UpFront with NGS: Natural Disasters

Showing posts with label Natural Disasters. Show all posts

08 October 2014

Let's do all we can to better protect historical records! Many are still at risk to becoming lost ... Forever

Please, please, pretty please ... make sure that your local records are “safely” stored!

As Dick Eastman shares in How NOT to Store a Town’s Records “Smithtown, New York, may have learned an expensive lesson. Genealogists, historians, title search companies, attorneys, and more will also encounter difficulties because of improper storage of important documents. Tax files, birth and death certificates and other documents waterlogged from last month’s record rainfall may cost Smithtown hundreds of thousands of dollars to restore, officials said.”

The original article can be found here.

Though we are a few days out of September, which is Disaster/National Preparedness Month, we have to always be vigilant in preparing for unforeseen disasters (whether big and due to nature or small and manmade). This post is just as relevant today as it was last year, Disaster Preparedness for Genealogists -- Are you Prepared?. Though the post focused on your personal preparation for a disaster, much of the same information applies to local authorities, libraries, archives and others who have responsibility for or are stewards of original resource materials.

You will also find some useful information in the post Are you celebrating PRESERVATION WEEK?

After I initially wrote this piece, the following was posted by The G.S.132 Files (the blog of the State Archives of North Carolina), A Case for Active Management of Public Records. The accompanying graphic summarizes a lot of why active records management is so important to ALL of us!

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NGS does not imply endorsement of any outside advertiser or other vendors appearing in this blog. Any opinions expressed by guest authors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the view of NGS.

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Suggestions for topics for future UpFront with NGS posts are always welcome. Please send any suggested topics to UpfrontNGS@mosaicrpm.com

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Unless indicated otherwise or clearly an NGS Public Relations piece, Upfront with NGS posts are written by Diane L Richard, editor, Upfront with NGS.

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13 August 2014

Even now records are at risk to be lost ... Fires, flooding, theft, etc., are NOT just something that happened to our ancestors!

Recent events remind us that fires and floods and theft are not just the purview of when our ancestors lived, they are events that happen every day. Every time they happen, a bit of history can be lost or in these cases, a lot of history!

Burglars steal 100 years of historical records

Late July 14/early July 15, burglars broke into the church through a window, and then broke into a locked office. There, across from Chaska’s City Square Park, they lugged out a 3-foot by 3-foot metal safe. The safe held about four ledgers recording births, weddings and deaths, as well as an index... All the pivotal moments in the life of a Moravian parishioner, from about 1920 all the way to a baptism recorded within the last two weeks, were in the books, Eder said. The earliest records of the Chaska church, founded in 1858, have been shipped to the church’s headquarters in Bethlehem, Penn., he said.

Cause undetermined for fire that destroyed Hancock County Courthouse

In 1885, the Hancock County Courthouse was two years old when an all-white jury upheld the wishes of David Dickson, a wealthy planter who had left much of his estate to his illegitimate daughter born of a slave mother... Investigators called the building a total loss. It housed the county commissioners’ office, Probate Court, Superior Court and the elections office... Foster said clerks of the Probate and Superior courts used walk-in vaults to store many important documents, like deeds and birth certificates. Doors to the vaults typically are closed at the end of the work day, he said... Joslyn said many court records were microfilmed in the 1950s. Although the microfilm can be tough to read at times, the film is stored at the state archives.

Though I often comment to my clients that “real life” can take precedence over our research into our ancestors as the long-deceased are just that and their records will continue to be available into the future. Events such as these serve as a reminder that my assertion might not be completely true. Fortunately, even our modern court houses and churches do not hold ALL the records created during the lives of our ancestors. We just have to be a bit more creative in what types of records we research.

That said, it behooves us to do what we can to “preserve” records important to future genealogists and family historians.

Please do what you can to help ensure that your local records remain safe. Make sure they at least get transcribed by a person or society, or better yet, possibly provide financial support so they are microfilmed.

What have you or your society done recently to ensure that local records will remain available to future family historians?

Do you know of a situation where all was not lost in a fire, flood, theft, etc., due to steps having been taken to ensure that at least the content (if not the physical records themselves) of records was preserved?

Editor’s Note: Previous Upfront with NGS posts on related topics:

· Disaster Preparedness for Genealogists -- Are you Prepared?

· Disasters and Genealogy -- our ancestors were greatly affected by natural events, like "Sandy," also!

· “I’m Sorry, Those Records Were Lost” – California Genealogical Society Publication Gives Researchers New Hope

· The Dayton (OH) Flood -- one example of a devastating natural disaster -- part of a collection of then and now images from natural disasters

· FREE Video Series -- Caring and Preserving Family Papers, Photographs and More

P.S. If you happen to know if the safe was recovered or if there is any knowledge on what survived (or didn't) the courthouse fire, please post a comment to let us know.

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NGS does not imply endorsement of any outside advertiser or other vendors appearing in this blog. Any opinions expressed by guest authors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the view of NGS.

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Think your friends, colleagues, or fellow genealogy researchers would find this blog post interesting? If so, please let them know that anyone can read past UpFront with NGS posts or subscribe!

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Suggestions for topics for future UpFront with NGS posts are always welcome. Please send any suggested topics to UpfrontNGS@mosaicrpm.com

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Unless indicated otherwise or clearly an NGS Public Relations piece, Upfront with NGS posts are written by Diane L Richard, editor, Upfront with NGS.

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Want to learn more about interacting with the blog, please read Hyperlinks, Subscribing and Comments -- How to Interact with Upfront with NGS Blog posts!

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30 April 2013

The Dayton (OH) Flood -- one example of a devastating natural disaster -- part of a collection of then and now images from natural disasters

134 West Fourth, 1913
Image provided by Jeff Satterly and used with his permission

Guest post by Jeff Satterly

The week of March 21st through March 26th marks the anniversary of one of the most devastating natural disasters ever to hit the United States. It was during this week 100 years ago, in the year 1913, that a system of ravaging storms swept across the American Midwest and parts of New England. The storms brought with them high-speed winds and torrential rains, causing tornadoes and massive flooding. By the time the storms had passed through the area, they had caused billions of dollars’ worth of damage. The week of storms killed hundreds of people and left thousands more homeless.

Oversaturated watersheds like the Greater Miami in Ohio swelled with rain water, and their runoff filled the streams and rivers of the Midwest to overflowing. The intense pressure of the rising waters broke through dams, bridges and levees as if they were twigs. The raging flood waters swallowed entire towns and cities, and left parts of Dayton, Ohio in water up to 20 feet deep by March 26th, 1913.

One individual whose story is tied in inextricably with the events of 1913 was James Cox, who would eventually found one of America’s most powerful media empires.

134 West Fourth, today
Image provided by Jeff Satterly and used with his permission

Born on March 21, 1870 in Jacksonburg, Ohio, James M. Cox remained in Ohio throughout his childhood and adolescence. He passed the teachers’ examination after having completed just two years of high school. At the age of 28, having established his teaching career, Cox became the owner and publisher of the Dayton Daily News. He made yet another career switch in 1909, winning a House seat as a representative of Ohio. Cox would maintain his position in the House until being elected Governor of Ohio in January of 1913.

When the Dayton flood occurred, Governor Cox was faced with one of the biggest natural disasters ever to hit the United States. After only three months in office, Governor Cox was faced with one of the biggest natural disasters ever to hit the United States. During the week of March 21st-27th, 1913, Ohio was hit with tremendous storms. Cox’s competent handling of the storms’ aftermath earned him support and admiration. Governor Cox received minute by minute updates from the only working telephone line in Dayton. Fully aware of the gravity of the situation, Cox wasted no time in getting aid to the victims of the flood. By the next morning Cox had turned off the natural gas in Dayton to avoid fires, dispatched the Ohio National Guard to the city, appealed to the Ohio Legislature for $250,000 in aid, and telegraphed President Woodrow Wilson asking for federal aid for his citizens.

Cox’s display of dedication to the people, as well as strength in his convictions, garnered him enough national attention to join the 1920 race for President of the United States, with Franklin Roosevelt as his running mate. Though he was not elected President, Cox’s media empire –founded in the years following the election – enjoyed much success. Cox Enterprises remains a multi-billion dollar media company to this day. Cox died on July 15, 1957 at the age of 87, and was buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in Dayton, Ohio, leaving behind his wife, two children and ex-wife.

Fourth and Main, 1913
Image provided by Jeff Satterly and used with his permission

The Great Dayton Flood finally came to an end on the 26th of March. By the time the flood was over, the city of Dayton had suffered widespread and significant damage, and the city's population had been hit with numerous deaths and displacements. 14 square miles of the city were now covered with a blanket of water, and some 20,000 homes had been completely destroyed. In all, the flood ended up costing the city of Dayton nearly $100 million worth of damage, a sizable sum which would amount to a whopping $2 billion in today's dollars. More than 360 people had been killed in the flood, and an estimated 65,000 people were left homeless. It took the city more than a year to completely clean up the damage, and it was over a decade before Dayton’s economy returned to the levels it enjoyed before the flood hit.

Thanks so much to Upfront with NGS for letting us share a piece of this historical project. We’re humbled by the interest in this project, and we really hope you enjoyed this snippet of history!

Fourth and Main, today
Image provided by Jeff Satterly and used with his permission

We’d also like to thank some of the great archives and archivists who have done so much to work to help preserve the amazing history of the 1913 flood, including the Dayton Metro Library and historian Trudy Bell. The amount of history compiled at these two websites is truly amazing. Lastly, thanks to Jason from InsuranceTown.com, who lent us some of the resources we used to help prepare content for the web and publish our blog, and inspired our Mapping History Contest.

Don’t forget to check out HistoricNaturalDisasters.com for more images and for information on our Mapping History Contest – help us figure out the locations pictured in historic photos from 1913 and you could win $100!

Editor’s Note: Upfront with NGS has previously written about the value of photographs, the overlay of historic and modern images and the value of researching disasters that might have impacted our ancestors.

Do you want to write a guest post? Please send a query to UpFront@ngsgenealogy.org

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Want to learn more about interacting with the blog, please read Hyperlinks, Subscribing and Comments -- How to Interact with Upfront with NGS Blog posts!

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NGS does not imply endorsement of any outside advertiser or other vendors appearing in this blog.

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Follow NGS via Facebook, YouTube, Google+, Twitter

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Think your friends, colleagues, or fellow genealogy researchers would find this blog post interesting? If so, please let them know that anyone can read past UpFront with NGS posts or subscribe!

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Suggestions for topics for future UpFront with NGS posts are always welcome. Please send any suggested topics to UpfrontNGS@mosaicrpm.com

14 November 2012

The Dust Bowl -- a Natural Disaster Which Affected Many -- Also Affects Family History Research!

This Sunday on PBS starts a 2-part Ken Burns series about the Dust Bowl! I plan to watch it. Though I had no family affected by this disaster, I am very curious to learn more about it – both what caused it and also how it impacted those directly affected. The extent of my knowledge are the hardships conveyed in The Grapes of Wrath (by John Steinbeck) which I was required to read in high school. Though I did find it a gripping tale (even if unfathomable to a New Englander) I didn't have the perspective I have now of more fully appreciating how scary natural disasters can be, the hardships that result and the impact on genealogical research which may ensue.

Talk about a huge natural disaster that affected many and did ultimately lead to further westward migration for some families.

Learn more about the PBS program here, http://www.pbs.org/kenburns/dustbowl/about/overview/. As always with PBS, you will find a tremendous amount of resources here.

I also discovered a few websites which talk about genealogical research and suggest some resources that might help you if you are doing family history research for ancestors who migrated as a result of the Dust Bowl.

Dust Bowl Days: the Oklahoma-California Genealogy Connection
Tracing the Grapes of Wrath Refugees
Surviving the Dust Bowl (another PBS program)
Dust Bowl (Wikipedia article)
The Dust Bowl (LOC Teacher Resource Materials)
California Odyssey: Dust Bowl Migration Archives

Were your ancestors affected? Share their story!

Do you know of other resources that might help your fellow genealogists research Dust Bowl refugees? If so, please share.

Editor’s Note: Why researching this piece, I came across a neat piece titled “The Weather Report,” 12/9/2009, By Maureen A. Taylor. Find out how 10 extreme weather events changed your ancestors' lives. It mentions the Dust Bowl and 9 other catastrophic weather events.

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NGS does not imply endorsement of any outside advertiser or other vendors appearing in this blog.

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Follow NGS via Facebook, YouTube, Google+, Twitter

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Think your friends, colleagues, or fellow genealogy researchers would find this blog post interesting? If so, please let them know that anyone can read past UpFront with NGS posts or subscribe!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Suggestions for topics for future UpFront with NGS posts are always welcome. Please send any suggested topics to UpfrontNGS@mosaicrpm.com