National Archives Virtual Fair Oct 21 & 22

Tomorrow is one of my favorite days during the month of October.  It is the National Archives Virtual Genealogy Fair!  That is right. on the 21st and 22nd from 10am to 2pm EST you can go to the NARA website and learn from some of their best.

There will be live streaming of presentation on their YouTube channel starting with the opening remarks by Archivist of the United States David S. Ferriero.  You can see a listing of the schedule with descriptions of the sessions on their website.  In addition, you can access handouts for each session as well as their presentation slides.  

While I miss going to the NARA fairs in person, I do understand how this format can be a benefit to more people.  So, I hope you will join me in watching, and attending, the virtual fair today.


Schedule: Day 1: Wednesday, October 21 (Eastern Time)

Archivist of the United States David S. Ferriero. Opening Remarks Captioning

10 am Introduction to Genealogy at the National Archives by Claire Kluskens. Session 1 Captioning

11 am Preserving Your Family Records:  Conversation and Questions by Mary Lynn Ritzenthaler. Session 2 Captioning

12 pm Personnel Records of the National Archives– St. Louis. By Bryan K. McGraw. Session 3 Captioning

1 pm It’s in the Cards: Finding Family Members in National Archives–St. Louis’ Card Series by Daria Labinsky & David Hardin. Session 4 Captioning

2 pm Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Personnel Records by Ashley Mattingly. Session 5 Captioning


Schedule: Day 2: Thursday, October 22 (Eastern Time)

10 am Where’d They Go?  Finding Ancestral Migration Routes by Jean Nudd. Session 6 Captioning

11 am Access to Archival Databases (AAD): Looking Down, From Above, to Look it Up!  by John LeGloahec.Session 7 Captioning

12 pm Finding Your World War I Veteran at the National Archives at St. Louis by Theresa Fitzgerald. Session 8 Captioning

1 pm Women in War Time Civilian Government Employment by Cara Moore. Session 9 Captioning

2 pm Broke, But Not Out of Luck: Exploring Bankruptcy Records for Genealogy Research by Jessica Hopkins. Session 10 Captioning

Executive for Research Services William A. Mayer. Closing Remarks Captioning

Week 42 of Abundant Genealogy

Harry Coad:  picture from his Civil War
Pension file located at NARA

Week 42: Biggest Genealogy Accomplishment. What do you feel is your biggest genealogy accomplishment? What were the steps you took to get there, and what was the end result?

My biggest accomplishment was figuring out the true story of my husband’s 3^rd great grandfather, Harry Coad aka Henry Thompson.  This mystery had nagged at me since I heard it and once I saw the opportunity to track it down I jumped on it. 

My husband had told me the story several times over the years, as he remembered it from his grandmother.  After I started delving into our family histories I cornered my father-in-law and asked him what he remembered of the story.  Tracking down the hints, clues, and leads on-line lead me to the National Archives in D.C. and to the amazing story of this man.

You can read about my discoveries here on this blog as well as on the Family Tree Firsts blog at Family Tree University.  Just click on “Coad” or “Family Tree Firsts” under the tags section to see what I have to say.



NARA has You Tube videos

Did you know this?  I knew there were videos online but I didn't know that there was a full You Tube channel on how to use the archives.  Check out this press release from July 30th.

According to their website:

"The National Archives holds the permanently valuable records of the Federal Government. These include records of interest to genealogists, such as pension files, ship passenger lists, census and Freedmen’s Bureau materials. The “Know Your Records Program” offers opportunities for staff, volunteers, and researchers to learn about these records through lectures, ongoing genealogy programs, workshops, symposia, the annual genealogy fair, an online genealogy tutorial, reference reports for genealogical research, and editions of Researcher News for Washington, DC, area researchers."

So go and check them out!

Image from the Library of Congress

My day at the fair

 
Last Wednesday and Thursday I attended NARA’s 8^th Annual Genealogical Fair and I had a great time!  Everyone was very helpful, patient, and eager to share; perfect for a genealogical conference I would think.  As this was my first outing anywhere near a conference, on this subject, I was over the moon with it.

Wednesday was grey, drizzly, and cold which for an outdoor venue was not necessarily the best weather you could hope for.  Big name vendors and local area societies were present.  My friends and I walked past Ancestry, Fold3, and FamilySearch.  There was a large bank of terminals next to Ancestry and FamilySearch so that you could go out and start searching right then.

Down another aisle I stopped and talked to several of the local societies, the APG representative, and NGS.  The Loudon County Virginia Historical Society even took a note for me to give to the county archivist to help me find the documents I wanted on my 4^th great-grandfather Edward Arvin.  (They are on their way to me now by the way!)  I enjoyed talking to the woman from the local APG chapter and I think it may be something I look into more in the future. 

We all stopped briefly to peruse the books section at the Foundation for the National Archives.  I left that day with three books:

·         Evidence! Citation and Analysis for theFamily Historian by Elizabeth Shown Mills

·         The Hidden Half of the Family: A Sourcebookfor Women’s Genealogy by Christina Kassabian Schaeffer

·         The Genealogy Tool Kit: Getting Started on Your Family History at the National Archives by John P. Deeban

The last book has been talked about recently on several blogs and in a press release from the Foundation for the National Archives.  It is a basic book, but there were step-by-step worksheets to take you through the records at the archives as well as how to research with original documents.  I am sure I will find it useful and a good book for the future.  Plus, I am a sucker for an autographed book.  The author was there and he signed my copy happily.

In the afternoon I introduced my friends to the reading room where the original documents are viewed at the archives.  I requested two more Civil War Pension Files and they had just as much, if not more, fun than I did looking through and analyzing the information.  We thought we had a good lead on a Civil war Ancestor for one of them, but when we started to read the file it was not her ancestor.  Bummer, but still fascinating as the widow had included newspaper clippings about her husband with her pension request. 

Thursday was a much nicer, and sunnier, day.  I took two classes.  In the morning I listened to a lecture on “Using the Congressional Serial Set for Genealogical Research” by Jeffery Hartley.  I had heard of the serial set but was not entirely sure as what it was.  Wow is all I have to say. That afternoon I attended “Treating the Sick and Wounded: Civil War Medical Records” by Nancy Wing.  My mother’s a doctor, I toyed with being a doctor, and I have a biology degree… do you think I could have passed this up?  It was fascinating and even got me thinking about how I need to have my mom write a guest post here.

The highlight of Thursday was meeting the author of Annie’sGhosts, Steve Luxenburg.  Of course I don’t have a paper copy of the book, it is on my iPad, but he kindly took a picture with me so I would have a remembrance of the day.  He chatted with me and my friends for a little bit and I have to say he was extreamly pleasant, very personable, and very tall.  You can listen to an interview with him  about this book from Lisa Louise Cooke at the Genealogy Gems Podcast.

The last part of the day was exploring the stacks at the research library.  I had not been in there before and I was not disappointed.  In the library are reference books, biographies, indexes, maps, and so much more.  All the books relate in some way to holding at the archives.  I just wandered the aisles reading titles, flipping through maps, and getting acquainted with everything.  It is a place that I will be going back to when I have a specific research plan.  That day, since the Revolutionary War was on my mind for some reason, I looked through indexes of soldiers for my ancestors.  Found most of them, and not  just names.  Most of the books had a description of the person, ranks, and short bio from the war.  Yes, I made copies.

Overall it was a very satisfying experience… and I have a lot of fling to do!

*Thanks to Barb for helping take pictures!

My first genealogy "conference"

Today and tomorrow I will be attending the National Archives 8th Annual Genealogy Fair.  I got up at o-dark-thirty to commute into DC with my husband.  Makes me appreciate him even more, as he gets home after 8pm every night and is up at 4am every morning to make the 60 mile trek into the DC metro area for work.  This morning we get to experience the commute that many married couples make together in the morning... hope I don't screw up!

I am meeting two friends there today, both bitten by the genealogy bug like me.  Last night I printed off the schedule and map for the two days, starred the classes I want to attend (only 2 spots with conflicts), and packed my bag. 

Wish me luck, this should be a great adventure and a lot of fun!

**This was supposed to have gone out on Wednesday.   Lesson:  Need more Coffee when I write at 4:30am as  I never pushed publish...

Week 15 of Abundant Genealogy

Week 15 – Volunteers: Tell us about a volunteer you appreciate. What does this person do for the genealogical community? How has he or she touched your heart? This is your chance to show some love for those who selflessly give their time to family history.

The only volunteers that I have come into contact with were the volunteers at NARA.  Kind, patient, understanding, helpful... everything I could possibly want in a person to help me navigate those archives.  One in particular wouldn't give up until he had the answer on where my ancestors pension file went.  He hated enigma's too.

*Image from the Library of Congress: DETAIL, SOUTH FRONT, PORTICO - National Archives, Constitution Avenue, between Seventh & Ninth Streets Northwest, Washington, District of Columbia, DC

Adventures at the Archives FTF Post is up!

My next Family Tree Firsts post is up, and you can read all about it here.

It was the most incredible experience, and I had the best time.  Yes, I have always found being locked in a room with a stack of dusty papers and books a grand adventure.  Its true, I do.  You should have seen me wandering around Europe looking at museums, castles, and historic sites.  My husband thought he was going to lose me at the V&A once. He did almost lose me in Salzberg, Austria when I was on a quest to find Paracelsus's Tomb.

Now I have gotten off topic again...easy to do.

I have over a thousand images that I am going through.  Yes, a lot of images.  One thing I have been taught about doing research (from my mother, my mother-in-law, my husband,historian friends, and my college mentors) is that you copy everything.  Absolutely everything.  Never leave a page un-copied, and never just copy part of the page.  You never know when you will need information from another section of the document, or that date stamp on the back as proof of when it was created.  All records are important, you just may not know it right then.

In a past post I talked about preparing for my research, and then my experience at the archives.  Over the next few weeks I hope you all enjoy my tales of what I have found.  I have records on the following people to look through:

Anna Combs, widow of Charles Combs (the senior), War of 1812 Pension File
Theresa Arvin, widow of Henry Arvin, War of 1812 Pension File
Henry Arvin Land File
Polly and Nettie Cody, widow and minor of Button Cody, Civil War Pension File
Mary and William Combs, widow and minor of Charles "boy" Combs, Civil War Pension File
Harry Coad aka Henry Thompson Civil War Pension File
Lemuel Kelley, father of Lemuel Kelley, Civil War Pension File
Julia Bartlett, widow of William Bartlett, Civil War Pension File

Wish me good digging!

Being prepared for research

I had a fantastic time this past weekend; visiting the nation’s capital with my family, doing some research at NARA, and attending the Family Tree University’s Virtual Conference.  Yes, it was packed to the gills with activities and by the time Sunday night rolled around I poured myself into bed.  Tales of my adventures will be coming shortly; I just have to get them all down on paper.  As well as going through the nearly 1,000 images I have of files from the archive.

There is one thing I want to comment on, that actually astounded me, and it still leaves me shaking my head.  Why, oh why, would you walk into the National Archives without doing any preliminary research?  Over the 2 days I was there I saw person after person walk up to the desk in the main room and ask the staff the same type question.  I want to find out about my family, where do I start.  That in itself isn’t a bad question, unless you know nothing about your ancestors or even where to start looking.  A few of them had never even heard of the online databases that the staffers showed them on the computers to get them started.  In fact, I think one gentleman was downright flabbergasted that they just couldn’t produce the information he sought out of thin air.  No, I am not exaggerating.

Before I arrived at NARA I printed out the images for the pension index cards I wanted to look up, as well as taking my iPad with PDF’s of websites and sources from my family tree in case I ran into problems.  I made sure to say please and thank you, because you know kindness and courtesy can go a long way.  It just seems that the older generations were just as eager for instant gratification as those younger than me.  Or I have always been an old woman in a young woman body.

*Image: Jeff Kubina via photopin cc

First research trip, do you have advice?

I have a packed weekend coming up.  My mother-in-law is flying in for a visit, I will be attending the Family Tree University Virtual Conference, and I will be having my first ever research trip.  Packed right?
This Friday (and a little on Saturday) I will be going to NARA and looking at a some files.  A few weeks ago I sent them an email inquiry about how to see files for specific ancestors.  To my great surprise and pleasure a very nice research librarian called me back.  She very patiently answered my questions and gave me advice on when to show up and how to get my researcher card.

I am making my detailed research list so I don't get off track and go wandering down side paths.  There is just one thing I am not completely sure of.  What are the most important things to take wtih me? 

Here is the list of things I am thinking of taking, by following the rules laid out by NARA here.  Do you have any suggestions, additions, or things I should just leave behind?

• iPad, with my research notes on it
• a print out of my research goals, in summary, so I can have it (I sitll like paper in a lot of cases)
• Camera (I don't have a flip pal or other scanner type device)
• Extra batteries, in case camera stops working
• Coins for copier
• pencil, to write on copied paper

*Image from the Library of Congress:  National Archives. National Archives Building, front and left I

NARA 8th Annual Genealogy Fair

I have secured a sitter, and I will be attending my first in person genealogy conference type activity.  The National Archives 8th Annual Genealogy Fair.  To say I am over the moon giddy with excitement is putting it mildly.

If you are in the DC area those two days I hope you will join me.  It is free, and will be held outside on the grounds of the National Archives.  The condensed schedule has been recently published too, so make sure you check it out.  I wish my son could ditch school and go with me on the first day.  He has read a lot about the Titanic, and there will be a lecture on it for the centennial.  May have to go and then tell him all about it.  That would earn me mom brownie points!

Bonus:  There will be presentations on the 1940 US Census too.  Hear all about the exciting release of the next US Census!

NARA has partnered with the Foundation for the National Archives and had additional support from Ancestry.com to bring this opportunity to all who are interested.

1940 census Website

I am catching up on a weeks worth of reading over my tea this morning.  This is what happens when you are have repairs done to your house that force you to live out of your bedroom for a week.  To say I am a bit behind is an understatement. 

Starting with the newest posts on my Google Reader, I saw an announcement from NARA about the upcoming website for the 1940 census.  They are getting us ready for the release by having daily lectures and announcements about it too.  Make sure to check out the NARA site frequently over the next month!

If you haven't seen the video from Family Search "I'm in it" you can see it here.  This makes me very excited, as this will be the first census my father is in.  I have to wait 20 more years for a census that contains my mother, and another 20 for a census that contains my husband and me.  History is catching up to the living quickly.

*Image: Auntie P via photopin cc

St. Louis fire records being restored

While out poking around today I found an article about the restoration of the damaged records from the 1973 St. Louis archive fire.  It was published in the St. Louis Beacon this past Sunday, and you can read the full article here.

For those of you who don’t know what I am talking about, here is a brief history lesson.  In 1973 a fire ripped through The National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis.  Millions of records on military service of thousands of people were lost or damaged.  You can read more about it at the National Archives.   My family has a personal interest in this as my Grandfather had his service records stored there.  For years my mother tried to get her father’s records, but the answer was always "I am sorry they were stored in St. Louis."  Maybe, someday in the future, his records will be among the ones to be restored.  Here’s to hoping! 

*Image from Wikipedia of the St. Louis fire

NARA

I am sick…tis the season.

As cold meds aren’t leaving me a clear head, I have been investigating a couple “fun things” on the internet.  I have been really wanting to go to NARA and research; so I have been reading through their website on where things are, how to get there, do’s and don’ts, that type of thing.  Then I found their listings of lectures…

WOW!  There are quite a few lectures in the DC area, not to mention nationwide at their branches.  I encourage you to go check out their calendar because it is chocked full of interesting topics.  For example in DC:

·        The first Wednesday of the month is lecture on a basic genealogy research topic
·        The third Wednesday of the month is a “beyond the basic” archival research skill lecture
·        The third Saturday is a “beyond the basic” archival research skill lecture
·        One Saturday a month it looks like you can sign up for a 20 minute appointment with an archivist who will get you “unstuck” with a relative

Now…if I had unlimited time and babysitters I would be going to many of these!

Believe it or not, my afternoon got even better.  I saw the announcement for the 8thAnnual Genealogy Fair.  This is where I beg my parents to come for a visit in April.  Or promise the world to my friends so that I can go to a 2 day event during the school week.