The program at the Chula Vista Genealogical Society meeting on Wednesday, 29 July was about the Gaslamp Quarter in downtown San Diego. The speakers were Melissa Trew on “The History and Culture of San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter” and “Every Building Has a Genealogy” by Dan Haslam. The talk summary and brief biographies of Melissa and Dan are posted in San Diego Gaslamp Quarter Program on Wednesday, 29 July .
Melissa's talk summariuzed the Gaslamp Quarter Historical Foundation (GQHF) activities, including the William Heath Davis House Museum where GDQHF has their offices; Walking tours of the Gaslamp Quarter; The "Fallback Festival" in November, the ShamRock celebration on St. Patrick's Day, Private Party Rentals, and the "History of the Gaslamp quarter" exhibit - then and now under development. The two-hour walking tours are Saturdays at 11 a.m., and visit several refurbished Victorian era homes in the Gaslamp quarter.
Dan's talk was about the history of several of the buildings in the Gaslamp Quarter, including the William Heath Davis House; Yuma Building (probably the most famous brothel in San Diego for many years; Old Spaghetti Factory; the Keating Building (which served as the offices for the Simon and Simon TV detective show in the 1980's); the Cole Block, and several more.
The history of the Davis house has been traced to around 1850 when it was built and furnished with items brought around Cape Horn from Portland, Maine by Mr. Davis. It first stood at State and Market Streets, was moved to 11th and G Streets in 1873 and then to its present location at 410 Island Street in 1984. It was refurbished at that time. While at 11th and K, it served as a County Hospital and charged patients $1 per day. Dan says that the house is haunted, and it is on the Ghost Tours conducted by local companies.
This was a fun and interesting program about walking on downtown San Diego's wild side, from a historical perspective. As Dan noted, respectable persons never went below Broadway at night. Some of us native San Diegans have always wondered what happened in the Stingaree and other areas below Broadway. The area was the haunt of many US Navy sailors over the years!
The Gaslamp Quarter is thriving now with many restaurants, hotels, stores, and shops over a 16 block area between 4th Avenue and 6th Avenue, and between Broadway and Harbor Drive. There are 94 buildings on the National Registry of historical buildings in this area. The Gaslamp Quarter Historical Foundation is trying to preserve and redevelop some of San Diego's heritage.
The opportunity drawing prizes today were two sets of two tickets for the Walking Tour.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Sunday, July 26, 2009
San Diego Gaslamp Quarter Program on Wednesday, 29 July
The next Program Meeting of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society is Wednesday, 29 July at 12 noon at the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street in Chula Vista) in the Auditorium. There will be a short business meeting before the program.
The Program will be about the Gaslamp Quarter in downtown San Diego -
“The History and Culture of San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter” by Melissa Trew, and “Every Building Has a Genealogy” by Dan Haslam
The Gaslamp Quarter Historical Foundation (GHQF) is the non-profit organization which oversees the 16½ block historic area in downtown San Diego as curator and operates the William Heath Davis Museum.
Melissa Trew is the Executive Director of the GQHF. She is dedicated to promoting the history and culture of the Gaslamp Quarter. With her twenty years of experience in public school education and her MA in Library and Information Systems, Melissa uses her knowledge to transform organizations into high fidelity institutions that improve the capabilities of all personnel, develop a community of trust and interaction among all stakeholders, and perpetuates a culture of high achievement beyond the organization.
As Director of Operations at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Hawaii, Melissa ensured financial stability for innovation and change as well as created an organizational infrastructure that promoted transparency and flexibility. As the principal of Central Middle School in Honolulu Hawaii, Melissa established a culture of commitment toward authority, responsibility, accountability, and self management for the campus.
Daniel Haslam serves as Director of Development for the GQHF, which celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2006. Dan regularly speaks to groups about GQHF, writes extensively for the Foundation, writes grants and leads walking and historical tours for GQHF. Dan grew up in rural Vermont and has lived in San Diego for the past eight years. Prior to moving to California, Dan practiced law for twenty years in Tucson, AZ and Washington, DC. During this time he also served as a professional golf club manager (1990-94) for the oldest golf club in Vermont. In addition to his work for the GQHF, Dan consults as a guide and downtown redevelopment specialist for the Centre City Development Corporation, which is the downtown redevelopment arm of the city government.
Please join us for this interesting program about historical San Diego. Enter through the Conference Room door in order to register your attendance, pick up handouts, buy an opportunity drawing ticket, and have a snack. The meeting will start at about 12:20 p.m.
The Program will be about the Gaslamp Quarter in downtown San Diego -
“The History and Culture of San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter” by Melissa Trew, and “Every Building Has a Genealogy” by Dan Haslam
The Gaslamp Quarter Historical Foundation (GHQF) is the non-profit organization which oversees the 16½ block historic area in downtown San Diego as curator and operates the William Heath Davis Museum.
Melissa Trew is the Executive Director of the GQHF. She is dedicated to promoting the history and culture of the Gaslamp Quarter. With her twenty years of experience in public school education and her MA in Library and Information Systems, Melissa uses her knowledge to transform organizations into high fidelity institutions that improve the capabilities of all personnel, develop a community of trust and interaction among all stakeholders, and perpetuates a culture of high achievement beyond the organization.
As Director of Operations at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Hawaii, Melissa ensured financial stability for innovation and change as well as created an organizational infrastructure that promoted transparency and flexibility. As the principal of Central Middle School in Honolulu Hawaii, Melissa established a culture of commitment toward authority, responsibility, accountability, and self management for the campus.
Daniel Haslam serves as Director of Development for the GQHF, which celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2006. Dan regularly speaks to groups about GQHF, writes extensively for the Foundation, writes grants and leads walking and historical tours for GQHF. Dan grew up in rural Vermont and has lived in San Diego for the past eight years. Prior to moving to California, Dan practiced law for twenty years in Tucson, AZ and Washington, DC. During this time he also served as a professional golf club manager (1990-94) for the oldest golf club in Vermont. In addition to his work for the GQHF, Dan consults as a guide and downtown redevelopment specialist for the Centre City Development Corporation, which is the downtown redevelopment arm of the city government.
Please join us for this interesting program about historical San Diego. Enter through the Conference Room door in order to register your attendance, pick up handouts, buy an opportunity drawing ticket, and have a snack. The meeting will start at about 12:20 p.m.
Monday, July 20, 2009
CVGS Road Trip - Carlsbad Library on 25 July
The next Chula Vista Genealogical Society Research Trip will be on Saturday, 25 July to the Georgina Cole Library in Carlsbad CA.
A car pool will leave the Chula Vista Parking Garage (between 3rd Avenue and F Street, in back of Fuddruckers and Marie Callenders) just after 9 a.m. (meet on second level, midway between two entrances). We expect to arrive at the library by 10 a.m. and will leave the library at about 2 p.m. and be back in Chula Vista by 3 p.m.
The Georgina Cole Library is located at 1250 Carlsbad Village Drive in Calrsbad. From Chula Vista, go up Interstate 5 to the Carlsbad Village Drive turnoff, go to the right (east) on Carlsbad Village Drive, through one traffic light, and turn left into the library parking lot (see information and map here).
Researchers can search the Carlsbad Library Catalog here. The Genealogy collection covers the entire second floor of the Cole library, and is described here. The Online database collection is here, and includes NewspaperARCHIVE and HeritageQuestOnline.
If you wish to join the carpool, please let Randy know (email rjseaver@cox.net, phone 619-422-3397) by Thursday. We usually have 10 to 15 researchers on the Carlsbad trip every year.
A car pool will leave the Chula Vista Parking Garage (between 3rd Avenue and F Street, in back of Fuddruckers and Marie Callenders) just after 9 a.m. (meet on second level, midway between two entrances). We expect to arrive at the library by 10 a.m. and will leave the library at about 2 p.m. and be back in Chula Vista by 3 p.m.
The Georgina Cole Library is located at 1250 Carlsbad Village Drive in Calrsbad. From Chula Vista, go up Interstate 5 to the Carlsbad Village Drive turnoff, go to the right (east) on Carlsbad Village Drive, through one traffic light, and turn left into the library parking lot (see information and map here).
Researchers can search the Carlsbad Library Catalog here. The Genealogy collection covers the entire second floor of the Cole library, and is described here. The Online database collection is here, and includes NewspaperARCHIVE and HeritageQuestOnline.
If you wish to join the carpool, please let Randy know (email rjseaver@cox.net, phone 619-422-3397) by Thursday. We usually have 10 to 15 researchers on the Carlsbad trip every year.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Computer Group Summary - 15 July 2009
The Computer Group meeting of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society was well attended on 15 July - there were 12 in attendance and all available computers were taken. With the library time change, we can now get in early and set up so we can start right at noon.
While Gary was getting his laptop setup, Randy demonstrated the Genealogy Wise (www.GenealogyWise.com) social networking site and recommended it to members.
Gary hooked his laptop into the projector, and we watched the Genealogy Germs YouTube video of Randy Seaver's interview with Lisa Cooke at the SCGS Jamboree (see www.YouTube.com/GenealogyGems to watch it yourself). Then Ruth told the group about her blogging experiences.
Gary has a developer's copy of Microsoft Windows 7 and Internet Explorer 8 on his laptop, so he went through the Start menu, the File Folder setup, the browser options, etc. This took most of the time period, but the time was well spent as an introduction to the next Windows operating system and browser. Gary said that he liked it much better than Windows Vista.
The Flash player is still not installed on most of the library Computer Lab computers. this really limits the access to many genealogy web sites these days, including FamilySearch Record Search, Footnote, GenealogyWise, and others.
While Gary was getting his laptop setup, Randy demonstrated the Genealogy Wise (www.GenealogyWise.com) social networking site and recommended it to members.
Gary hooked his laptop into the projector, and we watched the Genealogy Germs YouTube video of Randy Seaver's interview with Lisa Cooke at the SCGS Jamboree (see www.YouTube.com/GenealogyGems to watch it yourself). Then Ruth told the group about her blogging experiences.
Gary has a developer's copy of Microsoft Windows 7 and Internet Explorer 8 on his laptop, so he went through the Start menu, the File Folder setup, the browser options, etc. This took most of the time period, but the time was well spent as an introduction to the next Windows operating system and browser. Gary said that he liked it much better than Windows Vista.
The Flash player is still not installed on most of the library Computer Lab computers. this really limits the access to many genealogy web sites these days, including FamilySearch Record Search, Footnote, GenealogyWise, and others.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
CVGS Member Ahnentafels
Once in awhile, a researcher in another place does a search for an ancestor and finds one or more names in the Ahnentafel reports submitted by CVGS members. There are at least 15 ahnentafels on the CVGS website at http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cacvgs2/Ahnentafels/snindex.html. That is the surname index list - click on a letter and then on a surname to see an ahnentafel.
We had an email come in today from a person who is a third cousin of one of our members. She also happens to be a matrilineal descendant of a purported Native American ancestor of my member colleague. They are already in contact as a result of the CVGS Ahnentafels and will, hopefully, help each other out. If they have the mitochondrial DNA test done, it will benefit both of them, and several other cousins too.
We don't get many matches from these ahnentafels, probably because we have so few. They are not difficult to make with genealogy software (except for Family Tree Maker, which won't make a clean ahnentafel list!), and they are text files so they are easy to add to the web site. Gary, our Webmaster, has a neat indexing program to create the Surname index that leads to a given Ahnentafel. Just think how many people we could connect if we had 100 ahnentafels, or a thousand online.
It's great to see our web site, and our effort to create and publish the ahnentafels online, pay off with cousin connections.
We had an email come in today from a person who is a third cousin of one of our members. She also happens to be a matrilineal descendant of a purported Native American ancestor of my member colleague. They are already in contact as a result of the CVGS Ahnentafels and will, hopefully, help each other out. If they have the mitochondrial DNA test done, it will benefit both of them, and several other cousins too.
We don't get many matches from these ahnentafels, probably because we have so few. They are not difficult to make with genealogy software (except for Family Tree Maker, which won't make a clean ahnentafel list!), and they are text files so they are easy to add to the web site. Gary, our Webmaster, has a neat indexing program to create the Surname index that leads to a given Ahnentafel. Just think how many people we could connect if we had 100 ahnentafels, or a thousand online.
It's great to see our web site, and our effort to create and publish the ahnentafels online, pay off with cousin connections.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
CVGS Research Group Summary - 8 July 2009
The Chula Vista Genealogical Society Research Group met on Wednesday, 8 July with 12 in attendance.
* Randy started the session by describing the SCGS Genealogy Jamboree events he attended, and passing the syllabus and program around for the group to see.
* Shirley described her activities and the sessions she attended. She heard Paul Nauta, Wendy Elliott, Lisa Alzo, Chris Child, Leland Meitzler and Lisa Louise Cooke during the conference. She showed her spreadsheet with 20 Eber Sweet persons, listing birth, death, parents and spouse, in an effort to keep them all straight. She worked also on her Wright family in NY.
* Virginia has uploaded her tree on OneGreatFamily, and received a query about her brickwall Robert Dunlop. She has found a Dutch ancestor in her Bland family line, and is learning a lot from her ancestor's California diary from 1856.
* Dick is going to Chicago and Wisconsin for a vacation later in July. He's going to see his kids, cousins, buddies, attend a reunion and do some research in Dane County WI. He got lots of good advice about preparing for the trip and going to different repositories.
* Gary is recovering from his computer hard drive crash, and has installed the Windows 7 beta and says "it is different."
* Dave helped his 11 year-old grandson with a family tree project. They studied in the library, worked in his family tree program, and created a report with family photos and charts from RootsMagic. His grandson got an "A" on the paper and his presentation. Dave hopes his grandson continues to be interested in family history.
* John did more work in www.FindMyPast.com in the 1911 census for his daughter-in-law's family. He had more success with his Patrick family in North Caroline - he found some land records in Rowan County in 1762 and in Davie County in 1792, including a map with his William Patrick shown. He also contacted Bear Creek Baptist Church and got some cemetery pictures, but not of Patrick graves.
* Marcia found a USA Today article about the "Terrible Legacy of Eugenics" and shared it with the group.
* Pat talked to our June speaker, Joan Lowrey, who helped her obtain a record of Pat's ancestor in a New York Immigrant Savings Bank ledger for 1867. It listed the Irish home counties of the couple, their residence in New York City, and more.
* Neva noted that researchers can find information about cemeteries by Googling the town name and a specific cemetery, or use just the town name and the word "cemetery." She described her experiences trying to get a Colorado death certificate for her long-deceased grandfather - she needed to show her relationship to the deceased with documents.
* Randy shared his experiences with www.GenealogyWise.com, www.LiveRoots.com, and his search for the family of Ben Kaber.
The next CVGS Research Group meeting will be Wednesday, 12 August at 12 noon in the Chula Vista Civic Center Library Conference Room.
* Randy started the session by describing the SCGS Genealogy Jamboree events he attended, and passing the syllabus and program around for the group to see.
* Shirley described her activities and the sessions she attended. She heard Paul Nauta, Wendy Elliott, Lisa Alzo, Chris Child, Leland Meitzler and Lisa Louise Cooke during the conference. She showed her spreadsheet with 20 Eber Sweet persons, listing birth, death, parents and spouse, in an effort to keep them all straight. She worked also on her Wright family in NY.
* Virginia has uploaded her tree on OneGreatFamily, and received a query about her brickwall Robert Dunlop. She has found a Dutch ancestor in her Bland family line, and is learning a lot from her ancestor's California diary from 1856.
* Dick is going to Chicago and Wisconsin for a vacation later in July. He's going to see his kids, cousins, buddies, attend a reunion and do some research in Dane County WI. He got lots of good advice about preparing for the trip and going to different repositories.
* Gary is recovering from his computer hard drive crash, and has installed the Windows 7 beta and says "it is different."
* Dave helped his 11 year-old grandson with a family tree project. They studied in the library, worked in his family tree program, and created a report with family photos and charts from RootsMagic. His grandson got an "A" on the paper and his presentation. Dave hopes his grandson continues to be interested in family history.
* John did more work in www.FindMyPast.com in the 1911 census for his daughter-in-law's family. He had more success with his Patrick family in North Caroline - he found some land records in Rowan County in 1762 and in Davie County in 1792, including a map with his William Patrick shown. He also contacted Bear Creek Baptist Church and got some cemetery pictures, but not of Patrick graves.
* Marcia found a USA Today article about the "Terrible Legacy of Eugenics" and shared it with the group.
* Pat talked to our June speaker, Joan Lowrey, who helped her obtain a record of Pat's ancestor in a New York Immigrant Savings Bank ledger for 1867. It listed the Irish home counties of the couple, their residence in New York City, and more.
* Neva noted that researchers can find information about cemeteries by Googling the town name and a specific cemetery, or use just the town name and the word "cemetery." She described her experiences trying to get a Colorado death certificate for her long-deceased grandfather - she needed to show her relationship to the deceased with documents.
* Randy shared his experiences with www.GenealogyWise.com, www.LiveRoots.com, and his search for the family of Ben Kaber.
The next CVGS Research Group meeting will be Wednesday, 12 August at 12 noon in the Chula Vista Civic Center Library Conference Room.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Book Review - William Dollarhide's Census Substitutes and State Census Records - Volume 1
In this two volume series, author William Dollarhide identifies Census Substitutes, as well as State Census Records, for the United States of America. The substitutes are those name lists derived from tax lists, directories, military lists, land ownership lists, voter registrations, and other compilations of names of residents for an entire state, one or more counties of a state, or one or more towns of a county.
Thirty-seven states conducted colonial, territorial, or state censuses that are extant and available for research today. Usually taken between Federal Decennial Census years, these records often contain unique information, and may even shed light on the lives of your ancestors that may have been on-the-move.
Volume 1 - Eastern States covers the:
* The Old Southwest -- Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi
* New England – Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont
* Mid-Atlantic States – Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania
* The Old South – Kentucky, North Carolina, south Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia
* The Old Northwest – Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin
* The Central Plains – Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Dakota Territory/North Dakota/South Dakota
William Dollarhide, Census Substitutes & State Census Records - Vol. 1 - Eastern States, Family Roots Publishing Company, 255 pp, Soft cover, Perfect bound, 2008.
Thirty-seven states conducted colonial, territorial, or state censuses that are extant and available for research today. Usually taken between Federal Decennial Census years, these records often contain unique information, and may even shed light on the lives of your ancestors that may have been on-the-move.
Volume 1 - Eastern States covers the:
* The Old Southwest -- Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi
* New England – Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont
* Mid-Atlantic States – Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania
* The Old South – Kentucky, North Carolina, south Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia
* The Old Northwest – Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin
* The Central Plains – Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Dakota Territory/North Dakota/South Dakota
William Dollarhide, Census Substitutes & State Census Records - Vol. 1 - Eastern States, Family Roots Publishing Company, 255 pp, Soft cover, Perfect bound, 2008.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Useful Websites for Genealogy Research - July 2009
This is my list of new to me and useful genealogy websites for the month of July:
* The Biblio web site at http://www.biblio.com/ has used, rare and out-of-print books available. This site has over 50 million listings and is used by used book dealers and store owners. A check of "genealogy" in the Subject field revealed over 31,000 matches, many of them for $1.
* The California Digital Newspaper Collection at http://cdnc.ucr.edu/ has over 200,000 pages of California newspapers spanning the years 1849-1911.
* The 101 Best Websites for 2009 were listed, in ten categories, by Family Tree Magazine at http://familytreemagazine.com/101for2009
* There are County Formation Maps on the http://www.familyhistory101.com/ web site. These County Formation Maps use the Animap system (by permission of Goldbug, the Animap providers) and are probably the best online resource for finding how states and counties developed over the years from colonial to modern times.
* The 1911 England and Wales Census is available at http://www.1911census.co.uk/. You can search the index for free, but images are pay per view.
* 19th century British Library newspapers are online at http://newspapers.bl.uk/blcs, provided by the British Library, in partnership with JISC (Joint Information Systems Committee) and Gale, part of Cengage Learning.
* There are hundreds of Irish genealogy databases at IrishFamilyResearch.co.uk. Most of these databases are searchable, and some are free to access. Others require a small membership fee to access the information. Available databases cover every Irish county, including directories, cemetery transcriptions, census records, surveys, maps, and more.
* A searchable index for millions of Alien Registration Files, compiled since 1940, is available at www.uscis.gov/genealogy.
* The Biblio web site at http://www.biblio.com/ has used, rare and out-of-print books available. This site has over 50 million listings and is used by used book dealers and store owners. A check of "genealogy" in the Subject field revealed over 31,000 matches, many of them for $1.
* The California Digital Newspaper Collection at http://cdnc.ucr.edu/ has over 200,000 pages of California newspapers spanning the years 1849-1911.
* The 101 Best Websites for 2009 were listed, in ten categories, by Family Tree Magazine at http://familytreemagazine.com/101for2009
* There are County Formation Maps on the http://www.familyhistory101.com/ web site. These County Formation Maps use the Animap system (by permission of Goldbug, the Animap providers) and are probably the best online resource for finding how states and counties developed over the years from colonial to modern times.
* The 1911 England and Wales Census is available at http://www.1911census.co.uk/. You can search the index for free, but images are pay per view.
* 19th century British Library newspapers are online at http://newspapers.bl.uk/blcs, provided by the British Library, in partnership with JISC (Joint Information Systems Committee) and Gale, part of Cengage Learning.
* There are hundreds of Irish genealogy databases at IrishFamilyResearch.co.uk. Most of these databases are searchable, and some are free to access. Others require a small membership fee to access the information. Available databases cover every Irish county, including directories, cemetery transcriptions, census records, surveys, maps, and more.
* A searchable index for millions of Alien Registration Files, compiled since 1940, is available at www.uscis.gov/genealogy.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
New and Updated Genealogy Databases - July 2009
Here is my summary of important databases added or updated at several commercial websites:
1) New or Updated Databases at www.Ancestry.com:
* 1861, 1871 and 1881 Canadian Census (World)
* US, Canada, UK Obituary Collections Updated
* Canadian Passenger Lists (1865-1935) Updated (World)
* US City Directories Updated (US)
* US School Yearbooks Updated (US)
* Many Canadian, Australian and German books (World)
2) New/Updated LDS FamilySearch.org Indexing Projects (Free). These databases are available for FREE at http://pilot.familysearch.org/ - the LDS site for volunteer-indexed and browsable databases -- recently added or completed projects:
* Delaware Birth Records (1861-1908)
* Idaho Death Records (1911-1937) (no images)
* Massachusetts Death Records (1841-1915)
* New Mexico Death Records (1889-1945) (no images)
* Rhode Island State Census, 1915 (no images)
* Canada 1851, 1861, 1871, 1881 Census (no images)
* Campeche, Coahuila, Colima, Mexico Catholic Church Records (browse images)
3) New or Updated Databases at www.Footnote.com ($$)
* Los Angeles CA City Directories (ca 1884-1916)
* Dawes Enrollment Cards (1898-1914) (100% complete)
* Florida Today and Poughkeepsie Journal Historical Newspapers
4) New or Updated Databases at www.NewEnglandAncestors.org ($$)
* ACGS Index of Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials (New York only)
* The American Genealogist, Volumes 14–18
* New England Ancestors Magazine, Volumes 4-6
1) New or Updated Databases at www.Ancestry.com:
* 1861, 1871 and 1881 Canadian Census (World)
* US, Canada, UK Obituary Collections Updated
* Canadian Passenger Lists (1865-1935) Updated (World)
* US City Directories Updated (US)
* US School Yearbooks Updated (US)
* Many Canadian, Australian and German books (World)
2) New/Updated LDS FamilySearch.org Indexing Projects (Free). These databases are available for FREE at http://pilot.familysearch.org/ - the LDS site for volunteer-indexed and browsable databases -- recently added or completed projects:
* Delaware Birth Records (1861-1908)
* Idaho Death Records (1911-1937) (no images)
* Massachusetts Death Records (1841-1915)
* New Mexico Death Records (1889-1945) (no images)
* Rhode Island State Census, 1915 (no images)
* Canada 1851, 1861, 1871, 1881 Census (no images)
* Campeche, Coahuila, Colima, Mexico Catholic Church Records (browse images)
3) New or Updated Databases at www.Footnote.com ($$)
* Los Angeles CA City Directories (ca 1884-1916)
* Dawes Enrollment Cards (1898-1914) (100% complete)
* Florida Today and Poughkeepsie Journal Historical Newspapers
4) New or Updated Databases at www.NewEnglandAncestors.org ($$)
* ACGS Index of Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials (New York only)
* The American Genealogist, Volumes 14–18
* New England Ancestors Magazine, Volumes 4-6
CVGS bloggers
The Chula Vista Genealogical Society now has three active blogger members:
1) Ruth Himan has two blogs:
* Genealogy is Ruthless Without Me
* Hayley
2) Susi Pentico has one blog:
* Susi's Chatty Performances on Genealogy
3) Randy Seaver has three genealogy blogs:
* Genea-Musings
* The Geneaholic
* South San Diego County Graveyard Rabbit
In addition, the society publishes this blog, the Chula Vista Genealogy Cafe.
For a 90-person genealogy society, we.re doing pretty well! Over 3% of our members are blogging.
1) Ruth Himan has two blogs:
* Genealogy is Ruthless Without Me
* Hayley
2) Susi Pentico has one blog:
* Susi's Chatty Performances on Genealogy
3) Randy Seaver has three genealogy blogs:
* Genea-Musings
* The Geneaholic
* South San Diego County Graveyard Rabbit
In addition, the society publishes this blog, the Chula Vista Genealogy Cafe.
For a 90-person genealogy society, we.re doing pretty well! Over 3% of our members are blogging.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Must-Read Blog Posts from June 2009
This is my selection of must-read blog posts from June 2009:
* A Genealogy Blog Primer by Thomas MacEntee on the Geneabloggers blog. Thomas created a primer on blogging for genealogy, and has a PDF version and a presentation version.
* “The TRUTH is Out There…” by Arlene Eakle on the Arlene Eakle Genealogy Blog. Arlene lists some truisms and illustrates them by her own research examples.
* How to Find a Loyalist Ancestor by Lorine Schulze on the Ask Olive Tree Genealogy a Question blog. Excellent advice for finding your Loyalist ancestors.
* Search Engines Can't Read Your Mind Or Your Images by footnoteMaven on the footnoteMaven blog. fM has sage advice for naming and tagging the family photographs you post on the Internet so that search engines, and your cousins, can find them.
* What I Want in a Family Tree Program by Randy Seaver on the Genea-Musings blog. A list of wants and needs for genealogy software.
* After I'm Gone - I Want My Genealogy Research To Live On by M. Diane Rogers on the CanadaGenealogy, or, 'Jane's Your Aunt' blog. Diane shares her genealogical will with everyone, and has wise words for that "final tweet."
* June 4th: Old Maids Day by Arlene Eakle on the Arlene Eakle's Genealogy Blog. Wise advice about those spinsters who helped their parents and saved the family history.
* Google Wave is Coming; It's Undertow Will Claim at Least One Victim by John Newmark on the TransylvanianDutch blog. An interpretation of Google Wave and the impact on the computer industry, based on watching the Google Wave demo.
* The Problem with Primary Source Documents by Lee Drew on the FamHist blog. Lee points out that death certificates, in particular, sometimes have erroneous information.
* NARA Databases at Ancestry.com by Randy Seaver on the Genea-Musings blog. The NARA databases are listed by Microfilm Series number.
* Preventing Identity Theft with the SSDI by Dick Eastman on the Eastman Online Genealogy Newsletter. Must reading for legislators and county recorders!
* A Genealogy Blog Primer by Thomas MacEntee on the Geneabloggers blog. Thomas created a primer on blogging for genealogy, and has a PDF version and a presentation version.
* “The TRUTH is Out There…” by Arlene Eakle on the Arlene Eakle Genealogy Blog. Arlene lists some truisms and illustrates them by her own research examples.
* How to Find a Loyalist Ancestor by Lorine Schulze on the Ask Olive Tree Genealogy a Question blog. Excellent advice for finding your Loyalist ancestors.
* Search Engines Can't Read Your Mind Or Your Images by footnoteMaven on the footnoteMaven blog. fM has sage advice for naming and tagging the family photographs you post on the Internet so that search engines, and your cousins, can find them.
* What I Want in a Family Tree Program by Randy Seaver on the Genea-Musings blog. A list of wants and needs for genealogy software.
* After I'm Gone - I Want My Genealogy Research To Live On by M. Diane Rogers on the CanadaGenealogy, or, 'Jane's Your Aunt' blog. Diane shares her genealogical will with everyone, and has wise words for that "final tweet."
* June 4th: Old Maids Day by Arlene Eakle on the Arlene Eakle's Genealogy Blog. Wise advice about those spinsters who helped their parents and saved the family history.
* Google Wave is Coming; It's Undertow Will Claim at Least One Victim by John Newmark on the TransylvanianDutch blog. An interpretation of Google Wave and the impact on the computer industry, based on watching the Google Wave demo.
* The Problem with Primary Source Documents by Lee Drew on the FamHist blog. Lee points out that death certificates, in particular, sometimes have erroneous information.
* NARA Databases at Ancestry.com by Randy Seaver on the Genea-Musings blog. The NARA databases are listed by Microfilm Series number.
* Preventing Identity Theft with the SSDI by Dick Eastman on the Eastman Online Genealogy Newsletter. Must reading for legislators and county recorders!
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Genealogy Days in Chula Vista - July 2009
....
The Chula Vista Genealogical Society events for July 2009 include:
** Wednesday, July 8, 12 noon to 2 pm, Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) -- CVGS Research Group meets in the Library Conference Room. We will review the latest genealogy news, share success stories and information, and discuss members research problems, and potential solutions, based on the collective knowledge and wisdom of the group.
** Wednesday, July 15, 12 noon to 2 pm, Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) -- CVGS Computer Group meets in the Library Computer Lab. We will visit some helpful genealogy web sites. This is an opportunity for those members who haven't used computers for genealogy research to practice with a mentor to guide them.
** Saturday, July 25, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. -- Research trip to Carlsbad Georgina Cole Library. A carpool will leave the Chula Vista parking garage at 9 a.m. and return at about 3 p.m. Contact Randy Seaver if you want to go in the carpool.
** Wednesday, July 29, 12 noon to 2 p.m., Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) - CVGS Program Meeting in the Auditorium. After a brief business meeting, the featured speakers will be Melissa Trew on "The History and Culture of San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter" and Dan Haslam on "Every Building has a Genealogy."
** Monday afternoons (11 a.m. to 2 PM) - July 6, 13, 20, and 27 - Genealogy Table Talk with Dearl Glenn and John Finch in the Family Research section of the Chula Vista Civic Center Library. They are ready and willing to help people with their research, discuss a problem or success, or just tell stories.
The Chula Vista Civic Center Library is located at 365 "F" Street in Chula Vista - between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue, midway between I-5 and I-805 (take the "E" Street exit from the freeways).
We welcome guests and visitors to our CVGS programs and events - if you are in the greater San Diego area and want to attend our events - please come and introduce yourselves. If you have questions, please email Randy at rjseaver@cox.net or phone 619-422-3397.
The Chula Vista Genealogical Society events for July 2009 include:
** Wednesday, July 8, 12 noon to 2 pm, Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) -- CVGS Research Group meets in the Library Conference Room. We will review the latest genealogy news, share success stories and information, and discuss members research problems, and potential solutions, based on the collective knowledge and wisdom of the group.
** Wednesday, July 15, 12 noon to 2 pm, Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) -- CVGS Computer Group meets in the Library Computer Lab. We will visit some helpful genealogy web sites. This is an opportunity for those members who haven't used computers for genealogy research to practice with a mentor to guide them.
** Saturday, July 25, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. -- Research trip to Carlsbad Georgina Cole Library. A carpool will leave the Chula Vista parking garage at 9 a.m. and return at about 3 p.m. Contact Randy Seaver if you want to go in the carpool.
** Wednesday, July 29, 12 noon to 2 p.m., Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) - CVGS Program Meeting in the Auditorium. After a brief business meeting, the featured speakers will be Melissa Trew on "The History and Culture of San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter" and Dan Haslam on "Every Building has a Genealogy."
** Monday afternoons (11 a.m. to 2 PM) - July 6, 13, 20, and 27 - Genealogy Table Talk with Dearl Glenn and John Finch in the Family Research section of the Chula Vista Civic Center Library. They are ready and willing to help people with their research, discuss a problem or success, or just tell stories.
The Chula Vista Civic Center Library is located at 365 "F" Street in Chula Vista - between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue, midway between I-5 and I-805 (take the "E" Street exit from the freeways).
We welcome guests and visitors to our CVGS programs and events - if you are in the greater San Diego area and want to attend our events - please come and introduce yourselves. If you have questions, please email Randy at rjseaver@cox.net or phone 619-422-3397.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
CVGS Members at SCGS Jamboree
Four Chula Vista Genealogical Society members, and two CVGS "friends," attended one or more days of the Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree on 26 to 28 June 2009 at the Burbank Airport Marriott and Convention Center. There were about 1,500 registrants for this conference, which is the largest regional conference on the West Coast.
Three CVGS members (Shirley Becker, Susi Pentico and Randy Seaver) and one "friend" (Mary Kanta) went on the early AMTRAK train on Friday morning, arriving before 10 a.m. at the convention center, and returned on the 4:25 p.m. train on Sunday, arriving back in San Diego at 7:50 p.m. The train trip was organized and sponsored by the San Diego Genealogical Society, which handled all reservations and arrangements - what a great thing to do! CVGS member Ruth Himan and "friend" Ann Diffley drove up together on Saturday and drove home on Sunday.
There were over 100 educational sessions and several special events over the three days, plus the exhibit hall where commercial vendors showed and sold their wares. Many Southern California genealogical societies had exhibits also. In addition to the educational opportunities, one of the highlights of every conference and seminar is the chance to meet and talk with other genealogy enthusiasts. It was great to meet and listen to world renowned genealogy speakers and to be able to talk to them in the exhibit hall or hotel lobby.
There was a Facebook face-to-face meeting on Saturday afternoon in the convention center area. Here is a picture of Susi Pentico (in red) and Pam Journey (in blue) talking to Bruce Buzbee (of RootsMagic), and Shirley Becker (in plaid with her back turned) talking to Jackie MacMaster.
Randy has shared some of his experiences at Jamboree, along with many photos mainly from the genealogy bloggers events, on his http://www.geneamusings.com/ blog.
CVGS member Ruth Himan started a blog called Genealogy Is Ruthless Without Me after returning from the Jamboree.
I hope that we can inspire Ruth, Shirley and Susi to write something about their Jamboree experiences in a blog post and newsletter article too.
Three CVGS members (Shirley Becker, Susi Pentico and Randy Seaver) and one "friend" (Mary Kanta) went on the early AMTRAK train on Friday morning, arriving before 10 a.m. at the convention center, and returned on the 4:25 p.m. train on Sunday, arriving back in San Diego at 7:50 p.m. The train trip was organized and sponsored by the San Diego Genealogical Society, which handled all reservations and arrangements - what a great thing to do! CVGS member Ruth Himan and "friend" Ann Diffley drove up together on Saturday and drove home on Sunday.
There were over 100 educational sessions and several special events over the three days, plus the exhibit hall where commercial vendors showed and sold their wares. Many Southern California genealogical societies had exhibits also. In addition to the educational opportunities, one of the highlights of every conference and seminar is the chance to meet and talk with other genealogy enthusiasts. It was great to meet and listen to world renowned genealogy speakers and to be able to talk to them in the exhibit hall or hotel lobby.
There was a Facebook face-to-face meeting on Saturday afternoon in the convention center area. Here is a picture of Susi Pentico (in red) and Pam Journey (in blue) talking to Bruce Buzbee (of RootsMagic), and Shirley Becker (in plaid with her back turned) talking to Jackie MacMaster.
Randy has shared some of his experiences at Jamboree, along with many photos mainly from the genealogy bloggers events, on his http://www.geneamusings.com/ blog.
CVGS member Ruth Himan started a blog called Genealogy Is Ruthless Without Me after returning from the Jamboree.
I hope that we can inspire Ruth, Shirley and Susi to write something about their Jamboree experiences in a blog post and newsletter article too.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
CVGS Program - Joan Lowrey on Passenger Lists
...
The June program meeting of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society featured Joan Lowrey, who presented "Did They Really Come on That Ship?" Joan's CV was described here.
The presentation covered eight case studies of passenger lists and indexes that demonstrated one or more of the following problems:
* Some entries on passenger lists may be crossed out because the passenger didn't make the boat. However, they may be indexed in passenger list databases.
* Some index entries may provide wrong date of arrival. You can use several resources to try to find the correct date and find the passenger list entry.
* While a ship may have originated in one port, some passengers may have boarded at another port.
* More than one resource should be reviewed to obtain all possible information about names, ages, relationships, birthplace, etc.
* Persons not born in Germany (or earlier German entities) may not be listed in the book Germans to America, even though they boarded the ship in Germany.
* Some online passenger lists may be duplicates of an earlier passenger list of the same ship because of errors by providers, enumerators, or indexers.
* Different passenger list indexes may spell names differently. Search by ship (if known) or first name.
* Persons may have sailed on one ship, then boarded another ship in another port before landing in the USA. The departure list and arrival list may not match.
* The Castle Garden web site has more passenger records than those that arrived at Castle Garden between 1850 and 1890. The records on the website before 1850 and after 1890 may not reflect the actual arrival location.
For her case studies, Joan used the book series of Germans to America, the Ellis Island and Castle Garden websites, the Ancestry.com USA passenger lists collection, the Hamburg departure lists on Ancestry.com, and newspaper articles (especially The New York Times 1851-1980 archive). The San Diego Public Library in downtown San Diego has a complete collection of Germans to America in the Genealogy Room. Unfortunately, the Chula Vista library does not have this resource.
Joan's case studies demonstrated how poorly the handwriting on the lists were, and how poor some of the indexes are. Experienced genealogists know and understand this, and learn how to work with all of the available resources but novice researchers often expect perfect indexes and easily readable lists.
This was a well-done and useful presentation because it showed that the records and indexes are imperfect and that traditional resources can be used effectively with online resources to solve passenger list research problems. This is one of Joan's specialties and her counsel should be heeded!
The June program meeting of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society featured Joan Lowrey, who presented "Did They Really Come on That Ship?" Joan's CV was described here.
The presentation covered eight case studies of passenger lists and indexes that demonstrated one or more of the following problems:
* Some entries on passenger lists may be crossed out because the passenger didn't make the boat. However, they may be indexed in passenger list databases.
* Some index entries may provide wrong date of arrival. You can use several resources to try to find the correct date and find the passenger list entry.
* While a ship may have originated in one port, some passengers may have boarded at another port.
* More than one resource should be reviewed to obtain all possible information about names, ages, relationships, birthplace, etc.
* Persons not born in Germany (or earlier German entities) may not be listed in the book Germans to America, even though they boarded the ship in Germany.
* Some online passenger lists may be duplicates of an earlier passenger list of the same ship because of errors by providers, enumerators, or indexers.
* Different passenger list indexes may spell names differently. Search by ship (if known) or first name.
* Persons may have sailed on one ship, then boarded another ship in another port before landing in the USA. The departure list and arrival list may not match.
* The Castle Garden web site has more passenger records than those that arrived at Castle Garden between 1850 and 1890. The records on the website before 1850 and after 1890 may not reflect the actual arrival location.
For her case studies, Joan used the book series of Germans to America, the Ellis Island and Castle Garden websites, the Ancestry.com USA passenger lists collection, the Hamburg departure lists on Ancestry.com, and newspaper articles (especially The New York Times 1851-1980 archive). The San Diego Public Library in downtown San Diego has a complete collection of Germans to America in the Genealogy Room. Unfortunately, the Chula Vista library does not have this resource.
Joan's case studies demonstrated how poorly the handwriting on the lists were, and how poor some of the indexes are. Experienced genealogists know and understand this, and learn how to work with all of the available resources but novice researchers often expect perfect indexes and easily readable lists.
This was a well-done and useful presentation because it showed that the records and indexes are imperfect and that traditional resources can be used effectively with online resources to solve passenger list research problems. This is one of Joan's specialties and her counsel should be heeded!
Monday, June 22, 2009
CVGS Program on Wednesday - "Did They Really Come on That Ship?"
...
The next Program meeting of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society is Wednesday, 24 June, at 12 noon in the Auditorium of the Chula Vista Civic Center Library (365 F Street in Chula Vista).
After a short business meeting, Joan Lowrey will present "Did They Really Come on That Ship?"
Joan Lowrey has been researching her family since 1957, and has been a professional genealogist since 1990. She specializes in Germany and the U.S., and does extensive research in San Diego County. She has a Bachelor’s degree in mathematics with a minor in German from Chestnut Hill College, Philadelphia, and worked with analog and digital computers as an engineer in the guided missile department at RCA in New Jersey.
A charter member of the German Research Association, Joan served as president 1989– 1992 and editor of its quarterly newsletter, The German Connection, 1989–1993.
In 1986, she started a Personal Ancestral File user group and in 1988 founded the Computer Genealogy Society of San Diego, of which she is a past-president. She led the PAF User Group in CGSSD until 2000, and was editor of CGSSD’s quarterly newsletter, COMPU.GEN for 13 years.
Joan’s first book, The Green Family - the Descendants of Barzilla Green and Susan Elizabeth Boyt, was self-published in 1971. She was the author of the Personal Ancestral File Users Guide (1990–1997), co-author of A Guide to Selecting Genealogy Software, and co-author of the Guide to Genealogy Software.
Since 1985 she has compiled the “Family History—Upcoming Events, Classes, Opportunities” column for the San Diego Seagull, and distributes a monthly flyer with this information, which is also posted online at http://www.cgssd.org/.
Joan is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists and numerous local genealogical societies. She speaks on German genealogy and computer genealogy topics nationally, and makes presentations at genealogical societies in Southern California.
CVGS welcomes and encourages guests and visitors to all society programs, which are free to attend. Please enter through the Conference Room in the east hallways in order to sign in, pick up handouts, and have a snack before the meeting. There will be refreshments after the meeting also. For more information, please contact Randy Seaver at rjseaver@cox.net or call 619-422-3397.
The next Program meeting of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society is Wednesday, 24 June, at 12 noon in the Auditorium of the Chula Vista Civic Center Library (365 F Street in Chula Vista).
After a short business meeting, Joan Lowrey will present "Did They Really Come on That Ship?"
Joan Lowrey has been researching her family since 1957, and has been a professional genealogist since 1990. She specializes in Germany and the U.S., and does extensive research in San Diego County. She has a Bachelor’s degree in mathematics with a minor in German from Chestnut Hill College, Philadelphia, and worked with analog and digital computers as an engineer in the guided missile department at RCA in New Jersey.
A charter member of the German Research Association, Joan served as president 1989– 1992 and editor of its quarterly newsletter, The German Connection, 1989–1993.
In 1986, she started a Personal Ancestral File user group and in 1988 founded the Computer Genealogy Society of San Diego, of which she is a past-president. She led the PAF User Group in CGSSD until 2000, and was editor of CGSSD’s quarterly newsletter, COMPU.GEN for 13 years.
Joan’s first book, The Green Family - the Descendants of Barzilla Green and Susan Elizabeth Boyt, was self-published in 1971. She was the author of the Personal Ancestral File Users Guide (1990–1997), co-author of A Guide to Selecting Genealogy Software, and co-author of the Guide to Genealogy Software.
Since 1985 she has compiled the “Family History—Upcoming Events, Classes, Opportunities” column for the San Diego Seagull, and distributes a monthly flyer with this information, which is also posted online at http://www.cgssd.org/.
Joan is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists and numerous local genealogical societies. She speaks on German genealogy and computer genealogy topics nationally, and makes presentations at genealogical societies in Southern California.
CVGS welcomes and encourages guests and visitors to all society programs, which are free to attend. Please enter through the Conference Room in the east hallways in order to sign in, pick up handouts, and have a snack before the meeting. There will be refreshments after the meeting also. For more information, please contact Randy Seaver at rjseaver@cox.net or call 619-422-3397.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Live-blogging the Computer Group meeting
We had some problems connecting the control PC with the projector and the wireless mouse was not charged, so we eventually connected the projector to a computer that was working with a wired mouse connected. Frustrating to think the library has systems that don't work.
When we got it working, we tried to find Dick's family in the 1873 plat map for Dane County, Wisconsin. There are maps for each township in Dane county at http://www.danecountyhistory.org/1873plat/1873plat.html. He found the area in Westport township where his Ibenthal family settled after 1873. Then he found the map of Middleton WI on the www.middletownhistory.org site, and found the area he lived in in the 1940s. Dick also found a photograph on the Wisconsin Historical Society site for his Ibenthal family.
Several others worked on their own during the time the rest of us were looking for Dick's homesteads and haunts.
When we got it working, we tried to find Dick's family in the 1873 plat map for Dane County, Wisconsin. There are maps for each township in Dane county at http://www.danecountyhistory.org/1873plat/1873plat.html. He found the area in Westport township where his Ibenthal family settled after 1873. Then he found the map of Middleton WI on the www.middletownhistory.org site, and found the area he lived in in the 1940s. Dick also found a photograph on the Wisconsin Historical Society site for his Ibenthal family.
Several others worked on their own during the time the rest of us were looking for Dick's homesteads and haunts.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
CVGS Research Group Summary - 10 June 2009
The Chula Vista Genealogical Society Research Group meeting on 10 June 2009 had nine in attendance. We tried to get a wireless signal on the laptops from the lbirary but failed miserably. We shared information instead:
* Shirley B. printed out a working pedigree chart (7 wide, 3 tall 8.5 x 11 sheets) and pieced it together. She identified several research opportunities from the chart - Sweet, Robbins, Shelmandine, Graves and several other surnames - all from upstate New York in the 1800s.
* Dick said "if you don't do anything long enough, something will show up in your mailbox." He received a letter from a cousin providing articles about his grandfather in Wisconsin. Another letter from a man in Wisconsin contained images from a 1908 Sears Catalog for a 9 room Kit House for $1995, which Dick's grandfather ordered and built.
* Ruth is "up to here in genealogy, and loving it," working 8 to 12 hours a day finding ancestors and adding to her family tree. She learned in the past month that this is a life project, and is hooked. She bought a 40 x 25 family tree chart from ancestry to give to her father for a birthday present. Ruth also found out that her mother's gravestone in Napa has wrong dates on it and wants to fix it.
* Dorothy is back to genealogy after a 10-year hiatus. She searched for death dates and places for her Norgaard grandparents in San Diego, got the dates from the www.vitalsearch-ca.com site, but couldn't get the death certificate at the Chula Vista office of the County Recorder - she will have to go to the San Diego office. Dorothy also visited the Danish house in Balboa Park last Sunday and had a great time.
* Joan is "waiting for an epiphany - her brick walls are still standing firm." She volunteered to help a friend obtain a 1934 death record in New York - the group said she should contact the New York State Archives.
* Randy mentioned that his OASIS class is finished, that he is reviewing RootsMagic 4 on his blog, and that RootsMagic 4 seems to have the easiest-to-make source citations.
* Susi is working on filling in blanks and sources in her database, and is enjoying her Facebook Friends. We found that five of the attendees were on Facebook.
The next CVGS Research Group meeting will be the second Wednesday of July, the 8th, in the Chula Vista Civic Center Library Conference Room at 12 noon.
* Shirley B. printed out a working pedigree chart (7 wide, 3 tall 8.5 x 11 sheets) and pieced it together. She identified several research opportunities from the chart - Sweet, Robbins, Shelmandine, Graves and several other surnames - all from upstate New York in the 1800s.
* Dick said "if you don't do anything long enough, something will show up in your mailbox." He received a letter from a cousin providing articles about his grandfather in Wisconsin. Another letter from a man in Wisconsin contained images from a 1908 Sears Catalog for a 9 room Kit House for $1995, which Dick's grandfather ordered and built.
* Ruth is "up to here in genealogy, and loving it," working 8 to 12 hours a day finding ancestors and adding to her family tree. She learned in the past month that this is a life project, and is hooked. She bought a 40 x 25 family tree chart from ancestry to give to her father for a birthday present. Ruth also found out that her mother's gravestone in Napa has wrong dates on it and wants to fix it.
* Dorothy is back to genealogy after a 10-year hiatus. She searched for death dates and places for her Norgaard grandparents in San Diego, got the dates from the www.vitalsearch-ca.com site, but couldn't get the death certificate at the Chula Vista office of the County Recorder - she will have to go to the San Diego office. Dorothy also visited the Danish house in Balboa Park last Sunday and had a great time.
* Joan is "waiting for an epiphany - her brick walls are still standing firm." She volunteered to help a friend obtain a 1934 death record in New York - the group said she should contact the New York State Archives.
* Randy mentioned that his OASIS class is finished, that he is reviewing RootsMagic 4 on his blog, and that RootsMagic 4 seems to have the easiest-to-make source citations.
* Susi is working on filling in blanks and sources in her database, and is enjoying her Facebook Friends. We found that five of the attendees were on Facebook.
The next CVGS Research Group meeting will be the second Wednesday of July, the 8th, in the Chula Vista Civic Center Library Conference Room at 12 noon.
Monday, June 8, 2009
June Newsletter is online
The Chula Vista Genealogical Society has been putting the monthly newsletters online for some time. Before last month, the current newsletter was hidden behind a password protection. We are experimenting with opening it up for the genea-world to see the current issue on the theory that it is a publicity vehicle that will bring more prospective members to our meeting than we might lose by putting it online.
You can read the June 2009 issue of the CVGS Newsletter here.
We welcome constructive comments of the content. What should be added? What doesn't work? Do you like the colors? Does it need more graphics? Tell us at cvgenealogy@gmail.com.
You can read the June 2009 issue of the CVGS Newsletter here.
We welcome constructive comments of the content. What should be added? What doesn't work? Do you like the colors? Does it need more graphics? Tell us at cvgenealogy@gmail.com.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Genealogy Days in Chula Vista - June 2009
....
The Chula Vista Genealogical Society events for June 2009 include:
** Wednesday, June 10, 12 noon to 2 pm, Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) -- CVGS Research Group meets in the Library Conference Room. We will review the latest genealogy news, share success stories and information, and discuss members research problems, and potential solutions, based on the collective knowledge and wisdom of the group.
** Wednesday, June 17, 12 noon to 2 pm, Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) -- CVGS Computer Group meets in the Library Computer Lab. We will visit some helpful genealogy web sites. This is an opportunity for those members who haven't used computers for genealogy research to practice with a mentor to guide them.
** Wednesday, June 24, 12 noon to 2 p.m., Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) - CVGS Program Meeting in the Auditorium. After a brief business meeting, the featured speaker will be Joan Lowrey, a well-known and respected San Diego genealogist, who will speak on "Did They Really Come on That Ship?"
** Monday afternoons (12 noon to 2 PM) - June 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29 - Genealogy Table Talk with Dearl Glenn and John Finch in the Family Research section of the Chula Vista Civic Center Library. They are ready and willing to help people with their research, discuss a problem or success, or just tell stories.
The Chula Vista Civic Center Library is located at 365 "F" Street in Chula Vista - between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue, midway between I-5 and I-805 (take the "E" Street exit from the freeways).
We welcome guests and visitors to our CVGS programs and events - if you are in the greater San Diego area and want to attend our events - please come and introduce yourselves. If you have questions, please email Randy at rjseaver@cox.net or phone 619-422-3397.
The Chula Vista Genealogical Society events for June 2009 include:
** Wednesday, June 10, 12 noon to 2 pm, Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) -- CVGS Research Group meets in the Library Conference Room. We will review the latest genealogy news, share success stories and information, and discuss members research problems, and potential solutions, based on the collective knowledge and wisdom of the group.
** Wednesday, June 17, 12 noon to 2 pm, Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) -- CVGS Computer Group meets in the Library Computer Lab. We will visit some helpful genealogy web sites. This is an opportunity for those members who haven't used computers for genealogy research to practice with a mentor to guide them.
** Wednesday, June 24, 12 noon to 2 p.m., Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) - CVGS Program Meeting in the Auditorium. After a brief business meeting, the featured speaker will be Joan Lowrey, a well-known and respected San Diego genealogist, who will speak on "Did They Really Come on That Ship?"
** Monday afternoons (12 noon to 2 PM) - June 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29 - Genealogy Table Talk with Dearl Glenn and John Finch in the Family Research section of the Chula Vista Civic Center Library. They are ready and willing to help people with their research, discuss a problem or success, or just tell stories.
The Chula Vista Civic Center Library is located at 365 "F" Street in Chula Vista - between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue, midway between I-5 and I-805 (take the "E" Street exit from the freeways).
We welcome guests and visitors to our CVGS programs and events - if you are in the greater San Diego area and want to attend our events - please come and introduce yourselves. If you have questions, please email Randy at rjseaver@cox.net or phone 619-422-3397.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
"Newspaper Archiving" Program Summary
...
The program at today's Chula Vista Genealogical Society meeting was "Newspaper Archiving" by Peter Rowe, a staff writer for the San Diego Union-Tribune newspaper. Peter is also the newspaper's Archivist. His CV can be read here.
Peter started the program by noting that he likes Chula Vista, but fears that after his talk that it will climb higher on the Forbe's "America's Ten Most Boring Cities" list. I doubt it! He noted that the reporting and newspaper business is very chaotic, and that the deadline pressures and editing decisions often result in stories that are incomplete or partially erroneous.
He provided a short history of archiving at the San Diego Union (and Union-Tribune) over the years:
* From 1868 (when the Union was first published) into the 1970's, whole copies of the paper, and cut up stories put in large envelopes by subject, were kept in the newspaper offices. This was called the "morgue" by the reporters and the envelopes were consulted often by reporters and the librarians.
* In the 1970's, the newspaper ran out of storage space, and moved to a new building, and the envelopes with all of the cut-up stories were placed in the San Diego Historical Society collection in Balboa Park. The separate Photo Archives were also placed at the San Diego Historical Society.
* In 1984, digital archives were started for the newspaper and the practice of cutting up articles and putting them in the envelopes was discontinued. However, the "digital archives" are not available to the public on the newspaper web site.
* In 2000, the www.SignOnSanDiego.com site was started, and the online archives cover this time period, but is available only to subscribers through the web page. There is a Search box on the home page of the newspaper, but it does not always provide accurate results.
Peter observed that a Search for his mother's 2008 obituary using the home page did not find any articles, but using the subscriber Archives search there were four articles about her.
In response to a question, he noted that there were no digital archives for San Diego newspapers before 1984 on any historical or current newspaper web site.
The San Diego Public Library has microfilms of the complete run of the San Diego Union (1868-1992), San Diego Evening Tribune, San Diego Union-Tribune (1992 -present) and other San Diego newspapers in their second floor Newspaper Room.
To find newspaper articles in other cities, Peter recommended contacting the local libraries and historical societies to determine the extent and availability of their collections. He searched for specific people in Seattle and San Francisco newspapers as examples.
For searches of Irving people, he said that he used www.Pipl.com, www.Anywho.com and the Superior Court records (available for San Diego at www.sdcourt.gov). Peter also provided some "fun" sites - www.paulsadowski.com and www.deathclock.com.
This was a fun-filled talk. Peter is pretty laid back and has a dry sense of humor. He spoke without notes. He does look like his picture.
The program at today's Chula Vista Genealogical Society meeting was "Newspaper Archiving" by Peter Rowe, a staff writer for the San Diego Union-Tribune newspaper. Peter is also the newspaper's Archivist. His CV can be read here.
Peter started the program by noting that he likes Chula Vista, but fears that after his talk that it will climb higher on the Forbe's "America's Ten Most Boring Cities" list. I doubt it! He noted that the reporting and newspaper business is very chaotic, and that the deadline pressures and editing decisions often result in stories that are incomplete or partially erroneous.
He provided a short history of archiving at the San Diego Union (and Union-Tribune) over the years:
* From 1868 (when the Union was first published) into the 1970's, whole copies of the paper, and cut up stories put in large envelopes by subject, were kept in the newspaper offices. This was called the "morgue" by the reporters and the envelopes were consulted often by reporters and the librarians.
* In the 1970's, the newspaper ran out of storage space, and moved to a new building, and the envelopes with all of the cut-up stories were placed in the San Diego Historical Society collection in Balboa Park. The separate Photo Archives were also placed at the San Diego Historical Society.
* In 1984, digital archives were started for the newspaper and the practice of cutting up articles and putting them in the envelopes was discontinued. However, the "digital archives" are not available to the public on the newspaper web site.
* In 2000, the www.SignOnSanDiego.com site was started, and the online archives cover this time period, but is available only to subscribers through the web page. There is a Search box on the home page of the newspaper, but it does not always provide accurate results.
Peter observed that a Search for his mother's 2008 obituary using the home page did not find any articles, but using the subscriber Archives search there were four articles about her.
In response to a question, he noted that there were no digital archives for San Diego newspapers before 1984 on any historical or current newspaper web site.
The San Diego Public Library has microfilms of the complete run of the San Diego Union (1868-1992), San Diego Evening Tribune, San Diego Union-Tribune (1992 -present) and other San Diego newspapers in their second floor Newspaper Room.
To find newspaper articles in other cities, Peter recommended contacting the local libraries and historical societies to determine the extent and availability of their collections. He searched for specific people in Seattle and San Francisco newspapers as examples.
For searches of Irving people, he said that he used www.Pipl.com, www.Anywho.com and the Superior Court records (available for San Diego at www.sdcourt.gov). Peter also provided some "fun" sites - www.paulsadowski.com and www.deathclock.com.
This was a fun-filled talk. Peter is pretty laid back and has a dry sense of humor. He spoke without notes. He does look like his picture.
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