Sam Weller’s is a bookstore in downtown Salt Lake City that is frequented by many genealogists visiting that city to locate good, used books. This bookstore began operating in 1929. Quite a few historical books on my shelves came from Weller’s. At least for now, we won’t be able to make a trek to this […]
Ancestry.com has updated and expanded their obituaries. Part of the announcement said “Improved Obituary Collection (Twice as many obituaries now added regularly and more fields available for improved search results.).” I immediately did a search and found the new fields to be what I needed! For a community study, I needed to do some searches […]
This press release just arrived from the U.S. National Archives. The budget reflects a 12% increase over the last fiscal year. In light of the many libraries, archives, and historical societies that are shutting down completely or partially due to budget inadequacies, this is a good budget growth. I do hope those in charge at […]
It was back in 1983, June 24-25 to be exact. I still had a six year old at home. The place was Charleston, Illinois and the event was sponsored by the Illinois State Genealogical Society and Eastern Illinois University. The local host was the Coles County Genealogical Society. I enjoyed the conference and have not […]
The following is part of a press release received from the National Genealogical Society: “Millions of Americans hunger to connect with their roots, and there’s no better way to start than by attending a four-day event packed with experts and family history hobbyists with the same goal. The National Genealogical Society, headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, […]
Before each Conference, The Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) receives requests inquiring if there are other conference registrants looking for a roommate. It’s a great way to share costs. The 2009 Conference is in Little Rock, Arkansas from September 2-5 and the local host is the Arkansas Genealogical Society. FGS will provide contact information (via […]
When I got home from work today, I read the news headlines that I receive each day via Google. A headline from Spiegel Online International chilled me: “History in Ruins: Archive Collapse Disaster for Historians.” The building housing the city archive of Cologne, Germany literally collapsed. This archive is the largest municipal archive in Germany […]
I will be presenting a lecture titled “Baker’s Dozen: Easy Ways to Begin Writing Your Family History” on Saturday, March 21st at the Swedish Genealogical Society of Minnesota‘s Quarterly Meeting. This lecture demonstrates ways to get that writing started without becoming overwhelmed. It includes ideas for sharing family history with family members who otherwise might […]
In just one month, I will be presenting four lectures at the Kalamazoo Valley Genealogical Society’s Spring Conference in Kalamazoo, Michigan. To learn more and register for the event click here. These are the lectures: NUCMC and its Cousins: Keys to Lost Ancestral Records: One of the important aids since 1962 is the National Union […]
There’s no record. All the records are gone. No one knows what happened to it. Don’t give up — something may turn up. An article in the Maine Antique Digest tells the story of auctions of major collections of New Jersey and Pennsylvania artifacts, memorabilia, maps, manuscripts and official records. One amazing purchase at a […]