Uniquely Ours: The California Names Index

Member volunteers have donated thousands of hours painstakingly indexing and abstracting records held by the society to create the California Names Index – an enormous and unique database on our website. Currently there are more than 350,000 names in the index from state, county, and local references. It is an ongoing project and names are added regularly.

Surname searches of the index are free. Search results yield a full name and an Index Code which identifies the type of source material we have for that individual. If your ancestors or relatives appear in the Names Index, you can order copies of the original records from our Lookups Committee. (Members receive a discount for this service.)

Are you missing a nineteenth century ancestor? During the Gold Rush years, the population of a place called California exploded as immigrants poured into the territory from around the world. Take a chance and search the California Names Index. Be sure to leave a comment if you get a hit!

–Written for the Third Edition of the Carnival of Genealogical Societies: Uniquely Us.


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

Workshop: Using Microsoft PowerPoint 2007 for Your Genealogy Presentations

Saturday, August 7, 2010
1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

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

PowerPoint 2007 is a powerful presentation tool that allows you to create professional looking presentations and have fun doing it!

In this workshop, Kathy Watson will show you how to:

• navigate around the ribbon and know where things are located
• create and save presentations
• work with tabs and tools to insert elements and style them as you want
• choose a theme

and more!

You will get hands-on practice by working on some instructor-created exercises. If you don't bring your laptop to class you can partner with someone and try the exercises at home.

Skill level: beginner to intermediate.

This workshop is limited to fifteen participants and one of the free benefits for CGS members. Non-members fee is $20.00 (non-refundable) and can be applied towards membership on the day of the workshop.

Preregistration is required. Walk-ins will not be admitted.

Register online.


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

Update From the French-Canadian Special Interest Group

One of the upcoming summer Thursday night discussions will be devoted to all thing French-Canadian.

On Thursday, July 22, 2010, Mary Beth Frederick will facilitate a discussion about French-Canadian research resources. She will be available to provide help for non-French-speakers about commonly used words and to converse about the format of French-Canadian birth, marriage and death records. Attendees are encouraged to bring their problem documents.

The session will be held from 6:30 p.m. - 8:15 p.m. at the CGS library. Participants of all levels of research experience are welcome to network and join the conversation.

SIG organizer Lorna Jones sent word that future meetings of the French-Canadian group are planned for Saturday mornings: October 9, 2010 and January 8, 2011.


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

Workshop: How to Conduct Oral Histories with Nancy Thompson

Saturday, August 14, 2010
1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

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

Nancy Thompson will conduct a three-hour interactive workshop on how to conduct oral histories. Discussion topics will include interviewing techniques, transcribing and editing tips, using photographs and other family memorabilia, incorporating relevant social history, using different multimedia options (book, CD, video, DVD, websites), and archiving oral histories.

This workshop is limited to thirty participants and is a free benefit of membership. A non-refundable fee of  $20.00 will be charged to non-members (can be applied towards a CGS membership only on the day of the workshop.) Walk-ins will not be admitted. Preregistration is required.

Register online.

Nancy Thompson is an Oakland native, an award-winning oral historian, filmmaker, and writer. She is the director and producer of a 12-minute documentary titled Mrs. Brown’s Beauty - A Story of Art and Inspiration. Produced in 2006, the film has been screened at film festivals in Oakland, San Francisco, and Atlanta. She is the author of Pioneering Spirits – A Legacy of Courage (2009), The Life and Art of Inez Brown (2009), The Artwork of Inez Brown (2005), and The Turner Family History (2003). Nancy was an interviewer for the Friends of Negro Spirituals Oral History Project, In Our Own Words: The Negro Spirituals Heritage Keepers and she has recorded her family history with the Story Corps’ Griot Project and the Museum of the African Diaspora’s Share Your Stories Project. Nancy earned a B.A. degree in sociology/economics from Mills College in Oakland and a J.D. degree from Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco.


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

eNews July 2010, volume 4, number 7

The July 2010 issue of the eNews, volume 4, number 7, has been published and emailed to members and friends. As always, the eNews features timely information about the California Genealogical Society and our upcoming events. Each edition also includes Suggested Links From the Blogosphere and a photo feature: California Ancestors.

This month I submitted one of my own ancestor photographs. A tintype of my gg-grandmother, Mary Ann "Mollie" Glant Briggs.

Mary Ann "Mollie" (Glant) Briggs (1848-1880)

All past issues of the eNews are available for viewing at the eNewsARCHIVE.

The August 2010 issue will be emailed on July 31, 2010. To receive a copy, please join our mailing list.

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

Book Donation Policy

The California Genealogical Society Library appreciates donations of books and periodicals that have genealogical content. The generosity of many people has greatly enriched the CGS Library collections in the past. Donations will be gratefully received by the CGS Library Committee and will be reviewed by Committee members, who will make decisions regarding retention.

Desired donations include: family genealogies or family histories; county histories and local histories with biographical sketches of residents; indexes to, or abstracts of, vital records or newspapers; and genealogical periodicals. Works on CD-ROM or microfilm will be accepted if not available in other formats. 

Due to limited shelf space, NOT ALL donated items can be added to the Library collection. Examples include: encyclopedias lacking genealogical content, most biographies or autobiographies of famous persons, general histories, Who’s Who-type publications, works of fiction, photocopied books still under copyright, yearbooks, and many media materials. If received, CGS may give such items to other libraries, exchange them for more desirable works, or sell them in periodic book sales, the proceeds of which help to support Library operations.

Duplicate copies of items already owned by CGS may be retained if they are in better condition than copies currently in use. Small printed items that cannot be catalogued for the book collection may be added to the Surname File.

Donors (when known) will be identified with bookplates inside front covers noting items as gifts. Letters of thanks will be sent to donors, or to their heirs if gifts are from estates. CGS is not allowed by law to appraise or value any donation, but donors are welcome to fill out and sign the Instrument of Gift form for their uses.

Decisions regarding donations of unpublished works, such as scrapbooks, original documents, pedigree charts, correspondence, personal diaries, photographs and photo albums, will be the responsibility of the CGS Archives Committee rather than the Library Committee, or may be made jointly by both committees in special instances.

Donated items become the property of the California Genealogical Society and Library, to be used in whatever way is most beneficial to the Library. CGS reserves the right to withdraw donations from the Library collection if they become obsolete or can be replaced by newer editions. CGS does attempt to extend the useful life of withdrawn materials, whether by exchange, sale, or donation to other collections.

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

Five Ways To Kill Your Genealogy Society

In all of the excitement of Jamboree I neglected to acknowledge the publication of an article that should be a must-read for every genealogical society. Amy Coffin's piece, Five Ways To Kill Your Genealogy Society, is the lead article in the May-June 2010 California State Genealogical Alliance Newsletter.

Amy is the "rock star" author of the highly acclaimed We Tree blog and has a master's degree in library and information science from San Jose State University. She's a new member of the California Genealogical Society and Library and serves on our Publications and Marketing Committee.

I hope Amy doesn't mind me telling that the concept (and title) came from Jane Hufft, Editor of The California Nugget. Amy ran with the idea and wrote it in record time. CSGA Newsletter Editor Peggy Rossi thought it was great and worth sharing with genealogical societies across the state of California. I think it's worth sharing with societies across the planet and if you hurry you can download and read the article and the entire issue. (The Alliance puts the current issue up on their website as a sample so you may get another issue if you read this too far in the future.)

If your society would like permission to reprint Amy's article, email her at amy@amycoffin.com.


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

Thursdays in July and August: An Experiment with Evening Hours!

Events coordinators Tim Cox and Jane Lindsey are excited to announce summer extended research hours at the library designed especially for working members and patrons.

Starting July 8, 2010 and continuing every Thursday through August, the California Genealogical Society Library will be open from 9:00 a.m. until 8:30 p.m. Hours on the two other open days will remain the same: Friday (9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. ) and Saturday (10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.)

In addition, informal evening discussions are planned from 6:30 p.m. - 8:15 p.m. Participants of all levels of research experience are welcome to network and join the conversation. Topics are as follows:

July 8, 2010 – New Tools on Familysearch.org 
Discuss and learn about the site improvements including Record Search Pilot, Indexing, the Wiki, online tutorials and more.

July 15, 2010 – Blogging
Share your favorite gen blogs and discuss how and why blogging can help genealogists. If you have a secret desire to be a blogger, come and ask questions. You’ll get a better understanding of how to get started and how to maintain your blog.

July 22, 2010 – French-Canadian Research
Have documents you can’t translate? Members of the society’s French-Canadian Special Interest Group will share their tips and expertise. Facilitator: Mary Beth Frederick.

July 29, 2010 – Using NewEnglandAncestors.org 
Helpful tips will be shared to more effectively use this subscription site. Facilitator: Tom Gesner.
RSVP for Using NewEnglandAncestors.org

August 5, 2010 – Whippersnappers 2.0
Born in the 70s or 80s? This session is for you! This is an invitation to our younger members and friends to get together and share ideas on how the society can be more helpful to your research. Hint: if you remember disco you're too old for this meeting. Facilitators: Jennifer Jones Regan and Gabrielle Kojder.
RSVP for Whippersnappers 2.0.

August 12, 2010 – Hispanic/Latino Research
Share ideas for effective research in Spanish-speaking countries. Discuss the Spanish record extraction process. Bring your questions and your favorite resources. Facilitator: Ellen Fernandez-Sacco.
RSVP for Hispanic/Latino Research.

August 19, 2010 – German Research
Have you been putting off your German research? Join a discussion about resources, which sites are best and how to find towns in Germany. Experienced researchers will help you gain the confidence you need to get started. Facilitator: Jane Knowles Lindsey.
RSVP for German Research.

August 26, 2010 – Using Roots Magic
Bring your questions and ask the group for advice on how to perform tasks, run reports, create charts, or overcome obstacles you are experiencing with RootsMagic4. Power users will be there to help solve your dilemmas. Facilitator: Tim Cox.
RSVP for Using Roots Magic.

Details are still being worked out and facilitators are being identified for each discussion session.

BYO dinner or buy something nearby. If you plan to drive, metered spaces in Oakland are free after 6:00 p.m. but they fill up fast. Traveling in by BART is easier – get off at the 19th Street station. Group discussions will end by 8:15 p.m. to allow for everyone to walk to BART together before dark.

We would love your feedback. Do any of these topics appeal to you? Will extended summer hours entice you to spend some time with us?


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

San Francisco Bay Area Genealogy Calendar: July 2010 Published

July 2010 meetings and events have been posted to the San Francisco Bay Area Genealogy Calendar. The calendar is a collection of local genealogical society events – seminars, classes, workshops and meetings – within a 75 mile radius of San Francisco.

More than thirty genealogy programs will be offered during the month of July.

If you would like your group's events added to the calendar, please email the information by the 20th of each month for publication on the 25th. (Put "SFBA Calendar" in the subject line.)


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

The California Nugget, Volume II, Issue 1

Writing, editing, formatting and printing of the Spring 2010 edition of The California Nugget is complete and copies should be arriving at members' homes any day. Kudos to Editor Jane Hufft and Production Editor Lois Elling for another outstanding issue!

You'll notice right away that the cover color has changed – the plan is to use a different one for each year. The Editor's message from Jane explains:

For 2010 both issues will have green covers, signaling freshness, renewal, and growth in the articles and information we present for our readers. May this inspire your research to bloom!

The cover article is an informative and entertaining piece by Thomas MacEntee: The Day Grandma Fran Got On Facebook: Why the World Didn't End and Why It Was a Good Thing. Thomas is a "far-flung" member of the California Genealogical Society who lives in Chicago.

TABLE of CONTENTS
Twenty-First Century Genealogy 
The Day Grandma Fran Got On Facebook by Thomas MacEntee
California Ancestors: Our New Look by Kathryn Doyle
Finding the Laughran Sisters - Part II by Jane Hufft

California Ancestors 

Alonzo Marston and Eliza Jackson: Struggles and Survival of a California Family by Ronald Cannon

Louis Schwoerer and Sophia Henrietta Schlechtweg: Pioneers of Murphys, Calaveras County by Barry F. Schwoerer and Lori Schwoerer

For Our Readers
The CGS Calendar
Recent Acquisitions in the Library
News from the Society 
New Members
Research Trip to Salt Lake City 
Index

The California Nugget is a benefit of membership in the California Genealogical Society. It is published twice a year.


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