Saint Paul, Ramsey County, Minnesota transcribed building permits online.

Paula Stuart-Warren  Uncategorized  , , ,  Leave a comment

The Ramsey County Historical Society has announced that St. Paul Building Permit Collection is now online. My warning is that it is not the original records, but information copied during the New Deal Works Progress Administration (WPA) era. I have not yet used the online access.

“This is a collection of index cards and permit files record permitted work performed on St. Paul houses and building from 1883-1975. These cards record the history of your house or building, including the dates and costs of original construction, additions, alterations, moves, and wrecks (demolition). The information was originally recorded by hand, then written onto cards by WPA workers in the 1930s, which were added to by City of St. Paul staff until 1975, when the system was computerized. Visit https://rchs.com/collections/ to learn more and create an account. Cost: $5 – 24 hours; $25 – 1 week; $100 – 1 month; $400 – Annual Pass.”

 

 

FREE Railroad Records half-day online seminar 18 January

Paula Stuart-Warren  Railroads, Webinars  , ,  Leave a comment

I’ve been busy updating a couple of my U.S. railroad presentations for this coming Saturday, 18 January 2025. It’s amazing how fast things related to genealogical and historical research are updated or appear for the first time on an almost daily basis. Lots of new and expanded things to share this coming Saturday morning on railroad records and history from all over the U.S. It’s a FREE half-day seminar on behalf of the Peoria Public Library of Illinois. You don’t even need a Peoria library card to join us. The event includes an expansive set of handouts with reminders of what is presented and tons of books and websites for more information. Whether your interest is in railroad records or history, this is the event for you. Register at https://peoria.librarycalendar.com/event/riding-rails-railroad-records-and-family-history-16167



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Taking care of damaged family history papers and memorabilia

Paula Stuart-Warren  Preservation  , , , ,  Leave a comment

Whether it’s the awful fires in California or elsewhere, blizzards, hurricanes, leaky roof, or house fires, family historians often have losses and damage to family history materials. The links below are helpful websites mentioned by the Society of American Archivists. (SAA).

DISASTER RECOVERY RESOURCES

Disaster Response and Recovery Guides (FAIC) https://www.culturalheritage.org/resources/emergencies/disaster-response-recovery

Records Emergencies Guides (NARA) https://www.archives.gov/preservation/records-emergency

Salvaging Water-Damaged Family Valuables and Heirlooms (FEMA, & HENTF) https://www.fema.gov/disaster/recover/save-family-treasures

Members of the public with questions about saving family heirlooms can contact the National Heritage Responders at NHRpublichelpline@culturalheritage.org.

I would add the Northeast Document Conservation Center https://www.nedcc.org/ 

Cyndi’s List https://www.cyndislist.com/preservation/

 

 

2025 GRIP Genealogy Institute registration opens in 1 month!

Paula Stuart-Warren  GRIP  ,  Leave a comment

Are you wrapping up your holiday busy time? Yes? Then it’s time to think about continuing your genealogy education this summer. ONE MONTH from today, 4 February 2025, is when registration opens for the 2025 GRIP Genealogy Institute. Choose from 5-day virtual courses in June or in-person courses in July. Great coordinators and instructors plus the behind-the-scenes people who organize it all and keep it running smoothly for each week. It’s education beyond the usual. Ah, that word beyond reminds me to suggest this June virtual course with an extensive syllabus that the other instructors and I are already working on. To read more about this new course that I am coordinating, visit https://grip.ngsgenealogy.org/courses/beyond-digging-deeper-sources-methods-and-practices/ and then check out all the other information on the site.

 

 

2025 Legacy Family Tree genealogy webinars!

Paula Stuart-Warren  Webinars  , ,  Leave a comment

It’s a new year and that means another new year of amazing webinar offerings from MyHeritage and Legacy Family Tree Webinars. 173 sessions are scheduled. Can you believe it’s the 15th year of these webinars! To view the full array that covers many speakers, many places, many topics, and more http://legacy.familytreewebinars.com/?aid=9378. That’s my affiliate link and it’s posible to click on “Select All” to sign up for all the free titles, receive the links, and then get a reminder when it’s nearing. That way you won’t miss one. I am impressed by the breadth of the offerings.

Some are for Legacy Family Tree Webinars only. My affiliate link for signing up for a full year membership is http://legacy.familytreewebinars.com/?aid=1739. I am honored to be a chosen speaker for Friday, 11 April 2025. My topic is “Neglected Gold in Older Genealogical and Historical Periodicals.”

 

 

 

 

2024 grants for courthouse safety and security improvements in Minnesota

Paula Stuart-Warren  Uncategorized  ,  Leave a comment

A variety of Minnesota media outlets are mentioning these 2024 grants. To receive a security and safety grant, the county must apply. Even though this is a great program, I wonder what additional funding each courthouse needs to protect everyone and to make entrances, stairways, storage, and other locations safe for all? I’ve researched at many that were the original courthouse with creaky wooden floors and tricky entrances due to “improvements” over the years. I’ve seen some with a lack of space for the staff to work in. I’ve seen new government centers designed for beauty more than usefulness. My favorites are the older courthouses that still have a feeling of just the place for older records and courtrooms. Yet, they aren’t exactly the best for security, safety, and work space. 

(St. Paul, MN) — The Minnesota Judicial Branch is awarding 500-thousand dollars in grants to improve security at 23 county courthouses in the state. The funding can be used to provide security training, install bullet-proof glass at service counters, replace aging security equipment, to reconstruct entrances, and improve exterior building safety. Local governments must provide matching funds. The counties receiving grants are Anoka, Benton, Blue Earth, Carlton, Chisago, Grant, Isanti, Koochiching, Mahnomen, McLeod, Mille Lacs, Mower, Norman, Otter Tail, Pine, Pope, Red Lake, Scott, Sibley, Swift, Todd, Waseca, and Wilkin.

 

 

A public library card and free databases for genealogists.

Paula Stuart-Warren  Libraries  , ,  3 Comments

A long post so be sure to click on the number 2 at the bottom of the post to read it all. Otherwise, click on the + on the bottom right corner.

If you have one or more library cards, do you know about the many historical, genealogical, and newspaper databases available from that library? Some will be available from home, but others are only accessible on computers in the library. No library has everything we hope for, and some are lacking in the fantastic sites other libraries provide to their patrons. Check for local history or genealogy collections on the library’s website for additional online resources such as digitized city directories or partial newspaper indexes.

College and university libraries generally have a larger number of online resources. Students, staff, and alumni have better access from home to more than the general public does. It’s worth a visit to make use of the publicly allowable databases. Then check for area genealogical society libraries and what they have to offer. The Minnesota Genealogical Society and its associated organizations have many!

A small number of states have statewide availability to a variety of great research resources for state residents only. Among the ones available with my Saint Paul and Minneapolis area library cards are these. 

At the library only:
• Ancestry Library Edition
• FamilySearch Affiliate Library Access
• Fold3 Library Edition
• Westlaw

At home. A handful of these are available directly on my laptop computer without a library card. Not sure why I have listed some of these on the next page? Time to go explore the online offerings of your area libraries. Have your library card handy!

 




Forest Finns: another area of study for genealogists with Scandinavian heritage

Paula Stuart-Warren  Minnesota, Minnesota Genealogical Society  , ,  3 Comments

The Minnesota Genealogical Society’s Mid-Month Education News for December 2024 lists classes and webinars as it usually does. It also lists the upcoming hours change for the Hoffman Library in 2025. Then I read about a possible new group that will meet at the Minnesota Genealogy Center. Forest Finns! Of course, I had to learn more. I checked Wikipedia and the FamilySearch Research Wiki and learned more. None of my DNA test results with various companies has shown any Finnish ancestry for me. I do have a Swedish great grandmother and will keep looking at all DNA refinements. In case you are interested in the possible formation of another Interest Group under the umbrella of the Minnesota Genealogical Society, here’s the meeting announcement. The MNGS website is https://mngs.org/. The newsletter is free, but I am a big proponent of belonging to MGS and its Branches, Interest Groups, and Partners.

 

 

Genealogy and History Research Hours in Various Repositories

Paula Stuart-Warren  Uncategorized  ,  Leave a comment

A recent news item from the Georgia Archives led me to see what other state level and historical societies list for their hours for the type of research genealogists need to do. They hold voluminous books, newspapers, manuscripts, and local and state records that are not online. I began with my home state of Minnesota and the four states that surround it. Most recommend making an appointment to do research and have their own days when closed for holidays and other special days. All hours copied from the repository websites on 14 December 2024. A couple of these have very limited hours.

Georgia Archives.
“The Georgia Archives is pleased to announce new hours of operation starting Tuesday, January 7, 2025. The Archives will be open from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday . . . These new hours ensure greater accessibility for researchers, genealogists, and the public, allowing more opportunities to explore Georgia’s historical records and resources.”


Arkansas State Archives.
Monday – Friday: 9 a.m. to Noon, 1-4 p.m.; First and third Saturday of the month

Colorado State Archives.
In-person research visits on Mondays and Wednesdays by appointment only.

Hawaii State Archives.
Monday – Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

State Historical Society of Iowa in Des Moines (and State Archives).
Wednesday – Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives.
Monday – Thursday from 9 AM EDT – 3:30 PM EDT

Massachusetts Archives.
Monday-Friday: 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Minnesota Historical Society (and State Archives).
Thursday-Friday: 10am to 4pm; Saturday: 10am to 4pm

New York State Archives.
Monday – Friday, 9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

State Historical Society of North Dakota (and State Archives).
8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. M-F; 2nd Sat. of each month, 10 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

South Carolina Historical Society.
Monday – Friday 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM

South Dakota State Historical Society (and State Archives).
Currently closed for major renovation. Planned reopening during 2025.

Tennessee State Library and Archives.
Tuesday through Saturday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CT.

Wisconsin Historical Society (State Archives in same building).
Library Reading Room: M – TH: 8 AM -7 PM | F: 8 AM – 5 PM | Sat: 9 AM – 4 PM
Archives Reading Room: M – F: 8 AM – 5 PM | Sat: 9 AM – 4 PM 

 

 

 

 

 

GRIP Genealogy Institute full course details online!

Paula Stuart-Warren  GRIP, Institutes  , , ,  Leave a comment

Decision time. Hints for a holiday gift. Expanding genealogical education. It’s time to check the 2025 course lineup and description of each course and session for the 2025 GRIP Genealogy Institute. June 22-27 is virtual, and July 13-18 is in-person. https://grip.ngsgenealogy.org/

 

 

I’m partial to a new course that I am coordinating, “Beyond Digging Deeper: Sources, Methods, and Practices”. It is a virtual course in June. I am fortunate to be assisted by fabulous, knowledgeable, experiences, and friendly instructors. Amy E. K. Arner, CG; Cyndi Ingle; Teresa S. McMillin, CG; Debbie Mieszala, CG; Kimberly T. Powell, AG; Cari Taplin, CG. Registration opens on February 4, 2025.

 


As the GRIP website page for this course states:
“We have listened to requests from previous students in the GRIP course “Digging Deeper: Records, Tools, and Skills” and have added another course related to it. This new course, “Beyond Digging Deeper: Sources, Methods, and Practices,” delves into additional essential record types and provides sessions showing the research process and effective use of tools. This course features hands-on creation of research questions, research plans, and research reports. Application of learned methods will be put into practice throughout the week.”

This course is different from my other Digging Deeper course at GRIP and is complementary to it. The courses may be taken in any order. Please go check the Beyond Digging Deeper session titles and descriptions. https://grip.ngsgenealogy.org/courses/beyond-digging-deeper-sources-methods-and-practices/

p.s. I am also an instructor in Cari Taplin’s course, The Spirit of the Inland Seas: Research in the Great Lakes Region during that same week.