Southwestern Indiana Online Obituaries

Image by Amy Johnson Crow
on her Flikr account

Who doesn’t love a free digital database? I know when I find one that I can use, I am over the moon. Over the holidays, I spent hours on a particular one literally combing the pages for information. If you have any recent family from southwestern Indiana, you may be interested in this database too.

The Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center in Fort Wayne, Indiana, is not an uncommon research stop for any genealogist. If you have never been there, it should be on your must-visit list. 

One feature of the website is a section of free databases. You do not need membership or library access to see these databases, which is the case for some of the other functions on the site. This is a great place to do some pre-research for a visit and also to do standalone research. For those with Indiana ancestry, click the Indiana Resources link. This section covers general research topics in addition to digital databases by county. Which brings me to the database I fell in love with.

But first, a back story. In 2013 the annual FGS conference was in Fort Wayne. I was so excited to attend and made a couple week trip out of it. It was a great time, and you can read about it here, here, and here.

I was at the library information desk at the Genealogy Center when a cart of very large albums rolled by. Albums which contained every obituary from the Washington, Indiana local newspaper beginning in 1984. My ears piqued up. Portions of my family still lived there. The albums were sent out for digitization, and I periodically checked back to see when they would be available online. Time passed. I finally had the time to look and find people again!

The title for these amazing records is Obituaries and Funerals, 1984-2018, Daviess County, Indiana. According to the website of this database:

 Obituaries and funerals from The Washington Times Herald, Washington, Daviess County, Indiana. This collection contains many obituaries from Daviess, Martin, Pike and Knox Counties in Indiana. These records were compiled by Kay Hedrick and generously shared with The Genealogy Center of the Allen County Public Library and interested genealogists everywhere. 

Thanks to her, there is a wealth of information for researchers interested in these counties. For myself, I found 87 obituaries and funeral notices for relatives, and I am not done. Both of my grandmothers were there, their siblings, my grandfather’s siblings, and more cousins than you could shake a stick at. If I start on distant lines, it could get scary. 

The one downside? It is image access only with no keyword search. There is an index for each year you can browse through to determine which page number(s) to look at but no ability to type a surname and find it. The index generally only has the deceased person’s information, but a few of the indexes include parent’s surnames. With that information in mind, just remember you will need to set aside plenty of time to page through the images.

There is not a “save” button on the images, but there is a “printer-friendly view.” With this view, it is possible to print or save the page image. From there, you can edit the size down as needed with your image editing program of your choice.

So, off you go! Don’t forget to tell me if this was useful and if you found anything good.

Social history in your family history

If you have read many of my blog posts, here and elsewhere, you may remember me talking about how I love studying the social history aspect of genealogy.  For me it really breathes life into the people I am researching.  It is a way for me to connect to them.  To feel their plight.  Know what they lived through.  Read about what they saw.  Be jealous at the prices they paid!

While I think I know how to do social history research I am not confident enough to say I know everything about it.  By listening to others lecture on the subject and reading as much as I can I am hopeful some holes in my knowledge will fill in and learn new insights into this field of study.

According to the Merriam Webster online dictionary social history is defined as “history that concentrates upon the social, economic, and cultural institutions of a people.”  This definition refers to a group of people, but it very well could be the study of one person.  Often a case study is called the social history of a person.  I know how much we genealogists love a good case study!

One thing I think we should look at more as researchers are what the childhoods of our ancestors were like.  Looking back at my own family I do not know a lot about my ancestor’s childhoods.  A few stories from my great grandparents have made it to me but as for many of them they are a big black hole until they start creating records of their own.

I have thought about that more and more making me realize that it is a shame we don’t have more reliable resources on childhood through ages.  Especially to fill in the lives of those members of our extended families who did not make it to adult hood.

As the daughter of the doctor I tend to love learning about the history of the health industry.  You know disease, mortality, injuries and so forth.  If you have ever read a pension record, or a newspaper article for that matter, there are times that we need to educate ourselves on the names of common diseases used at the times our ancestors lived.  

Of course, the medical fields roll into a common human theme of abuse of drugs and alcohol.  If you think that drug and alcohol abuse are only a modern problem, think again.  It affected our ancestors in different ways, especially when it may have been your doctor getting you addicted, but there were still implications on the home and family.  A part of social history that was shameful for many families, but can demonstrate a familial link of dependence and addiction which seems almost inherited in some people.

On a brighter note have your ever thought about how technology effected the lives of your ancestors? You know, little inventions like the portable camera.  A little over 100 years ago Kodak created a smaller camera that now allowed people to take their own pictures.  It spread like wild fire.  Now nearly everyone has a camera (especially if they have a phone).  I sat and thought about how my recent ancestor’s way of documenting their lives changed. No pictures, to a few, to dozens, and now thousands of pictures a year.  Just imagine how that changed the way they felt about each other then and the way they could now remember special events.

If you are still not sure why you should consider studying social history, here are a few resources you should read about on why social history is an important field of study for genealogists.

·        Lisa Louis Cooke Genealogy Gems “Tell your Ancestor’s Story: Use Social History for Genealogy”  http://lisalouisecooke.com/2015/09/social-history-for-genealogy/

·        Gena Philibert Ortega “100 Social History Websites”

http://philibertfamily.blogspot.com/2012/08/100-social-history-websites.html#.Vm9UI0orLDc

·        Katherine Scott Sturdevant Bringing Your Family History to Life Through Social History http://www.amazon.com/Bringing-Family-History-Through-Social/dp/1558705104

Writing Family Stories for Future Generations

One of these days…I am going to write a family history book.  Sound familiar? For me, the hardest part is figuring out which story I want to tell.  You might be stuck on which medium to use. No matter what the problem may be this post will give you a few ideas on how to get started on that project you have always wanted to complete.

For the purposes of this post I will assume that you have gathered your resources, organized them, and are ready to start.  You just need to pick the outlet.  Which, may be a harder choice than you realized.  Choosing the outlet for your work really depends on who your audience will be and what you want to do with it when you are done. 

Genealogical writing is in the vein of non-fiction essays or stories.  There are many books and websites where you can get guidance, templates, and advice on how to write in this vein.  Before the writing begins it is important to have a focus on what your end result is going to be.  Is this going to family members? Will it be published for the masses? Are you creating a scholarly article for a journal?  Each one has a specific voice and way they tend to be written.

If you are interested in publishing your family research in one of the genealogical journals your first step is to read and research the publication. Doing this will give a feel for what the publication wants for articles and how they are structured.  Each one has a published writing guide for authors to use as their template, so make sure you know it and understand what the requirements are.

Family keepsakes and lineage books are great heirloom items to give as gifts.  These publications can vary depending on what you want your family to see.  On the simpler side you can do small biographical stories on your ancestors with lineages scattered through.  Or, you can pick a family line and tell their story.  Some themes are: immigration, employment, military service, historic events, and so forth.

Of course, maybe you have your eyes set on a New York Times Best Seller.  There are several examples of genealogical and autobiographical non-fiction novels on the market right now.  These stories blend research journey with family storytelling and capture the readers in anticipation of what comes next in the story. 

Blogs are one of the easiest ways to tell your family history, and most addictive.  Posts are usually 500-1000 words and tend to the anecdotal type stories or vignettes about family members.  These posts can then be linked together to create a larger publication or book with little work.  Many of the people who eventually write family history books start out this way.  It is a great way to get your feet wet with your writing while keeping your stories short, sweet, and to the point.

Larger projects can be created and managed in several ways.  Word processors are the easiest way to do this.  You can easily create folders on your computer to hold various types of information to keep your documents and writing organized.  Also, new documents can be created for each topic so that they stay separate and not jumbled together.

Programs like Scrivener can do this for you.  It is a program available on PC or Mac which allows the writer to create freely and edit large projects with ease.  Even better you can download and try it for free for 30 days before you purchase it.

Resources:

Lynn Palermo, Writing Your Family History http://www.thearmchairgenealogist.com/p/ultimate-guide-to-writing-family.html

Lisa Alzo, Write Your Family History Step by Step http://www.lisaalzo.com/articles/FEEFHS05-ALZO1.pdf

Hazel Edwards, Writing a Non-Boring Family History http://www.writerswrite.com/journal/jul02/writing-a-non-boring-family-history-7024

How to Write Your Family History http://www.mediacollege.com/writing/genealogy/family-history.html

The 5 Features of Effective Writing http://www.learnnc.org/lp/editions/few/cover

Template to Outline Your Non-Fiction Book http://fbkwrites.com/template-to-outline-your-nonfiction-book/

Book Outline templates https://www.template.net/business/outline-templates/book-outline-template/

Lineage Societies: Honoring Your Past with Your Research

What is a lineage society? There are many views, opinions, and thoughts on the subject and each will be different depending to whom you speak. In a nutshell, a lineage society is a group of people who are descended from a person (or group of people) who have come together to celebrate their ancestors.  Sounds simple, right? 

Anyone who can trace their ancestry back to a qualified ancestor may join a lineage society.  Most are open only to adults, with junior memberships available for youths.  There are some children specific societies which are sponsored by adult branches which those youth may join when they reach the age of majority.  However, be aware that there are a handful of societies that are only open by invitation.  Make sure you know if the society you are interested in is open to unsolicited inquires before you contact them.

The cost for membership varies from group to group.  There is usually an application fee and after admittance an annual membership fee.  Each group is different though, so you will need to make sure to check the details for each one you would like to join.  Once you are a member the benefit possibilities are numerous: networking, research partners, access to their private archives and libraries, plus satisfaction that your research has been put to good use.

If you are still deciding what society you might like to join, or if you are just curious about what is out there, here are several places you can learn more.

·        Cyndi’s List for lineage societies http://www.cyndislist.com/societies/lineage  

·        The Hereditary Society Community http://www.hereditary.us/list_a.htm

·        Going In-Depth Magazine, “The Society Pages” http://www.theindepthgenealogist.com/?page_id=6221

·        Family Tree Magazine, various articles

·        Who Do You Think You Are Magazine, various articles

·        Going In-Depth, and online magazine from The In-Depth Genealogist http://theindepthgenealogist.com/

Besides those location don’t forget that word of mouth is also a great resource.  Talk to people you know at other clubs and organizations you belong to.  Particularly at genealogy and historical societies.  Many members of those groups are also members of lineage societies and can give you more details on any group you may be interested in joining.

Many groups have a “contact us” button on their websites.  Electronic correspondence is preferred by most large organizations in today’s world so this should be your first line of communication.  If you don’t hear back from them, and a physical address is given, you can try to correspond with the group through the postal address.  In addition, some organizations are large enough to have a national headquarters and state or regional recruitment officers.  If written correspondence does not work, you have a lot of questions, or you just prefer a more personal connection look for a phone number.  Make sure you are calling the person responsible for recruitment, usually the registrar, when placing the call

The most important step in the entire process is the application. It doesn’t matter that you have all the proof in the world if your application is wrong.  Make sure you receive a copy of the organizations submission guidelines and/or handbook.  While you may be working with a chapter or state registrar, knowing what is expected of you can make the work easier on both of you.  The registrar will be your guide through the process so feel free to ask them lots of questions.

Some important questions you should know the answer to before you start are:

·        Is it a direct line ancestry society or will they accept collateral lines?

·        What types of records do they accept? Many groups will accept applications from other lineage societies, but many more will not.  Some will request copies only of original records but a handful will require the records you submit to be certified.  Make sure you know what is expected!

·        What is the application process? Read all the materials you are given very carefully.  One of the main reasons applications are rejected is because a person did not fill out the forms how the society requested.

·        Do you need a sponsor?  Even if the group you are applying for is not a by invitation only group, they may ask for you to be sponsored by another member.  If this is the case, make sure you questions about how you get a sponsor if you do not already know someone who is in the organization.

As you start the application process, and work your way through the paperwork, I suggest you create a checklist for your ancestor. Keep each generation’s paperwork together, and not mixed in with the others, as you work backwards from yourself.  If you need to keep a separate folder for each generation that’s fine.  Some people keep them binder clipped together or the whole application in an organ style file folder. 

If you really want to be loved, make sure you have complete source citations written on each document. The registrar and the genealogists at the national office will thank you.  Also, type a transcript of any documents that are handwritten in your file. It is a great thing to have for your personal file, but many organizations require this is done before you submit an application. Make your registrar love you a little more by doing it for them already.  Most importantly, make a copy of the entire packet for your records. You never know when something may get lost in the mail.

Further Resources:

FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/

Ancestry https://ancestry.com

Heritage Quest Online http://www.heritagequestonline.com/hqoweb/library/do/index

MyHeritage http://www.myheritage.com/

FindMyPast http://www.findmypast.com/

Google Books http://books.google.com/

JSTOR http://about.jstor.org/

World Digital Library http://www.wdl.org/en/  

Raising the Next Generation: Engaging and Instilling an Appreciation of Family History in Children

Future genealogists are born every day.  Some may not come to the field until they are adults because they just stumbled upon their roots.  Others will be intrigued from the moment they can ask questions and will look to the family story tellers for guidance and help.  It is up to all of us to plant these seeds early.  In this presentation I will go through ways that you can talk to the youth in your life, help them learn (in their own ways) genealogy, and if it turns out not to be a passion for them you will at least have provided them with an appreciation for their family history.

Keep in mind what works for one child, teen, or young adult may not be the way for another.  These are tips, guidelines, and idea starters for you to use as needed.  As with a lot of things it may take some experimentation to unlock that spark for some people.  Unfortunately, some may never come around.

Many of the examples given are techniques I have used with my own children and the children of my relatives and friends.  I am very lucky in that the members of my family are naturally curious people and we love studying history.  This makes my life easier since both of my children want to learn more about their family as long as I don’t overload them with too much information.

Getting Their Attention

How many times have you attended a presentation where the person at the podium droned on and on and on?  If it was at a large conference right after lunch I bet you were struggling to keep your eyes open!  Now, put yourself in a child’s shoes where you don’t understand half the words or concepts that are said to you.  How quickly would you tune the person out?       

The key to starting an appreciation or love of something is to get the kid hooked.  Think about these things:

·        What are their interests? Do they like sports, history, reading, horses, etc?

·        Do they have a favorite time period?  Do they love learning about knights, WWII, Old West, etc?

·        Is there a type of story that fascinates them? Do they like biographies, fiction, poems, etc?

·        How do they learn? Do they need to see it, read it, hear it, etc?

Knowing the interests of the child or young adult in question can make this a lot simpler.  Take your answers from the questions above and see if you have any ancestors that fall into those categories.  Do you have an author, scientist, athlete, or soldier in the family? If one of those ancestors shares a common trait with them casually throw it out into a conversation.  Essentially you are putting out ancestor bait and then reeling them in with the story.

This is a technique I use frequently with my 2 children.  My oldest in is middle school and my youngest is in lower elementary.  With 6 years between them I have never been able to draw them in the same ways.  Also, not all children are the same and if you ever meet my kids you will see that while similar they truly are very different!  I must cater what I say, how I say it, plus the way I present it differently or I will get the dreaded shrug of indifference.  Just as with adults you can give them too much information and then they will avoid you.

Of course what you say and how you will say it should depend on their ages.  Preschool children can be told stories about their ancestors while holding a picture of them for instance.  As they get older you can add other facts into their continued curiosity about those earlier stories.  When they are a teen or young adult you can then transition into conversations surrounding social history, records, or other bits of information that only a mature person would understand about the nitty gritty details of the times.

It’s Never Too Early for the Basics

One of my childhood memories is researching at the library with my mother.  When I was 8 she went to medical school and one of the only ways I saw her on the weekends was to spend hours at the library with her.  However, it was hours well spent because I learned basic research techniques in addition to spending time with my mom.  No matter the subject good research techniques and being comfortable in a library or archive can help you later in life.  For the record, I was ahead of the curve with my college peers.

If the youth in your life show interest in family history it is never too early to show them the correct basic research techniques.  While we may no longer rely on the photocopier like we once did the same principles of documenting a book still apply to digital copies.  Source citation requirements are still in effect too.  Elementary aged children and older like to help if it is a topic they enjoy so take advantage of the assistance when offered.

Remember to temper the activity to the level appropriate for the child’s age and abilities.  I firmly believe that exposing youth to libraries, archives, or other places of learning through research helps establish in them a respect for these institutions later in life.  Learning what is and is not allowed, why these sites are important to future generations and how to treat the items held within their walls will stick with them for a life time. 

Here are a few ideas on what you can do with those budding researchers at a facility:

·        Teach them to use the catalog search at an institution and let them go wild

·        Encourage them to research a topic that interests them while there

·        Have them take the digital documentation images of books (or photocopiers if they have them)

·        Ask them to find the microfilm rolls in the cabinet that you need

Here are a few ideas on what you can do with those budding researchers at home:

·        Let them have access to your online accounts and encourage them to research an ancestor of their choice

·        Ask them to help you file your records (perfect time for stories and record analysis lessons)

·        Ask if they will do data entry tasks for you in your family tree software

·        Encourage them to sign up for an indexing or transcription project

Seize Every Opportunity

Teaching, exploring and discovering is easier to do when you live with the youth you are trying to teach your family history to.  If you are not the parent but another relative who only sees them every so often realize that you must seize every opportunity present to show them this amazing world.  The easiest way is through road trips.

Now I am not suggesting you take a family vacation a ’la Clark Griswold but even a short trip around an ancestors town can be an opportunity to bring history to life.  We take our kids to museums, battlefields, and historic sites a lot because that’s what we enjoy doing so we drag them along.  Lucky for us, or because this is what our family does, they enjoy it too.  It also means that I have a perfect opportunity to bring their ancestors to life before them.

I take every opportunity to point out something that one of our ancestors may have lived through, experienced, seen, or done every chance I get when we are on a family road trip.  Drawing that connection between their family and a historical event brings an added layer to the picture.  For many that is all that was missing to make either their ancestor more real to them.  

Also, don’t be afraid to bring young adults and kids to genealogy conferences, meetings, or lectures.  I do this every chance I get with mine and each time I am surprised at what they get out of the lectures and the experience.  Yes, I have received nasty looks and unfavorable comments.  Yes, I ignore them because thankfully my kids tend to know how to behave in public.  However, and this is something as the responsible adult you have to know, I realize when they are done and remove them from the area.  When a tired or hungry kid gets cranky I need to be the adult and take care of the situation.

Remember, if you have a child or young adult who is interested in learning more about their heritage encourage them and lead them in the right directions.  Don’t discourage them.  Stand up for them to other adults who might.  With more and more people joining in the genealogy search the ages are dropping and we don’t want to literally run away our future

Websites:

·        FamilySearch.org wiki has a lot of great activities and information for kids and adults.  https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki

·        Family Tree Kids by Family tree Magazine http://kids.familytreemagazine.com/kids/default.asp

·        Getting Our Children and Teens Interested in Genealogy http://www.geni.com/projects/Getting-Our-Children-And-Teens-Interested-In-Genealogy/4858

·        Cyndi’s List: Kids, teens and The Next Generation http://www.cyndislist.com/kids/general/

·        Genealogy Activities for Kids on Pinterest by Ancestry.com https://www.pinterest.com/ancestrycom/genealogy-activities-for-kids/

Books:

·        Zap the Grandma Gap Series by Janet Havorka https://zapthegrandmagap.com/

·        The Branching Out Series by Jennifer Holik http://www.jenniferholik.com/books.html

Articles:

·        Feiler, Bruce. "The Stories That Bind Us." The New York Times, March 15, 2013. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/17/fashion/the-family-stories-that-bind-us-this-life.html?_r=0.

·        Genealogy.com has a large series of article about using family history in the classroom and teaching children. http://www.genealogy.com/articles/

Groups:

·        NextGen Genealogy Network is an organization for young genealogists who want to go professional.  While the target audience is anyone under 40 all ages are welcome and they encourage genealogists over 40 to act as mentors. http://www.tnggn.org/

Visiting The DMV: Researching in the Washington, D.C. Metro Area

A visit to the nation’s capital can be fun, exhilarating, and very frustrating.  Take it from someone who lives nearby.  This handout and presentation will guide you through some of the key points to make your trip a bit more enjoyable and a lot less frustrating.  I have included tips on getting around as well as some of the more unique places to explore.  

You can learn more from my book about researching in the area too. Good luck and happy researching!

The Grid and Neighborhoods

To make sure you know your way around it is crucial to know the grid system.  As a planned city once you understand the layout you will always know where you are.  The key is understanding that the capitol building is the center point to the grid.  

Looking at a map from above put a pin in the capitol building.  Now draw a straight north south line and an east west line.  These are the 4 quadrants of DC: Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, and Southwest.  There are numbered and lettered streets in each quadrant with the numbers running north to south and the letters running east to west.  In addition, streets with state names run diagonal across the city and other named roads take over after the numbers and letters run out.  Here is a great article to read more on the grid system.

There are dozens of neighborhoods and “districts” within DC.  Most tourists stay in the Downtown areas, or maybe adventure up into some of the quaint west side neighborhoods.  Each one has its one flare and vibe and historic homes to spare.

·        Downtown: Essentially this region is what most people think of when they imagine DC in their heads.  It contains the monuments, museums, White House, Chinatown, Tidal Basin, and so much more.

·        North Central:  This is one of the livelier regions in DC.  Home to Howard University and Dupont Circle it has unique boutique shopping, restaurants, embassies, and hotels. 

·        West: Home to historic Georgetown this is region is home to historic houses, fine dining and a vibrant nightlife.  More of Embassy row is located here in addition to the National Cathedral, American University, and the National Zoo.  This is where the crème de-la crème live and is home to many of the nation’s wealthiest individuals. 

·        East: This region begins at the Capitol and fans out from there past Union station and out toward Anacostia.  It consist of unique and somewhat eccentric neighborhoods, the National Arboretum, the National Shrine, and Gallaudet University.  This is the largest of the regions, and one of the quietest too.  

·        Anacostia: This is a skinny strip of land that lies east of Anacostia River encompassing several different neighborhoods.  It holds the Frederick Douglas House, the Congressional Cemetery, the Smithsonian’s Anacostia Museum, Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, and Historic Uniontown to name a few.

Transportation

While you can drive in the city, for those who are not familiar with the one-way roads and layout it may be a bit daunting.  It is best to find a place to stay within walking or driving distance of the Metro.  Of course, you could always take an Uber, Lyft, or Taxis. Even better, what about bicycling around town?

One piece of advice though: Stand right, walk left.  Know it, live it!  Stand right, walk left is the etiquette for escalators (and moving sidewalks) in the region.  Please, be kind and considerate to your fellow travelers and follow this simple rule.  It is what marks you as a considerate person here.

Below is a listing of the various forms of transportation available within The District.  Please check before your trip to make sure of the fares, schedule maintenance, or if there are any other reasons why transportation may be disrupted.

·         Capital Bikeshare: rent a bike for a few hours or for the day! It is a great way to see the city and get around town. http://www.capitalbikeshare.com/

·        The Metro (Metrorail and Metrobus): You must purchase a SmartTrip® card to ride the metro system.  It card is a permanent, rechargeable card and can also get you discounts at museums, stores, and restaurants through their Deals and Discounts program.  Cards can be purchased online, Metrorail station, Metro sales offices, or commuter stores.  http://www.wmata.com/

Be aware that while in DC this fall “Safe Tracking” will still be in operation.  This program is a continuous rollout of updates and much needed maintenance to the city metro.  To know which lines are going to be effected during your stay make sure to consult the safe track website https://www.wmata.com/service/SafeTrack.cfm and the Metrorail social media feeds before leaving your hotel.

·        Amtrak: These trains serve much of the surrounding area and make daytrips easy and affordable.  Tickets can be ordered online or at the station. http://www.amtrak.com/home

·        MARC Commuter Train: Maryland based commuter rail system and is only in operation on weekdays.  The Penn Line is the only one that offers weekend service.  http://mta.maryland.gov/marc-train

·        VRE Commuter Train: Virginia based commuter rail system and is only in operation on weekdays. http://www.vre.org/

·        Water Taxi: The Potomac Riverboat company offers a water taxi service from the National Mall, Alexandria, and the National Harbor.  http://www.potomacriverboatco.com/

Unique DC Repositories:

·        Gallaudet University Library Deaf Collections and Archives: In addition to the collection on the deaf and mute community it has a genealogy collection which contains information from various publications and a marriage index. 

http://www.gallaudet.edu/library_deaf_collections_and_archives.html

·        Moorland-Spingarn Research Center, Howard University

One of the world largest and comprehensive institutions for people of African descent not only in America but the world. http://www.howard.edu/msrc/

·        The George Washington University Libraries : Rare books, manuscripts, African Americana, Washingtonia, and more.  http://library.gwu.edu/

·        Naval History and Heritage Command: This is a collection of sites (both virtual and physical) that hold anything associated with the U.S. Navy.  The main resources and research website (http://www.history.navy.mil/research_and_collections.html) is great reference, but listed below are a few of the in-person area archives you can visit.

 ·        The Smithsonian Institution: Depending on what you are researching, one of the Smithsonian’s may be able to help you.  In addition you can also search the SIRIS Image Gallery (http://sirismm.si.edu/siris/sirisimagegallery.htm) which holds over half a million images from a number of the Smithsonian’s collections.  To see a full listing of archives the Smithsonian Intuition has please go to the archives website at http://siarchives.si.edu/

Near DC, Unique VA Repositories:

·        Alexandria Public Library, Local History Collection: http://www.alexandria.lib.va.us/client/home

·        Arlington County Library, Center for Local History: http://library.arlingtonva.us/center-for-local-history/

·        City of Fairfax Regional Library, Virginia Room: http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/branches/vr/

·        Jack Klein Memorial Genealogy Library: By appointment only. Address: Beth El Hebrew Congregation, 3830 Seminary Road, Alexandria 22304. Phone: 703-370-9400. Email: office@bethelhebrew.org

·        The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center: A majority of the Air and Space Archive collection is held here.   http://airandspace.si.edu/research/resources/archives/visit-the-archives.cfm

Near DC, Unique  MD Repositories:

·        Jewish Genealogy Society of Greater Washington Library: http://jgsgw.org/library.html

·        National Archives for Black Women’s History: This institution documents the life of Mary McLeod Bethune and spans her lifetime (1875-1955).  Documents include information on the National Council of Negro Women as well as individuals and organizations related to the council. http://www.nps.gov/mamc/historyculture/mamc_nabwh.htm

·        University of Maryland, Maryland Reading Room, Hornbake Library North: http://www.lib.umd.edu/special

·        U.S. National Library of Medicine : http://www.nlm.nih.gov/

Meet F1000 Workspace a new tool for research

I buy into a lot of niffty and new things.  Most of the time I try it and after a while I go back to my old way of doing things.  Recently I stumbled on a new website that I am really starting to fall in love with.  It is called  F1000Workspace, and it's free.

It is marketed to those doing scientific research as a way to keep track of research articles, communicate with colleagues, and write your papers faster/easier.  However, after I watched the intro video it hit me.  Oh wow! This could be so cool for genealogy research!!

The aspect that got me was the way it would put source citations into writing for you.  We always preach about citing as you go, well this company put that in their sales pitch.  It has over 7,000 types of bibliographic styles programmed, including the one we use (Chicago Humanities Style).

For the research aspect you create a folder for your research items (websites or uploaded PDFs) on your dashboard.  From there you can annotate, create notes, collaborate with other researchers (yes!), plus get all this information on the go from a multitude of different devices.

I know, I know, it sound like Evernote.  Well, it kind of is, with one big exception.  It will suggest articles it thinks matches your research through your tags and search history.  Did that get your attention?

Oh, and you can work on joint projects within the system.  The chat logs are threaded so you always know where the discussion went and the corrections made are similar to a Google Doc so you know who corrected/worked on which sections.

Like I said, I just downloaded it and I am still working on all the features.  Look for more blog posts about this cool new tool in the future.  In the mean time check out these videos they made to teach out all about the product.

FMP Free Access This Weekend

Findmypast celebrates 4^th of July with free access 

to more than 1 billion records

·         From June 29^th until July 6^th 2016, over 1 billion UK, US and Irish records will be completely free to search and explore on Findmypast

·         This includes all 118 million “Travel and Migration” records, 116 million US marriages, and all UK, Irish and US censuses

·         Over 7 million new US Naturalisation records and over 1.7 million US Passport Applications have also  been released, marking the first phase of two brand new collections ideal for uncovering early immigrant ancestors

Salt Lake City, Utah, June 27^th 2016

Leading family history website, Findmypast, has just announced that they will be granting 8 days of free access to over 1 billion records as part of a new campaign designed to help US family historians learn more about their family's path to red white and blue. This will include free access to their  entire collection of Travel and Migration records, all US, UK and Irish censuses and all US marriage records.

The campaign has been launched to coincide with this year’s 4^th of July celebrations and will provide customers with exciting new opportunities to uncover the pioneering immigrant ancestors who started their family’s American story.

Researchers will be provided with daily getting started guides, expert insights and useful how to videos designed to help them trace their family’s roots back to their earliest American ancestors and beyond. A special webinar will be hosted by expert genealogist, Jen Baldwin, at 11:00 MDT, July 1st, in which she will be sharing essential tips and tricks for getting the most out of Naturalisation records.

The campaign also coincides with the release of two new record sets that will prove incredibly useful to those looking to explore their family’s pre-American roots. Over 2 million US Passport Applications & Indexes (1795-1925), and over 7 million US Naturalisation Petitions have just been released in the initial phases of two brand new collections that will allow family historians to learn more about the first members of their family to become US citizens.

Over 1.1 billion records  will be free to search and explore on Findmypast from June 29^th until July 6^th 2016. This will include free access to:

·         Over 106,000 US passenger list records

·         Over 116,000,000 US marriage records

·         Over 690,000,000 US & Canada census records

·         Over 265,000,000 UK & Irish census records

·         Over 10 million new and existing Naturalisation records

·         Over 1.7 million brand new US Passport applications

·         Passenger Lists Leaving UK 1890-1960

·         Over 827,000 convict transportation records

This vast collection of travel and migration records coupled with unique UK, Irish and US data, makes Findmypast the best place for tracing ancestors back across the Atlantic and uncovering their English, Welsh, Irish or Scottish roots. Findmypast is home to more than 78 million exclusive UK parish baptisms, banns, marriages and burials, the largest collection of Irish records available online (totalling more than 110 million), and over 100 million United States marriages including millions of records that can’t be found anywhere else online.

Ben Bennet, EVP of International business at Findmypast, said: “As we come together to celebrate the birth of our nation, it’s also a great time to discover and celebrate our ancestors who came here from lands far and near.  Whether your ancestors walked through the hallowed halls of Ellis Island or arrived in one of the country’s other ports, Findmypast’s vast collection of records and resources can help you discover your family’s path to red, white and blue.” 

James Tanner of Genealogy Star said: "Findmypast.com has proved to be an invaluable aid in connecting with my English ancestors. Not only are the collections helpful, but the searches have database features that help in more easily identifying ancestors with common names. The more I use the program, the more indispensable it becomes."