate Court Books, 1795-1927 – Imaged Records -This collection includes waypoints and images of probate court records from Tennessee counties. The records were kept in bound volumes. From 1,052 reels of microfilm. 628,641 images as of 29 June 2011
Texas, Comanche County Records, 1858-1955 – Browsable Images – Not indexed yet – Records from Comanche County, Texas including births, marriages, divorce minutes, court records, probate records, and scholastic census records – 321,145 images as of 19 June 2011
Utah, Davis County Records, 1869-1920 – Imaged Records – Images of naturalization, birth, deaths, marriage, probates, wills, land and cemetery records from the county courthouse in Farmington. This collection is being published as images become available. 32,595 images as of 24 June 2011
Vermont Vital Records, 1760-1954 – Imaged Records – Name index and images (index cards) of town clerk transcriptions of births, marriages and deaths, 1760-1954. This collection is complete for years 1871-1908. Also completed are the books containing names alphabetically from surname ‘A’ to partway through surname ‘Phelps’ for years ‘Early to 1870.’ As more data is received, the remaining year ranges will be incrementally updated – 1,206,606 Records as of 26 May 2011
Vermont, Windham County, Westminster District, Probate Records, 1781-1921 – Imaged Records – Images of probate records located at the Vermont Public Records Office in Midddlesex. Records are bundled together by year. This collection is being published as images become available. 21,168 images as of 27 May 2011
West Virginia Will Books, 1756-1971 – Imaged Records – Index and images for will books from all 55 counties of West Virginia. 326,272 images as of 29 June 2011
Wisconsin Probate Estate Files, 1848-1933 – Images of probate estate case files from various counties in Wisconsin. This collection includes Green County (1848-1885), Pepin County (1900-1935), Shawano County (1861-1933) and Trempealeau County (1900-1920). From Wisconsin State Historical Society & FHL digital images – 434,701 images as of 5 July 2011 – up 85,009 images since 13 April, 2011
U.S.A. Social Security Death Index – A name index to deaths recorded by the Social Security Administration beginning in 1962 – 89,610,305 Records as of 30 Apr 2011
CANADIAN RECORDS
Ontario Births, 1869-1912 – Index to birth records – 1,403,211 Records as of 21 June 2011 – up 1,239,072 records since 5 November 2010!
Toronto, Ontario Trust Cemeteries, 1826-1935 – Imaged Records – Index and images to the records of several Toronto cemeteries, including: York General Burying Ground (also called Potter’s Field), 1826-1855; Necropolis Cemetery, 1850-1912 (the index will continue to 1935); Mount Pleasant Cemetery, 1876-1933; Prospect Cemetery, 1890-1935. Currently this collection is 22% complete and includes records from Necropolis Cemetery. Additional records will be added as they are completed. This is a cooperative project with the Toronto Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society. 14,864 records as from 7,234 images as of 3 June 2011.
Again, I have added the above databases to my Updated & Complete Alphabetical USA & Canada Vital Records Listing and Links at GenealogyBlog.com.
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SEARCHING NEWSPAPER “LOCAL BRIEFS”- Family History Gems that make Local Briefs Essential to your Family History Research.
By Tom Kemp
Experienced genealogists rely on historical newspapers, tracking down obituaries, birth announcements and marriage notices to help fill in details on their family trees. However, many people don’t realize that newspapers provide another valuable resource for family history research, one that is often overlooked: the humble “local brief.”
These aren’t always about the next bake sale the local church is having—these short notices can turn up family details that appeared nowhere else in print.
Local Brief
Newspaper editors wanted to catch and keep their readers’ interest and attention. They did that by writing about their readers’ friends and neighbors, providing details about what was happening in their lives. In both small towns and big cities, readers were interested in their neighbors and in keeping up with how they were doing.
Key Family Information
Here is a good example. This is a typical “local matters” item of the sort that routinely appeared in newspapers around the country. This one appeared in the Aug. 28, 1917, issue of the Times Picayune (New Orleans, Louisiana). At first glance, it is just a simple article about a family’s visits.
READ THE FULL ARTICLE at GenealogyBlog.com by clicking here.
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THINKING OF GOING TO SALT LAKE CITY?
If you’re considering a research trip at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City NOW IS A GREAT TIME! The Salt Lake Plaza Hotel which is located next door to the Family History Library is offering special genealogy discounts for July and August, 2011. Your discount will depend on the dates you reserve. They offer microwaves and refrigerators in every room, a full service restaurant, complimentary wireless hi-speed internet and a complimentary airport shuttle. Call them at 800-366-3684 or e-mail at admin@plaza-hotel.com and mention the Genealogy Newsline to receive your discount rate.
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30 FREE SEARCH CREDITS AVAILABLE FOR SCOTLANDSPEOPLE AVAILABLE WITH FREE NEWSLETTER SIGNUP
AncestralScotland, the Scottish Government and ScotlandsPeople, Scotland’s official online source of genealogical information, are offering 30 FREE search credits at ScotlandsPeople, worth approximately £7GBP (over $11), to folks who sign up for the Ancestral Scotland Newsletter. It’s a tourism promotion, with hopes that if you get their promotional newsletters – and do ancestral research online, that you’ll pack up and go to your ancestral homeland.
I signed up, as I have Scots ancestry, and haven’t ever taken the time to use the website, ScotlandsPeople. The offer gave me an incentive to do so. As far as I can tell, this offer is good through tomorrow, July 15, 2011 – but that’s not obvious on the webpage set up for the offer. I found that information at TravelVideo.tv. Now – keep in mind that AncestralScotland has an offer of 10 Credits, worth about £2GBP – that seems to be an ongoing thing to try to get folks onboard for the newsletter. I like the 30 Credit offer better. (grin}
As the website reminds us, researching your Scottish ancestors can be very rewarding, but nothing compares to experiencing first-hand the places they lived and worked. I certainly can’t argue with that. I also know that ScotlandsPeople.gov.uk, the official source of genealogical data for Scotland, is where I can search Scottish Census Records, Births, Deaths, Marriages, Old Parish Records and Wills & Testaments. So I’m looking forward to spending time on the site.
If you are already a registered member of ScotlandsPeople, the offer isn’t available to you. But for everyone else, just click here to register and get your 30 FREE search credits at ScotlandsPeople.gov.uk.
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THE SALT LAKE CHRISTMAS TOUR
The Salt Lake Christmas Tour is known for having the highest ratio of consulting professional genealogists per attendee of any research tour to the Family History Library. Over 20 classes are offered during the week, as well as 6 days of professionally assisted research. Thomas MacEntee will also be lecturing and leading hands-on workshops throughout the week – 10 altogether. Join us for the 27th annual Salt Lake Christmas Tour – December 4 through 10, 2011. See: http://www.SaltLakeChristmasTour.com
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BOOK REVIEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
In this edition of the Genealogy Newsline, I am reviewing 4 books, all of which I highly recommend.
THE GENEALOGIST’S GUIDE TO TAX RECORDS
The following is a review of The Genealogist’s Guide to Tax Records, by Carol Cook Darrow, CD, and Susan Winchester, Ph.d., C.P.A.
I’ve been lecturing on using tax records for years, and up until just a short time ago, lamented the fact that there was no in-depth book that I could recommend to my audiences. That all changed when Carol Cooke Darrow, CG, and Susan Winchester, Ph.d., C.P.A. wrote The Genealogist’s Guide to Researching Tax Records.
The census taker came every ten years and often missed people. The tax collector came every year and seldom missed anyone. The Genealogist’s Guide to Researching Tax Records gives us the techniques to locate, read, and understand the valuable information in these annual records.
Researching tax records, which date from the 1620s to the present day, can help you establish your ancestor’s location, real estate, personal possessions, economic status and perhaps even the occupations and family relationships of your ancestors. By reading this volume, you can learn how to find tax records, how to read these records and understand the information they provide.
Chapters one and two (See Table of Contents below) explain techniques that will help you successfully research tax records. Subsequent chapters explain how to apply those techniques in researching head, tithable or poll taxes, real estate taxes, personal property taxes, federal taxes, inheritance taxes, and a variety of miscellaneous taxes.
Tax records are especially helpful for the period prior the first U.S. Federal decennial census in 1790 and for the period between 1880 and 1900, with its missing 1890 census.
This is the most complete guide to researching tax records in print and includes examples from New England, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Tennessee, Arkansas, Texas, Arizona, and more. Beside that, the appendices, bibliographies, and a subject index add to the value of this work. Following is a listing of the Table of Contents.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1. Getting Started in Tax Records
- Benefits of Tax Record Research
- Research Can Be Tedious – Until You Succeed
- Tax Process
- Locating Tax Records
- Research Tax Records at Courthouse or Archive
- Tax Records as Substitutes for Census Records
- Verify County Formation Date
- Following the Records Year by Year
- Isolated Records
- Indexes: Never the Final Answer
- A Word About Slaves
- Finding the Right Record in the Wrong Place
- Ready to Begin?
Chapter 2. Research Techniques
- Types of Taxes
- How to Approach a Tax Record
- Identify Information Being Collected
- Sources for Interpreting Tax Information
- Consider Spelling Variations
- Become Familiar With Notations and Abbreviations
Research Example: Separate Men with the Same Name in the Same County - Doing the Math
Research Example: Estimate Wealth of an Ancestor - Records That Report Only Assessed Value
- Paying Taxes in the Coin of the Realm
- Calculating With Pounds, Shilling, and Pence
Research Example: Estimate Wealth of an Ancestor - Forming a Hypothesis
- Summary of Research Techniques
Chapter 3. Poll Taxes
- Taxes “By the Poll” Were the Earliest American Taxes
- Massachusetts Poll Tax, 1646
- Virginia Tithables
- The Tithable Process
- Poll Books and Voting Rights
Research Example: Locate an Ancestor in a Specific County - Head Taxes in Other Colonies
Research Example: Separate Men with the Same Name in the Same County - Tracking Changes Through Tax Lists Over Time
Research Example: Identify Men as They Become Adults - Finding the Landless Ancestor
Research Example: Research Landless Ancestor - Poll Taxes Can Replace the Census
Chapter 4. Land Taxes
- Colonial Land Distribution
- Land Taxes After the Revolution
- Tax Exemptions Used to Encourage Settlement
- Tax Records Can Identify the Land and the Location
Research Example: Separate Men With the Same Name in the Same County
Research Example: Use Tax Information to Lead to Other Valuable Records - Delinquent Land Tax Sales
- Tracking Delinquent Land Tax Sales Records
- Land Tax Records Can Point to a Migration Trail
- Land Holding May Imply Arrival Date
- Tax Ledgers Arranged by Legal Land Description
- Additional Information Collected in Tax Records
- Information Common to Land Tax Records
Chapter 5. Personal Property Taxes
- Paying for Government
- Estates are Taxable
Research Example: Establish a Year of Death as Estate Becomes Taxable - Land and Personal Property Tax Lists Combined
Research Example: Examine Wealth of an Ancestor - Property Tax Lists Expanded Over Time
- State Income Tax Replaces Some Personal Property Taxes
- Homestead Exemptions Enacted
- Personal Property Tax – “Everyman Tax”
Chapter 6: Federal Taxes
- Direct Tax of 1798
- Tariff and Import Taxes
- Direct Taxes of 1813, 1815, and 1816
- Direct Tax of 1861
- Federal Income Taxes (1862-1872)
- Confederate Taxes
- Tariffs Decline in Significance
- Income Tax Reconsidered
- Tax Protests
- Tax Assessors and Collectors
Chapter 7. Inheritance and Estate Taxes
- Federal Estate and In Heritage Taxes
- State Estate and Inheritance Taxes
Research Example: Identify the Heirs of an Estate - Estate and Inheritance Taxes Can Prove Relationships
Chapter 8. Miscellaneous Tax Records
- Militia Service
- Road Orders
- Ecclesiastical Taxes
- Faculty Taxes
- Business Licenses
- Liquor Taxes
- School Taxes
- Federal Head Tax on Aliens
- Old Age Assistance Tax
Chapter 9. Summary
- Summary of Research Techniques
Appendix A. Textural Records of the Direct Tax Commission in the Southern States
Appendix B. Microfilmed Records of the Internal Revenue Assessment Lists, 1862-1874
Appendix C. State Inheritance Tax Laws Through 1913
Appendix D. State Old Age Assistance Laws, as of 1934
Glossary
Research Bibliography
Bibliography of Selected Tax Records
Index
To order your copy, click on the following link: The Genealogist’s Guide to Researching Tax Records; by Carol Cook Darrow, CG and Susan Winchester, Ph.D., CPA.; 2007, 5½x8½, paper, index, 182 pp. FRPC Item # HBD4298. The book is only $19.60 at the FRPC website. There is a shipping fee of $4.90, but orders for U.S.A. delivery over $25 placed at the FRPC online genealogy bookstore before Midnight MDT on Saturday, August 20, 2011, will be shipped FREE. So just add another item or two to your order and they ship at no charge./p>
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GENEALOGICAL RESEARCH IN NEBRASKA, by Ruby Coleman
A year in the planning, the new Genealogical Research in Nebraska is now available. The book was introduced with great success at the National Genealogical Society Conference in Charleston, South Carolina. It was written by Ruby Coleman specifically for genealogists who have ancestors or relatives who may have settled in Nebraska.
As with researching in any area, the challenge for researching in Nebraska is to locate as many of the records as possible. There are many repositories where these records are found. Like many other states, Nebraska’s record keeping is somewhat unique, but very useful to the genealogist. Many records are available to document one’s Nebraska family, whether they settled and stayed, or moved on after a few years. Ruby’s book will help you find those records.
Heavily illustrated with photos and documents, this volume may give the researcher clues as to records that may be available that they hadn’t even considered.
The following chapters make up the book:
- Introduction
- Nebraska Settlement
- Colonization and Development by Railroad
- Nebraska Court System and Records
- Nebraska Vital Records
- Probate, Guardianships and Adoptions
- Land Records
- Naturalization Records
- Civil and Criminal Court Records
- County Histories
- Territorial, Federal and State Censuses
- Military Records
- Schools and Records
- Cemeteries
- Institutional Records
- Nebraska Railroads
- Nebraska Ethnic Groups
- Religious Records
- Orphan Trains
- Cattle Brands
- Societies, Repositories and Libraries
- Genealogical Collections in Nebraska Libraries and Repositories
- Nebraska State Censuses & Substitutes 1854-1976
- Maps Showing Nebraska County Boundary Changes
- Nebraska County Records – Alphabetical by county
- Suggested Internet Web Pages
- Suggested Reading
- Notes
About the Author:
Ruby Coleman, of Nebraska, has been actively involved in researching genealogy for over 40 years and has been a professional genealogist for over 25 years. She is an instructor of seminars and classes, as well as a lecturer and free-lance writer. Her expertise is in Nebraska and the plains states genealogy, history, and research.
Genealogical Research in Nebraska is available at Family Roots Publishing, for only $25.69 with FREE USA Shipping through Midnight MDT Saturday, August 20, 2011.
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One of my favorite books is Judy Jacobson’s History For Genealogists – Using Chronological Time Lines to Find and Understand Your Ancestors. I find myself constantly returning to the volume for guidance in historical information that has the potential of adding increased data, and often generations, to my family history. Beside that, it’s just a VERY GOOD READ!
Any experienced genealogist knows that it’s imperative that we understand the historical context within which our ancestors’ lived. However, that’s a tall order. You could spend every moment of your life reading history – both online and off – and still not have the facts that will help you understand why your ancestors did what they did. This is where History for Genealogists comes to the rescue.
History for Genealogists highlights and dates events that played into the lives of our ancestors. Consider the following illustrations: If you have lost track of your 1880 ancestor in Iowa, have you considered that he might have moved there during the Economic Panic of 1873? Your forebears were living in Texas in the 1840s, but did you know that they might have come from Kentucky as part of the “Peters Colony?” Did you know that you can learn a great deal about your ancestors if they belonged to a labor or fraternal organization like the Amalgamated Clothing Workers, Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, or the Catholic Family Life Insurance Society?
As Mrs. Jacobson puts it, “The average person might define historical research as the study of the human past and genealogical research as the study of a human’s past. History lays the foundation to understand a group of people. Genealogy lays the foundation to understand a person or family using tangible evidence. Yet history also lays the foundation to understand why individuals and societies behave the way they do. It provides the building materials needed to understand the human condition and provide an identity, be it for an individual or a group or an institution.”
The initial chapters of History for Genealogists explain the value of historical time lines. Here the reader learns the clues that time lines can suggest about hidden aspects of our ancestors’ lives. Mrs. Jacobson illustrates the virtues of time lines with several case studies.
The bulk of the book consists of specific historical time lines that answer fundamental questions about our forebears. For example, if you are trying to learn when your ancestors left one place for another, it would be helpful to ask the question, “Why did they leave?” Did it have to do with a military conflict, social injustice, religion, disease, economic hardship, a natural disaster? No matter what the explanation, Mrs. Jacobson has a historical time line that could lead to the explanation. For example, your ancestor’s departure may have coincided with the outbreak of the Crimean War, a virulent epidemic, an earthquake, or a religious war.
Other chapters pose answers to other crucial questions, such as “How did they go?” and “What route did they take?” For these conundrums, Mrs. Jacobson uses time lines to lay out the history of the transportation revolutions in America (roads, rails, canals, and air travel), as well as the history of the great western trails our ancestors followed in crossing the country.
The author dissects our the past into scores of time lines. There is a time line of the Industrial Revolution, American immigration, and the Labor Movement. Researchers can also make use of a time line for the history of each of the 50 states, and, in brief, for the rest of North America, Europe, and more.
History for Genealogists concludes with a helpful bibliography and an index of people and places, wars and battles. As an example of how to use the index – I do a lot of research on ancestors who lived or migrated through Nebraska. In checking the index for Nebraska, I found ten entries: pages 25, 39, 60, 70, 85, 113, 154, 180, 181, and 204. This led me to the following information about Nebraska:
- Page 25 – The 1882 Omaha Labor Riots – found in a chronological listing of Uncivil Disobedience dating from 1641 until 1949.
- Page 39 – The 1802 Smallpox outbreak killing Omaha Indians – found in a chronological listing of disease epidemics in America dating from 1657 until 1931.
- Page 60 – Information of the rapid settlement of Kansas, Nebraska, and the Dakotas – found in a chronological listing of Railroad advances dating from 1779 until 1935.
- Page 70 – Information that many Czechs went to Wisconsin, Texas and Nebraska – found in a chapter on Coming to America and Who Went Where?
- Page 85 – The Western Trail ran from Ogallala, Nebraska to Central Texas, and connected to the Oregon Trail. – from a sub-chapter section on Western Trail and Roads, from a chapter section on America’s historic migrations, found in the Coming to America chapter and Who Went Where? This chapter alone is absolutely amazing in its variety and depth of information.
- Page 113 – The top ten destinations for Orphan Train children was New York, Illinois, Ohio, Iowa, Missouri, Michigan, New Jersey, Kansas, Indiana, and Nebraska – found in a subsection on orphan trains in a chapter on “Even Harder to Find Missing Persons.”
- Page 154 – Wyoming wasn’t even a territory in 1860, but neighboring Nebraska was and that unorganized section of Nebraska Territory contained census information for what would become Wyoming – found in the introduction to the comprehensive State-by-State chapter.
- Page 180 – Montana was included in Nebraska Territory – found in the Montana section of State-by-State chapter.
- Page 181 – The Nebraska section of the State by State chapter contains 25 entries starting with the 1763 Treaty of Paris granting land west of the Mississippi River to Spain and concluding with the 1944 Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Project enacted for flood control, dams, reservoirs, and hydroelectric plants.
- Page 204 – The 1860 Census of Wyoming was included with the census taken for Nebraska – found in the Wyoming section of the State-by-State chapter, made up of 34 entries.
The following is from the Table of Contents
Chapter 1. Seeing Ancestors in Historical Context
The Long Range
Chapter 2. Creating a Timeline
Why?
How?
Case Studies Using Timelines
Thomas Pound – Tracking an Individual
Thomas Richley – Designing to Find Mathematical Problems
Chapter 3. Why Did They Leave?
Military
American Military Actions
Major Revolutionary War Events and Battles
Major Civil War Events and Battles
Major Spanish-American War Events and Battles
International Skirmishes Involving the United States
Foreign Military and Armed Engagements
Racism, Injustices and Political Unrest
Uncivil Disobedience
Political Motives
Religion
Escape and Banishment
Genocide
Disease
Epidemics in America
Important International Medical Events Influencing Populations and Migrations
Economics
Events Having a Major Impact on Financial Stability in the U.S.A.
Natural and Unnatural Disasters
International Disasters
Disasters in the United States
Chapter 4. How Did They Go?
By Road
By Rail
By Water
By Air
Chapter 5. Coming to America
Who Went Where?
To Canada and Back
America’s Historic Migration Patterns
The East – Eastern Trails and Roads
The Mountains – Appalachian Trails and Roads
The South – Southern Trails and Roads
The Midwest – Midwestern Trails and Roads
The West – Western Trails and Roads
Long Distances – Long Distance Trails and Roads
Trail of Tears
The Religion Factor
Chapter 6. Myths, Confusions, Secrets and Lies
Myths
Confusion
Secrets
Lies
Chapter 7. Even Harder to Find Missing Persons
Name Changes – Legal or Not
Females
Slaves
Isolated Societies
Orphan Trains
No Public Records At All
Places That Changed Their Names
Ghost Towns
Three Lost States – Franklin, Transylvania, and Westmoreland
Meandering Boundaries
Historical Maps
Chapter 8. Society History and Community Genealogy
Immigration
The American Industrial Revolution
Associations, Brotherhoods, Societies and Unions
The Rise of the Labor Unions
Genealogical Information Found in Books
Local Histories
Social History Books
Diaries and Journals
Other Sources
Oral History Projects
Keeping it All in the Family
Do It Yourself
9. State by State
Colonial Differences
State Timelines – Alabama to Wyoming – 49 pages
Chapter 10. And Region by Region
The Melding of Nationalities
Just One City
International Timelines
The Rest of North America
Central America and the Caribbean
South America
British Isles
The Rest of Europe
Africa
Russia and the Rest of the Former Soviet Union
Middle East
Asia
Oceania – Australia and Island Nations
Bibliography
Index to People and Places, War and Battles
To order your copy, click on the following link: History for Genealogists, Using Chronological Time Lines to Find and Understand Your Ancestors; by Judy Jacobson; 286 pp; Paper; Item # CF9956; This book qualifies for FREE shipping through August 20, 2011.
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WITTER’S GERMAN-ENGLISH PRIMER
Witter’s German-English Primer was originally printed in 1887, then reprinted in 1987, and subsequent printings for genealogists and historians.
When a school-book makes it back into print, and sells well after 130 years have passed since its first publication, there must be something extraordinary about it. This is indeed the case with Witter’s German-English Primer / Deutsch-Englishe Schrieib- und Lese-Fibel in its revised edition of 1881. This 103 page reprint, though, is no longer intended for school children; it rather meets the needs of serious students of the German language, and genealogists for whom a knowledge of old German script is essential when it comes to deciphering old manuscripts, letters, and diaries, church records, and entries in old family Bibles.
Due to Witter’s bilingual arrangement of the text, no previous knowledge of the German language is necessary. This makes it perfectly suited for individual learning. This bonus feature was the principal reason for reprinting the book. The publishers also felt that learning German script from an original German-American school-book – a book thousands of our forebears used – would be a welcome experience for the historically minded.
I recommend the book to any English-speaking person who is attempting to read the old German script, both Gothic lettering, as well as cursive handwriting. This is an excellent addition to anyone’s genealogy library, especially those who have Germanic ancestry.
Purchase Witter’s German-English Primer for just $6.88. There is a shipping fee of $4.90, but orders for U.S.A. delivery over $25 placed at the FRPC online genealogy bookstore before Midnight MDT on Saturday, August 20, 2011, will be shipped FREE. So just add another item or two to your order and they ship at no charge… Sorry, orders shipping to Canada and other countries have the normal shipping fees
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MORE GENEALOGY NEWS
- For the latest in Genealogy News and Commentary, See my latest entries at GenealogyBlog.com. Click Here.
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THE MIDWEST FAMILY HISTORY EXPO AT OVERLAND PARK, KANSAS
The Midwest Family History Expo will take place July 29-30, 2011 in Overland Park, Kansas. Family Roots Publishing will be exhibiting there again this year, and I wanted to take a moment to invite all of my mid-west readers to join us.
The keynote speaker is Lisa Louise Cooke. Lisa is the producer and host of the Genealogy Gems Podcast, an online genealogy audio show at http://www.GenealogyGems.com. Lisa will also be teaching the latest in using Google and other inspiring works for successful research.
M. Bridget Cook will be the featured dinner speaker. She is a U.S. Best Selling author and biographer. Her book, Shattered Silence, has been featured on Oprah, Dr. Phil, Good Morning America, and many other national TV shows and magazines. Bridget is a brilliant writer and will be teaching classes to assist us with writing our own juicy family histories! See: http://www.mbridgetcook.com.
See the full agenda of classes offered online at http://www.familyhistoryexpos.com/viewevent.aspx?eid=35.
Read much more about the Midwest Family History Expo at GenealogyBlog.com.
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FRPC FREE SHIPPING OFFER- AND LINKS TO CATEGORIES AT THE FRPC WEBSITE
Family Roots Publishing Co., LLC is offered FREE SHIPPING on all orders for delivery within the United States totaling $25 or more in product. This offer starts NOW, and ends Saturday, August 20, 2011 at Midnight MDT. We NOW HAVE OVER 1600 items posted at the site, with more going up every day!
We are also making the offer to USA located Libraries and Institutions who wish to purchase by online Purchase Order (see the Library Purchases paragraph near the bottom of the Family Roots Publishing Co. homepage for Purchase Order purchase requirements).
As mentioned above, over 1600 great genealogy guidebooks can be found on the website. Regional guidebooks for most countries, American states, and Canadian provinces are located on the site! Guides on writing, and recording genealogy, photography, DNA research, genealogy dictionaries, computer use, immigration, migration, and on & on are found there! Click on the links below to go immediately view a number of selected categories of books.
There are no minimum or maximum number of items that can be purchased under this offer.
Foreign orders, as well as those to Canada are not included in this FREE SHIPPING offer. There are a few items on the site that normally include the shipping as part of the price, and we have not attempted to change those prices, as it would be too labor-intensive to do so.
This offer ends at midnight, Saturday, August 20, 2011 MDT.
Take advantage of this FREE SHIPPING offer on order totaling $25 or more on the books you want now!
Selected Categories from the FRPC Website:
African American Research Guides
American Indian Research Guides
Hispanic Research Research Guides
Family Association/Reunion Research Guides
Germany Research Guides (not German Map Guides)
German Map Guides – Soft Cover
German Map Guides – Hard Cover
Beginning Genealogy Research Guides
Church Groups Research Guides – Catholic, Friends, Morman, etc.
Computers & Internet Research Guides
George Schweitzer Research Guides
Genealogical Organization Guides
How-to Genealogy Research Guides
Immigration/Emigration Research Guides
Libraries & Archives Research Guides
Locating People & Adoption Research Guides
Medical Dictionaries for Genealogists
Migration/Transportation Guides (includes roads, canals, and the Atlantic)
Photography, & Photo Identification
Writing & Recording Family History
First World War Genealogy Research Guides
Second World War Genealogy Research Guides
American Revolution Genealogy Research Guides
U.S. Civil War Research Guides
American Genealogy Research Guides
American Naturalization Research Guides
Works Progress Administration Records Guides
Remember, this FREE shipping offer on orders totaling $25 or more is now only available through Saturday, August 20, 2011 at midnight MDT. Shop now at the Family Roots Publishing Company Website.
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FAMILY ROOTS PUBLISHING CO., LLC IS CURRENTLY SCHEDULED TO EXHIBIT AT THE FOLLOWING EVENTS in 2011:
- Midwest Family History Expo – Overland Park, Kansas – July 29 & 30, 2011
- Federation of Genealogical Societies Conference – Springfield, Illinois – September 7-10, 2011
- Washington State Gen Society Annual Conference – Richland, Washington – Sept. 16 & 17, 2011
- Salt Lake Plaza Hotel Heritage Room – Exhibits Only – September 20, 21, & 22, 2011
- Northern California Family History Expo – San Mateo, California – October 7 & 8, 2011
- Salt Lake Plaza Hotel Heritage Room – Exhibits Only – October 10, 11, & 12, 2011
- Military Family History Expo – Salt Lake City, Utah – October 29, 2011
- Salt Lake Plaza Hotel Heritage Room – Exhibits Only – October 31 & November 1 & 2, 2011
- Atlanta Family History Expo – Duluth, Georgia – November 11 & 12, 2011
- Salt Lake Christmas Tour – Salt Lake City, Utah – December 5-11, 2011
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THINKING OF GOING TO SALT LAKE CITY?
If you’re considering a research trip at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City NOW IS A GREAT TIME! The Salt Lake Plaza Hotel which is located next door to the Family History Library is offering special genealogy discounts for July and August, 2011. Your discount will depend on the dates you reserve. They offer microwaves and refrigerators in every room, a full service restaurant, complimentary wireless hi-speed internet and a complimentary airport shuttle. Call them at 800-366-3684 or e-mail at admin@plaza-hotel.com and mention the Genealogy Newsline to receive your discount rate.
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CHECK OUT AREA-INFO.NET
I’ve just began writing a genealogy column for a new website entitled Area-Info.net. The column is owned by my friends, Lee Everton and John Hardy. It’s set up so that you write the local news – including obituaries, family info, and such. As Lee says, “It’s about the people.” I think the site is a great idea. Check it out Note that Lee is helping us out with getting the Genealogy Newsline mailing list cleaned up – in order to stop getting caught in the SPAM traps – the biggest problem being AT&T.
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CHECK OUT GENEALOGYBLOG.COM
I blog at GenealogyBlog.com, which I’ve been doing since 2004. I invite you to check it out.
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To SUBSCRIBE – If you received this Newsline directly from Family Roots Publishing Company, do nothing. You are already subscribed. If not, to subscribe to the Genealogy Newline, Enter your email address in the box titled “Signup – Free Genealogy Newsletter” found on the upper left hand corner of the Family Roots Publishing Company website, just under the Family Roots Publishing logo.
You may UNSUBSCRIBE to the Genealogy Newsline by just clicking on the “Unsubscribe” link in the lower left hand corner of this Newsline If you are getting more than one Genealogy Newsline, just click the link to unsubscribe to the duplicates.
If you are getting DUPLICATE COPIES OF THE Genealogy Newsline, click on “UNSUBSCRIBE” as is described in the above paragraph in the unwanted Genealogy Newsline copies. This will normally only happen if we have more than one active email address for a subscriber.
To CHANGE THE EMAIL ADDRESS where the Genealogy Newsline is being sent, email me at Leland@FamilyRootsPublishing.com In the subject line, write: “email address change”. Give me your Name, Old email address, and New email address in the body copy of the message.
I hope that you find the Genealogy Newsline useful, and informative. I will do all I can to make it just that. If you like it, please tell your friends.
Leland K. Meitzler, Editor
Leland@familyrootspublishing.com
Twitter @Lmeitzler
ABOUT GENEALOGY NEWSLINE
The Genealogy Newsline is sponsored by GenealogyBlog.com and is a weekly publication of Family Roots Publishing Co., LLC, PO Box 830, Bountiful, Utah 84011. Additional Supplements are possible, but will not be published regularly. Genealogy Newsline is edited by Leland K. Meitzler. Guest articles are welcome, with acceptance wholly dependent on space available, quality of the writing, my personal interest in the subject, and interest to the genealogical community as a whole. Genealogy and history related books, CD-ROMs, DVDs, and software for review should be sent to the above address.
GENEALOGY NEWSLINE ARCHIVE
Click Here to find back issues of the Genealogy Newsline archived at GenealogyBlog.com.
CHANGING A PASSWORD
To change your password, go to the Family Roots Publishing website: http://www.familyrootspublishing.com/ On the left hand side is a column where you will find the word CONTENTS. A ways further down you will the words CHANGE PASSWORD and LOGIN. Log in first using your current password, then click on CHANGE PASSWORD. Type your old password, then your new password twice. Click on UPDATE. That will do it.
LELAND K. MEITZLER BIOGRAPHY
Mr. Meitzler founded Heritage Quest in 1985. Mr. Meitzler worked as Managing Editor for Heritage Quest Magazine from 1985 through 2005, and held the same position with Everton Publishers, editing The Genealogical Helper, from 2006 until February of 2009. He is the now co-owner of Family Roots Publishing Company, LLC, and writes daily at GenealogyBlog.com. Meitzler conducts the annual Salt Lake Christmas Tour, now in its 27th year. With over 2000 lectures to his credit, his programs are always motivational and informative. He may be contacted at Leland@familyrootspublishing.com
COPYRIGHTS & PERMISSIONS
Copyright 2011 Family Roots Publishing, LLC
Although copyrighted by FRPC, readers may share the Genealogy Newsline with their friends by forwarding this email. Readers may also reproduce portions (not the entirety!) of the Genealogy Newsline in their own publications, newsletters, blogs, etc., with my permission, as long as full attribution is given as to where the information came from, in the following format please: From Genealogy Newsline Vol 1 #2, Tuesday, January 18, 2011; a publication of Family Roots Publishing Co. LLC – www.FamilyRootsPublishing.com
Permissions can be obtained by simply emailing me at: Leland@FamilyRootsPublishing.com. Any reasonable request will most likely be granted immediately.
