tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35491594670169191552024-03-13T08:26:25.883-04:00Beyond GenealogyThe Official Blog of Genealogy TodayAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05839362098584856673noreply@blogger.comBlogger1085125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3549159467016919155.post-11305022229478951862014-09-21T22:31:00.002-04:002014-09-21T22:35:33.924-04:00Genealogy is Everywhere, and often Right Under our Noses<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://wiki.genealogytoday.com/Stanley_Avenue_Bridge_1929_Dedication_Plaque.html" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://archives.genealogytoday.com/assets/jpg/blog/nj-chatham-bridge-plaque.jpg" height="200" width="138" /></a></div>
After hiking along the Passaic River, my dog and I took a break on the Stanley Avenue bridge. Not a place that I would expect to find some genealogical material, but the plaque from when the bridge was built in 1929 offered several names, including the engineer and contractor.<br />
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So, I did what any genealogist would do. I took several photos, transcribed the names and <a href="http://wiki.genealogytoday.com/Stanley_Avenue_Bridge_1929_Dedication_Plaque.html">posted it on my web site</a>.<br />
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There are probably similar relics around your town, and you are welcome to take photos and <a href="mailto:upload@genealogytoday.com?subject=Wiki%20Contribution%20(Genealogy%20Today)" rel="nofollow">submit them to me</a> to be included in the <a href="http://wiki.genealogytoday.com/">wiki area of Genealogy Today</a>. The names will get indexed by our search engine and shared with any <a href="http://www.genealogytoday.com/surname/tracker/index.html">Surname Tracker</a> followers that match.<br />
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Let's see how many local items we can get documented together!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05839362098584856673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3549159467016919155.post-4860874079204876042014-08-03T11:54:00.001-04:002014-08-03T11:54:56.938-04:00Genealogy Today adds Two Names to Growing Database<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://archives.genealogytoday.com/assets/jpg/blog/gentoday_17470_blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Image of assessment for Frank W. Fish and John Breyman" border="0" src="http://archives.genealogytoday.com/assets/jpg/blog/gentoday_17470_blog.jpg" height="200" title="" width="185" /></a></div>
Most genealogists reading this are probably asking, "He meant TWO MILLION names, right?" But, no, this post is about death details for two individuals, thus, highlighting the distinct value provided by the <a href="http://data.genealogytoday.com/index.html">database project at Genealogy Today</a>.<br />
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Genealogical success is the result of "beating the odds"... will I find MY ancestor among the billions of records that exist? And the Internet has greatly improved that probability by making it significantly easier to perform a search from the comfort of your own home.<br />
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So, while the genealogy juggernauts (i.e. Ancestry, MyHeritage, and FindMyPast) continue to post millions of records every week, Genealogy Today tries to add very unique items to the mix: small documents that you're not likely to find elsewhere. This includes a <a href="http://data.genealogytoday.com/search/North-Western_Ohio_Masonic_Relief_Association_1887_Assessment.html">post card transcribed last week from the North-Western Ohio Masonic Relief Association</a> that recorded the deaths of <b>Frank W. FISH</b> and <b>John BREYMAN</b>.<br />
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Mutual Relief (or Aid or Benefit) Associations were the precursors to modern insurance companies we're all familiar with. They differed, however, in that their members were required to "pitch in" whenever another member passed away. Each member was sent one of these postcards, assessing them for a specific amount and providing the details of the deceased members. I suppose it was their way of providing "proof" that the company was actually providing the benefit it had promised.<br />
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<a href="http://data.genealogytoday.com/contents/Insurance_Records.html">Insurance records</a> are an overlooked, yet often very fruitful, genealogical resource, and this is one area where Genealogy Today has compiled data from hundreds of original documents -- acquired and painstakingly transcribed. While an affordable subscription is required for full access (and thus to the details of these assessments), the resources can be <a href="http://www.genealogytoday.com/roots/xweb.mv?xc=Advanced.Search&xo=gentoday&xz=gt_blog">searched without any commitment</a> (no trials, no credit card given in advance).Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05839362098584856673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3549159467016919155.post-79234595527284218002012-11-22T12:59:00.001-05:002012-11-22T13:49:21.985-05:00GenealogyToday.com experiences DOS attack on ThanksgivingSometime around 2 A.M. on Thanksgiving morning, hundreds of web crawlers from Ahrefs Inc. began bombarding the Genealogy Today web site, making the site unresponsive for genealogists looking to query our unique collection of records. Requests to the company to halt this activity have been unsuccessful. We apologize to our customers and are working to remedy the DOS (denial-of-service) situation as quickly as possible.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05839362098584856673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3549159467016919155.post-38944463258939824012012-10-22T12:05:00.000-04:002014-08-03T12:06:30.525-04:00Deja Vu: Genealogy Today updates delayed by HurricaneIt's been just a little over a year (<a href="http://blog.genealogytoday.com/2011/08/genealogy-today-updates-will-be-delayed.html">since Hurricane Irene</a>), and again the east coast (including New Jersey) was pummeled by a storm -- this time named Hurricane Sandy. Expect delays in the delivery of <a href="http://www.genealogytoday.com/news/online.mv?xz=gt_blog">The Genealogy News</a> and our regular <a href="http://www.genealogytoday.com/updates/index.html">database updates</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05839362098584856673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3549159467016919155.post-17018652591373607922012-10-05T13:59:00.000-04:002012-10-05T13:59:46.993-04:00Angie's List isn't just for finding Plumbers<table align="right" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: white; color: black; width: 133px;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://www.angieslist.com/companylist/?cid=badge"><img alt="Read Unbiased Consumer Reviews Online at AngiesList.com" border="0" src="http://reviews.angieslist.com/webbadges/sp/wb_small_orange_cap.aspx" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td align="center" style="border: 1px solid #fdb913; color: black; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; padding: 7px;"><a href="http://www.angieslist.com/?cid=badge"><img alt="Angie's List" src="http://reviews.angieslist.com/webbadges/sp/wb_small_orange_logo.aspx" style="border: none;" /></a><br />
Check our <a href="http://www.angieslist.com/genealogy/?cid=badge" style="color: blue;">Genealogy Reviews<br />on Angie's List</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
When I saw a TV commercial for <a href="https://www.angieslist.com/">Angie's List</a> the other night, it sounded like a useful service; but I really wasn't expecting to find genealogists reviewed. Well, surprise! There are plenty of them.<br />
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If you've been considering hiring a professional to assist with your family history research, now there's a web site you can visit first to see if any researchers in your area have been reviewed.<br />
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There is a slight down-side to Angie's List (well, sort of). Consumers are required to pay a membership fee to join. It's not a lot of money ($26/year), but might pose a barrier for many genealogists (who have a limited budget). According to their web site, "membership fees help ensure reliable data, provide actual staff support and enable publication of [their] award-winning monthly magazine, among other things." They do offer a 110% money-back guarantee, so you can always give it a try and then cancel if you don't find enough value for researchers (and/or other contractors) in your area.<br />
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While you might not be pleased to see that there is a fee, it hopefully reduces the fake (i.e. posted by company employees posing as consumers) and vulgar posts you often find on free sites that encourage customers to review the services they receive. Plus, Angie's List is not a complaint board, as members are encouraged to review any/all services rendered -- good and bad!<br />
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I have registered Genealogy Today with Angie's List, and encourage anyone who has subscribed to our database service to <a href="http://www.angieslist.com/AngiesList/Review/7568304">post a review</a>. Also, as an added benefit for Angie's List members, I plan to offer a subscription discount (however, this option is not available until Genealogy Today receives some reviews).Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05839362098584856673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3549159467016919155.post-86777682058884887842012-09-28T09:29:00.000-04:002012-09-28T11:49:04.835-04:00Those Accident Prone Jobs of our Ancestors<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://data.genealogytoday.com/contents/Mining_Accidents.html" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://archives.genealogytoday.com/assets/jpg/blog/miners.jpg" width="169" /></a></div>
Was "danger" your ancestor's middle name? There have always been jobs where the employees were prone to having accidents, sometimes fatal ones. And yet, these industries have always had people responsible for monitoring the work conditions and pushing for better safety precautions.<br />
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<b>Mining Accidents</b><br />
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Even today, mining remains a very risky career, so its not surprising that many men were injured deep beneath the Earth's surface. In many states across the country, where mining was a prevalent industry, there were inspectors who produced reports documenting the fatal and non-fatal accidents that occurred during the year. Check out the growing group of these <a href="http://data.genealogytoday.com/contents/Mining_Accidents.html">mining reports</a> (and the transcribed accident reports) in the <a href="http://data.genealogytoday.com/"><i>Genealogy Today Subscription Data</i></a> collection.<br />
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<b>Railroad Employees</b><br />
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Not only were railroad employees subject to the occasional accident, but railroad tracks all too often attracted people who ended up in the wrong place, at the wrong time. State Railroad commissioners had the task of recording the accidents that occurred along the lines running through their states. Likewise, many railroad fraternal groups offered insurance-like benefits to their members, and recorded events that sidelined members. Browse through this list of <a href="http://data.genealogytoday.com/contents/Railroad_Records.html">railroad reports</a> and see if any of your ancestors suffered mishaps.<br />
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<b>Boiler Explosions</b><br />
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When man discovered steam, the world became a warmer place (or at least the workplaces of our ancestors did). But with steam, comes incredible amounts of pressure, which often resulted in extraordinary explosions. When I stumbled upon a copy of The Locomotive, a newsletter published by the Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company, and saw that each issue contained a short report about recent accidents, it seemed like an excellent (albeit somewhat gruesome) genealogical resource. Check out the <a href="http://data.genealogytoday.com/contents/Insurance_Records.html">insurance records</a> page for a list of issues that have been transcribed.<br />
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<b>Mother Nature's Angry Side</b><br />
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When someone mentions farming accidents, your first thought is probably "man plus tractor equals accident," but the weather, particularly lightning, was more of an ongoing problem. Lightning was a constant threat to some farmers, causing fires as well as killing livestock. Among the <a href="http://data.genealogytoday.com/contents/Insurance_Records.html">insurance records</a> we've transcribed, are many instances of farmers making claims for lost horses, cows and even sheep. With all the trees and buildings, how does a little sheep get struck by lightning? As far back as the 1850's, farmers protected their livelihood by opting for property insurance, and many of the reports issued by insurance companies list the claims they paid during the year.<br />
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There are plenty of interesting resources that you won't often find in the genealogy section of libraries, but you fill find many of them transcribed at Genealogy Today. Whether its a report documenting <a href="http://data.genealogytoday.com/search/Pennsylvania_Factory_1894_Inspector_Roster.html">factory accident</a>s, or <a href="http://data.genealogytoday.com/contents/Employment_Records.html">firemen<span id="goog_1846627989"></span> injured in the line of duty</a>, we're always looking for alternative sources of genealogical information.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05839362098584856673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3549159467016919155.post-5267714851816288042012-09-27T14:26:00.000-04:002012-09-27T14:26:41.372-04:00Did your Ancestor have Cancer?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://data.genealogytoday.com/search/Dr_Nichols_Sanitorium_1927_References__Testimonial_Index.html" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://archives.genealogytoday.com/assets/jpg/blog/1927-nichols-p-15763.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
And were they CURED? Perhaps they visited Dr. Nichols Sanatorium near Savannah, Missouri back in the 1920's.<br />
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Dr. Perry Nichols (pictured) specialized in the treatment of Cancer, Lupus, Chronic Ulcers and Tumors, and claimed to be able to cure patients who made the journey to his medical facility.<br />
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He proudly listed former patients (over 6,000 of them) as References in his published work, "The Value of Escharotics or Medicines which will Destroy any Living or Fungus Tissue." A <a href="http://data.genealogytoday.com/search/Dr_Nichols_Sanitorium_1927_References__Testimonial_Index.html">1927 edition</a> of this work has recently been transcribed and indexed as part of the <a href="http://data.genealogytoday.com/"><i>Genealogy Today Subscription Data</i></a> collection. We also own a 1923 edition and plan to index it in the future.<br />
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Also included in this publication are testimonials from several dozen patients (with their photos), and a staff listing. The References list shows patients travelled from different states, and now you can search to see if any of your ancestors are mentioned on the <a href="http://data.genealogytoday.com/search/Dr_Nichols_Sanitorium_1927_References__Testimonial_Index.html">Dr. Nichols Sanitorium 1927 References & Testimonial Index</a>. While a subscription is required to see the full details of the listings, anyone may search the name index for free.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05839362098584856673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3549159467016919155.post-65396045939895730052012-09-04T11:33:00.000-04:002012-09-04T11:33:31.750-04:00Whoa Nellie! Don't Rush to Judgement, Genealogists<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2402367,00.asp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="183" src="http://archives.genealogytoday.com/assets/jpg/blog/2012_pc_mag_ancestry_review_sm.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Yesterday, Thomas MacEntee and others, rallied up "the troops" to post comments on <a href="http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2402367,00.asp">an article in PC Magazine</a> written by <a href="http://twitter.com/jilleduffy">Jill Duffy</a> in which she reviews the <a href="http://ancestry.com/">Ancestry.com</a> web site. In Thomas's own words, "The author needs an education as to the reality of genealogy."<br />
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We need to take a moment and reflect on a few things... first, <b>this is an article for a TECHNOLOGY magazine</b>, and is about the technological ease that Ancestry offers "want to be" genealogists. In the past few years, Ancestry has made tremendous strides to bring genealogy to the mass market. If you think making little leaves (i.e. the hints) appear on a tree is easy, think again. That seemingly simple feature involves huge amounts of hardware and sophisticated software, and yet, it's probably the most effective feature that bridges the gap between novice and "the science of" genealogy.<br />
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Second, give PC Magazine some credit for even allowing one of its editors to review genealogy products and services. <b>This is a GREAT thing for genealogy as it exposes the hobby to a very different audience.</b> And again, remember this is a review of one service, Ancestry.com, and NOT an article about online genealogy. PC Magazine is about technology, it's not a hobby enthusiast publication. And they're also in the business of selling products, so there's always that hint of "did they get a friendly nudge from Ancestry" to write this review.<br />
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Third, many of us (i.e. genealogists who've been doing this for years) need to recognize that <b>there is a new breed of "family tree enthusiast."</b> They're a younger crowd, engulfed in technology, used to having information at their fingertips, and (sadly) not so interested in doing the real work (and certainly none of the DIGGING) that genealogy requires. So, for this growing audience, Ancestry has had the insight to adjust their service to reduce (not eliminate) some of the heavy lifting involved in genealogy. Many of you may remember a time (back say prior to 2006) when the main focus of the Ancestry home page was SEARCH, and then one day the search box disappeared, being replaced by a "build-a-tree" feature. All of the sudden, Ancestry changed their focus and market strategy from serving experienced genealogists to catering to "newbies."<br />
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We can certainly hope that Jill is permitted to review other (non-Ancestry owned) technology-driven services, like <a href="http://myheritage.com/">MyHeritage</a> and <a href="http://findmypast.com/">FindMyPast</a>, but we should NOT expect PC Magazine to publish an article highlighting the broad selection of genealogical resources available online.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05839362098584856673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3549159467016919155.post-38143173309971381172012-07-31T09:49:00.000-04:002012-07-31T09:49:00.572-04:00All in a Day's Work for this Genealogist<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://archives.genealogytoday.com/assets/jpg/blog/washington_directory.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://archives.genealogytoday.com/assets/jpg/blog/washington_directory.jpg" width="196" /></a></div>
Yesterday, I transcribed an <a href="http://data.genealogytoday.com/search/Washington_DC_1822_Directory.html">1822 directory for Washington, D. C.</a>, and also posted some of the miscellaneous information it contained. It's been sitting on my desk for the longest time, patiently awaiting it's turn.<br />
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Like many <a href="http://data.genealogytoday.com/contents/City_and_Farm_Directories.html">city directories</a>, reading it takes some effort, and I cannot imagine the work that was involved in putting it together. How did the interview go? Question: "So, where do you live?" Response: "On the south side of G street north between 17th and 18th streets west" Which was then translated into "s side Gn btw 17 and 18w."<br />
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Here's an amusing one, works at "corner Penn av and 21w" and resides "nearly opposite." Say what? I'm not sure exactly how that would have helped to find the person if you were living in 1822 -- this is what makes genealogy such a fun (and frustrating) hobby.<br />
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In the back of the directory, there were some job descriptions that I've also posted online, including <a href="http://wiki.genealogytoday.com/Inspectors_of_Flour_1822_Job_Description.html">Inspector of Flour</a>, <a href="http://wiki.genealogytoday.com/Chimney_Sweeps_1822_Job_Description.html">Chimney Sweeps</a>, and my favorite, <a href="http://wiki.genealogytoday.com/Scavengers_1822_Job_Description.html">Scavengers</a>. And there were some brief historical details for organizations like the <a href="http://wiki.genealogytoday.com/Orphan_Asylum_of_the_District_of_Columbia_1822_Historical_Sketch.html">Orphan Asylum</a> (which at the time was only supporting females), the newly established <a href="http://wiki.genealogytoday.com/Columbian_College_1822_Historical_Sketch.html">Columbian College</a>, and the <a href="http://wiki.genealogytoday.com/Education_Society_of_the_District_of_Columbia_1822_Historical_Sketch.html">Education Society of the District of Columbia</a> (for pious young men). All of the added information is linked at the bottom of the <a href="http://data.genealogytoday.com/search/Washington_DC_1822_Directory.html">1822 directory</a> page.<br />
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This item is part of the <i>Genealogy Today Subscription Data</i> service, and a <a href="http://www.genealogytoday.com/roots/xweb.mv?xc=Menu.Subscribe&xo=gentoday&xz=gt.blog">subscription</a> is required for full access. The name index, however, can be searched for free, so check out the <a href="http://data.genealogytoday.com/search/Washington_DC_1822_Directory.html">Washington Directory of 1822 </a>and see if any of your ancestors were living there and working as a SCAVENGER!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05839362098584856673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3549159467016919155.post-29147051688616338182012-07-30T21:17:00.000-04:002012-07-30T21:17:21.984-04:00Was your Ancestor a Sandbagger?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://archives.genealogytoday.com/assets/jpg/blog/sandbaggers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="sandbaggers snipit" border="0" height="200" src="http://archives.genealogytoday.com/assets/jpg/blog/sandbaggers.jpg" width="151" /></a></div>
Check <a href="http://wiki.genealogytoday.com/Class_Names_and_Nicknames_(1893).html">this</a> out... it's the most interesting and informative article I think that I've ever posted. It comes from an old book about surname origins and meanings by Leopold Wagner entitled "Names: And Their Meaning -- A Book for the Curious."<br />
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There are so many terms that I've seen in documents, especially occupations listed on old census records, but have never understood. This article explains how they came about, but it also explains many commonplace titles that you may be surprised to learn of their true origins. Words like <b>Teetotaler</b> or <b>Quack</b> and many others!<br />
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The oddest item in the article... "The latest terror of the streets which, unhappily, abounds in American cities,
are the <b>Sandbaggers</b>, so called because they stun their victims with an
ordinary sand-bag, such as is used to keep the draught from penetrating between
a pair of window-sashes; after which robbery becomes an easy matter." What? Stunning their victims with sand-bags? That's just crazy!<br />
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It's a rather lengthy article, but it's so interesting it reads quickly. Be sure to visit <a href="http://wiki.genealogytoday.com/Class_Names_and_Nicknames_(1893).html">Class Names and Nicknames (1893)</a> in the <i>Archived Materials</i> section of Genealogy Today.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05839362098584856673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3549159467016919155.post-53834153507084843312012-07-13T22:54:00.000-04:002012-07-30T21:21:28.839-04:00Grandpa Was a Squirrel Hunter<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rzZcSpyjtTs/UAC1Hr1i5RI/AAAAAAAAACg/ggyMCG-SyQs/s1600/squirrel-on-a-post-iStock_000015916489XSmall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rzZcSpyjtTs/UAC1Hr1i5RI/AAAAAAAAACg/ggyMCG-SyQs/s200/squirrel-on-a-post-iStock_000015916489XSmall.jpg" width="133" /></a>In her new book, "<a href="http://gentod.com/A.mv?Y=2-4772&xz=gt.blog">From the Family Kitchen</a>," Gena Philibert-Ortega explores the value of our food heritage and the importance of leaving a legacy for future generations. Among some of the old recipes found in the book is a method for cooking squirrels, although dated 1894 in Los Angeles, this cook's squirrels came from the market. Not so for my ancestors. According to my Uncle Jesse, who spent a great deal of time with his grandparents, Grandpa Durham was a squirrel hunter. I never thought to ask what he did with all those squirrels -- I suppose he could have sold or traded them, but I they probably ate a good few, as well. Grandma and Grandpa Durham migrated from Alabama to Texas soon after they were married in 1872. For many of the pioneers migrating West across America, squirrel was on the menu. Cookbook author Hank Shaw calls squirrels the "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hunt-Gather-Cook-Finding-Forgotten/dp/1605293202/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1342228604&sr=8-1&keywords=hank+shaw&tag=whatsnewingenebo"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">chicken of the trees</span></a>."</div>
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Squirrel and rabbit, they say, are interchangeable, and apparently so is chicken, according to some of the recipes I came across in my newspaper search. In fact, newspapers are great place to look for old recipes (and social customs of every variety), especially if you have access to a digitized collection that lets you limit your search in multiple ways such the <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"><a href="http://www.kqzyfj.com/click-295820-10464016?sid=gt.blog&url=http://search.ancestry.com/search/category.aspx?cat=149"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">Newspapers & Publications</span></a> </span>on Ancestry.com. Giving it the old college try, I thought I'd see what kind of squirrel recipes I could find. On the search page for the newspaper collection, I entered only my location of interest "Texas, USA" and two keywords, "recipes, squirrel." Among the many entries was a 1935 recipe from the Port Arthur News, Port Arthur, Texas, for <a href="http://www.kqzyfj.com/click-295820-10464016?sid=gt.blog&url=http://www.ancestry.com/rd/viewrecord.aspx?dbname=&dbid=7246&rpid=489022473"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">Brunswick Stew</span></a> (an original squirrel recipe), and a little farther down in the same article a recipe for Squirrel Pie. In searching for recipes, you could also narrow the search by date, or even by ethnicity using the Collection Priority drop-down menu.</div>
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And true to the addage, "waste not want not," every bit of the squirrel was used. In addition to providing a meal, the skins might have been sold or personally used. Squirrel tail was (and is) used as a lure to catch fish (it was also used in the stew); the skins were used to make make banjo strings; squirrel pelts were used for hats, vests and blankets (and later, even fashionable women's coats); and the hide could also be tanned and made into a soft leather for pouches and other uses. And remember, this is history -- today it may seem almost barbaric, but for our ancestors, in many cases it was survival.</div>Elisabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00606541971997049268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3549159467016919155.post-74786467904237042702012-07-11T18:32:00.000-04:002012-07-11T21:14:04.064-04:00Where Is My Free Genealogy Data?One of the things I like (and respect) about Thomas MacEntee is that he really puts himself out there, and his blog post today is another fine example as he revisited the question that I have heard at both small and large conferences, "<a href="http://www.geneabloggers.com/genealogy-free-2012-update/">Where Is My Free Genealogy?</a>" <span style="background-color: white;">His post talks mostly to the service side of the industry (speaking, researching, etc), and so I wanted to briefly highlight some of the issues around making genealogy data accessible.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">The following are the key components behind the "cost" of genealogy data: (1) acquiring the materials, (2) digitizing and transcribing it, (3) hosting it somewhere, and (4) providing search capabilities to mine through it all, and (5) achieving a higher level of quality and source-ability. And the more data you try to make available, the higher the costs in each of these areas.</span><br />
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<u>Acquiring the Materials:</u> <span style="background-color: white;">For the most part, genealogical information is a plentiful resource, with treasure troves of data tucked away in libraries, churches, and local societies all over the country. Some resources, like cemetery tombstones, are simply sitting out there in the open. It's these smaller, more accessible items that are often posted online for free, typically at the generous effort of someone who volunteered their time to seek it out.</span><br />
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But, genealogists know the real value is in the larger collections, most of which have been microfilmed or remain locked away at state/national archives. Prior to the indexing efforts of FamilySearch, there were few if any large collections online for free. And don't be fooled into thinking that the stuff FamilySearch is posting online is "free"... it costs LOTS of money. We're just fortunate that they are absorbing all of those costs for the mutual benefit of the industry and their church members.<br />
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With my own project, for years I've been purchasing actual copies of the original documents that source the information in my database. Some of these items were produced in very low quantities and there are few remaining copies. Others are handwritten, one-of-a-kind, originals. I've spent an enormous amount of money putting together this collection.<br />
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<u>Digitizing and Transcribing:</u> <span style="background-color: white;">While technology continues to improve, these two critical steps are very costly and time-consuming. Most of the larger companies delegate the work to offshore labor farms, where the costs are significantly lower. Even much of the online information you enjoy using was "Made in China," or some other country.</span><br />
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Whether a company is using offshore staff, or handling the process with our own citizens, the people doing the work deserve to be compensated for their time, and the costs add up. Think about this... whenever you visit your doctor or consult an attorney, a portion of the fee you pay them goes towards transcribing billing, insurance and medical information. The people that do that work get paid, so why do genealogists that the people transcribing genealogy data shouldn't?<br />
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<u>Hosting the Data:</u> <span style="background-color: white;">Most genealogists that I've talked with (about this issue) have no clue as to just how expensive it is to host information online. They've simply seen too many examples (e.g. RootsWeb, etc.) where hosting pages of content is free or relatively inexpensive. But, that's not the type of service required to host large volumes of data and images. </span><br />
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When <span style="background-color: white;">Ancestry.com Inc. acquired RootsWeb, they immediately felt the cost impact, which led them to place advertisements upon pages of free information. So, while the information remains "free" to use, we're forced to endure advertising and offers to join their service.</span><br />
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<u>Adding Search Capabilities:</u> <span style="background-color: white;">Genealogy is not a simple process, and as a collection of information grows, the tools needed to search it effectively and efficiently become a costly challenge. You need teams of Programmers to create the tools, Database Administrators to optimize the searches, and Designers to create productive user experiences. These staffing requirements are not cheap.<br />
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<u>Quality and Source-Ability:</u> <span style="background-color: white;">Prior to the major indexing efforts of FamilySearch.org, there were few projects that delivered free information with a high level of accuracy AND more importantly source-ability. </span><span style="background-color: white;">One of my pet-peeves with a lot of free information posted on the Internet is that lacks clear source information, making it a challenge to utilize in your own research (if you are particular about that kind of thing). But, roll back the clock a few years, and even the industry leader, Ancestry.com Inc., did only a mediocre job on this point.</span><br />
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When I decided back in 2003 to enter the genealogy data fray, data quality and accurate sourcing were two of the top priorities. I didn't always get it right, but I've continued to improve and expand in both of these areas. We get "excited" to see the information, but it's equally (or more) important to be able to identify where it originally came from, otherwise we have no way of verifying it's accuracy!<br />
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So, as you can see there are a lot of steps in the process from getting information from a piece of paper or microfilm to a searchable online database you can access from the comfort of your own home (or local library). It's great that FamilySearch is willing to commit millions of dollars to making their collection freely accessible, let's hope they are able to continue to do so for years to come.<br />
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But for the rest of the companies, and hard-working people who have chosen "genealogy" as a profession, the customer will most likely always be expected to help pay for these costs. And Thomas points out, genealogy services are very undervalued compared to other industries.<br />
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Being a small player in the genealogy industry, I am VERY appreciative of those researchers that support my project financially. But, it gets frustrating week after week trying to explain to those people who feel the need to complain (and some even with vulgar language) about my annual subscription which nets out to $0.09 per day. I keep asking myself, how is that so terribly unaffordable? And why is it necessary to be hostile about it?<br />
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Try adding up what you pay annually for your cellular phone or cable television and then calculate how much that costs per day... now that's something to be hostile about!<br />
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Thanks, Thomas, for reminding genealogists that the people working to make their research process easier and more fruitful "deserve" to be fairly (not barely) compensated.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05839362098584856673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3549159467016919155.post-55401524373524627072012-06-30T20:25:00.000-04:002012-06-30T20:32:10.879-04:00Genealogy Today Expands Database Collection<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wF5tAJrM044/Txm1-HgkkZI/AAAAAAAAAGE/J3R7y8QwN_c/s200/patch2002_320x240.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="145" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wF5tAJrM044/Txm1-HgkkZI/AAAAAAAAAGE/J3R7y8QwN_c/s200/patch2002_320x240.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
This month we're pleased to announce that the <a href="http://data.genealogytoday.com/">Genealogy Today Subscription Data</a> service has been expanded to include two unique research projects. Both projects were previously <span style="background-color: white;">available</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">only on CD-Rom, but now are online and searchable at </span><a href="http://www.genealogytoday.com/images/masthead/mast_l2.gif" style="background-color: white;">Genealogy Today</a><span style="background-color: white;">.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.genealogytoday.com/info/database/new-england-genealogy.html">New England Early Genealogy Connections</a> is a collection of 76,000+ records compiled by Alice Howe Palmer over the past fifteen
years.
This collection was started by Alice when it became clear that a
database containing connected names could save significant amounts of
time, effort and money for those searching for genealogy in the 1600+/-
to 1700+/- time period.
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<a href="http://www.genealogytoday.com/info/database/old-colony-ancestors.html">Old Colony Ancestors</a> is comprised of nearly 200,000 names with roots in Southeastern Massachusetts,
complete with citations, containing information on over 57,000
marriages, with a total of more than 950,000 text records. Some families
are followed for only 2-3 generations, but many are traced for up to 15
generations.<br />
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Both databases present their information in a tree format, allowing the researcher to traverse from individual to parents, spouses or children, depending on the facts. All of the names include any available basic data: birth, death,
marriage dates, towns of residence, citations documenting sources.
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05839362098584856673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3549159467016919155.post-85135730349347211172012-04-02T00:01:00.002-04:002012-04-02T02:09:06.362-04:001940 Census Edition of The Genealogy News<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.genealogytoday.com/news/online.mv?xz=gt-blog" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="134" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-s2bHfLeOzlY/T3kmP0xBfhI/AAAAAAAAAIc/8gdZ57TyQSc/s200/gentodGN2011PC-front-blog.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>In just a few hours, the 1940 U. S. Census will be opened for public use. For genealogists this has been a long time coming, and many are eager to begin the volunteer FamilySearch indexing project.<br />
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We've compiled the most popular news stories and articles into a special edition of <i>The Genealogy News</i>. This is a free service of Genealogy Today.<br />
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To read the Special 1940 Census edition, visit the <a href="http://news.genealogytoday.com/">News Center</a> page and click on the link to open the Adobe Acrobat (PDF) formatted file. Included in this edition are links to all of the web sites that will be hosting 1940 Census indexes as they become available.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05839362098584856673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3549159467016919155.post-53992176100166146772012-02-24T12:50:00.004-05:002012-02-24T12:50:00.258-05:00Did your Grandmother collect Buttons?<a href="http://data.genealogytoday.com/search/National_Button_Society_1942-1943_Year_Book.html" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R2D4dPB3nSQ/T0VIe42qa_I/AAAAAAAAAII/X_-66cbAdt8/s200/button_sample_2012.jpg" width="196" /></a>Button collecting was first recognized as an organized hobby through the founding of the National Button Society in 1938. Many state and local button clubs were established during the 1940's, and many of those clubs sponsored their own button shows.<br />
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We recently acquired and transcribed the member list from a copy of the <a href="http://data.genealogytoday.com/search/National_Button_Society_1942-1943_Year_Book.html">National Button Society 1942-1943 Year Book</a>. The listings include the member's present address and highlight how widespread this hobby had become just a few years after the national society was formed.<br />
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Do you collect buttons? Is this something your mother got you involved with? Did her mother collect? These are some of the questions a resource like an old membership list could help answer. In 1942, there were over 900 NBS members. <a href="http://data.genealogytoday.com/search/National_Button_Society_1942-1943_Year_Book.html">Find out if any of your ancestors were members!</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">See also: <a href="http://www.nationalbuttonsociety.org/">National Button Society</a> (official website), and <a href="http://www.buttonsintime.com/howto.htm">Resources for the New Collector</a> (Buttons In Time).</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05839362098584856673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3549159467016919155.post-71263912458295789522012-02-23T09:28:00.000-05:002012-02-23T09:28:00.262-05:00Crescent College Students (1910-1915)<a href="http://wiki.genealogytoday.com/Crescent_College_1911_Historical_Sketch.html" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zul_-epeASI/T0VExgg3EnI/AAAAAAAAAIA/0tfX2qOX3SE/s200/crescent_college_arkansas_2012.jpg" width="195" /></a>In 1908, the Eureka Springs Crescent Hotel was opened as the Crescent College and Conservatory for Young Women and served as an exclusive academy for wealthy ladies. Unfortunately, the school closed in 1924.<br />
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We recently acquired five annual catalogs for Crescent College and transcribed the names of the students and faculty. The years available include <a href="http://data.genealogytoday.com/search/Crescent_College_1911-1912_Catalog.html">1911-1912</a>, <a href="http://data.genealogytoday.com/search/Crescent_College_1912-1913_Catalog.html">1912-1913</a>, <a href="http://data.genealogytoday.com/search/Crescent_College_1913-1914_Catalog.html">1913-1914</a>, <a href="http://data.genealogytoday.com/search/Crescent_College_1914-1915_Catalog.html">1914-1915</a> and <a href="http://data.genealogytoday.com/search/Crescent_College_1915-1916_Catalog.html">1915-1916</a>. (Each catalog lists the students enrolled in the prior session)<br />
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The Crescent College and Conservatory for Young Women was originally established in Little Rock, Ark., in 1898. It was non-sectarian and non-denominational, but distinctly Christian, and solicited its patronage from only the best and most refined families solely upon the merits of the institution. The building was erected originally for a high-class hotel, and nothing was spared to make it comfortable, convenient, attractive and safe. It is at once the most complete and substantial building and the most magnificent and expensively constructed property in the United States used as a young women's College.<br />
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For more details on the school, read the <a href="http://wiki.genealogytoday.com/Crescent_College_1911_Historical_Sketch.html">Crescent College historical sketch</a> taken from the 1911-1912 catalog.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">See also: <a href="http://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=5618">Crescent College and Conservatory</a> (The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture Project) and <a href="http://www.prairieghosts.com/cresc.html">The Crescent Hotel, Eureka Springs</a> (Haunted Arkansas).</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05839362098584856673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3549159467016919155.post-59218108417089000632012-02-22T14:13:00.003-05:002012-02-22T15:13:33.523-05:00Was your ancestor a Commission Merchant?<a href="http://data.genealogytoday.com/search/National_League_of_Commission_Merchants_1926_Membership_List.html" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="National League of Commission Merchants of the United States" border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F0bkhPhiMmk/T0U-3jumMtI/AAAAAAAAAH4/WEdAxbkEKD8/s200/national_commission_merchants_20120.jpg" width="185" /></a>We recently posted a <a href="http://data.genealogytoday.com/search/National_League_of_Commission_Merchants_1926_Membership_List.html">1926 membership list for the National League of Commission Merchants</a>, along with some background materials on the organization. While the list only identifies the member company owners, it offers some interesting information about their business.<br />
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For example, the A. J. <a href="http://www.genealogytoday.com/roots/xweb.mv?xc=RootsDetail&xo=house&hp_sn=lemkau&xz=gt.blog">Lemkau</a> Co., Inc. in New York City was a produce distributor with a specialty of Celery. All of the sudden, you've got a unique fact that you may not have known before. What I love about these kinds of clues is that they open up new ways to search newspapers of the time. Instead of just focusing on the name, you can search for any mentions of Lemkau and CELERY!<br />
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If you'd like to learn more about the National League of Commission Merchants of the United States, I've posted an <a href="http://wiki.genealogytoday.com/National_League_of_Commission_Merchants_1926_Overview.html">NLCM Overview</a> and also an <a href="http://wiki.genealogytoday.com/National_League_of_Commission_Merchants_1926_Historical_Sketch.html">NLCM Historical Sketch</a>, both from this original document.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05839362098584856673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3549159467016919155.post-14488400940644053452012-02-14T12:36:00.001-05:002012-02-14T12:37:15.876-05:00Exclusive Data: Greene County, Tennessee Delinquent Tax List of 1892<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://data.genealogytoday.com/images/covers/ftc16948.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://data.genealogytoday.com/images/covers/ftc16948.jpg" width="124" /></a></div>Here is an interesting item for all you genealogy seekers. It is a small handwritten ledger of <a href="http://data.genealogytoday.com/search/Greene_County_Tenn_1892_Delinquent_Tax_List_District_6.html">delinquent tax payers in District 6 of Greene County</a>, Tenn. The book lists the names of each delinquent tax payer, the amount they owed, and when (if) they paid up. This is the original ledger, so you're not likely to find this information on any other genealogy website.<br />
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There are hundreds of <a href="http://wiki.genealogytoday.com/handwritten_document.html">handwritten documents</a> in the Genealogy Today collection; however, only a few have been transcribed thus far. Expect to see more added to the <a href="http://data.genealogytoday.com/">database</a> this year.<br />
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Please like/follow/recommend this item, if you agree that original materials such as this Green County tax list are helpful to your research.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05839362098584856673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3549159467016919155.post-56638263140487839632012-02-06T13:13:00.002-05:002012-02-06T13:17:53.593-05:00Genealogy Today offers additional Real-Time Search Results<a href="http://www.genealogytoday.com/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="145" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wF5tAJrM044/Txm1-HgkkZI/AAAAAAAAAGE/J3R7y8QwN_c/s200/patch2002_320x240.jpg" width="200" alt="Genealogy Today logo" /></a>Earlier this month, real-time search results from OneGreatFamily.com were added to the <a href="http://blog.genealogytoday.com/2012/01/genealogy-today-gets-haircut-and-shave.html">improved search engine</a> at Genealogy Today. And today, results from the historical newspaper collection at GenealogyBank.com were integrated.<br />
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These add-on searches work in parallel to whatever you've searched for within the Genealogy Today collection, and provide results using the same criteria. Click on one of these partner links and you'll be presented with matching listings without leaving our web site. If you find something of interest, click and visit the partner web site. As these are subscription sites, you'll need to subscribe to see the full details.<br />
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Here's what the results look like:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.genealogytoday.com/roots/xweb.mv?xc=Menu.Search&xo=gentoday&xz=gt.blog" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Examples of real-time search results at Genealogy Today" border="0" src="http://archives.genealogytoday.com/assets/jpg/blog/real-time-results-ogf-genbank-2012.jpg" /></a></div><br />
What makes these two additions different from the 19 other <a href="http://www.genealogytoday.com/search/">integrated real-time search</a> results? Well, with these two resources, you can click down and view individual record detail; whereas, most of the other integrated searches only provide summary information on our web site, and you need to click to the partner for details. In some cases, however, the summary information may be more than you'll find at the partner web site if you're not a subscriber, making the <a href="http://www.genealogytoday.com/roots/xweb.mv?xc=Menu.Search&xo=gentoday&xz=gt.blog">Genealogy Today search engine</a> an essential tool for genealogists.<br />
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The time savings is remarkable, as you are able to click from one search partner to another without having to re-key in your search criteria and/or navigate your way to the search box on their web site. Needless to say, I've received fantastic feedback from librarians, who are often challenged to find quick results for eager patrons.<br />
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<a href="http://www.genealogytoday.com/roots/xweb.mv?xc=Menu.Search&xo=gentoday&xz=gt.blog">Give the improved search engine at Genealogy Today a try</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05839362098584856673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3549159467016919155.post-28229809365318238872012-02-05T09:00:00.000-05:002012-02-05T09:00:05.850-05:00Mocavo vs. Google: Post-Match Analysis<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://archives.genealogytoday.com/assets/jpg/blog/trophy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://archives.genealogytoday.com/assets/jpg/blog/trophy.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>I hope you've enjoyed this little demonstration, matching the search engine capabilities of Mocavo and Google. The items that I had selected were done so at random; they are names/records that I've never looked at before, but was familiar of the sites that hosted them. It was something I wanted to do for my own understanding of the two search engines, and thought it might be helpful to share with others.<br />
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While the idea of a free genealogy search engine sounds great, there are two important factors to consider: first, limiting your search to free resources leaves out a significant number of matches in commercial resources (which include most modern books still in copyright, like all of the records compiled by companies like <a href="http://genealogical.com/">Genealogical Publishing Company</a>, and the extensive newspaper collection at <a href="http://www.genealogybank.com/">Genealogy Bank</a>).<br />
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And second, who is to say what is a genealogical resource? In limiting your search to a collection deemed to be "genealogy resources" you may fail to locate mentions of your ancestors in other online materials. But that's no different to visiting a library that hosts a genealogy room; where I've found many interesting family history information in books located in other sections of the library.<br />
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Genealogists really need a comprehensive search engine that indexes all materials, free and commercial, because at the end of the day, they want to find their ancestors -- even if it means that they have to pay out a little bit of money (sites like <a href="http://www.ancestry.com/">Ancestry</a> now offer very affordable monthly options), or travel to the library (or archive) that has a copy of the document.<br />
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This was by no means an attempt to cast a negative shadow upon Mocavo, but merely a litmus test of how well they've progressed in their mission. On February first, they <a href="http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20120131007187/en">announced a major partnership</a> with the Allen County Public Library, and the addition of a historical record storage and sharing platform -- the latter being a significant move towards bringing large amounts of new information online.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05839362098584856673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3549159467016919155.post-14821396101700145782012-02-04T14:45:00.003-05:002012-02-05T11:46:20.056-05:00Mocavo vs. Google: Round #3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://75.144.2.26/obit2/index.php?table_name=d_m&function=details&where_field=id&where_value=300349" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="New Castle Public Library's Marriage/Obituary Database" border="0" height="170" src="http://archives.genealogytoday.com/assets/jpg/blog/New-Castle-Public-Library-Smithson-Carroll-1942.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Welcome to Round #3, the final round, of the free genealogy search engine challenge, where we've seen newcomer Francisco Mocavo take a beating from long-time favorite Elmer Google. In this round, each contender will be asked to locate the 1942 marriage announcement record for <b>Lt. Carroll Smithson</b> and Elizabeth Czar in the <a href="http://75.144.2.26/obit2/index.php?function=show_search_form&table_name=d_m">New Castle Public Library's Marriage/Obituary Database</a>.<br />
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The fighters step into the ring, touch gloves and await the ring of the bell. Francisco is moving a bit slower than in the previous rounds, and Elmer looks calm and confident. This time, Elmer Google throws the first punch, just missing Francisco, with some close matches on the search for "Carroll Smithson marriage 1942." Francisco swings back, and misses with listings for Carroll County outranking any with the first name "Carroll."<br />
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Elmer quickly throws a second punch, this time landing with a four position result on the search "Smithson Czar 1942 marriage." Francisco Mocavo unsuccessfully counters with a list of results mostly from online books from the Archive.org project.<br />
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Both fighters realize the end of the round is approaching and there's just one last chance to aim for a knockout... Elmer takes a swing with "Smithson, Lt. Carroll and Czar, Elizabeth marriage," landing a direct hit and a number one position in the search results. Francisco is visibly shaken, and seems to have run out of energy. The same search yields 25 matches, but since the search engine only allows you to see the first page of results without registering, the referee cannot tell if the search engine was even able to find a close match.<br />
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And there goes the final bell ring, signalling the end of Round #3. The crowd is going wild, and Ricky Ancestry, who loves to show off, steps into the ring... entering Carroll + Smithson + marriage event + 1942 yields our intended record in the number one position. Yes, that's right, Ancestry indexes free records as well, all clearly labelled with "Web:" in the title.<br />
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The referee returns to the center of the ring with the judges' scorecards and declares Elmer Google as the winner of Round #3. That makes the overall challenge winner Google in a 3-0 victory over Mocavo.<br />
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Stay tuned for our <a href="http://blog.genealogytoday.com/2012/02/mocavo-vs-google-post-match-analysis.html">post-match analysis</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05839362098584856673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3549159467016919155.post-89489554866896386282012-02-04T11:46:00.000-05:002012-02-04T11:46:20.510-05:00New database of Homesteaders and their Descendants under development<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.nps.gov/home/historyculture/index.htm" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.nps.gov/home/images/40fsChrismanSisters,HpT150.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>The <i>Friends of Homestead National Monument of America</i> are developing a database of homesteaders and descendants.<br />
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The Homestead Act of 1862 transferred more than 270 million acres of land, or 10% of the nation, from Federal to private ownership. The only monetary payment for each 160 acre claim was an $18 filing fee. The Act provided a robust opportunity for westward development of this country, and the needs of the homesteaders resulted in an explosion of inventions, industrial applications, and developments in agriculture, finance, art, photography, communications, transportation, medicine and much more.<br />
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Homestead National Monument of America, located in Southeast Nebraska, commemorates this Act and the far-reaching effects it had upon the landscape and people. And now the HNMA is seeking your help in locating people who filed claims under the Homestead Act. The goal is to locate and record the experiences of remaining homesteaders before the opportunity is lost.<br />
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For details, refer to the "Are You a Homesteader or Descendant?" section on the <a href="http://www.nps.gov/home/index.htm">National Park Service home page</a>.<br />
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Additional reading:<br />
"<a href="http://www.nps.gov/home/historyculture/upload/W,pdf,Genealogy,rvd.pdf">Genealogy and Homestead Records</a>" (PDF)<br />
"<a href="http://blog.genealogybank.com/2008/05/homestead-act-may-20-1862-daniel.html">Daniel Freeman 1st Homesteader</a>"<br />
"<a href="http://homesteadcongress.blogspot.com/2009/12/homestead-records-groundbreaking.html">Homestead Records Groundbreaking Genealogy Research</a>"Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05839362098584856673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3549159467016919155.post-82436894842998347042012-02-03T17:15:00.001-05:002012-02-04T19:47:52.046-05:00Mocavo vs. Google: Round #2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.naturalizationrecords.com/usa/naturalization-foye-colorado.shtml" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="175" src="http://www.naturalizationrecords.com/graphics/1894citizenship-foye-colorado.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Welcome to Round #2 of the free genealogy search engine challenge. While newcomer Francisco Mocavo took some blows from the crowd favorite Elmer Google; he looks well-rested and ready for more action. In this round, each contender will be asked to locate a certificate of citizenship for <b>Henry A. Foye</b> in Arapahoe County, Colorado, 1894. I found <a href="http://www.naturalizationrecords.com/usa/naturalization-foye-colorado.shtml">this document</a> at the Naturalization Records web site hosted by <a href="http://olivetreegenealogy.com/index.shtml">Olive Tree Genealogy</a>.<br />
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The fighters step into the ring, touch gloves and await the ring of the bell. Francisco, eager to prove himself, charges at Elmer, but isn't able to connect on the search for "Henry Foye." While Mocavo provided about 4,488 search results, none on the first page were the citizenship certificate. Elmer tries to counter, but also misses with this broad criteria.<br />
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Francisco shuffles around a bit, then winds up what looks to be a knockout punch, but misses again, this time in the search for "Foye 1894 citizenship." Elmer spins around and his Francsico cleanly on the chin with the number one result being the NaturalizationRecords.com page.<br />
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Francisco looks visibly shaken, but still musters the energy for one more attempt, but strikes out on the search for "Foye 1894 Arapahoe." Elmer lands another punch, with the number one result again.<br />
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The bell rings, and that's the end of Round #2. As the fighters return to their corners, here comes Ricky Ancestry again looking to show off. Ricky dazzles the crowd with an 1890 Denver, Colorado city directory listing, and a 1900 U.S. Census record showing Henry A. Foye living with his wife, Mary and their five children on South Pennsylvania Ave.<sup>(1)</sup><br />
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The referee returns to the center of the ring with the judges' scorecards and declares Elmer Google as the winner of Round #2. Looks like the fighters need a break, check back tomorrow for <a href="http://blog.genealogytoday.com/2012/02/mocavo-vs-google-round-3.html">Round #3</a> of the free genealogy search engine challenge.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(1) United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Twelfth Census of the United States, 1900. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1900. (Courtesy Ancestry.com)</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05839362098584856673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3549159467016919155.post-50341674642819170032012-02-02T17:24:00.000-05:002012-02-02T17:24:25.855-05:00U.K. Genealogy Company enters U.S. Market with a Census Splash<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.brightsolid.com/BSOP-thumb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.brightsolid.com/BSOP-thumb.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Today at RootsTech 2012, brightsolid announced its entry into the US genealogy market with the launch of a "pay-as-you-go" web site named <a href="http://www.censusrecords.com/">censusrecords.com</a> that will let customers search all US census records from 1790 to 1930 and will house the 1940 US census records when they are released later this year.<br />
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"In short, censusrecords.com will offer greater choice, flexibility and affordability," says Chris van der Kuyl, CEO of brightsolid. "Those researching their family histories will now be able to choose which payment method best suits their needs and their budget."<br />
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Visitors to censusrecords.com will be able to search for free, but will have to pay if they wish to view documents, and download them to their computer. They will be offered the option of either buying a subscription in the conventional way or buying pay-as-you-go credits, starting at $7.95. Pay-as-you-go customers will be able to buy further credits at any time, giving them the freedom to spend as much or as little time and money on their research as they want. This approach to online database access has been commonplace in the U.K. for many years, but has yet to be successfully deployed in the U.S. market.<br />
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"The launch of censusrecords.com is just our first offering to the US market," added van der Kuyl. "It will be followed later this year by the launch of findmypast.com, which will be our flagship American brand."<br />
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Since 1994, the brightsolid group has been delivering online innovation and pioneering the expansion of the genealogy market with leading family history websites including the findmypast global network, ScotlandsPeople, a partnership between the National Records of Scotland (NRS) and the Court of the Lord Lyon, and GenesReunited, together servicing over 18 million registered customers worldwide.<br />
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Genealogists get ready for an interesting year, filled with new resources (censusrecords.com) and service options (pay-as-you-go), as overseas companies like brightsold and MyHeritage bring their years of experience to the U.S. market. This should prove to be more exciting than the 2006 launch of Footnote (now Fold3.com and owned by Ancestry) and WorldVitalRecords (turned FamilyLink.com and now owned by MyHeritage).Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05839362098584856673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3549159467016919155.post-11940504290157022672012-02-02T17:15:00.002-05:002012-02-03T18:11:55.969-05:00Mocavo vs. Google: Round #1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.gateofheaven.org/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Gate of Heaven Cemetery and Mausoleum" border="0" height="200" src="http://archives.genealogytoday.com/assets/jpg/blog/gate_of_heaven_cemetery.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Welcome to Round #1 of the free genealogy search engine challenge, pitting newcomer Francisco Mocavo against the crowd favorite Elmer Google. In this round, each contender will be asked to locate the burial record for <b>Silvio Archilei</b>, b. 1915, d. 1995. I randomly picked this name from a transcription of the <a href="http://www.interment.net/data/us/nj/morris/gateofh/gate_af.htm">Gate of Heaven Cemetery, East Hanover, New Jersey</a> located at <a href="http://interment.net/">Interment.net</a> -- probably the largest online collection of cemetery records.<br />
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Throwing the first punch, Francisco Mocavo misses, with 1 result found for "Silvio Archilei," at Find A Grave. Elmer Google attempts to counter, and scores with a link to the Interment listing in position number four on the first page.<br />
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After dancing around the ring for a few moments, Francisco Movaco throws a left jab, and misses again in the search for "Archilei 1915 1995." Elmer ducks to avoid the jab, tries to counter and lands another punch, with the Interment listing at position number three.<br />
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Francisco looks a little shaken, but gathers himself and takes one last shot at Elmer, but misses in the search for "Silvio Archilei burial 1995," with no results. Elmer, barely breaking a sweat, returns the Interment link in the number one position for this query.<br />
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The bell rings, and that's the end of Round #1. As the fighters return to their corners, Ricky Ancestry steps down from the bleachers, beats his chest and offers the SSDI record and a 1930 U.S. Census record on a search for "Silvio Archilei." The 1930 Census shows Silvio (age 14) living with his widowed mother, Erminia, in Orange, New Jersey.<sup>(1)</sup><br />
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The referee returns to the center of the ring with the judges' scorecards and declares Elmer Google as the winner of Round #1. Looks like the fighters need a rest, check back tomorrow for <a href="http://blog.genealogytoday.com/2012/02/mocavo-vs-google-round-2.html">Round #2</a> of the free genealogy search engine challenge.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(1) United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Fifteenth Census of the United States, 1930. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1930. (Courtesy of Ancestry.com)</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05839362098584856673noreply@blogger.com0