This is Why I Came to FGS!

Beyond a burning desire to meet Geneabloggers I'd only known virtually, beyond my deep admiration for Mr. Lincoln and Springfield's resources, beyond the fact that this year's FGS conference was so close to home I could almost walk here, what sold me on this conference was the breadth of the course offerings.

They have not disappointed. I attended two Thomas Jones lectures yesterday, Lisa Alzo's Immigrant Cluster Communities and Debra Mieszala's Disappearing Dude lectures. All very well done and all emphasizing the need to approach research from far more than the birth, marriage and death record perspective. Understanding context, gathering details to construct a biography, tackle a brick wall or build collaborative research communities that reflect earlier immigrant communities - the theme of the day was broadening research and telling the stories.

Today my classes were all record based - very detailed and very informative. The theme today was knowing the lay of land - both in terms of navigating the record collections and understanding the geography of the area being researched.

I have mined all the obvious records for my especially challenging research targets. I've done the census records, the deeds, vital records, etc. The people I need to find are all born in the 18th c., all living on the frontiers where few records were kept or survive. I have new tools now!

Linda Woodward Geiger's U.S. Territorial Papers course introduced me to the records kept in the frontier areas and offered information on various finding aids to help dive into the various collections. I'm not likely to find vital records, but court cases, petitions, even postal records will provide context - and with luck one or two of my guys.

Craig Scott provided an overview of military records, both regular Army and local militia units, available for men who fought in the Indian Wars before the Civil War. For one who has avoided military research it was a bit overwhelming (I am following all those pre-conference recommendations to check out unfamiliar material!). But, I have a good beginning bibliography (first purchase is Military Service Records: A Select Catalog of National Archives Microfilm Publications - once it's available again), an awareness of what I need to start looking AND links. First stop is The U.S. Army Center of Military History.

Territorial and military records are almost completely new to me, and daunting enough. But I've actually tried to dig into the Draper Papers at the Wisconsin Historical Society. Think quicksand. 491 volumes or 130 reels of microfilm covering decades of Drapers research on the Trans-Allegheny West. Unindexed (mainly).

I was overjoyed to see a lecture by James Hansen introducing what he referred to as the (In)famous collection. I am not the first to find it intimidating. Hansen suggested that Draper himself was overwhelmed with the amount of material he gathered. Decades of research led to one book. I harbor a sneaking suspicion I may be afflicted with Draper Disease - always collecting, never producing! There are no shortcuts with the manuscripts, but there are finding aids and guides that can point one in the right direction. And, as Hansen pointed out, the material is fascinating. It may take days to pour through a small portion, but it'll be a good read.

This was a fabulous day. Technical, geeky, detailed and more exciting than I can express.

Loving Lincoln and more - FGS 2011

I'm easing myself in to the FGS conference in Springfield this week. I've spent much of the last two days reviewing microfilm on my husband's Jones ancestor in preparation for Thomas Jones' The Jones Jinx class tomorrow. I don't think I've found anything groundbreaking, but I did discover our Jones was quite the land trader - 21 deeds over 35 years. I'm hoping there's a nugget in one of them that's gold.

Last night I was able to meet some of the Geneabloggers here face to face at the FamilySearch reception. Plenty of bloggers are giving a rundown of the Conference. I'm not going to even attempt that. But I am grateful to FamilySearch for the chance to visit with people I only know through social media. I was also blown away by their efforts at bringing new records online. Their Field Express project is getting newly digitized records online within a month of being recorded. They have cameras around the globe - including Ukraine which made my heart leap. I'll be watching those new records.

This afternoon I (and 39 others) took one of the behind the scenes tours being offered by the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library. Conservation labs, manuscripts, and a visit to the closed stacks - it was enough to thrill this library rat. Once again - blown away. If the rest of the conference is a complete bust (not likely, they're serving ice cream tonight) learning more about this resource was worth the trip.

The library is so much more than a Lincoln reference site - though that would be interesting enough to warrant a visit. Its collection dates back to 1889 when the Illinois State Historical Library was created and is a fabulous genealogical research resource.

Our guide Gwen Podeschi outlined several databases and indexes that are available online for those out of the area or to use in planning a trip.

• The Law records of Lincoln database is online. Lincoln practiced law here for decades. If you've family who were in Central Illinois at the time they may have served on a jury or been a witness in one of Lincoln's cases.
• The Library is charged with preserving Illinois newspapers by microfilming as many as it can. It has the largest collection in the world of Illinois newspapers dating back to when Kaskasia was the capitol. 
• The Boys in Blue is a database of the names of 7,000 Illinois Union soldiers whose photographs have been cataloged. Haven't hunted that one yet, but it's on the agenda.
• Their Obituary Index has been compiled from research done and information donated. Obituaries are not available, but citations are. It is not a complete index of all obituaries appearing in Illinois newspapers, but what a great place to start.

Obviously so much more is available at the Library - 12 million papers in the manuscripts collection, hundreds (was it thousands?) of maps. While I was standing in the Reading Room I couldn't help but notice a set of books "Medical and Surgical history of the Civil War". With at least two Civil War era physicians in the family it might be worth a look.

My favorite part of the day was the realization that living in St. Louis I am actually close to some resources that will be enormously helpful. I've given the midwestern branches of our family short shrift over the years. It's time they got a little attention.

Old and young, 1941 - Wordless Wednesday

My great-grandmother Catherine Conway Sawyer and her eldest great-grandchild, c. 1941 at home in Warrensburg, TN. 

Lancaster County, VA 1833 - Amanuensis Monday

Thanks to John at Transylvanian Dutch who originated the Amanuensis Monday meme, providing a framework (and nudge) for transcribing family records, news clippings and other treasures.

During my research at the Library of Virginia last month I was able to copy more than one hundred pages of wills, deeds, marriage records, even voting lists. This page, from Lancaster County (VA) Deed Book 34, p. 159, may be my favorite. Other pages have more information but here, in separate entries, two of my husband's 3rd great-grandfathers are named.

Lancaster County to wit --
                  We John Meredith and James Harding Justices of the peace in the County aforesaid in the State of Virginia do hereby certify that Elizabeth Vowell, the wife of Valentine H. Vowell parties to a certain deed bearing date the 8th day of March 1833 and hereto annexed, personally appeared before us in our County aforesaid and being examined by us privily and apart from her husband and having the deed aforesaid fully explained, She the said Elizabeth Vowell  acknowledged the Same to be her act and deed and declared that She has willingly, Signed SEaled and delivered the Same, and that she wishes not to retract it--   Given under our hands and seals this 15th day of March 1833.

Jno: Meredith

James Harding

At a Court held for the County of Lancaster on the 15th day of April 1833
The deed from Valentine H. Vowell and Elizabeth his wife to William Gresham was proved in open court by the oaths Ezekiel G. Shearman and Robert H. Tapscott two of the witnesses thereto --
and at a Court held for the County of Lancaster on the 20th day of May following the said deed was further and fully proved by the oath of William Boyd the other witness thereto - and together with the Justices certificate of the privy examination of the Said Elizabeth was ordered to be recorded --

Teste;

Benjamin M. Walker, c.  c.              

For and in Consideration of the Sum of one Hundred and fifty Dols: to me in hand paid, I have this day bargained and sold unto Cols: Armstead J. Palmer all my right, title claim interest and demand that I now have or hereafter expect to have in the personal Estate of Joseph Carter Jr: decd the right to Said property I warrant and defend unto Said Palmer free from the claims of all and every person or person whatever -- as witness my hand and Seal this 15th day of Feby: 1833.
Teste,
Robert C Clarke                              Jno: Lunsford {seal}

At a court held for the County of Lancaster on the 20th day of May 1833
This Instrument of writing from John Lunsford to Armstead J. Palmer was acknowledged in open Court by the Said Lunsford and Ordered to be recorded --.
Teste, Benjamin M Walker c c

Notes: There is an Ancestry.com marriage record for Jno Jr. Lunsford to Lettice L. Carter on 17 Nov. 1817 in Lancaster County. One online tree names her as a daughter of a Joseph Carter who died in 1815, but Joseph Lyon Miller's The Descendents of Capt. Thomas Carter of Barford, Lancaster County, Virginia...  names different children (p. 357). I am curious what if any relationship existed between Palmer and the Carter family since Palmer's son purchased a large tract of land from the family in 1843.

This is the first reference I have for John Meredith serving as a Justice of the Peace.

Source: Lancaster, VA, Deeds, Deed Book 34:159; Library of Virginia, Reel 12.

What I read on Wednesday - Follow Friday

I've never done a "Best of the Blogs" post and truly had no intention of doing one Wednesday night when I sat down to do some catch up reading while listening to the Cardinals actually win a baseball game. But I have never read so many extraordinary posts at once. There was some inspired writing this week. I even missed several key plays, though not the unlikely grand slam by pitcher Jake Westbrook. A wonderful evening.

So, with no promises for future "Best ofs", here are the blogs that I found informing, entertaining, moving or all of the above on Wednesday night.

There were two wonderful posts sparked by researchers revisiting information.

Stephanie Goldberg at acquamarinesteph took a different tack in researching her great great-grandparents and found new material in Conliffe update, part 1: AKA Start With What You Know. 

Lessons Learned by Taco Goulooze at ...it all makes census shows what can happen when you examine everyone in a census listing. And isn't that the greatest blog title?

I'm about to dive back into genetic genealogy after taking the summer off and loved Daniel Hubbard's clear writing on the subject in Holes in my Genes at Personal Past Meditations.

I've definitely noticed the occupations listed on Ancestry.com's World War II enlistment records database and added a few to my data. Might need to check again according to John Newmark at TransylvanianDutch. Read his post Civil Occupation Codes: What's Going On Here? for more information.

Heather Rojo has written about her Hawaiian kin many times at Nutfield Genealogy. But she was surprised by the amount of new information and connections made when a Facebook group started for Hawaii's Holt Family.

There were two posts that made me grin, then laugh out loud.

Mindie Burgoyne's The Vacation of Many Cars with Teenagers from Hell at Who Cares What I Think? brought back memories of some tortured trips of my own - both as intrepid chauffeur (but never as intrepid as she) and as Satan's spawn. 

Dee Burris of Shakin' The Family Tree has found one of the all-time great criminal pardons and shared it in What a hoot.... Now if only she can figure out if there's a connection to her Burris kin. I do hope so!

The Civil War Sesquicentennial has sparked some great reads.

If you haven't already found and been reading the New York Times' Opinionator/Disunion series it's time to do some back reading yourself. Wednesday's Baltimore's Unlikely Confederates was just the latest of their superb offerings.

The last paragraph of John Hennessey's The final journey of Capt. Edward P. Lawton (part 2) makes a strong point about Civil War history and commentary today. The blog, Mysteries and Conundrums, is written (unofficially) by the staff at the Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania County Battlefields Memorial.

Finally, Mel Wolfgang celebrated his first blogoversary at Mnemosyne's Magic Mirror with another perceptive and beautifully written post - And Still I Write. Each time I read one of his posts I see an eloquently developed thought - a sculpture rather than the block of marble that often rests upon my shoulders. I wish I thought and wrote as he does. That will never be, but I am ever grateful he shares both.

Quite an evening. No surprise that I'm finishing this in the wee hours of the morning full of admiration for those bloggers who manage this each week. I've no idea how they do it!