Topographical Maps

Paula Stuart-Warren  Geological Survey, Maps  Leave a comment

Tonight as I read the San Jose Mercury News online I saw an interesting article about U.S. Geological Survey topograpical maps and genealogical research. Genealogy was even spelled correctly! To read the article in the July 8th edition: http://www.mercurynews.com/lifeandstyleheadlines/ci_6328874

You may be wondering why I was reading the San Jose newspaper when I live in St. Paul? Many moons ago we lived in neighboring Mountain View, California when my husband was stationed at the Moffett Field Naval air base. My oldest son was born while we lived there and I occasionally check websites related to the area.

More books with a genealogy connection

Paula Stuart-Warren  Genealogy Novels, Novels  Leave a comment

Fellow genealogist Betty Malesky of Green Valley, Arizona shared the following titles of fiction books with a genealogical connection. If any of you have additional suggestions send them to me at [email protected] and I will share them with all the readers.

Night Journal by Elizabeth Crooks
Eve’s Daughters by Lynn Austin
Death on the Family Tree by Patricia Sprinkle
Family Tree by Barbara Delinsky

Thanks Betty!

Ancestry.com and the August FGS/ACPL Conference

Paula Stuart-Warren  Allen County Public Library, Ancestry.com, Conferences, Seminars  Leave a comment

Thinking about attending the August 15-18, 2007 Genealogy Conference sponsored by the Federation of Genealogical Societies and the Allen County Public Library? Four full days of genealogical education, luncheons with interesting speakers, extended hours access to the renowned Genealogy Center at the ACPL, a large exhibit area of genealogical and historical vendors, and non-stop opportunities for networking with fellow genealogists and asking questions of the speakers and vendors, and now one more big reason to attend.

The exhibit area will be open to everyone (registrant or not) on Thursday through Saturday. Ancestry.com is sponsoring a live computer lab at its huge space in the exhibit hall. This will be the place to see live class type demos that will help you use Ancestry.com, Family Tree Maker, and Ancestry publications. Each session is repeated several times so that you won’t have to miss those lectures that are musts on your schedule. For a full Ancestry line-up see:

http://blogs.ancestry.com/circle/index.php?paged=2

To register for the conference, check out the lectures and speakers, see the lineup of meal events (complete with menus,) and learn about lodging visit http://www.fgsconference.org/

Free Genealogy News

Paula Stuart-Warren  Electronic newsletters, Free, Newsletters  1 Comment

From time to time I will post the links to genealogical and historical electronic newsletters and blogs that are available at no cost. I do happen to be one of the writers for the first two.

24/7 Family History Circle http://blogs.ancestry.com/circle/

Ancestry Weekly Blog http://www.ancestry.com/learn/library/article.aspx?article=dailynews

Dick Eastman’s Online Genealogy Newsletter http://www.eogn.com/
Dick also has a Plus Edition that is fee based.

Leland Meitzler and Everton Publisher’s Blog http://www.genealogyblog.com/

National Archives Central Plains Region

Paula Stuart-Warren  Uncategorized  Leave a comment

I spent the last week researching at the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration regional branch in Kansas City. Friday afternoon was spent on Leavenworth Prison records. Some prisoners have extensive files with names, birthplace, offense, when sentenced, aliases, previous prison/jail stays, fingerprints, letters from and about the prisoner requesting parole or a different job in prison, mulitple health forms, and lists of visitors and correspondents — complete with where they live and the relationship to the prisoner. Each file is a bit different. The prisoners were from many states.

And how did I know what I wanted to look at? Go to http://www.archives.gov/ and in the search box at the top of the page simply type “Lavenworth Prison index.” The index covering 1895-1920 is online. These records are part of Record Group 129, Records of the Bureau of Prisons, United State Penitentiary Leavenworth, Kansas, Federal Inmate Case Files 1895-1920.
I did find files for a client but none for my own family so far. I had some possibilities but they did not turn out to be family.

If you are hesitant about checking such records, reread the first paragraph and it might convince you of the value of the information in these files. On the opening page for NARA’s website, click on the “Locations and Hours” in the left most column and link to details for all the regions and more.

ZCMI Center in Salt Lake City

Paula Stuart-Warren  Salt Lake City, ZCMI Center  Leave a comment

For those of you who like to visit the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, here’s an update on the changes in the surrounding area. A news article in today’s Salt Lake Tribune tells that the last two retail tenants in the almost empty ZCMI Center shopping mall will be out in a few weeks. Then the mall will be demolished. The Crossroads Plaza mall is already mostly gone. These complexes and other buildings will be replaced by City Creek Center, a retail, office, and residential complex. Project completion is scheduled for mid-2011.

June 22nd article: http://www.sltrib.com/ci_6205712

Downtown Rising http://www.downtownrising.com/city_creek/

The Gateway shopping and entertainment area remains open and continues to add more elements. It now has an Office Depot store!

Drive-In Movie Memories and Lists

Paula Stuart-Warren  Drive-in movies; Drive-in restaurants  Leave a comment

Some of you are old enough to remember when there were drive-in movies everywhere. My childhood favorite outdoor theater has been replaced by a grocery store, an office supply store, a Mexican restaurant and by one of my favorite bagel places.

There are still some of these drive-ins in use today. I started writing this post after reading one of the Minneapolis StarTribune’s blogs: http://www.buzz.mn/?q=node/1539. I love nostalgia. This article had a link to “Cinema History Around the World” that has lists of current regular and drive-in movie theaters as well as long list of those demolished or simply out of business. Check it out at http://www.cinematour.com/main.php

I agree with the blog author, James Lileks, about the childhood memories. We always had to be in our pj’s before going to the drive-in. As we got older we did object to this! It was so much fun if there was money to visit the snack bar — otherwise we brought our own kool-aid and popcorn.

My 3 youngest grandchildren who live about 2.5 hours north of me are taking turns staying with me in the next few weeks. I promised to take them to a drive-in, the food kind, which will be a new experience for them. We still have a few in the St. Paul/Minneapolis area that have the speaker type order boxes and the food order is delivered to your car. I wonder if I can find a drive-in movie with something suitable for them?

FGS Conference in Fort Wayne, Indiana

Paula Stuart-Warren  Conferences, Seminars  Leave a comment

The Federation of Genealogical Societies annual conference is hosted this year by the Allen County Public Library. The ACPL is the home of the world-renowned Genealogy Center. The conference dates are August 15-18, 2007. These conferences are filled with lectures, workshops, meal events, books, software, and lots of networking time — all designed to enhance our family history research.

Registration for the four-day event is simple. The easiest way is to register online. You may also print the registration form and mail it in. Just go to http://www.fgsconference.org/ to learn more about this exciting educational event.

That website tells about the hotels with rooms for conference goers, and shares details on speakers, lectures, roommate service, genealogical vendors (booths are still available), youth fair, keynote speaker, banquet speaker, a day for professional genealogists, and, and, and. . . Future blog posts right here will share more conference details.

Be sure to visit the sponsors’ page to see the logos of the wonderful sponsors that help to make these conferences happen.

If you aren’t familiar with the ACPL check out its website http://www.acpl.lib.in.us/ and click on Genealogy.

Depending upon which door you exit from at the convention center, you are less than a block from the library. Even better, the library will have extended hours during the conference week. Hurray! Keep checking my blog for more details on the newly expanded ACPL and the tantalizing Genealogy Center. I had the pleasure of touring and researching there this past April.

The regular hours are posted first, followed by the extended hours.

Monday: 9:oo a.m to 9:o0 p.m.

Tuesday: 9:oo a.m to 9:o0 p.m.

Wednesday: 9:oo a.m to 9:o0 p.m. and then until midnight for conference registrants

Thursday: 9:oo a.m to 9:o0 p.m. and then until midnight for conference registrants

Friday: 9:00 a.m. -6:oo p.m. with 6:o0 a.m. to 9:00 a.m for conference registrants

Saturday: 9:00 a.m. -6: oo p.m. with 6:o0 a.m. to 9:00 a.m for conference registrants

Novels with a genealogy connection

Paula Stuart-Warren  Genealogy Novels, Novels  1 Comment

Pam Eagleson, CG, from Maine, shared details on a book with some genealogical research connections. From time to time I will post info on such books or movies on this blog. Please share your favorites. (Send to [email protected])

“My book group just finished reading David Baldacci’s Wish You Well (2000, first trade edition 2007). It is totally different than any thing he’s ever written and he said in an interview a couple of months ago on CBS’s Sunday Morning that it is his favorite book. It’s basically a novel he wrote after doing several oral history interviews with his mother. He writes of how important chronicling the history of one’s family is — of the countless hours researching his own family’s history. He warns that there are so many people who have either lost family memories forever or who are perilously close to doing so. The last section of this new trade edition includes a section with photos on his family research, a reading group guide and getting started on your family tree. Check out his website http://www.davidbaldacci.com/ and follow the link on the left side to the Other Writing section and click on Essays and then the second one on Origins of Wish You Well. FYI-He used the Library of Virginia extensively in his research for this novel. He lives in Richmond. This book is now required reading in several schools.”

The Ohio Genealogical Society Summer Workshop 24-29 June 2007

Paula Stuart-Warren  Conferences, Seminars  Leave a comment

Held at the The Ohio Genealogical Society Library, 713 S Main St., Mansfield, OH 44907-1644. For fees, registration, lodging and other questions: Phone 419-756-7294 or check http://www.ogs.org/.

The week begins with registration and reception at Library – Sunday June 24, 2007 at 7:00 p.m. followed by five full days of learning on topics such as land, church, probate, military, researching women, newspapers, German, Italian, British Isles, Scots-Irish, and several states. There will be time to research in the OGS Library. Instructors, Robert Keener’ Jana Broglin, CG; Shirley Hodges; Dwane Grace; Sandy Malitz; Brent Morgan; Elissa Powell, CG; Karen Bennett, CG; Sunda Peters; Kay Hudson; Ted Minier; Tom Neel; Wally Huskonen, CG; Paul Morehouse.