Railroad Maps, Minnesota and Beyond

Paula Stuart-Warren  Railroads    Leave a comment
 

 

Perusing maps has always been a favorite pastime of mine. The love of maps was definitely inherited from my Dad. When I was traveling a lot for my genealogy business, he would call me before I left, and with his maps on his desk, to learn about my route. One day I brought him my Hammond World Atlas to show him more maps. He tried to keep it. We eventually found him a newer copy at Half Price Books. I inherited that copy to replace mine that has pages falling out.

Then when I began researching and lecturing about railroads, records, and maps, my love of maps grew more addictive. One of my favorite railroad map guides is Rails to the North Star: A Minnesota Railroad Atlas. It was compiled by Richard S. Prosser with a foreward by Don L. Hofsommer. (Reprint edition is published by the University of Minnesota Press, 2007.) The guide is available in libraries, historical societies, bookstores, the U of M Press, and other online dealers. North Star? Minnesota is the North Star state, and this book has 283 pages, is indexed, has Minnesota railroad history, legal statutes, summary of railroad companies that operated in the states, and maps. Maps. Maps. Maps.

I immediately recognized Hofsommer as the author of many books and articles about a variety of railroads from Minnesota and beyond. Prosser’s name was new to me but I knew to have Hofsommer’s endorsement was big! I used this guide a few days ago to tell a colleague what railroads to look at for Blue Earth County, Minnesota as she traced the movements of her family.

Where else to look for railroad maps for your ancestral areas? These should get you started:

DNA Services and Police Access: The Legal Genealogist®

Paula Stuart-Warren  DNA, Ethics  , ,  Leave a comment

Last night I shared a blog link with several clients. I’m sharing it here in case my readers haven’t heard about this important blog post. I am one who will willingly share results if it would help solve a crime. 

Judy G. Russell, known as The Legal Genealogist®, writes an intriguing, educational, and timely blog. Her March 6th post was about “The dos and don’ts of DNA” and which services do and don’t allow police access to DNA results of our DNA tests. It covers the various companies and “the always-hot topic of the use of consumer genealogical DNA databases by law enforcement in criminal cases — known as investigative genetic genealogy or IGG for short.”

The link to her blog post: https://www.legalgenealogist.com

Last night I shared a blog link with several clients. I’m sharing it here in case my readers haven’t heard about this important blog post. I am one who will willingly share results if it would help solve a crime. 

Judy G. Russell, known as The Legal Genealogist®, writes an intriguing, educational, and timely blog. Her March 6th post was about “The dos and don’ts of DNA” and which services do and don’t allow police access to DNA results of our DNA tests. It covers the various companies and “the always-hot topic of the use of consumer genealogical DNA databases by law enforcement in criminal cases — known as investigative genetic genealogy or IGG for short.”

The link to her blog post: https://www.legalgenealogist.com

Last night I shared a blog link with several clients. I’m sharing it here in case my readers haven’t heard about this important blog post. I am one who will willingly share results if it would help solve a crime. 

Judy G. Russell, known as The Legal Genealogist®, writes an intriguing, educational, and timely blog. Her March 6th post was about “The dos and don’ts of DNA” and which services do and don’t allow police access to DNA results of our DNA tests. It covers the various companies and “the always-hot topic of the use of consumer genealogical DNA databases by law enforcement in criminal cases — known as investigative genetic genealogy or IGG for short.”

The link to her blog post: https://www.legalgenealogist.com

40 years a member of the Minnesota Genealogical Society

Paula Stuart-Warren  Minnesota Genealogical Society    4 Comments

It was the winter of 1982. The College of St. Thomas, several blocks from our house, offered an adult education course in genealogy. I had dabbled a bit before then and knew there was more to this hobby. It was one of the best things I ever did! Jim Kellen, a librarian at St. Thomas taught the course. He stressed good research, citing sources, reading more, and shared about a multitude of places to find information. He also gave us a brochure about the Minnesota Genealogical Society (MGS) and strongly suggested we join. I joined that March.

That was 40 years ago, and I am still a member. Others have been members for more years. I am proud of my membership, what I have learned, what I have done as an MGS volunteer, and most of all, the friends I have gained.

For more about the late Jim Kellen, his incredible life journey, and more: https://www.pipestonestar.com/articles/james-kellen/

For more about the Minnesota Genealogical Society: https://mngs.org/

RootsMagic special sales for RootsTech

Paula Stuart-Warren  RootsMagic, RootsTech    Leave a comment

I have been using RootsMagic for several years. I love the response from the team there when questions arise. As with any program, it takes a bit to become acquainted with it. I use it for much of my client work and so does my main subcontractor. I have been faithfully entering my own family to it and it is so nice to quickly check something when a relative asks a question or I am researching the ancestors. A press release today shared details of the RootsMagic special pricing during and after RootsTech. 

“we’re pleased to offer RootsTech attendees a special discount. Save up to 37% on our software including Personal Historian 3, Family Atlas, and the NEW RootsMagic 8!

Through March 19, 2022, use the code ROOTSTECH to receive your discount. There is no limit on the number of discounted copies you can buy during this limited-time offer.”

Why are you waiting? Once it’s purchased look for the videos on YouTube, help on the RM website, and the great group on Facebook. 

 

MyHeritage news for RootsTech week

Paula Stuart-Warren  MyHeritage, RootsTech  Leave a comment

I have resisted the first new item. I’ve been working a lot of hours the last couple of weeks with the proverbial nose to the grindstone. Maybe next week will have some time for checking the 269 million family tree profile records from Filae to MyHeritage. My French roots via my French-Candians are making my fingers itch to check. If you have French roots, you will almost certainly find some family members in this collection. 

The other item is that through March 8, 2022, people who have taken a DNA test with other services will be able to upload their DNA to MyHeritage and enjoy all their advanced DNA features for free.

For full details check the MyHeritage Blog.

If you don’t know about the 2022 virtual RootsTech Conference that’s taking place now, go visit the website. The sessions are free!

 

 

Genealogists, are you writing your own memories?

Paula Stuart-Warren  Uncategorized    1 Comment

As a family historian, I keep reminding myself to write my own memories. Minnesota winters mean backyard ice skating rinks. My childhood home in Saint Paul had a large backyard and that ¼ of an acre corner lot provided plenty of room for such a skating rink. I vividly remember my Dad going outside in the dark and cold to use the hose to give us a nice sheet of ice. We’d watch him through the dining area windows. He also used an oscillating sprinkler to keep “watering” the rink in the night. He did much of the shoveling after snowfalls, but my sisters and I did, too. We had nice snowbanks into which we could fall.

I remember sitting in our kitchen lacing up my beautiful white figure skates and then carefully going down the back steps to skate like an Olympian. OK, that last part is totally a lie. I did my share of falling on my butt. It was painful to see scuff marks on the white skates. We didn’t play hockey as far as I can remember. The rink also provided a place for neighbor kids to skate. I regret that I have no pictures of the rink or of us skating. My Mom was not a great picture taker.

Today the owners of that home have a large two-car garage and a house extension on the property. No more room for our giant skating rink.

 

Registration for the11th year of GRIP genealogical education excellence is tomorrow (Feb 16)

Paula Stuart-Warren  Conferences/Institutes, Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh, GRIP  ,  Leave a comment

“Only” 18 courses to choose from. Tomorrow (Wednesday, February 16) is when online registration opens for the 2022 Virtual Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP). This will be my 11th year of coordinating the “Digging Deeper: Records, Tools, and Skills” course.  Cyndi Ingle, Debbie Mieszala, and Cari Taplin join me in the July week as instructors and consultants. We are busy preparing an extensive syllabus, class content, hands-on exercises, and some other tools. Let me know if you have any questions about the week. View the course details at https://www.gripitt.org/courses/digging_deeper/ and then click on the Registration tab at the top of the page to learn more about the new registration process to be ready for tomorrow at Noon EDT for the June courses and 2:00 EDT for the July courses.

February 16 is next week! Genealogists will flock to register for GRIP.

Paula Stuart-Warren  Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh, GRIP  ,  Leave a comment

That title sounds a bit presumptuous, but it’s true. The Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP) registration opens on the 16th and most courses fill quickly. Best thing to do is visit the courses and registration page now and then be ready to get the course you really need. A brand-new registration system is in place to make it all run more smoothly. Also new is that you can pay by credit card. For more details check the GRIP latest posting. 

See my previous blog posts on GRIP such as the one on January 19th for some more details. Don’t forget that the courses are virtual, have hands-on components, and each has a syllabus.

U.S. Census 72-year privacy rule details — or not.

Paula Stuart-Warren  Uncategorized  5 Comments

I have searched and searched. I have contacted law librarians, archivists, and many who work at the U.S. National Archives. No one had an answer for the origin of the 72-year privacy rule regarding release of the U.S. federal census to the public. Many people are anxiously awaiting the April 1 release of the 1950 census to find our parents, grandparents, a lost family member, and for me, to see toddler Paula enumerated at 770 Jenks Ave. in Saint Paul, Minnesota. (I will tell you how I know the address in a future blog post.)

Yesterday, National Public Radio produced a piece that delved into the origin of that 72-year thing. I call it a thing because there’s still no definitive answer but lots of theories and some possible insight. The last paragraph gave me chills about the release of future federal censuses. Read the full article before you get to that, please. The direct link to the article is not working. Please search for the title: 

The U.S. census’s 72-year confidentiality rule has a strange history

 

PERSI? Where to find it and how to use it!

Paula Stuart-Warren  Uncategorized  ,  Leave a comment

PERSI? It’s the Periodical Source Index that is now hosted by the Allen County Public Library of Fort Wayne, Indiana. In fact, that’s where PERSI is produced. So, what is it? I call it a subject or topical index to thousands of genealogical and local history periodicals and it’s a free index search. Well-known ones and some obscure ones are included. Indiana? Oh, many from there, beyond there in the U.S., and worldwide. PERSI heavily covers the U.S. and Canada periodicals but there are gems from other places. The Genealogy Center at the main library in downtown Fort Wayne has all the periodicals that are indexed. I keep a running list of those I want to read. 

I could write many paragraphs on its usefulness and tips for finding information, but I will let a colleague do that for you. Cari Taplin, Certified Genealogist®, even shares some insight I had missed. 

Visit Cari’s blog for some fantastic information on PERSI. Par I was posted January 26th and Part 2 on February 3rd (today!). Go read and learn. Thanks, Cari. https://genealogypants.com/pantspockets/