Digital Library of Georgia Unveils New Blog

by Jean Cleveland, UGA Libraries

The Digital Library of Georgia (DLG) is excited to unveil its own blog. With over two hundred collections from sixty institutions, an ever increasing archive of historic Georgia newspapers, a public domain repository of government publications, and the ground breaking Civil Rights Digital Library, the DLG is large, diverse, and truthfully a bit difficult to "grasp."

The DLG B (for "blog") attempts to increase the visibility of these valuable materials from Georgia’s past, while also calling deserved attention to the institutions responsible for preserving them. A resource of this scope could not exist without the long term collaboration of state government, universities, archives, museums, and public libraries (and the people powering them, of course).

We hope to introduce the student, the scholar, and the simply curious to the profound and the familiar-but-perhaps-forgotten. We also plan to keep you updated on new projects at the DLG, and to let you know when new resources are available.

So – if you’d please – add us to your rss feed; share our posts when you’re inclined (yup, just click the "share" button right down there); visit us at our Facebook page; keep one eye out for us on twitter; and we promise to bring you the DLG that you have rarely seen.

The DLG is an initiative of GALILEO. You can visit its blog, the DLG B, at http://blog.dlg.galileo.usg.edu/.

FGS Conference Early Registration Discount Extended

The FGS Annual Conference takes place in Knoxville, Tennessee, from August 18-21, 2010. The Federation of Genealogy Societies (FGS) is extending its early registration discount until Monday, June 21, 2010 at midnight, Central Daylight Time (CDT). "Rediscovering America's First Frontier" is the conference theme, and it is co-hosted by the East Tennessee Historical Society and the Kentucky Historical Society.

The extended deadline also includes the Association of Professional Genealogists Professional Management Conference that is being held on Tuesday, August 17th. For registration details, visit http://www.fgs.org/2010conference/.

My Veteran Ancestor: A Fortunate Find

by Jan Alpert, NGS President

On Memorial Day we think about our ancestors who were veterans and all the memorials we have seen in county squares commemorating the various wars. I usually take a picture if it is a county where my ancestors lived, even if they are not listed on the memorial, because I may later find a sibling or in-law among those named.

For the longest time I thought I had no ancestors who served in the Civil War. Then, as I expanded my research to include siblings and extended families, I discovered wonderful family history information in those Civil War records.

The picture on the left is from a Civil War Memorial in the Woodstock Cemetery, in Woodstock, Champaign County, Ohio. I was fortunate to be there last October when the leaves were changing color. Joseph Chamberlin, the brother of my great, great grandmother, is listed on this memorial and is buried in this cemetery. He served in the Sixth-sixth Ohio Regimental Band from 1861 until August 1862, when he developed rheumatism and heart trouble. By researching him, I found his parents – my great, great, great grandparents – also buried there. In the years before we had online access to censuses, my last record for his parents had been deeds in western New York decades earlier.

The best family history information is found when a soldier's request for a pension is denied. One example is the military pension file of James J. Waters, nephew of my great grandfather, who served as a Corporal in Company B, 23rd Ohio Infantry. The reference for this file is Record Group 15: Records of the Veterans Administration. Civil War Pension Application. Invalid Application No. 90532, Soldier's Certificate No. 58101, Widow's Application No. 1062686, and Widow'sCertificate No. 806682 [Caroline E.], National Archives, Washington, DC. His file had 151 pages, and the file for his widow had 96 pages, a virtual goldmine of family history. He contracted a severe case of measles in the fall of 1861 while serving in West Virginia. This caused him to be hospitalized and lose his sight for a number of days. His sight never fully recovered; by the time he was 50 years old, he was almost blind. On 13 August 1913 he wrote the Commissioner of Pensions as follows:

Dear Sir: I send you statement of facts so far as I can remember in answer to questions required in letter 16 of July, names of parents. W. B. Waters and Jane P. Waters both parents deceased when I was a small boy mother when I was about 5 yrs & Father when I was bet 7 & 8 yrs old. In 1850 I cannot tell where I lived but think was with my grandmother Jackson of Hartstown, Crawford Co., Pa. She died many years ago and all of Family she was the one who had the corect record of my birth. My sister in Florida wrote me before she died and gave me my brothers age also hers both dead and also that I was born in May 1843. I cannot establish the facts any more clear. I hope this will prove satisfactory.
Truly Yours.
James J. Waters Lawton, Mich.

This is just one of several letters he wrote to prove he was the soldier who served. Each time the pension office denied his claim, James would write again providing more details, perhaps asking other relatives for more information. Several cousins provided affidavits since his siblings were deceased.

I have often thought how fortunate I have been to hit a brick wall in some families. When I'm stuck, I have to expand my research, and that's when I find the wonderful stories that would have been lost forever in the family if it had been easier to identify all my great, great grandparents.

How Old is Online Genealogy?

by Jan Alpert, NGS President

Since I'm a genealogist, I have saved many printed emails in my genealogy files. Some of them are almost 20 years old. I remember being on a research trip in DC with a friend who had begun to use CompuServe because it had a genealogy forum where you could post surname queries. I went home and signed up. I believe it was the spring of 1992. Of course, it was dial-up and slow - very slow by today's standards! Dial-up access in those days might cost as little as $5 per hour for limited service, nights and weekends, and up to $18 per hour for daytime service.

The year stands out in my memory because it was August 1992 when I discovered my ancestor Martha Allen Carrier was a witch. Up to that point, I had been researching her husband and children, who had moved to Connecticut. I had posted an online query about the Carrier surname, and someone responded that she was one of the accused witches who was hanged. I found it a remarkable coincidence that I would discover what happened to Martha so near the 300th anniversary of her death.

Based upon some of my printed emails, it looks like I was on CompuServe for about 5 years, moving to AOL in 1997. I am amazed at how many distant relatives I have found because of surname lists. I haven't changed my email address since because I don't want to lose touch with those distant cousins.

When did you first use online resources for genealogy?

Archives.com Provides Complimentary Memberships To All NGS Members

As part of a special partnership between the National Genealogical Society and Archives.com, all NGS members will receive a complementary three-month membership to Archives.com ($20 retail value). Details and access instructions have been emailed to all NGS members.

Archives.com is a relatively new family history website, but they’ve already managed to compile over 1.2 billion records, online family tree tools, a community forum, and lots of other resources – all of which are available at no cost to members as part of this complimentary membership. Also included is unlimited viewing of millions of original census and vital records. However, some services and documents provided by other companies to Archives.com such as contact information reports, on-site court record retrieval and Footnote images are not free; this information is available on a fee per document basis. NGS has a number of new members who are just beginning family history research, and this gives them an opportunity to search the Archives.com indexes for free and become familiar with various record groups.

Here is the announcement written by Archives.com:

PALO ALTO, CALIF. - May 27, 2010 - Archives.com, a website devoted to making family history simple and affordable, announced today that they have donated complimentary three month memberships to all 9,000 members of the National Genealogical Society (NGS). These complimentary memberships give NGS members unlimited access to over 1.2 billion records on Archives.com, as well as online family tree software, Expert Series articles, hours of professional tutorial videos, and other exclusive benefits.

"Working in cooperation with non-profit organizations like the National Genealogical Society is a great way to provide family history resources to the people that value them most," says Joe Godfrey, Product Manager for Archives.com. Added Jan Alpert, President of NGS; "Archives' mission is to make family history records more accessible and affordable, and NGS is excited to work with them towards this shared goal."

Archives.com is proud to make such a significant donation to NGS members, and will continue to explore ways to give back to the genealogy community. As part of this partnership, Archives.com will also donate complimentary memberships to anyone who joins NGS during the following 6 months. To learn more about NGS and the additional benefits of membership, visit the NGS website.

About Archives.com

Archives.com is a leading family history Web site that makes discovering family history simple and affordable. The company has assembled more than 1.2 billion historical records – birth, death, marriage, divorce, census, obituary, immigration, military and more – all in a single location, and makes them available at a price that’s up to 80 percent less than the leading competitor. Archives also partners with other leading family history websites to provide integrated record collections, discounted memberships, official certificates and other special promotions – providing a comprehensive resource for researching your family history. Archives.com is free to try for seven days, allowing anyone to explore the benefits of membership without risk or obligation. For more information and to start discovering your family history, please visit www.Archives.com.

Jean Nudd Honored by National Genealogical Society

Jean Nudd, Archivist for the National Archives in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, was recognized by the National Genealogical Society at its 2010 conference in Salt Lake City with the Award of Merit.

The NGS Award of Merit is given to an individual or nonprofit genealogical or historical organization in recognition of exceptional contributions to the field of genealogy over a period of five or more years, which have significantly aided research or increased interest in genealogy.

Ms. Nudd received the Award of Merit for her work as the archivist in Pittsfield, where she has recruited a devoted team of volunteers to support the archives and the researchers who come there. She was instrumental in the founding of the Friends of the Archives who publish the quarterly Archival Anecdotes and a website, operate a bookstore, and provide training opportunities for genealogical researchers, including their annual autumn full-day genealogy conference, “Life in the Past Lane.”
An avid genealogist with deep roots in New England and New York, Jean has worked for the National Archives and Records Administration since 1994. She lectures frequently and has written over 23 articles for Archival Anecdotes.

Louisiana Creole Research Association Honored by National Genealogical Society

The Louisiana Creole Research Association was honored by the National Genealogical Society at its 2010 conference in Salt Lake City with the Award of Merit. The award recognized the Association’s efforts to preserve Creole heritage while presenting a high level of quality and scholarship in their publications. Lolita V. Cherrie and Ingrid Stanley accepted the award on behalf of their society.

The NGS Award of Merit is given to an individual or nonprofit genealogical or historical organization in recognition of exceptional contributions to the field of genealogy over a period of five or more years, which have significantly aided research or increased interest in genealogy.

In addition to publishing the journal, La Créole: A Journal of Creole History and Genealogy, the Association hosts an annual conference promoting the preservation of Louisiana culture and featuring family history and presents genealogy workshops and programs on the ancestry and culture of Louisiana Creoles of Color.

2010 NGS Fall Research Trip to Salt Lake City

Secure your place now for the NGS research trip to Salt Lake City on 17–24 October 2010! The first 30 registrants will get to join trip leaders Sandra MacLean Clunies, CG, and Shirley Langdon Wilcox, CG, FNGS. Both Sandra and Shirley are experienced researchers familiar with the extensive resources available at the Family History Library of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City.

All registrants will receive information and advice about pre-trip planning. In addition, once in Salt Lake City, each participant will have the opportunity for ongoing consultation with Sandra and Shirley.

The trip package includes seven nights at the Salt Lake Plaza Hotel, located next door to the Family History Library. Also included are an informal reception on the first Sunday evening, pizza on Wednesday evening, and a last-night dinner.

Further details are available at http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/cs/research_trips. To register, be sure to log in first. Then click on the Register Online link on the left.