Wordless Wednesday

Thursday Evening Discussion 

August 23, 2012

Stump the Panel

Photograph courtesy of Tim Cox, 8/23/2012.


Copyright © 2012 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library

Getting Ready for the 1940 Census with Steve Morse

Saturday, March 24, 2012
1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

California Genealogical Society Library
2201 Broadway, Suite LL2
Oakland, CA 94612

CGS is pleased to be welcoming back Steve Morse who will be helping us get ready for the soon-to-be-released 1940 census. When it is released in April, the 1940 will not have a name index and it is estimated it will take up to six months for a name index to be available. Finding people in the census will involve searching by location using Enumeration Districts (EDs).

Morse's One-Step website contains numerous tools for obtaining EDs. His talk will present the various tools and show circumstances in which each can be used. Steve will also demonstrate a tutorial quiz for determining the best tool to use in each specific situation.

Immediately following Morse's presentation, past-president Steve Harris will facilitate an open forum on using U.S. Census Records.

Register online.

The class is limited to thirty participants and is a free benefit of membership. Non-members fee is $20.00 (non-refundable) and can be applied towards membership on the day of the class.

Preregistration is required. Walk-ins will not be admitted. Registration confirmations will be sent to the first thirty registrants. Additional names will be collected and placed on a waiting list in case of cancellations.

Stephen Morse is the creator of the One-Step Website for which he has received both the Lifetime Achievement Award and the Outstanding Contribution Award from the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies, Award of Merit from the National Genealogical Society, first-ever Excellence Award from the Association of Professional Genealogists, and two awards that he cannot pronounce from Polish genealogical societies.

In his other life Morse is a computer professional with a doctorate degree in electrical engineering. He has held various research, development, and teaching positions, authored numerous technical papers, written four textbooks, and holds four patents. He is best known as the architect of the Intel 8086 (the granddaddy of today's Pentium processor), which sparked the PC revolution thirty years ago.


Copyright © 2012 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library

What You Missed: 2012 Annual Meeting

The Annual Business Meeting of the California Genealogical Society was held on Saturday, January 21, 2012, at 1:00 p.m., at the library. President Stephen Harris welcomed members and introduced the board of directors. He announced the book sale in the Media Room and thanked the library committee members who organized it: Barbara Hill, Arlene Miles, Diana Wild and Henry Snyder.

Recording Secretary Lisa Gorrell read the minutes from the 2011 meeting which were approved. Treasurer Laura Lee Karp gave reports on the reading of the society’s books and on the financial health of the society before presenting the 2012 budget which was approved.

Nominating Committee representative Linda Okazaki presented the slate of nominees for seats on the board of directors. Kim Cotton, Ellen Fernandez-Sacco, Pat Gallagher, Karen Lemelin, and Nicka Smith were elected by acclamation. Strategic Planning Committee chair Tom Gesner summarized the proposed changes to the bylaws which were emailed to members in December. The motion to accept the bylaws changes was approved.

Committee reports were delivered by Diana Wild (Library), Publications/Marketing (Shannon Reese), Sandy Fryer (Membership), Lavinia Schwarz (Research), Kathy Watson (Technology), Tim Cox (Events), Jeffrey Vaillant (Facilities), Tom Gesner (Strategic Planning) and Chris Pattillo (Investment).

Diana Wild presented Steve with a card and cymbidium orchid in appreciation of his service as society president.

The business meeting was adjourned at 2:15 p.m. The board of directors met briefly to elect officers for 2012. The new officers are:

President: Jeffrey Vaillant
Vice-president: Diana Wild
Treasurer: Laura Lee Karp
Recording secretary: Lisa Gorrell
Corresponding secretary: Karen Tracy Lemelin

2012 Board of Directors

Photographs courtesy of Shannon Reese and Tom Gesner, 1/21/2012, Oakland, California.


Copyright © 2012 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library

Annual Business Meeting Postponed One Week

Saturday, January 21, 2012
1:00 p.m.

California Genealogical Society Library
2201 Broadway, Suite LL2
Oakland, CA 94612

The bylaws of the California Genealogical Society specify that the regular January membership meeting shall be the Annual Business Meeting "at which time the annual budget shall be adopted and all appropriate business presented."

This year's meeting will be postponed one week to avoid the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend. The Annual Business Meeting will be held on Saturday, January 21, 2012, at 1:00 p.m.


President Steve Harris will preside over the meeting. Agenda items will include:

• treasurer's report from Laura Lee Karp and approval of the society budget
• report from the nominating committee by Linda Okazaki, nominations and election of new board members
• brief committee reports
• remarks from the president

Following the meeting there will be a member reception and refreshments in the Sherman Room.

In addition, the library will hold a used book sale from 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Library Committee volunteer Arlene Miles reports some great bargains among the wide variety of used genealogy books and periodicals set aside for the sale. Donated books continue to be a welcome source of materials in the library and the society is selling those which are duplicates of items already on our shelves and some which do not meet the strict collection policy. Proceeds are used to purchase more books.



Copyright © 2011 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library

Wordless Wednesday

California Genealogical Society Table 

Family History Day at the State Archives

Sacramento, California

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Directors Craig Manson, Diana Wild and President Stephen Harris

To view many photos from the event, see Last Book of Photo Memories at the Family History Day at the State Archives blog.

Photograph courtesy of Steve Harris.

Copyright © 2011 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library

October Family History Month: Lots of Bay Area Choices in 2011

October 2011 events have been published on the San Francisco Bay Area Genealogy Calendar – a collection of local genealogical society classes, workshops and meetings within a 75 mile radius of San Francisco.

With many societies and libraries planning events for October Family History Month, the calendar lists sixty-four events at various venues around the Bay Area, sponsored by twenty-four different societies and genealogy libraries.

Both sessions of the Fall Beginning Genealogy Series continue. This is the fourth year that CGS has partnered with the Oakland Regional Family History Center to offer the classes for Family History Month.

CGS members Nicka Smith and Vernester Sheeler are organizers of the African American Genealogical Society of Northern California's Black Family History Day on Saturday, October 8, 2011, from 2:00 – 5:00 p.m. at the Oakland Regional Family History Center.

The California Genealogical Society will be an exhibitor at the 13th Annual Family History Day at the State Archives in Sacramento on Saturday, October 15, 2011. CGS President Stephen Harris will be heading up our delegation. We gratefully acknowledge Denise Richmond of RootCellar–Sacramento Genealogical Society for her assistance with our arrangements. Denise and Sandy Benward are the authors of the Family History Day at the California State Archives blog where you can find full information about the event schedule, speakers and exhibitors.

Be sure to check the calendar and decide which October Family History Month events you will attend!


Copyright © 2011 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library

More New York City Research with Steve Harris - Saturday, February 12, 2011

Saturday, Feb 12, 2011
1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

California Genealogical Society and Library
2201 Broadway, Suite LL2
Oakland, California 94612

New York City Research Part II - Naturalizations, Probate Files, and Directories

If you are like the majority of Americans, at least one of your ancestors spent time in New York City.

Just over a year ago Steve Harris presented his first NYC workshop to rave reviews. Now he's back with a second installment – this time on using naturalization records, probate records, and city directories to research your New York City ancestors in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Attendees will also have access to Steve's large personal library of New York City telephone and city directories after the workshop.

The workshop is FREE for CGS members but is limited to twenty people. There is a sign-up fee of $20 for non-members. (This fee is non-refundable and can be applied toward membership on the day of the workshop.)

Register online.

Dr. Stephen Harris is a consulting genealogist with extensive experience assisting clients with their family histories. Born in Brooklyn, he has deep roots in New York City, but the siren call of California was too strong to resist. Steve is president of the California Genealogical Society and Library. His office and 6,000-volume research library are in Oakland, just down the hall from CGS.


Copyright © 2010 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library

Annual Meeting, Book Sale & Volunteer Appreciation Reception - January 8, 2011

The Annual Business Meeting of the California Genealogical Society will be held on Saturday, January 8, 2011, at 1:00 p.m., at the CGS Library, 2201 Broadway at 22nd, Suite LL2, Oakland. Please join President Stephen Harris who will be making his first report to the society.

The agenda includes brief committee reports, approval of the society budget, the annual election of new board members, a brief review of 2010 and some details of upcoming 2011 programs.

In addition to the meeting, the library will hold a used book sale from 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Library Committee volunteer Arlene Miles reports that there are some great bargains among the wide variety of used genealogy books and periodicals set aside for the sale. Donated books continue to be a welcome source of materials in the library and the society is selling those which are duplicates of items already on our shelves and some which do not meet the strict collection policy. Proceeds are used to purchase more books!

Last, but not least, refreshments will be served during a reception after the meeting. It is the annual "Volunteer Appreciation" get-together. Please come and thank our members who donate their time to do the work of the society.


Copyright © 2010 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library

Encore presentation - New York City: Insider's Guide to Research by Steve Harris

Sunday, June 27, 2010
1:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. (Doors open at 12:30 p.m.)

Oakland Regional Family History Center
4766 Lincoln Avenue, Oakland, CA 94602

If you are like the majority of Americans, at least one of your ancestors spent time in New York City. This encore presentation will focus on techniques for researching New York City ancestors in the 19th and 20th centuries using the internet, local resources, and on-site research in New York City itself. We will explore the wealth of online material accessible on NYC Web sites as well as that hidden deep within Ancestry.com and other subscription services. Attendees are encouraged to bring laptop computers, as the library has free wi-fi.

Program:
Part one from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Hands-on time on computers 3:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Part two from 4:00 - 5:30 p.m. 

Steve Harris is a consulting genealogist with extensive experience assisting clients with their family histories. Born in Brooklyn, he has deep roots in New York City, but the siren call of California was too strong to resist.  Steve is president of the California Genealogical Society and Library. His office and 6,000-volume research library are in Oakland, just down the hall from CGS.

Sponsored with the San Francisco Bay Area Jewish Genealogical Society.



 Copyright © 2010 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library

Feedback From the New York City Research Workshop

CGSL blog roving reporter and photographer Tim Cox sent word that Steve Harris "did a wonderful job" at last Saturday's New York City: Insider's Guide to Research workshop. He sent photos and added, "Everyone enjoyed the class and they want more!" 

Tim sent this summary of the feedback forms:

• Participants in the class: 16
• CGS members in the class: 12
• Non-members in the class: 4
• Feedback forms submitted: 10
• Most people heard about the class via eNews.
• Length of the class (4 hrs.) seemed to be enough time, but they were left wanting more information.

The New York City research workshop was one of a series that the society has sponsored, focusing on research aids: Digital Photography, Using Land Records, publishing: Microsoft Word Skills, Hints on Publishing, and on specific locales: Eastern Europe, Scandinavia.

Tim and Carolyn Steinberg are the members of the CGS Events Committee who have been coordinating the workshops and they have been doing an outstanding job. They oversee every aspect – from the scheduling and planning phase all the way to set up, check in, clean up and reporting on attendance and evaluations. So it's accolades all around – to Carolyn, Tim and to Steve.

And, by the way, the Events Committee is busy finalizing the 2010 calendar. Here's a preview of some of the programs being planned:

• Tech Saturday Sessions starting in January
• The Successful Research Trip: Lessons Learned on the Road by Mary Mettler
  
• Tour of Mountain View Cemetery
• Chinese-American Research Workshop
• Hispanic Research Workshop
  

I'll be posting details here as the programs are finalized so stay tuned!

Photographs courtesy of Tim Cox, 12/12/2009, Oakland, California.

New York City: Insider's Guide to Research

A CGS Workshop with Steve Harris
Saturday, December 12, 2009
10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

California Genealogical Society Library
2201 Broadway, Suite LL2
Oakland, California

If you are like the majority of Americans, at least one of your ancestors spent time in New York City. Dr. Stephen Harris has an insider's knowledge of the many helpful data sources and indexes that are available for your NYC research. This workshop will focus on techniques for researching New York City ancestors in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries using the Internet, local resources and on-site research in the Big Apple. We will explore the wealth of online material accessible on NYC websites as well as that hidden deep within Ancestry.com and other subscription services.

Steve is also making his personal library of city directories for New York available for use by workshop participants.

Attendees are encouraged to bring laptop computers - the library has free Wi-Fi and the six CGS computers may not all be available for the program.

Bring a brown bag for lunch or, if you prefer, there is a nearby deli where you can buy a sandwich and bring it back to the library.

The workshop is FREE for CGS members but is limited to fifteen people. There is a sign-up fee of $10 for non-members. (This fee is non-refundable and can be applied toward membership on the day of the workshop.) Reservations are required - download the registration flier.

Steve Harris is a consulting genealogist with extensive experience assisting clients with their family histories. Born in Brooklyn, he has deep roots in New York City, but the siren call of California was too strong to resist. Steve is vice-president of the California Genealogical Society and Library. His office and 6,000-volume research library are in Oakland, just down the hall from CGS.


Photograph by Kathryn M. Doyle, 10/21/2009, Oakland, California.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday
Website Committee Meeting
Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Photographs courtesy of Kathryn M. Doyle, Oakland, California.

Family Stories to Help You Break Down Your Brick Walls – September 12, 2009

September Membership Meeting
Saturday, September 12, 2009
1:00 p.m.
CGS Library
2201 Broadway, Suite LL2, Oakland, California

It's story time at the California Genealogical Society Library but these won't be the bedtime variety. Four active CGS members have interesting tales to tell and each is a lesson of discovery that helped them loosen some of those proverbial bricks.

Lorna Wallace will present Buckingham's Letter – how a twenty year search ended because of what someone said in the CGS Library. She'll tell what happened that day and how it changed her research.

Tom Gesner will offer Name That Man: Who Was Mr. Ross? – how a fiftieth wedding anniversary announcement from 1912 led to an action plan guaranteed to find a missing identity. He'll explain what happened and why he did a lot of unnecessary work.

Mary Beth Frederick will share the search for a surname for her great -great-grandmother – The Long and Winding Road to Anne E. She'll tell the story of what she found in a cemetery that made her more determined than ever.

Steve Harris will relate brief vignettes with brick wall solutions using familiar sources in unfamiliar ways. He’ll share his own personal tips and tricks on researching and what can be done when we think we may have come upon a brick wall.

Please note that the short membership meeting starts promptly at 1:00 p.m. The presentations follow at 1:30 p.m. There will time for questions and answers. Seating is limited so please arrive early. Meetings are open to everyone but non-members pay a $5.00 users fee to enter the library. (Or come and become a member of CGS!)

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday
May Membership Meeting
Saturday, May 9, 2009
CGS Vice-President Steve Harris

Photograph courtesy of Tim Cox, Oakland, California, 5/9/2009.

What You Missed: The January Annual Business Meeting

With a nod to Miriam Robbins Midkiff and her "What You Missed" posts at the Eastern Washington Genealogical Society Blog (Miriam always says that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery), I'm reprinting the minutes of Annual Business Meeting. Very special thanks to Shirley Pugh Thomson, CGS Recording Secretary who submitted these minutes as her last act as she departs the board of directors.

The annual business meeting was called to order by President Jane Lindsey at 1:00 p.m. She distributed copies of minutes of the January 12, 2008, annual business meeting to the approximately fifty-five members attending and introduced the Board of Directors of 2008.

Vice President Verne Deubler provided copies of the proposed $118,750 budget for 2009, discussed various elements of it and pointed to the need to constrain expenses in the coming year. ACTION: Resolved, seconded, passed: That the 2009 budget is adopted as presented.

Nominating Committee chair Chris Pattillo presented the list of nominees for seats on the Board of Directors: Kathryn Doyle and Chris Pattillo, for second terms, and Stephen Harris, Cathy Paris, Carolyn Steinberg and Diana Wild for first terms. ACTION: Resolved, seconded, passed: That those people nominated for directorships are hereby elected. Directors
leaving the Board in January 2009 are Jane Hufft, Laura Spurrier and Shirley Thomson. Following the election, Jane briefly described plans being considered for revisions in directors’ areas of responsibility in 2009.

Activities of the various committees were reported by chairs Bill O’Neil, Lorna Wallace, Carolyn Steinberg, Chris Pattillo, Laura Spurrier, Sandy Fryer, Linda Darby, Kathryn Doyle, Nancy Peterson, Marianne Frey, Nancy Servin and Jane Lindsey.

Jane described a wide variety of events and activities being planned for the coming year and urged that members keep up to date on such matters by frequent visits to the CGS Web site and the CGS blogspot.

The meeting adjourned at 2:30 p.m.
Shirley Pugh Thomson, Recording Secretary

Questions? Leave a comment and I'll be glad to elaborate on any aspect of the annual meeting.

New in the City Directory Library

Steve Harris sent this update.

CGS board member and consulting genealogist Steve Harris recently added 1,000 more city directories to the 6,000 city and telephone directories already in his research library. Included are 650 California directories from all over the state.

Update: These city and telephone directories are now incorporated into our main library.  See post from May 2015 for current details on the collection.

Ranging from the 1860s to the 1970s, the directories have numerous applications to genealogy, including tracking individuals and families through time and finding addresses for census look-ups.

The Library of Congress system is used to catalog the collection. A complete listing of Steve's holdings was compiled by CGS volunteer Nancy Servin. The list follows the shelf sequence: by region of country, then statewide directories, countywide directories, and finally directories for specific cities.

Most of the directories are shelved in Steve’s office just down the hall from CGS.

Update: These city and telephone directories are now incorporated into our main library.  See post from May 2015 for current details on the collection.

All of his California directories are located in a second space dubbed "The Annex." Note that the California Genealogical Society also has city directories, with almost-complete runs for San Francisco and Oakland.

Steve's city directory collection is open to members on two days every month: the second Saturday and the third Friday. Members are to check in at the CGS desk first. From there they will be directed to Steve's library. Dr. Stephen Harris can be reached at wizard848@earthlink.net.

Photographs by Kathryn M. Doyle

Steve’s Blog About the Annual Meeting

The California Genealogical Society Annual Membership Meeting was held yesterday at the CGS library - the first of the yearly January "state of the society" gatherings to be held at our Broadway address. In addition to the various committee reports and election of board officers, President Jane Lindsey reported on the planned events for 2008 and presented a history of the society slide show created by Colleen Huntley.

Among the approximately 60 members in attendance was Stephen Danko, who is creating a national name for himself with his excellent Polish research blog. Steve brought his camera to the meeting and has posted a wonderful report with photos on Steve’s Genealogy Blog today.

Update: Steve Danko also visited and blogged about the Stephen G. Harris City Directory Collection which is adjacent to the CGS library.

Steve Harris - Collector of City Directories & Phone Books

Sometimes the best reason to belong to your local genealogical society is the help you can get from fellow members. It can be as simple as the clarity achieved just by speaking a research problem out loud to a willing listener or being able to informally consult with members who have the expertise you lack and are willing to share their resources. But Dr. Stephen Harris took sharing to a whole new level when he made his collection of city directories and telephone books available to CGS members.


Steve, who has a doctorate in psychology from U.C. Berkeley, worked for the Contra Costa County health department and is now semi-retired. He is also a CGS member and professional genealogist whose interest in family history dates back to the Oakland hills fire of October 1991. When Steve lost his home he also lost all of the family documents that he inherited from his parents. He admits he hadn't paid much attention to them before but after they were destroyed he began to wonder if it was possible to replace them and to reconstruct the history of his family. Things just took off from there.


Steve started his collection when he rescued some old phone books that were being discarded by an archive. He has found that most libraries don't like them because they are so fragile and that while city directories have been extensively microfilmed, telephone books seldom are. His collection, which now numbers over 5000 volumes, dating from the mid 1850's to the 1960s, is housed in a space down the hall from CGS in the lower level of 2201 Broadway, Oakland.

Dr. Harris has generously granted CGS members access to his collection two days every month: the second Saturday and the third Friday. Members are to check in at the CGS desk first. From there they will be directed to Steve's library. Dr. Stephen Harris can be reached at wizard848@earthlink.net.

Photographs by Kathryn M. Doyle, 27 Apr 2007.