Louisiana Ancestors, the longest-running genealogy column in the United States and written by Damon Veach, has ended its affiliation with newspapers and is now an ONLINE and FREE weekly column and presented under its original name, as when it was started many years ago. Cajuns, Creoles, Pirates and Planters was too long for most newspaper headings, so the shorter Louisiana Ancestors became the name. It is now found at http://claitors.com, and efforts to promote genealogy and historic preservation projects throughout the state will continue uninterrupted.
Even though most of the data presented is Louisiana related, there will be other items of interest for researchers with ties to other parts of the country. The first column was posted on March 16, 2009 and will be posted each Monday with all entries being archived for easy perusal for those wanting to keep up with what is going on in the world of genealogy.
One of the main items that will be stressed is the importance of genealogical and historical societies in their continuing efforts to preserve records for future generations. All societies and researchers will be offered ample space for the publication of their activities and inquiries. Of course, individual queries should have a Louisiana connection, but information from other parts of the country will be accepted as long the researcher shows a state address. Dated notices should be submitted several weeks in advance of the planned activity, and family reunion notices can include a detailed look at the individual surname(s) involved. Books and magazines are reviewed only if a sample copy is submitted with each request. These items are then donated to the DeSoto Parish Historical Society for inclusion in the Veach-Foshee Memorial Library Collection, which is housed in the Mansfield Female College Museum, the oldest college for women west of the Mississippi River and now one of the finest museums in the state. This is one of the largest private collections of its kind in the south and is open and available to researchers.
Note that the column can be downloaded as a Word Document, or read as a pdf or html document. I’ve never had so many choices in format to read! I like it.
For more information on this online column, inquiries can be sent by way of e-mail to ancestorslaveach@cox.net. For those researchers wanting to correspond with the author, send inquiries to Damon Veach, Cajuns, Creoles, Pirates and Planters, 709 Bungalow Lane, Baton Rouge, LA 70802-5337.
