Genealogy News Summary for November

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Here's the genealogy news summary for late October and early November:

1. INTERESTING GENEALOGY WEB SITES

a) http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/ - the Perry-Castaneda Historical Maps Collection at the University of Texas.

b) http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~gentutor/trails.html - Early American Roads and Trails by Beverly Whitaker.

c) http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/censusatlas/ - Census Atlas of the USA for 2000.

2. NEW GENEALOGY DATABASES

a) at www.Ancestry.com - subscription site (US = $155.40, World = $299.40) - now available for FREE at San Diego FHC (Institution with World databases) or San Diego City or County Public Libraries (Ancestry Library Edition). Ancestry has over 7 billion names in over 26,500 databases. See new content at http://www.ancestry.com/search/rectype/recent.aspx. New databases this month include:
* US Army Indian Campaign Service Records Index, 1815-1858
* Brooklyn NY Catholic Church Baptisms (1837-1900) and Marriages (1839-1900)
* US Navy Pensions Index, 1861-1910
* US Military and Naval Academy Registers, 1805-1908
* US Native-American Applications for Enrollment in Five Civilized Tribes, 1896
* US Native-American Enrollment Cards for Five Civilized Tribes, 1898-1914
* Jewish Records from Holocaust (free indexes) - from www.JewishGen.org (20 million names)
* Many more Canadian books and manuscripts
* British World War I Army Service Records, 1914-1920
* UK Incoming Passenger Lists, 1878-1970
* Paris, France Births, Marriages, Deaths, ~1700 to ~1900

b) www.WorldVitalRecords.com - subscription site (US = $39.95 for 1 year, World = $119.95 for 1 year) -- now available for FREE at the San Diego FHC. Over 11,000 databases, over 1.3 billion names. Recently added content is at http://www.worldvitalrecords.com/recentcontentlisting.aspx. New items are FREE at WVR for 10 days. New databases include:

* More Canadian titles from the Dundurn Group collection
* Some Mexico newspapers
* Some Australian records from Ryerson Index


c) www.Footnote.com - subscription site ($69.96 annual retail, $11.95 monthly) - now available for FREE at San Diego FHC. They offer 7-day FREE trial. 434 Titles, over 47 million images, over 1 million free. Content list at http://www.footnote.com/documents.php. Information added this month includes:
* Updated Newspaper databases

d) www.GenealogyBank.com - subscription site (trial $9.95 for one month, $69.95 for 12 months). It has archives for over 2,500 U.S. historical newspapers in all 50 states, from the 1600s to the present day, with over 224 million family history records, over 29 million obituaries from more than 1,140 newspapers in more than 130 million historical newspaper articles, and more than 11,700 historical books. Added content from:
* over 100 newspapers in 31 states.

e) http://pilot.familysearch.org/ - the LDS FREE site for indexed and browsable databases -- new content includes:
* Vermont Enrolled Militia Records, 1861-1867 (100% complete, index and images)
* Louisiana War of 1812 Pension Lists , 1812-1817 (100% complete, no index, browse images)

Seven new indexing projects were released during the past two weeks:
* Argentina 1869 Census – Buenos Aires (Part 2)
* Argentina 1869 Census – Cordoba y San Luis
* Massachusetts Death Records
* Massachusetts Marriage Records
* New Hampshire Birth Records
* UK – Cheshire – Church Records
* UK– Cheshire – Land Tax

3. GENEALOGY EDUCATION

a) The National Genealogical Society, headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, announced a new educational course offering, Working With Deeds. This online courses teaches a researcher to recognize and understand various types of deeds and to analyze the information found in them. These skills help family historians sort out the mysteries of ancestral relationships and solve difficult brick-wall problems. For more information or to register for an online course or the NGS Home Study Course, visit the NGS website at http://ngsgenealogy.org and click on Learning Center.

b) Google Your Family Tree -- This book by Dan Lynch is written in a friendly, informative, and non-technical way — but still conveys the depth of power contained within each major part of the Google service. Each concept is illustrated with large, easy-to-view images showing exactly how to execute the command being discussed and what results you will achieve. If you have ever used Google or any Internet search engine and experienced frustration with millions of listings resulting from your query, you are about to discover a true breakthrough! He dissects more than one hundred powerful commands and features of Google, but maintains a focus on how they can be used specifically to conduct family history research. There are special tips for finding people, places, and even filters for searching through different time periods. The book is $34.95 at www.googleyourfamilytree.com.

4. SOFTWARE

a) Itsourtree.com Releases Free Family Tree Software -- The software enables users to edit and create a family tree on their own PC. If desired, they can then upload it to www.itsourtree.com and share it with relatives and friends. The Home Edition offers state-of-the-art usability and technology at no cost. Besides operating in the standard GEDCOM format the software also allows the printing of various familial lists in an appropriate genealogical standard.

b) FamViewer for iPhones and iPod Touch -- Aster Software announced the release of its new genealogy application, FamViewer, that allows genealogists to carry their genealogy databases with them on their iPhone and iPod Touch. FamViewer imports standard GEDCOM files and displays them on the iPhone. You can carry your genealogy database with you wherever you bring your iPhone or iPod Touch.

5. ANNOUNCEMENTS


a) Ancestry.ca announced a joint initiative with FamilySearch International. As part of the agreement, FamilySearch will digitize and index Canadian census records that Ancestry.ca has acquired. These digitized and indexed records will then be made available to Ancestry.ca members on the company’s website, and the indexes will also be available to the public at www.FamilySearch.org. The images will be free to qualified FamilySearch members and all FamilySearch family history centers. FamilySearch will deliver images and indexes to Ancestry.ca for censuses from 1861, 1871, 1881 and 1916 Censuses to launch online in 2009. In return, Ancestry.ca will provide images and indexes to FamilySearch for the 1851, 1891, 1901 and 1906 Censuses.

b) Library and Archives Canada (LAC) announced a collaborative partnership with Ancestry.ca, which will allow the two organizations to provide unprecedented online access to the most comprehensive collection of Canadian historical records available. As part of the agreement, Ancestry.ca will digitize and index microfilm and original records held by LAC and make these available to Ancestry.ca members. All of the digitized records will eventually be available free of charge to users of the LAC website.

c) Ancestry.com announced it has introduced the world’s largest online collection of Jewish family history records. Ancestry.com has partnered with two leading organizations committed to the preservation of Jewish heritage – JewishGen, an affiliate of the Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust in New York City that maintains the world’s premier Jewish genealogy website, and the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC). These unique records, including photographs, immigration records, Holocaust records and memorials, can now be searched alongside other records already accessible on Ancestry.com, creating the largest collection of Jewish family history records on the Web with more than 26 million records documenting Jewish life.

d) Ancestry's online self-publishing service (formerly AncestryPress) -- has a new name, MyCanvas, and a new website. You can check out the new site by clicking the "Print & Share" tab (formerly the "Publish" tab) on Ancestry.com. Customers who go to www.ancestrypress.com will automatically be forwarded to www.mycanvas.ancestry.com.