| Genealogy Gems: News from the Allen County Public Library at Fort Wayne, No. 237, November 30, 2023 | <– Date –> <– Thread –> |
From: Genealogy Gems (genealogygems genealogycenter.info)
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| Date: Thu, 30 Nov 2023 22:46:48 -0500 | |
Genealogy Gems: News from the Allen County Public Library at Fort Wayne
No. 237, November 30, 2023
In this issue:
*Forward into the Holidays and the New Year
*Victoria County Histories of England
*Purchasing DNA Kits for the Holidays
*PERSI Gems: The Old Stove
*History Tidbits: Print the Legend! Washington Crossing the Delaware
*Genealogy Center’s December Programs
*December Program Call-outs
*Staying Informed about Genealogy Center Programming
*Genealogy Center Social Media
*Driving Directions to the Library
*Parking at the Library
*Genealogy Center Queries
*Publishing Note
***************************************
Forward into the Holidays and the New Year
by Curt B. Witcher
***************************************
It is my fondest wish that you are reading this after a most enjoyable Thanksgiving weekend. For most, Thanksgiving marks the official beginning of the year’s major holiday season. It’s a time when most renew and engage in traditional family activities that have warmed hearts and caused tender smiles for generations. It’s also a time to consider new beginnings and creating new traditions that will be embraced by generations to come.
Many are familiar with the song, “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” Below I am offering you a bit of a different take. I am offering you twelve opportunities of the 2023 holiday season! I invite you to give a gift to yourself by engaging in all of the challenges.
1: Write or key a *One*-page biography of an ancestor or older family member. Okay, I know it sounds like a lot but once you start you’ll be amazed at quickly and enjoyably it will go. One key is to make a distinction between listing and describing. One gets many more words and a lot more story by describing. Don’t just say when and where you’re great-great-grandfather was born but also describe the location (e.g. town, village, farm, prairie, etc.) and the time period (e.g. what was happening in the area, region, state and country; what was the economy like, was the country at war, etc.). If you been itching to try AI like ChatGPT, this might be a good opportunity to discover how much assistance one might get in building historical context.
2: Find *Two* YouTube videos on a topic germane to your research. Watch one in December and one in January. It is just amazing how much great genealogical education is available on YouTube, and a good portion of it is available for free. The Genealogy Center’s YouTube channel alone has two hundred and eighty-six videos from which one can choose.
3: Make *Three* family history posts to a social media platform (Facebook, Instagram, etc.) or email *Three* items to *Three* different family members. We sometimes muse and lament that no one in our families is interested in “carrying on” the research--keeping the documents and the stories alive--after we are gone. A big part of that reality is we are not being intentional enough in our sharing. If we continuously engage in intentional sharing activities, we will find more family members who have a heightened interest in, and appreciation for, what we are doing. And that can leveraged to find those who will carryon after us.
4: Conduct a geographic search for more information on an ancestral hometown in the following *Four* bibliographic databases: WorldCat, ArchiveGrid, NUCMC, and DPLA. You don’t know what they are? Google each one for a link and take some time to play with how each site works. The first point in the Genealogical Proof Standard calls for us to do “reasonably exhaustive research.” We can’t do that without engaging the powerful tools bibliographic databases can be.
5: Ask your oldest or favorite family member *Five* questions about their life. The ask can be in person, on Zoom, in writing or through an email. How many times have we said and/or heard someone say they wish they would have asked a deceased family member a question about an aspect of their lives or sought their assistance in identifying photographs and family heirlooms? One can’t start any younger--now is the time.
6: Explore *Six* articles on the FamilySearch Wiki. Oh my goodness is this a great source of information! I fear it is underutilized by many. The FamilySearch Wiki really should be your research assistant.
7: Identify *Seven* collections of interest on your favorite genealogy website (e.g. www.GenealogyCenter.org). Many times we land on, or link to, a particular website and only use it for one specific activity or type of search. You might be surprised at all the information and records that have been hiding under our collective noses.
8: Read *Eight* short genealogy articles in your area of genealogical interest or relevant to your research. (Remember, Google is your friend!) Often I find that one can get so focused on finding specific ancestors that they forget about establishing that all-important context. As I have often said and written, doing the history eliminates the mystery. Individuals are continually surprised by what they find by simply “looking around” a bit.
9: Use the new Genealogy Center catalog to do *Nine* searches for surnames and geographic areas of interest. We heard and observed your challenges with our previous library catalog. We’ve had our new one for just about one month. It will serve you well to take time to play with various searches and parameters to see what kind of results you get. You just might be surprised at what you find that has been on our shelves for quite a while.
10: Do *Ten* PERSI (Periodical Source Index) searches for surnames, geographic places, and/or ethnic groups of research interest. There are over three million subject entries for thousands of periodicals published around the world, with a heavy focus on North America. So much meaningful data has been published in genealogical periodicals for decades. You’re depriving yourself of clues, sources, and the stories of our families if you aren’t using PERSI to mine relevant data from periodicals.
11: Organize *Eleven* folders or “clumps of paper” clipped together so that each folder makes sense and it is clear to someone not familiar with your family. If we want our research to benefit our family members and interested others, it is critical that we persistently give time and attention to more than just collecting “stuff.” Taking time to thoughtfully organize and clearly describe what you accumulated goes a long way to ensuring your research lives on and to enticing others to care about continuing your work. If a collection of papers looks like junk, it most likely will be treated like junk.
12: Permanently identify *Twelve* unidentified photographs by lightly writing information on their backs with archival ink or by scanning, appropriately naming the image files, and keying relevant metadata for each image. Taking pictures and leaving them unidentified because the taker knows who they are has been going on for many generations. It’s a real disappointment to discover some early photographs from the mid-ninth century only to find they are unidentified. We have a responsibility to break that cycle. Otherwise, our grandchildren will be looking through our albums and digital files, shaking their heads as we have so often done.
Are these twelve opportunities of the 2023 holiday season a lot? Absolutely. Don’t let that discourage you, though. We’ve heard it said if you want something done, give it to a busy person. Well, I am giving you this challenge of twelve opportunities. Pick-up the challenge, have fun with it, and see what you’re able to get done. You just might surprise yourself.
Best wishes for an enjoyable family history holiday, and many awesome discoveries in the New Year!
***************************************
Victoria County Histories of England
by John D. Beatty, CG
***************************************
The Victoria County History Project was launched in Great Britain in 1899 as an effort to compile and produce detailed histories, encyclopedic in scope, for every county in England. The project was dedicated to Queen Victoria, for whom the project derived its name. Organizers expected that multiple volumes would be written for each county. They would span from pre-historic times to the present, using combinations of archaeological and textual evidence, and would include scholarly discussions of topography, the built environment, industries, religious houses and institutions, schools, and even natural history. They would feature detailed histories of parishes and towns with extensive footnotes and would be bound in iconic red covers with gilt lettering and embossed royal shield. Volumes for some counties began appearing more than a century ago, and for many areas they are still being produced with more recent generations of scholars undertaking new historical research. The following website offers a more detailed review of the project. https://www.history.ac.uk/research/victoria-county-history Choose the “Counties A-Z” link to see what volumes have been completed for each county and which still have volumes in progress.
For genealogists, the Victoria histories provide a wealth of background information about the local history of places where your ancestors lived. If you have traced your family to a specific county and village by using digitized church records on Ancestry, FamilySearch, or Find My Past, it is well worth the effort to delve deeper into the study of that village using one of these volumes.
For example, I have been researching several families living in sixteenth and seventeenth century Whitstone Hundred in Gloucestershire, using the digitized color images of parish registers on the Ancestry website. I have also made extensive use of the digital collection of diocesan wills on Ancestry and the detailed descriptions of deeds, leases, and feoffments on the Gloucestershire Heritage Hub website https://catalogue.gloucestershire.gov.uk/. Relying on the archived records alone can be confusing, with family members on leases popping up in several parishes within the Hundred without explanation. The Victoria histories provide useful background information that a researcher would not have gotten by relying solely on the Internet. Volume 10 of the Gloucestershire volumes relates that Randwick, one of the parishes of my research interest, has many detached parts, with portions adjoining Stonehouse and Standish parishes and the two even sharing several detached fields. This information helps explain the varying names of parishes listed in the deed records, often associated with the same families living on the same fields. The Randwick chapter also provides helpful demographic information on the number of households in various years and the names of some of the notable landowners. They also have descriptions of the major industries and local agriculture. Randwick, for example, was once a center of the cottage weaving industry. Even if you are studying ancestors who were tenants, these descriptions can add important context to your research.
The Genealogy Center owns most of the volumes in the Victoria County History series. A few remain out of print and are extremely difficult to find, but we continue our attempt to complete the collection. To find what we have, check the online catalog for the English county of interest and include the words “Victoria” and “History” in your search. A few of the older editions out of copyright have been digitized on Internet Archive www.archive.org and FamilySearch www.familysearch.org. Make use of these phenomenal local histories. I guarantee they will enhance your British research.
***************************************
Purchasing DNA Kits for the Holidays
by Sara Allen
***************************************
There are four major companies that sell direct-to-consumer DNA tests: AncestryDNA, Family Tree DNA, MyHeritageDNA, and 23andme. If you are looking for the best prices of the year, now is the time to purchase DNA kits for yourself or for holiday gifts for family members. You can buy kits with particular relatives in mind, but you also might want to have some extra kits on hand. If a relative expresses an interest in testing, you can pull out the DNA kit and give it to them on the spot.
Why should you test other family members? Because they may have more DNA from the ancestors than you do, or they may have inherited a particular piece of DNA that you did not inherit. The DNA that your relative inherited (but you did not) may be useful for solving family mysteries or confirming the identity or origins of your common ancestors.
As far as the autosomal DNA test goes, this is a test to try to get the older generations of your family to take. Each of the four testing companies offer this test. Testing provides you with a list of DNA matches who share enough DNA with you to be considered relatives. Working together with these DNA relatives you can learn more about your shared ancestors and break through family tree brick walls. This autosomal DNA test also provides you with your ethnicity estimate, which is of interest to many and can be used as an incentive to get relatives to agree to test for you. Grandparents or your grandparent’s siblings should be high on your list of relatives to ask to take an autosomal DNA test. If they are not available, the next generation to target is your parents or your parent’s siblings (including half relationships) or your parent’s first cousins. Why should you test these older generations? If one of your goals for DNA testing is to capture the DNA of your ancestors as fully as possible, the older generations in your family have so much more DNA inherited from their ancestors than you do. Think about this: if you have inherited approximately 25% of each of your grandparent’s autosomal DNA, you are missing 75% of that grandparent’s DNA. But if your grandparent is tested, you can capture 100% of their DNA with an autosomal test.
The Y chromosome DNA test is a useful test of the direct patrilineal line of a biological male test taker. It will look at the male’s father’s father’s father’s family line (etc.) giving you information about the ancient origins of that male line, but more importantly, DNA matches to other men in the test database who descend from a common paternal line ancestor on their direct patrilineal line. With this information, it may be possible to determine who that common paternal ancestor was and make progress with your genealogical research on that paternal line. Some families stuck in the 1700s-1800s time frame have been able to link to a colonial emigrant ancestor or an even earlier ancestor overseas through this testing. Who in the family should take the Y chromosome test? Male genealogists should take the test to look at their own patrilineal line. Many of us have other male lines in our tree that we are stuck on. If you have a living male relative or cousin that carries that patrilineal Y-DNA for the family in question, ask them to test. For example, you might try to get a Y-DNA test on a male from each of your four grandparent’s patrilineal lines. This may assist you tracking the paternal origins of each of those families. The Y chromosome test is offered by the Family Tree DNA testing company. The lowest level of testing available is the Y-37 marker test, which can be upgraded at a later time to a higher level of testing with more markers studied. The highest level of testing available is the Big Y test; and if finances are not a concern, I would advise purchasing this test from the start, eliminating the need to upgrade later on.
The mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) test can be useful for solving certain questions in the test taker’s direct matrilineal line (mother’s mother’s mother’s line). It can also provide ancient origins of the family line for that matrilineal family. It is not as useful a test as the autosomal or Y-DNA test, but is recommended for serious genealogists, and It is offered by the Family Tree DNA testing company.
Logistical Tips: You should be prepared to help the older generation successfully complete the DNA test. Some may have trouble getting enough spit (Google for suggestions), registering the kit online, or getting it to the post office.
If in doubt, call the DNA testing company and ask them how you can gift kits to others. Some companies may require you to set up an email address and account for the person, and some may require two-factor authentication for login purposes to the DNA site, which may be an obstacle for the older generation to access the DNA website. Think of creative ways to surmount these obstacles.
Once you receive your DNA results, the best entry level book for learning about and interpreting DNA results is The Family Tree Guide to DNA Testing and Genetic Genealogy by Blaine T. Bettinger. 2nd ed. (GC 929 B466fa).
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PERSI Gems: The Old Stove
by Adam Barrone and Mike Hudson
***************************************
This morning in northern Indiana, blissfully unaware of the weather conditions, my teenage children, bound for the school bus stop, approached our front door to find a written message from Dad advising them to dress warmly with gloves and hat for our first cold snap of the season. The single-digit wind chills would have certainly caught them off guard and unprepared. They bundled up and set out.
Teenagers, the impetuous creatures that they are, have long needed adult assistance to stay safely warm in frigid conditions. Ken Burch of southeast Missouri, brings us this tale of another group of young people out in the cold:
"One blustery winter day, in the early 1960s, our small gang of farm boys ventured outside. We were hunting near our home... [and] wandered into the yard of one of the families that worked our farm. Our neighbor opened her front door and insisted that we come in and warm up...Her eyes sparkled as she said, 'If you boys are hungry, I'll make you some [biscuits]... You'll have to bring in some wood for my stove.' ... a lit cigarette twirled skillfully from her lips to her hand as she started the fire...skillfully blended [ingredients]... checked the heat... [and] put them in... we waited... She opened the heavy oven door... the biscuits were golden brown, like a bunch of valuable jewels. I got hungrier. She lifted the biscuits from the hot wood stove almost gracefully. With oven mitts in each hand, she spun around and set them on an old metal dining room table, the kind that you could buy at any small town mercantile."
We at the Periodical Source Index hope you'll soon have an opportunity to offer hospitality and warmth around your kitchen stove.
https://www.genealogycenter.info/persi/
Ad for electric range mentions rich men wearing out their wives, 1938
Sawdust City Roots (Genealogical Research Society of Eau Claire, WI) Vol. 24, Issue 4 (Mar 2007)
Dorothy Jensik recalls playing with baby mice, they were thrown in stove by grandma, c. 1900s, IL
Springhouse (Herod, IL), Vol. 27, Issue 1 (2010)
Gas stove arrives in Vicksburg, Vicksburg Gas Co. classes notice, 1930
Mississippi River Routes (Vicksburg Genealogical Society, MS), Vol. 21, Issue 4 (Sum 2014)
Hundred year old stove of John and William Hurd family, scrapped in scrap drive, 1842-1942
Iowa County Byways (Iowa Co. Genealogy Soc., IA), Vol. 23, Issue 5 (Sep 2014)
James Klepetka burns money wife stashed in stove, loses $300 farm payment, 1940, MN
Mahnomen County Historical Society Newsletter, Oct 2008
Jar lid biscuits and a wood stove, Ken Burch recollections, n.d., MO
Missouri Folklore Society Journal, Vol. 29-31 (2007)
Laura Varley killed in dog-related stove accident, d. 1886, St. Louis, MO
Missouri State Genealogical Association Journal, Vol. 26, Issue 1 (2006)
Lucy Leaf recalls updating wood burning stove to be more environmentally friendly, 2000s, ME
Echoes (Echoes Press, Caribou, ME), Issue 88 (Apr 2010)
Metal object of five-gallon capacity labeled ya xi ya thought to be improvised stove
Asian Comparative Collection Newsletter (University of Idaho, Asian American Comparative Collection), Vol. 7, Issue 2 (Jun 1990)
Mrs. Ernest Sanders wins gas range on TV show It Could Be You, newspaper item, 1956
Wabash County (IL) Historical Society Newsletter, Vol. 8, Issue 4 (Nov 2011)
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History Tidbits: Print the Legend! Washington Crossing the Delaware
by Logan Knight
***************************************
During the holiday season, our thoughts take a more optimistic turn as man’s inhumanity to man seems to soften for at least a brief moment. There is just something about celebrating during the darkest time of the year that makes us believe that things can indeed get better.
Certainly, in American history, few incidents have documented this hopefulness more than George Washington’s crossing of the Delaware River and his startling victories at Trenton and Princeton. You can see it in your mind’s eye right now. Washington, standing tall in a boat, surrounded by Continental soldiers as they go forward to save the Revolution. This image was stamped onto the world’s imagination by German-American painter Emanuel Leutze in his 1851 painting “Washington Crossing the Delaware.” The story of the actual crossing has been told innumerable times, but that of the famous painting is less known and almost as interesting.
Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze was born May 24, 1816 in Schwabisch Gmund, Wuerttemberg. Brought to America as a small child, Leutze quickly showed an aptitude for art, becoming an accomplished portrait painter. The funds generated by this talent allowed him to return to Germany in 1840, where he set up shop in Dusseldorf. At this point, Dusseldorf acted as a kind of artist’s colony, drawing many who were attracted by its scenic landscapes and a local art school. As Leutze became successful, he never forgot his adopted country and became a great resource for visiting American artists.
The year 1848 has entered the annals of history as a dramatic turning point with revolutions breaking out throughout the world. These incidents inspired the romantic Leutze to paint a scene from the American Revolution to help inspire these new revolutionaries. The artist used visiting Americans as models (apparently the Germans were too small or “too closely set in their limbs”). The only exception was one tall Norwegian, who’s experience with boats got him a job as a model. The stand-in (Worthington Whittredge) for George Washington was interviewed years later and reported: “I stood two hours without moving for the cloak of the Washington to be painted at a single sitting, so that the folds might be caught as they were first arranged. Clad in Washington’s full uniform [an exact duplicate] … spy glass in one hand and the other on my knee, I stood and was nearly dead when the operation was over. They poured champagne down my throat and I lived through it.”
Leutze actually created three versions of the painting. The original, painted with oil on canvas and measuring roughly twelve and a half feet by twenty, was completed in 1851. It was purchased by the city of Bremen’s premiere art museum, the Kunsthalle. Ironically, the painting was destroyed by Allied bombers during the Second World War. Fortunately, the second copy had been sent to New York as early as 1851. It was originally bought by financier and patriot, Marshall Owen Roberts, who offered to convert his entire fortune to U.S. Treasury Bonds during the Civil War. It would pass through a variety of hands before winding up at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1897, where it remains proudly displayed today. The third and last copy was much smaller than the other two, about three by six feet. It hung in the White House for years but was eventually sold to a private art collector in 2015 for $45 million.
Leutze would eventually return home to the United States in 1859. He opened a studio in New York where he worked successfully until he passed away from heatstroke in July 1868. Sadly, the artist’s reputation was blackened by the anti-German feeling of the United States upon its entry into the First World War. Leutze was accused of not being a “real” American. This foreignness supposedly explained the multiple historical inaccuracies of the painting. Perhaps most damningly, the artist was accused of using German models for the soldiers, and they were not crossing the Delaware but the Rhine! Fortunately, this hysteria quickly died down and the painting resumed its iconographic status.
During this holiday season, it may do us all good to reflect on a German-American artist’s romantic idealism and the impact it has had on an entire nation’s cultural consciousness.
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Genealogy Center’s December Programs
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Join us for another month of free, virtual programs!
December 5, 2023, 2:30 p.m. EST “Demystifying DAR Applications - Best Practices for Your Best Shot” with Kelley Conner Lear - https://acpl.libnet.info/event/9349466
December 7, 2023, 6:30 p.m. EST “Which DNA Test Should I Order?” with Sara Allen - https://acpl.libnet.info/event/9615173
December 12, 2023, 2:30 p.m. EST “Discover the 'Memory Archive' on People's Collection Wales: Using Digital Archive Materials for Reminiscence” with Reina van der Wiel - https://acpl.libnet.info/event/9615198
No. 237, November 30, 2023
In this issue:
*Forward into the Holidays and the New Year
*Victoria County Histories of England
*Purchasing DNA Kits for the Holidays
*PERSI Gems: The Old Stove
*History Tidbits: Print the Legend! Washington Crossing the Delaware
*Genealogy Center’s December Programs
*December Program Call-outs
*Staying Informed about Genealogy Center Programming
*Genealogy Center Social Media
*Driving Directions to the Library
*Parking at the Library
*Genealogy Center Queries
*Publishing Note
***************************************
Forward into the Holidays and the New Year
by Curt B. Witcher
***************************************
It is my fondest wish that you are reading this after a most enjoyable Thanksgiving weekend. For most, Thanksgiving marks the official beginning of the year’s major holiday season. It’s a time when most renew and engage in traditional family activities that have warmed hearts and caused tender smiles for generations. It’s also a time to consider new beginnings and creating new traditions that will be embraced by generations to come.
Many are familiar with the song, “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” Below I am offering you a bit of a different take. I am offering you twelve opportunities of the 2023 holiday season! I invite you to give a gift to yourself by engaging in all of the challenges.
1: Write or key a *One*-page biography of an ancestor or older family member. Okay, I know it sounds like a lot but once you start you’ll be amazed at quickly and enjoyably it will go. One key is to make a distinction between listing and describing. One gets many more words and a lot more story by describing. Don’t just say when and where you’re great-great-grandfather was born but also describe the location (e.g. town, village, farm, prairie, etc.) and the time period (e.g. what was happening in the area, region, state and country; what was the economy like, was the country at war, etc.). If you been itching to try AI like ChatGPT, this might be a good opportunity to discover how much assistance one might get in building historical context.
2: Find *Two* YouTube videos on a topic germane to your research. Watch one in December and one in January. It is just amazing how much great genealogical education is available on YouTube, and a good portion of it is available for free. The Genealogy Center’s YouTube channel alone has two hundred and eighty-six videos from which one can choose.
3: Make *Three* family history posts to a social media platform (Facebook, Instagram, etc.) or email *Three* items to *Three* different family members. We sometimes muse and lament that no one in our families is interested in “carrying on” the research--keeping the documents and the stories alive--after we are gone. A big part of that reality is we are not being intentional enough in our sharing. If we continuously engage in intentional sharing activities, we will find more family members who have a heightened interest in, and appreciation for, what we are doing. And that can leveraged to find those who will carryon after us.
4: Conduct a geographic search for more information on an ancestral hometown in the following *Four* bibliographic databases: WorldCat, ArchiveGrid, NUCMC, and DPLA. You don’t know what they are? Google each one for a link and take some time to play with how each site works. The first point in the Genealogical Proof Standard calls for us to do “reasonably exhaustive research.” We can’t do that without engaging the powerful tools bibliographic databases can be.
5: Ask your oldest or favorite family member *Five* questions about their life. The ask can be in person, on Zoom, in writing or through an email. How many times have we said and/or heard someone say they wish they would have asked a deceased family member a question about an aspect of their lives or sought their assistance in identifying photographs and family heirlooms? One can’t start any younger--now is the time.
6: Explore *Six* articles on the FamilySearch Wiki. Oh my goodness is this a great source of information! I fear it is underutilized by many. The FamilySearch Wiki really should be your research assistant.
7: Identify *Seven* collections of interest on your favorite genealogy website (e.g. www.GenealogyCenter.org). Many times we land on, or link to, a particular website and only use it for one specific activity or type of search. You might be surprised at all the information and records that have been hiding under our collective noses.
8: Read *Eight* short genealogy articles in your area of genealogical interest or relevant to your research. (Remember, Google is your friend!) Often I find that one can get so focused on finding specific ancestors that they forget about establishing that all-important context. As I have often said and written, doing the history eliminates the mystery. Individuals are continually surprised by what they find by simply “looking around” a bit.
9: Use the new Genealogy Center catalog to do *Nine* searches for surnames and geographic areas of interest. We heard and observed your challenges with our previous library catalog. We’ve had our new one for just about one month. It will serve you well to take time to play with various searches and parameters to see what kind of results you get. You just might be surprised at what you find that has been on our shelves for quite a while.
10: Do *Ten* PERSI (Periodical Source Index) searches for surnames, geographic places, and/or ethnic groups of research interest. There are over three million subject entries for thousands of periodicals published around the world, with a heavy focus on North America. So much meaningful data has been published in genealogical periodicals for decades. You’re depriving yourself of clues, sources, and the stories of our families if you aren’t using PERSI to mine relevant data from periodicals.
11: Organize *Eleven* folders or “clumps of paper” clipped together so that each folder makes sense and it is clear to someone not familiar with your family. If we want our research to benefit our family members and interested others, it is critical that we persistently give time and attention to more than just collecting “stuff.” Taking time to thoughtfully organize and clearly describe what you accumulated goes a long way to ensuring your research lives on and to enticing others to care about continuing your work. If a collection of papers looks like junk, it most likely will be treated like junk.
12: Permanently identify *Twelve* unidentified photographs by lightly writing information on their backs with archival ink or by scanning, appropriately naming the image files, and keying relevant metadata for each image. Taking pictures and leaving them unidentified because the taker knows who they are has been going on for many generations. It’s a real disappointment to discover some early photographs from the mid-ninth century only to find they are unidentified. We have a responsibility to break that cycle. Otherwise, our grandchildren will be looking through our albums and digital files, shaking their heads as we have so often done.
Are these twelve opportunities of the 2023 holiday season a lot? Absolutely. Don’t let that discourage you, though. We’ve heard it said if you want something done, give it to a busy person. Well, I am giving you this challenge of twelve opportunities. Pick-up the challenge, have fun with it, and see what you’re able to get done. You just might surprise yourself.
Best wishes for an enjoyable family history holiday, and many awesome discoveries in the New Year!
***************************************
Victoria County Histories of England
by John D. Beatty, CG
***************************************
The Victoria County History Project was launched in Great Britain in 1899 as an effort to compile and produce detailed histories, encyclopedic in scope, for every county in England. The project was dedicated to Queen Victoria, for whom the project derived its name. Organizers expected that multiple volumes would be written for each county. They would span from pre-historic times to the present, using combinations of archaeological and textual evidence, and would include scholarly discussions of topography, the built environment, industries, religious houses and institutions, schools, and even natural history. They would feature detailed histories of parishes and towns with extensive footnotes and would be bound in iconic red covers with gilt lettering and embossed royal shield. Volumes for some counties began appearing more than a century ago, and for many areas they are still being produced with more recent generations of scholars undertaking new historical research. The following website offers a more detailed review of the project. https://www.history.ac.uk/research/victoria-county-history Choose the “Counties A-Z” link to see what volumes have been completed for each county and which still have volumes in progress.
For genealogists, the Victoria histories provide a wealth of background information about the local history of places where your ancestors lived. If you have traced your family to a specific county and village by using digitized church records on Ancestry, FamilySearch, or Find My Past, it is well worth the effort to delve deeper into the study of that village using one of these volumes.
For example, I have been researching several families living in sixteenth and seventeenth century Whitstone Hundred in Gloucestershire, using the digitized color images of parish registers on the Ancestry website. I have also made extensive use of the digital collection of diocesan wills on Ancestry and the detailed descriptions of deeds, leases, and feoffments on the Gloucestershire Heritage Hub website https://catalogue.gloucestershire.gov.uk/. Relying on the archived records alone can be confusing, with family members on leases popping up in several parishes within the Hundred without explanation. The Victoria histories provide useful background information that a researcher would not have gotten by relying solely on the Internet. Volume 10 of the Gloucestershire volumes relates that Randwick, one of the parishes of my research interest, has many detached parts, with portions adjoining Stonehouse and Standish parishes and the two even sharing several detached fields. This information helps explain the varying names of parishes listed in the deed records, often associated with the same families living on the same fields. The Randwick chapter also provides helpful demographic information on the number of households in various years and the names of some of the notable landowners. They also have descriptions of the major industries and local agriculture. Randwick, for example, was once a center of the cottage weaving industry. Even if you are studying ancestors who were tenants, these descriptions can add important context to your research.
The Genealogy Center owns most of the volumes in the Victoria County History series. A few remain out of print and are extremely difficult to find, but we continue our attempt to complete the collection. To find what we have, check the online catalog for the English county of interest and include the words “Victoria” and “History” in your search. A few of the older editions out of copyright have been digitized on Internet Archive www.archive.org and FamilySearch www.familysearch.org. Make use of these phenomenal local histories. I guarantee they will enhance your British research.
***************************************
Purchasing DNA Kits for the Holidays
by Sara Allen
***************************************
There are four major companies that sell direct-to-consumer DNA tests: AncestryDNA, Family Tree DNA, MyHeritageDNA, and 23andme. If you are looking for the best prices of the year, now is the time to purchase DNA kits for yourself or for holiday gifts for family members. You can buy kits with particular relatives in mind, but you also might want to have some extra kits on hand. If a relative expresses an interest in testing, you can pull out the DNA kit and give it to them on the spot.
Why should you test other family members? Because they may have more DNA from the ancestors than you do, or they may have inherited a particular piece of DNA that you did not inherit. The DNA that your relative inherited (but you did not) may be useful for solving family mysteries or confirming the identity or origins of your common ancestors.
As far as the autosomal DNA test goes, this is a test to try to get the older generations of your family to take. Each of the four testing companies offer this test. Testing provides you with a list of DNA matches who share enough DNA with you to be considered relatives. Working together with these DNA relatives you can learn more about your shared ancestors and break through family tree brick walls. This autosomal DNA test also provides you with your ethnicity estimate, which is of interest to many and can be used as an incentive to get relatives to agree to test for you. Grandparents or your grandparent’s siblings should be high on your list of relatives to ask to take an autosomal DNA test. If they are not available, the next generation to target is your parents or your parent’s siblings (including half relationships) or your parent’s first cousins. Why should you test these older generations? If one of your goals for DNA testing is to capture the DNA of your ancestors as fully as possible, the older generations in your family have so much more DNA inherited from their ancestors than you do. Think about this: if you have inherited approximately 25% of each of your grandparent’s autosomal DNA, you are missing 75% of that grandparent’s DNA. But if your grandparent is tested, you can capture 100% of their DNA with an autosomal test.
The Y chromosome DNA test is a useful test of the direct patrilineal line of a biological male test taker. It will look at the male’s father’s father’s father’s family line (etc.) giving you information about the ancient origins of that male line, but more importantly, DNA matches to other men in the test database who descend from a common paternal line ancestor on their direct patrilineal line. With this information, it may be possible to determine who that common paternal ancestor was and make progress with your genealogical research on that paternal line. Some families stuck in the 1700s-1800s time frame have been able to link to a colonial emigrant ancestor or an even earlier ancestor overseas through this testing. Who in the family should take the Y chromosome test? Male genealogists should take the test to look at their own patrilineal line. Many of us have other male lines in our tree that we are stuck on. If you have a living male relative or cousin that carries that patrilineal Y-DNA for the family in question, ask them to test. For example, you might try to get a Y-DNA test on a male from each of your four grandparent’s patrilineal lines. This may assist you tracking the paternal origins of each of those families. The Y chromosome test is offered by the Family Tree DNA testing company. The lowest level of testing available is the Y-37 marker test, which can be upgraded at a later time to a higher level of testing with more markers studied. The highest level of testing available is the Big Y test; and if finances are not a concern, I would advise purchasing this test from the start, eliminating the need to upgrade later on.
The mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) test can be useful for solving certain questions in the test taker’s direct matrilineal line (mother’s mother’s mother’s line). It can also provide ancient origins of the family line for that matrilineal family. It is not as useful a test as the autosomal or Y-DNA test, but is recommended for serious genealogists, and It is offered by the Family Tree DNA testing company.
Logistical Tips: You should be prepared to help the older generation successfully complete the DNA test. Some may have trouble getting enough spit (Google for suggestions), registering the kit online, or getting it to the post office.
If in doubt, call the DNA testing company and ask them how you can gift kits to others. Some companies may require you to set up an email address and account for the person, and some may require two-factor authentication for login purposes to the DNA site, which may be an obstacle for the older generation to access the DNA website. Think of creative ways to surmount these obstacles.
Once you receive your DNA results, the best entry level book for learning about and interpreting DNA results is The Family Tree Guide to DNA Testing and Genetic Genealogy by Blaine T. Bettinger. 2nd ed. (GC 929 B466fa).
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PERSI Gems: The Old Stove
by Adam Barrone and Mike Hudson
***************************************
This morning in northern Indiana, blissfully unaware of the weather conditions, my teenage children, bound for the school bus stop, approached our front door to find a written message from Dad advising them to dress warmly with gloves and hat for our first cold snap of the season. The single-digit wind chills would have certainly caught them off guard and unprepared. They bundled up and set out.
Teenagers, the impetuous creatures that they are, have long needed adult assistance to stay safely warm in frigid conditions. Ken Burch of southeast Missouri, brings us this tale of another group of young people out in the cold:
"One blustery winter day, in the early 1960s, our small gang of farm boys ventured outside. We were hunting near our home... [and] wandered into the yard of one of the families that worked our farm. Our neighbor opened her front door and insisted that we come in and warm up...Her eyes sparkled as she said, 'If you boys are hungry, I'll make you some [biscuits]... You'll have to bring in some wood for my stove.' ... a lit cigarette twirled skillfully from her lips to her hand as she started the fire...skillfully blended [ingredients]... checked the heat... [and] put them in... we waited... She opened the heavy oven door... the biscuits were golden brown, like a bunch of valuable jewels. I got hungrier. She lifted the biscuits from the hot wood stove almost gracefully. With oven mitts in each hand, she spun around and set them on an old metal dining room table, the kind that you could buy at any small town mercantile."
We at the Periodical Source Index hope you'll soon have an opportunity to offer hospitality and warmth around your kitchen stove.
https://www.genealogycenter.info/persi/
Ad for electric range mentions rich men wearing out their wives, 1938
Sawdust City Roots (Genealogical Research Society of Eau Claire, WI) Vol. 24, Issue 4 (Mar 2007)
Dorothy Jensik recalls playing with baby mice, they were thrown in stove by grandma, c. 1900s, IL
Springhouse (Herod, IL), Vol. 27, Issue 1 (2010)
Gas stove arrives in Vicksburg, Vicksburg Gas Co. classes notice, 1930
Mississippi River Routes (Vicksburg Genealogical Society, MS), Vol. 21, Issue 4 (Sum 2014)
Hundred year old stove of John and William Hurd family, scrapped in scrap drive, 1842-1942
Iowa County Byways (Iowa Co. Genealogy Soc., IA), Vol. 23, Issue 5 (Sep 2014)
James Klepetka burns money wife stashed in stove, loses $300 farm payment, 1940, MN
Mahnomen County Historical Society Newsletter, Oct 2008
Jar lid biscuits and a wood stove, Ken Burch recollections, n.d., MO
Missouri Folklore Society Journal, Vol. 29-31 (2007)
Laura Varley killed in dog-related stove accident, d. 1886, St. Louis, MO
Missouri State Genealogical Association Journal, Vol. 26, Issue 1 (2006)
Lucy Leaf recalls updating wood burning stove to be more environmentally friendly, 2000s, ME
Echoes (Echoes Press, Caribou, ME), Issue 88 (Apr 2010)
Metal object of five-gallon capacity labeled ya xi ya thought to be improvised stove
Asian Comparative Collection Newsletter (University of Idaho, Asian American Comparative Collection), Vol. 7, Issue 2 (Jun 1990)
Mrs. Ernest Sanders wins gas range on TV show It Could Be You, newspaper item, 1956
Wabash County (IL) Historical Society Newsletter, Vol. 8, Issue 4 (Nov 2011)
***************************************
History Tidbits: Print the Legend! Washington Crossing the Delaware
by Logan Knight
***************************************
During the holiday season, our thoughts take a more optimistic turn as man’s inhumanity to man seems to soften for at least a brief moment. There is just something about celebrating during the darkest time of the year that makes us believe that things can indeed get better.
Certainly, in American history, few incidents have documented this hopefulness more than George Washington’s crossing of the Delaware River and his startling victories at Trenton and Princeton. You can see it in your mind’s eye right now. Washington, standing tall in a boat, surrounded by Continental soldiers as they go forward to save the Revolution. This image was stamped onto the world’s imagination by German-American painter Emanuel Leutze in his 1851 painting “Washington Crossing the Delaware.” The story of the actual crossing has been told innumerable times, but that of the famous painting is less known and almost as interesting.
Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze was born May 24, 1816 in Schwabisch Gmund, Wuerttemberg. Brought to America as a small child, Leutze quickly showed an aptitude for art, becoming an accomplished portrait painter. The funds generated by this talent allowed him to return to Germany in 1840, where he set up shop in Dusseldorf. At this point, Dusseldorf acted as a kind of artist’s colony, drawing many who were attracted by its scenic landscapes and a local art school. As Leutze became successful, he never forgot his adopted country and became a great resource for visiting American artists.
The year 1848 has entered the annals of history as a dramatic turning point with revolutions breaking out throughout the world. These incidents inspired the romantic Leutze to paint a scene from the American Revolution to help inspire these new revolutionaries. The artist used visiting Americans as models (apparently the Germans were too small or “too closely set in their limbs”). The only exception was one tall Norwegian, who’s experience with boats got him a job as a model. The stand-in (Worthington Whittredge) for George Washington was interviewed years later and reported: “I stood two hours without moving for the cloak of the Washington to be painted at a single sitting, so that the folds might be caught as they were first arranged. Clad in Washington’s full uniform [an exact duplicate] … spy glass in one hand and the other on my knee, I stood and was nearly dead when the operation was over. They poured champagne down my throat and I lived through it.”
Leutze actually created three versions of the painting. The original, painted with oil on canvas and measuring roughly twelve and a half feet by twenty, was completed in 1851. It was purchased by the city of Bremen’s premiere art museum, the Kunsthalle. Ironically, the painting was destroyed by Allied bombers during the Second World War. Fortunately, the second copy had been sent to New York as early as 1851. It was originally bought by financier and patriot, Marshall Owen Roberts, who offered to convert his entire fortune to U.S. Treasury Bonds during the Civil War. It would pass through a variety of hands before winding up at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1897, where it remains proudly displayed today. The third and last copy was much smaller than the other two, about three by six feet. It hung in the White House for years but was eventually sold to a private art collector in 2015 for $45 million.
Leutze would eventually return home to the United States in 1859. He opened a studio in New York where he worked successfully until he passed away from heatstroke in July 1868. Sadly, the artist’s reputation was blackened by the anti-German feeling of the United States upon its entry into the First World War. Leutze was accused of not being a “real” American. This foreignness supposedly explained the multiple historical inaccuracies of the painting. Perhaps most damningly, the artist was accused of using German models for the soldiers, and they were not crossing the Delaware but the Rhine! Fortunately, this hysteria quickly died down and the painting resumed its iconographic status.
During this holiday season, it may do us all good to reflect on a German-American artist’s romantic idealism and the impact it has had on an entire nation’s cultural consciousness.
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Genealogy Center’s December Programs
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Join us for another month of free, virtual programs!
December 5, 2023, 2:30 p.m. EST “Demystifying DAR Applications - Best Practices for Your Best Shot” with Kelley Conner Lear - https://acpl.libnet.info/event/9349466
December 7, 2023, 6:30 p.m. EST “Which DNA Test Should I Order?” with Sara Allen - https://acpl.libnet.info/event/9615173
December 12, 2023, 2:30 p.m. EST “Discover the 'Memory Archive' on People's Collection Wales: Using Digital Archive Materials for Reminiscence” with Reina van der Wiel - https://acpl.libnet.info/event/9615198
December 13, 2023, 7 p.m. EST “Photo Preservation & Storage - An ACGSI Program” with Dana Palmer - https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_820fXGfhSQyH8yFGw_Cfkw#/registration
December 14, 2023, 6:30 p.m. EST “Essential Immigration Records for Researching Your Mexican Ancestors” with Colleen Robledo Greene - https://acpl.libnet.info/event/9615205
December 16, 2023, 2 p.m. EST “Research Tools & Tips: Family, Faith, Religion and Genealogy” with Dr. Al Brothers of the African American Genealogical Society of Fort Wayne - https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_uz35lfY3QpGNNaC3rndeVg
December 19, 2023, 2:30 p.m. EST “An Irish Genealogy Secret” with Ciara Chivers - https://acpl.libnet.info/event/9615336
December 21, 2023, 6:30 p.m. EST “Identification of the Romanov Russian Royal Family: DNA and Family Ties” with Suni M. Edson - https://acpl.libnet.info/event/9615369
December 28, 2023, 6:30 p.m. EST “Exploring The Genealogy Center Website and Catalog” with Kate McKenzie - https://acpl.libnet.info/event/9615388
Please register in advance for these engaging programs.
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December Program Call-Outs
***************************************
+++Allen County Genealogical Society of Indiana+++
December 13, 2023, 7 p.m. EST “Photo Preservation & Storage - An ACGSI Program” with Dana Palmer. Come learn how to preserve and store your memories for future generations to enjoy. This lecture will discuss how to get organized and digitize your photos, cover some basics of photo editing, and discuss ways to preserve and share your photos. Dana specializes in lineage society applications, publishing family books, and Midwestern research – specifically Ohio. In addition to her client work, she reviews military repatriation cases, and is part of the Mayflower Silver Books team. https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_820fXGfhSQyH8yFGw_Cfkw#/registration
+++African American Genealogical Society of Fort Wayne+++
December 16, 2023, 2 p.m. EST “Research Tools & Tips: Family, Faith, Religion and Genealogy” with Dr. Al Brothers. The focus for this presentation is using your family, faith, church and other religious records to help build your family genealogy story. https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_uz35lfY3QpGNNaC3rndeVg
***************************************
Staying Informed about Genealogy Center Programming
***************************************
Do you want to know what we have planned? Are you interested in one of our events, but forget? We offer email updates for The Genealogy Center’s programming schedule. Don’t miss out! Sign up at http://goo.gl/forms/THcV0wAabB.
***************************************
Genealogy Center Social Media
***************************************
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GenealogyCenter/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/genealogycenter/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ACPLGenealogy
Blog: http://www.genealogycenter.org/Community/Blog.aspx
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/askacpl
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Driving Directions to the Library
***************************************
Wondering how to get to the library? Our location is 900 Library Plaza, Fort Wayne, Indiana, in the block bordered on the south by Washington Boulevard, the west by Ewing Street, the north by Wayne Street, and the east by the Library Plaza, formerly Webster Street. We would enjoy having you visit the Genealogy Center.
To get directions from your exact location to 900 Library Plaza, Fort Wayne, Indiana, visit this link at MapQuest:
http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?formtype=address&addtohistory=&address=900%20Webster%20St&city=Fort%20Wayne&state=IN&zipcode=46802%2d3602&country=US&geodiff=1
>From the South
Exit Interstate 69 at exit 302. Drive east on Jefferson Boulevard into downtown. Turn left on Ewing Street. The Library is one block north, at Ewing Street and Washington Boulevard.
Using US 27:
US 27 turns into Lafayette Street. Drive north into downtown. Turn left at Washington Boulevard and go five blocks. The Library will be on the right.
>From the North
Exit Interstate 69 at exit 312. Drive south on Coldwater Road, which merges into Clinton Street. Continue south on Clinton to Washington Boulevard. Turn right on Washington and go three blocks. The Library will be on the right.
>From the West
Using US 30:
Drive into town on US 30. US 30 turns into Goshen Ave. which dead-ends at West State Blvd. Make an angled left turn onto West State Blvd. Turn right on Wells Street. Go south on Wells to Wayne Street. Turn left on Wayne Street. The Library will be in the second block on the right.
Using US 24:
After crossing under Interstate 69, follow the same directions as from the South.
>From the East
Follow US 30/then 930 into and through New Haven, under an overpass into downtown Fort Wayne. You will be on Washington Blvd. when you get into downtown. Library Plaza will be on the right.
***************************************
Parking at the Library
***************************************
At the Library, underground parking can be accessed from Wayne Street. Other library parking lots are at Washington and Webster, and Wayne and Webster. Hourly parking is $1 per hour with a $7 maximum. ACPL library card holders may use their cards to validate the parking ticket at the west end of the Great Hall of the Library. Out of county residents may purchase a subscription card with proof of identification and residence. The current fee for an Individual Subscription Card is $85.
Public lots are located at the corner of Ewing and Wayne Streets ($1 each for the first two half-hours, $1 per hour after, with a $4 per day maximum) and the corner of Jefferson Boulevard and Harrison Street ($3 per day).
Street (metered) parking on Ewing and Wayne Streets. On the street you plug the meters 8am – 5pm, weekdays only. The meters take credit cards and charge at a rate of $1/hour. Street parking is free after 5 p.m. and on the weekends.
Visitor center/Grand Wayne Center garage at Washington and Clinton Streets. This is the Hilton Hotel parking lot that also serves as a day parking garage. For hourly parking, 7am – 11 pm, charges are .50 for the first 45 minutes, then $1.00 per hour. There is a flat $2.00 fee between 5 p.m. and 11 p.m.
***************************************
Genealogy Center Queries
***************************************
The Genealogy Center hopes you find this newsletter interesting. Thank you for subscribing. We cannot, however, answer personal research emails written to the e-zine address. The department houses a Research Center that makes photocopies and conducts research for a fee.
If you have a general question about our collection, or are interested in the Research Center, please telephone the library and speak to a librarian who will be glad to answer your general questions or send you a research center form. Our telephone number is 260-421-1225. If you’d like to email a general information question about the department, please email: Genealogy [at] ACPL.Info.
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Publishing Note
***************************************
This electronic newsletter is published by the Allen County Public Library's Genealogy Center, and is intended to enlighten readers about genealogical research methods as well as inform them about the vast resources of the Allen County Public Library. We welcome the wide distribution of this newsletter and encourage readers to forward it to their friends and societies. All precautions have been made to avoid errors. However, the publisher does not assume any liability to any party for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions, no matter the cause.
To subscribe to “Genealogy Gems,” simply use your browser to go to the website: www.GenealogyCenter.org. Scroll to the bottom, click on E-zine, and fill out the form. You will be notified with a confirmation email.
If you do not want to receive this e-zine, please follow the link at the very bottom of the issue of Genealogy Gems you just received or send an email to kspears [at] acpl.lib.in.us with "unsubscribe e-zine" in the subject line.
Curt B. Witcher and John D. Beatty, CG, co-editors
December 14, 2023, 6:30 p.m. EST “Essential Immigration Records for Researching Your Mexican Ancestors” with Colleen Robledo Greene - https://acpl.libnet.info/event/9615205
December 16, 2023, 2 p.m. EST “Research Tools & Tips: Family, Faith, Religion and Genealogy” with Dr. Al Brothers of the African American Genealogical Society of Fort Wayne - https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_uz35lfY3QpGNNaC3rndeVg
December 19, 2023, 2:30 p.m. EST “An Irish Genealogy Secret” with Ciara Chivers - https://acpl.libnet.info/event/9615336
December 21, 2023, 6:30 p.m. EST “Identification of the Romanov Russian Royal Family: DNA and Family Ties” with Suni M. Edson - https://acpl.libnet.info/event/9615369
December 28, 2023, 6:30 p.m. EST “Exploring The Genealogy Center Website and Catalog” with Kate McKenzie - https://acpl.libnet.info/event/9615388
Please register in advance for these engaging programs.
***************************************
December Program Call-Outs
***************************************
+++Allen County Genealogical Society of Indiana+++
December 13, 2023, 7 p.m. EST “Photo Preservation & Storage - An ACGSI Program” with Dana Palmer. Come learn how to preserve and store your memories for future generations to enjoy. This lecture will discuss how to get organized and digitize your photos, cover some basics of photo editing, and discuss ways to preserve and share your photos. Dana specializes in lineage society applications, publishing family books, and Midwestern research – specifically Ohio. In addition to her client work, she reviews military repatriation cases, and is part of the Mayflower Silver Books team. https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_820fXGfhSQyH8yFGw_Cfkw#/registration
+++African American Genealogical Society of Fort Wayne+++
December 16, 2023, 2 p.m. EST “Research Tools & Tips: Family, Faith, Religion and Genealogy” with Dr. Al Brothers. The focus for this presentation is using your family, faith, church and other religious records to help build your family genealogy story. https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_uz35lfY3QpGNNaC3rndeVg
***************************************
Staying Informed about Genealogy Center Programming
***************************************
Do you want to know what we have planned? Are you interested in one of our events, but forget? We offer email updates for The Genealogy Center’s programming schedule. Don’t miss out! Sign up at http://goo.gl/forms/THcV0wAabB.
***************************************
Genealogy Center Social Media
***************************************
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GenealogyCenter/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/genealogycenter/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ACPLGenealogy
Blog: http://www.genealogycenter.org/Community/Blog.aspx
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/askacpl
***************************************
Driving Directions to the Library
***************************************
Wondering how to get to the library? Our location is 900 Library Plaza, Fort Wayne, Indiana, in the block bordered on the south by Washington Boulevard, the west by Ewing Street, the north by Wayne Street, and the east by the Library Plaza, formerly Webster Street. We would enjoy having you visit the Genealogy Center.
To get directions from your exact location to 900 Library Plaza, Fort Wayne, Indiana, visit this link at MapQuest:
http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?formtype=address&addtohistory=&address=900%20Webster%20St&city=Fort%20Wayne&state=IN&zipcode=46802%2d3602&country=US&geodiff=1
>From the South
Exit Interstate 69 at exit 302. Drive east on Jefferson Boulevard into downtown. Turn left on Ewing Street. The Library is one block north, at Ewing Street and Washington Boulevard.
Using US 27:
US 27 turns into Lafayette Street. Drive north into downtown. Turn left at Washington Boulevard and go five blocks. The Library will be on the right.
>From the North
Exit Interstate 69 at exit 312. Drive south on Coldwater Road, which merges into Clinton Street. Continue south on Clinton to Washington Boulevard. Turn right on Washington and go three blocks. The Library will be on the right.
>From the West
Using US 30:
Drive into town on US 30. US 30 turns into Goshen Ave. which dead-ends at West State Blvd. Make an angled left turn onto West State Blvd. Turn right on Wells Street. Go south on Wells to Wayne Street. Turn left on Wayne Street. The Library will be in the second block on the right.
Using US 24:
After crossing under Interstate 69, follow the same directions as from the South.
>From the East
Follow US 30/then 930 into and through New Haven, under an overpass into downtown Fort Wayne. You will be on Washington Blvd. when you get into downtown. Library Plaza will be on the right.
***************************************
Parking at the Library
***************************************
At the Library, underground parking can be accessed from Wayne Street. Other library parking lots are at Washington and Webster, and Wayne and Webster. Hourly parking is $1 per hour with a $7 maximum. ACPL library card holders may use their cards to validate the parking ticket at the west end of the Great Hall of the Library. Out of county residents may purchase a subscription card with proof of identification and residence. The current fee for an Individual Subscription Card is $85.
Public lots are located at the corner of Ewing and Wayne Streets ($1 each for the first two half-hours, $1 per hour after, with a $4 per day maximum) and the corner of Jefferson Boulevard and Harrison Street ($3 per day).
Street (metered) parking on Ewing and Wayne Streets. On the street you plug the meters 8am – 5pm, weekdays only. The meters take credit cards and charge at a rate of $1/hour. Street parking is free after 5 p.m. and on the weekends.
Visitor center/Grand Wayne Center garage at Washington and Clinton Streets. This is the Hilton Hotel parking lot that also serves as a day parking garage. For hourly parking, 7am – 11 pm, charges are .50 for the first 45 minutes, then $1.00 per hour. There is a flat $2.00 fee between 5 p.m. and 11 p.m.
***************************************
Genealogy Center Queries
***************************************
The Genealogy Center hopes you find this newsletter interesting. Thank you for subscribing. We cannot, however, answer personal research emails written to the e-zine address. The department houses a Research Center that makes photocopies and conducts research for a fee.
If you have a general question about our collection, or are interested in the Research Center, please telephone the library and speak to a librarian who will be glad to answer your general questions or send you a research center form. Our telephone number is 260-421-1225. If you’d like to email a general information question about the department, please email: Genealogy [at] ACPL.Info.
***************************************
Publishing Note
***************************************
This electronic newsletter is published by the Allen County Public Library's Genealogy Center, and is intended to enlighten readers about genealogical research methods as well as inform them about the vast resources of the Allen County Public Library. We welcome the wide distribution of this newsletter and encourage readers to forward it to their friends and societies. All precautions have been made to avoid errors. However, the publisher does not assume any liability to any party for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions, no matter the cause.
To subscribe to “Genealogy Gems,” simply use your browser to go to the website: www.GenealogyCenter.org. Scroll to the bottom, click on E-zine, and fill out the form. You will be notified with a confirmation email.
If you do not want to receive this e-zine, please follow the link at the very bottom of the issue of Genealogy Gems you just received or send an email to kspears [at] acpl.lib.in.us with "unsubscribe e-zine" in the subject line.
Curt B. Witcher and John D. Beatty, CG, co-editors
- (no other messages in thread)
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