A Newbie's View of the National Archives - Those Places Thursday

There truly aren't words for what a fabulous experience I had researching at the National Archives. I was there a day and a half. The staff was extraordinarily patient, supportive, and just plain kind without being the least bit patronizing (which wouldn't have been much a leap given some of my questions).

"Checking in" after lunch worked since I had the next day as well. If I'd only had one day I would have been first in line when the doors opened in the morning. It did take well over two hours to clear security, get my temporary researcher's ID, fill out requests for the Civil War Pension Files I wanted, drop off all but the allowed essentials in a locker and wait for the files to be delivered. I then had a couple hours to dig into the first file before the end of the day. The beauty of the system was that all the files were there waiting for me the next morning.

One of my favorite experiences came at the end of my visit. I finished reviewing the last Civil War pension file (I was able to thoroughly examine three files in my day and a half) with 30 minutes left before the Archives closed. I was curious about hunting for something more obscure. I settled on War of 1812 Civilian Reparations files - or records of claims made by American civilians for damages by the British - and sweetly asked where I would find them. One of my Meredith in-laws did receive a settlement from the British in 1828 and I would love to get a look at the information in the claim.

There was no rabbit pulled out of a hat, nor did I truly expect to get my hands or eyes on the claim at 4:30 pm (and a Friday, at that). But three archivists thought, talked, quickly searched and suggested ways to find the information. I walked away with several viable search strategies and a telephone number for an archivist who specializes in records of that era. An impressive result.

A few other hints to total novices - 

• First, know where the serial numbers are on all your electronic devices. My little HP had the number hidden away on the battery which I had never removed. Took us a few minutes. (And to HP - print could be just a little bigger for eyes that have seen a few years, thank you!)
• The sheet recording all your electronic devices should be kept if you're going to be using the Archives for several days running. Saves those minutes spent squinting at the serial numbers the first day. 
• It is not necessary to break into giggles the first time you move to the microfilm reader/digital scanner, elated to be grabbing digital rather than paper images, and realize it has hand cranks to move the film. But if you do, no one will shush you.
• My standard dressing in layers for libraries is less effective here. No sweaters, wraps or hoodies allowed in the reading room unless you are wearing them. Which means a bit of going back and forth to the locker room if your temperature fluctuates. Still it was a chance to stretch my legs and grab a drink of water. 
• Gathering Civil War Pension File information from Footnote.com before the trip saved a bunch of time when filling out the document request forms. Do as much advance work as possible using the NARA website, or other on-line repositories.

Big changes are apparently afoot at the Archives. In future years most research will be done at other sites. If you have a chance to visit it this year or next, do. It's a thrill.

From the Old World - Wordless Wednesday

Pytor Pereksta

This picture was mailed to my grandmother from her niece in Czechoslovakia in the late 1950s. The photo is labeled Pytor Pereksta and is believed to be my grandmother's brother. 

Pytor Pereksta Photograph; digital image, privately held by Susan Clark. 2006.  

Random thoughts from the road

I'm a couple weeks into an alternately leisurely and manic tour of East Coast relatives and archives. It's been a grand trip so far. Mostly great weather, wonderful visits with family, a glorious treat meeting a geneablogger friend and husband, and some wonderful "finds" that have kept me awake at nights as I reflect on what I'm uncovering.

A few thoughts have wandered through my brain repeatedly.

Having a portable WiFi network via my cellphone has been a lifesaver. Senior relatives don't always have computers, much less wireless networks. I've been able to set up computer, scanners, printers where ever I am and plug away with my digitizing projects. I've even been able to web browse or catch up on blog reading parked on the side of an interstate waiting for a squall line to pass.

My camera does a better job digitizing documents than I thought it would. Much faster than the scanners, too. Still, for those that it cannot adequately capture, the FlipPal scanner has been marvelous. For digitizing photographs the FlipPal or my flatbed scanner have been far better.

I am even more committed to getting information about the research and my "finds" out into the world via blogging and a website. Much of what I have worked out over the last 10 years of researching my Meredith and Lee in-laws is hinted at in the late 19th/early 20th c. letters I am reviewing now. There's real joy in reading these letters since I "know" all the characters from my research, but I could have chopped a couple years of work off if I'd had them to start with. I'd like whoever is interested in this bunch three or four generations from now to have a leg up!

And finally, having census data indexed, on-line and searchable is an incredible advantage. Thank you to the federal government, indexers, churches, for-profit corporations and Al Gore for making it possible.

Francis J. Smith 1805 Will - Amanuensis Monday

I am currently examining and digitizing papers belonging to my husband's great grandmother Maria Lee Palmer Smith [MLPS]. Included among them is an 1805 copy of Francis J. Smith's will, who was her husband's great-uncle. He died shortly after his will was written on 12 April 1805. This copy of the will is attached to the original letter of administration issued on the 27th of May, 1805.

Copy

Francis J Smith

Will annexed

to Letters Testamentary

For

Jane Elizabeth Smith

Leonard Jamison

& William Williams

Executors

Maryland ss) The State of Maryland To all persons

To whom those Presents shall come Greeting

Know Ye that the last will and Testament

of Francis J Smith of Frederick County Deceased

Hath in due form of law been Exhibited

Proved and recorded in the Office of the

Register of Wills for Frederick County a Copy

of which is to those presents Annexed and

Administration of all the Goods Chattels

and Codils of the Deceased is hereby granted and

committed unto Jane Elizabeth Smith, Leonard Jamison,

& William Williams The Executors by the said will appointed

Witness John Schley Esq^r Which Justice of the Orphans

Court of Frederick County this 27^th day of May ~ 1805

Test Richard Butler Reg^r.

Of wills Fred^k County.

In The Name of God Amen I Francis

J Smith of Frederick County and State of Maryland

being Sick & weak in Body tho of sound mind and

memory thanks be to Almighty God for the same

do make and Ordain this to be my last will and

Testament in manner and form following Viz^d

1^st I resign my Soul into the hands of Almighty

God who gave it and my Body to the Earth to be

decently buried at the discretion of my Executors

hereafter named - 2^nd I Give and bequeth

all my Estate of which I am at this time or may ~

Hereafter be Possessed both real & Personal after

paying my just Debts unto my beloved Wife M^rs.

Jane Elizabeth Smith, her heirs & assigns forever in full

confidence she will dispose of it to the best advantage

that may be in her power – as a Provision for herself

and our Dear Children – it may be proper to mention

that the real property to which I have a legal right

is in the State of Kentucky but the County or Counties

in which it lies from the fragment changes which

have taken place in the limits of the Counties

in that State is not at Present recollected

3^rdly It is my desire that out of Personal

Estate my dear Wife will pay into the hands

of the Reverend M^r John Dubois as soon as she

can make it convenient without Distressing the

family the Sum of Twenty Dollars to be applied

by him as heretofore verbally directed -

4^thly I hereby appoint my Dear Wife Jane

Elizabeth Smith M^r Leonard Jamison & M^r William

Williams (of S^t Marys County Executors of this my last

will and Testament In Testimony whereof

I do hereunto set my hand & Seal this Twelfth

day of April in the Year of our Lord one

thousand Eight Hundred & five

Signed Sealed & Acknowledge)

in the presence of -                  )       Francis J Smith {seal}

P. Thomas, Joseph Smith         )

Baker Jamison                         )

True Copy Test Richard Butler Reg^r.

Notes: According to family records, Smith's wife was Jane Hurd. Leonard Jamison was Smith's brother-in-law, married to his sister, Mary. He was also the grandfather of MLPS's husband and believed to have received the will and letters of administration. Joseph Smith, a witness, was Francis Smith's brother. Baker Jamison was Leonard's brother. [Updated] A Family Record name the children of Francis and Jane Hurd Smith as Leonard (unmarried), Jane (married Dr. Stone), Mary (married Raphael Neale) and Ann (unmarried).

The handwriting, though extremely legible, included what I believe is an unusually formed letter "e" that looked like an "o". I opted to transcribe it as an "e".


Source: Frederick, Maryland, Francis J. Smith Will, dated 12 April 1805 and Letters of Administration, dated 27 May 1805; Contained in the Maria Lee Palmer Smith Papers [Privately Held] Frederick, MD.

Road Trip, c. 1961

I've no memory of this early road trip. It was probably blocked out from the trauma of perching on the edge Niagara Falls. It is absolutely the last time I was voluntarily perched on the edge of anything. My sister (on left) has no such fears. Whenever we traveled she and Daddy would scale whatever there was to scale. I still remember her legs dangling beneath the fence (literally queasy as I write this) on the observation deck of the Empire State Building. I stared up at them on the Eiffel Tower, saw them waving atop the Tower of Pisa, and every other monument over two stories tall we visited while we were growing up. 

I've made some progress in adulthood. With enough time I've been able to creep close to the edge of the Grand Canyon and peer down into Bryce Canyon. I've walked on rope bridges in the jungle and even climbed the Statue of Liberty. None of it has been fun, but I've managed. Still, there's no way this picture will EVER be recreated. 

Mother's caption on the back reads "Terror at Niagara Falls" so perhaps my fear of heights was inherited.