New Website Launched

The CGS Website Development Team has launched the new CGS website, with a new look and several new user-friendly features. Here is what you will see the next time you visit the site.

The menu bar across the top should be familiar. You can use the pull-down menus to access the content you are used to finding on our website. The SEARCH box at the top right has been improved to search our entire site–much more than it used to. Members can also LOGIN from the top menu bar.

We are pleased to  prominently feature several ancestor photos on the new website home page. To see more ancestor photos, just click on any of these images; that will take you to the Members’ Ancestors photos page, where you can hover over an image to see the name of the person and/or who submitted it.

To the right of the three Ancestor Photos you will see a list of upcoming events. These will be updated regularly. You can scroll through the list and click on an image to go to the Eventbrite listing where you can register for an upcoming event.

Just below the photos you will see three large boxes: CLASSES & EVENTS, VISIT OUR LIBRARY, and SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS, each with a short description and links to the pages where you can read more details. Below that are three more large boxes.

From here you can view photos of CGS PAST EVENTS, go directly to the BLOG, or DISCOVER what’s new in downtown Oakland near our library, including a list of places to eat within one block.

Beneath that are three small GOLD boxes that link to CGS videos, let you sign up for our free E-news, or hire a researcher.

There is lots more, including some new features at the bottom of the home page. The SHOP page has been expanded to include the swag items that are for sale at the library. SUPPORT CGS/DONATE is new and explains different the ways you can help our society thrive. LEAVE US A SUGGESTION is also new. Feel free to make comments about the new website or any other topic. Your suggestions will go directly to the website team and be addressed. You will also find a link to our entire CALENDAR at the lower left. 

You should find that the new site works much better than the old site did on phones. To report technical problems with the website look for the message at the very bottom and click on the link to the Webmaster. Also, note that in the lower right corner there is a link to our Sitemap. Clicking on this link will show you an outline of everything that is on the site.

The website team has worked very hard to complete this update. We thank everyone who has reviewed our content and offered suggestions and ideas for improvement. We hope you find what you are looking for easily and like the new look. 

Copyright © 2020 by California Genealogical Society

Chinese American Pilgrimage in Historic Marysville, February 22 and 23

Photo by Jay Nixon - copyright Bok Kai Festival

The Chinese American Pioneer Heritage Committee hosts its third annual Chinese American pilgrimage to coincide with the Marysville Bok Kai Parade and Festival, celebrating the Lunar New Year on the weekend of February 22 and 23. The weekend’s activities include in-depth panels, activities, and exhibits on Chinese American culture, history, and genealogy.

The historic town of Marysville, in Yuba County, was at one time home to the second largest Chinatown in the United States. It was a hub for Chinese Americans who built the infrastructure of California—railroads, roads, wineries, mines, delta levees, water and irrigation systems and agricultural farmlands. The town’s Bok Kai Temple, founded in 1854 by Chinese migrants who came to work in the gold mines, is the oldest continuously operating Taoist Temple in the country, and the annual Marysville Bok Kai Parade and Festival, celebrating its 140^th anniversary this year, is the longest continuously held parade in California. 

This year’s theme is “Lost Chinatowns,” remembering the nearly 100 communities destroyed because of anti-Chinese laws, racial violence, and economic displacement. “Join us as we rediscover the lost Chinese American communities of Pacific Grove/ Monterey, San Jose, and Stockton,” say the organizers.  Two days of extended cultural programming include a Chinese American Documentary Film Festival, walking tours of the historic old Chinatown, demonstrations of early Chinese immigrant cooking, historic photo exhibits, musical and theatrical performances.  The historic Bok Kai Temple, Old Chinese School Museum and Chinese American Museum of Northern California are all open to visitors this weekend. A Saturday Pioneer Dinner honors and networks with community leaders and activists.

Sunday is a full day of history panels and workshops. Organizers discuss the sharing and recording of family stories, genealogical research, historical memory, and community history.  Learn about the exciting work being done to digitally recreate our historic communities and change the face of how public history is done. Historian David Lei will display a multimedia digital mapping of 1905 San Francisco Chinatown.  University of the Pacific history professor Jennifer Helgren and her team demonstrate their virtual reality recreation of Stockton’s “Little Manila.” Brian Tom shares the history of the Chinese American Marysville pioneer families and descendants. There is a screening of Felicia Lowe’s award-winning documentary, “Chinese Couplets,” which explores the impact that the Chinese Exclusion Act had on her family. The day concludes with the traditional firing of the bombs and the chance to catch a “good fortune” ring at the Bomb Day festivities.

Special hotel rates are available in nearby Yuba City and Wheatland. For complete details, see the Eventbrite listing.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/marysville-bokkai-festival-chinese-american-pilgrimage-lost-chinatowns-tickets-91246218897

Copyright © 2020 by California Genealogical Society

Update: USCIS comment period extended to February 10

You may have heard that U.S. Customs and Immigration Services (USCIS) is proposing to exponentially increase fees for retrieval of their genealogy records. In some cases this would mean raising costs as much as 500 percent. We wrote about this previously in our blog. USCIS is the repository for most immigration and naturalization records from the late 19th to the mid-20th century. The proposal has drawn protests from historians and genealogists and even from some Congressional members, most notably Senator Mitt Romney. 

Alien Registration File for Raymond Hiroshi Hirai, Alien Registration #A1740872,
Records of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Photo courtesy of Rina Hirai.

The deadline to submit public comments on the issue was originally December 2019. Now USCIS has extended the deadline for public comments to February 10, 2020. The folks at Records, Not Revenue recently announced the extension of the deadline and offered the following advice:

"We have four steps for you to take right now to help us oppose the fee hike:

1) If you haven't yet submitted a comment, please do so. All the information you need to know is at http://recordsnotrevenue.com/. Submit your comments at: https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=USCIS-2019-0010-10938

2) Once you have submitted a comment, or if you have already done so in the past, please make sure you write your Senators and Representative! We have received interest from several Congressional offices, and hope this two-week extension can gain us some further interest.

3) If you have submitted a comment AND written your Senators and Representative, you are welcome to submit supplementary comments! There is no need to submit repeat or duplicative comments. If your comment has not yet posted to the online portal, but you received email confirmation and/or a receipt number from your previous comment, there is no need to submit the same comment again. However, you are welcome to add additional thoughts to your previous comments; just be sure to include reference to your previous comment in your supplementary comment.

4) Share share share! Make sure your spouse and your siblings and your parents, cousins, neighbors all submit a comment, too. About 20% of the current posted comments are about the Genealogy Program - and that takes up just 2 pages of the 92-page proposed rule. Every single comment matters. Download the one-pager from our website for an easily shareable document.

As always, let us know if you have questions, if you hear anything from your elected officials, or if we can help in any way."

________

CGS has made a formal statement of opposition to the proposed fee increase. Board members Linda Okazaki and Grant Din are our representatives with the committee. If you haven't yet weighed in on the issue, this is your chance!

Copyright © 2019 by California Genealogical Society

CGS Member Perks: A Visit to the Oakland Library History Room

Photos by Kathy Ikeda and Jennifer Dix

Librarian Dorothy Lazard in the Oakland History Room

One of the many perks that come with being a member of the California Genealogical Society is getting to go on special members-only outings every year. On January 23, a group of us got a close-up look at the Oakland Public Library’s historical and genealogical holdings. The delightful Dorothy Lazard, principal librarian at the Oakland History Room, gave us an introduction to the library’s rich trove of books and artifacts.

The History Room holds numerous documents that could prove invaluable for local genealogical research. These include bound volumes of Oakland birth and death certificates from 1870 to 1904, records of the West Oakland Home orphanage, Oakland Police arrest records from 1877 to 1912, indexes to vital records and cemeteries in several other counties, numerous old photos, and much more. For details, check out the old-fashioned card catalog, housed in good old wooden storage drawers (the library catalog is also online).

The library has some very detailed resources for property research in the Map Room. Dorothy passed around the oversized “Block Books,” tax assessment records showing owners’ names block by block. They also have a finely detailed Sanborn Fire Insurance Map, which showed the footprint of buildings and recorded physical details such as building material, number of floors, whether it has a basement, etc. Dorothy showed us that by backlighting pages, you may detect previous structures that were pasted over during later surveys.

Looking at the Sanborn Fire Insurance Map in the Map Room

Dorothy demonstrates how backlighting may reveal
earlier elements of the map

Dorothy gave us a brief overview of Oakland’s history. West Oakland is the original core of the city that was incorporated as Oakland in 1854. It grew quickly over the next half century and by 1909 was the second largest city in California. We got a rundown on the origins of the annexed districts: for example, Brooklyn was originally settled by Mormons and named for the ship that brought the settlers from New York in 1854; the San Antonio neighborhood takes its name from the old Peralta family ranch. The glass display case in the History Room is used for rotating exhibits. Currently it showcases Oakland’s final annexation in 1909, when the city came to encompass Claremont, Fruitvale, Dimond, Fitchburg, Beulah, Melrose and Elmhurst districts.

While only a fraction of the library's historical collection is available online, there's still a lot to see. Go to the library's home page and click on "Oakland History Online" to start exploring. Our thanks to Dorothy Lazard for the wonderful tour and to Jane Lindsey for organizing the event. Our next two outings are coming up soon! Click on the names below for more information:

Feb. 25: Field Trip to the California Historical Society

March 21: "The Naughty and Notorious Tour of Mountain View Cemetery"

All smiles after an informative and enjoyable visit!

Copyright © 2020 by California Genealogical Society

February Classes and Events

 

No Valentine-themed events this month, but we're still sure you'll LOVE our selection of lectures, classes, and other events. 

We start off with our FREE "Intro to Genealogy" class, Saturday, February 1. This month, Dick Rees gives tips on "Using the Census."

Then it's on to more adventures:

February 8: On the Road Again: Practical Tips for Successful On-Site Research

Pam Brett discusses how a well-planned on-site research trip will increase your chances of answering your most perplexing research questions and enhance understanding of the lives of your ancestors. 

February 19: Intermediate Record Series

Lisa Gorrell kicks off her popular five-week course for those ready to go beyond vital records and the census. This intermediate class will focus on court records, church records, emigration/immigration and naturalization, land and property records, and demonstrate how to find these records both on and off line.

February 22: Photo Scanning Workshop

Ron Madson leads a hands-on photo scanning class using a PC or MAC to assist you in scanning documents for use with genealogical projects. 

February 25: Field Trip to California Historical Society

(CGS members only) CHS reference and outreach librarian Frances Kaplan will describe the Society's diverse holdings and share selected materials for our perusal. 

AND: Planning ahead? You can still register for our May trip to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City!

Don't forget our Special Interest Groups!
All our events can be found listed on our website
Or at the CGS Facebook page
Or at EventBrite.com (search for "California Genealogical Society")


Copyright © 2020 by California Genealogical Society

Report from the Annual Membership Meeting: New Board Members and More

We held our Annual Membership Meeting last Saturday, January 11, and were happy to see a good turnout for the election of Board members and reports from our various committees. Among the items covered were the new website, soon to be launched; the Society's current financial health; and upcoming events and classes.

President Jim Sorenson made some short remarks and noted that while we here in Oakland often refer to the California Genealogical Society "and Library," our organization's legal name has been and remains simply the California Genealogical Society for business purposes.

We thanked Past President Vicky Kolakowski for her service, and gratitude was also extended to departing Board members Felicia Addison and Nancy Cork. Then membership voted in the new slate of nominees: Jim Sorenson, who has been serving as interim President since July, was confirmed as the new Board President, and Maureen Hanlon as Vice President. We also confirmed three new nominees to the Board. Meet Grant Din, Theresa Murphy, and Joanna Shear:

Grant Din

Grant Din has been interested in genealogy ever since a cousin told him forty years ago that he was in the 36th generation of Gongs! Since that time, he has researched his and many families' immigration histories, including when he was on the staff of the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation. He has worked in the Bay Area nonprofit sector his entire adult life. He completed Boston University's Certificate Program in Genealogical Research in 2015 and enjoyed being a part of the team that researched the six Chinese seamen who survived the Titanic for the film "The Six."

Theresa Murphy

 Theresa Murphy has been researching her ancestry since 2016 when she traveled to Ireland to visit her family's homelands and meet newly found cousins. She has been a member of CGS since 2018. Since joining CGS, she expanded her research to her New England ancestry with the help of one of our members. Theresa is a native of Oakland and spent her professional career as a CPA in auditing, consulting, and systems implementations—skills which have proven invaluable in genealogy research. She is currently serving on the Website Committee, assisting in the development of our new website, and is teaching a workshop on creating a family history book.

Joanna Shear

 Joanna Shear joins the Board Officers as Corresponding Secretary. She was born in Boston, grew up in Missouri, and landed in the Bay Area 21 years ago. A member of CGS since 2016, she has a BS in physics from Indiana University, an MSE in industrial engineering from Georgia Tech, and has completed Boston University's Certificate Program in Genealogical Research. She was first drawn to genealogy by an unknown name on a mysterious engraved silver chalice, which led to a reunion for family separated by the Holocaust. Eleven years down the road, she is deep into the history of her Jewish ancestors as they moved within Europe and emigrated to other continents. She now also uses DNA to go beyond the documentation and trace new family connections. As her research for family and others has grown into new areas, so has her dedication to making genealogy open and accessible to all.

We're very excited to have Grant, Theresa, and Joanna on the Board. We know they will bring new perspectives and skills to further advance the Society.

The meeting was followed by a delicious potluck and celebratory cake (thank you, Kathleen Beitiks!), and then several CGS members shared their family memory books—and in one case, a large full-color family tree poster. Chris Pattillo stood by with a watchful eye on her phone timer, making sure presentations were kept to three minutes, and a good time was had by all.


Copyright © 2020 by California Genealogical Society

Our Library Collections: Maps

This Berkeley map can be viewed online

One in a series by CGS member Chris Pattillo, highlighting some of our holdings at the CGS Library in Oakland. For a fuller listing of books, journals, and more, consult the CGS Library catalog in WorldCat.

I began my research for this post by entering “maps” in the Library Catalog that is accessible from our website, which sure is convenient. If you have not tried it you might want to. Doing so could save you time while in the library and it may give you ideas of things to look for that you had not previously considered.

I learned that there are 710 entries for maps available at our library plus 728 articles that contain something about maps.  That’s not counting the many atlases in our collection. We have all sorts of maps including:

·       City, county, state and country maps

·       Traveler and tourist maps

·       Highway and street maps

·       Historical maps

·       Ethnology maps

·       Business and shopper maps

·       Bicentennial maps

·       Genealogical maps, and more

Each entry in the catalog includes a description that includes the name of the publication, a physical description, author, title, language, and something about the contents and subjects shown on the map. It also notes the staff view, OCLC number and identifies the genre of the item–in this case, maps. Scrolling down you find the cartographic mathematical data, i.e., the scale of the map and a few notes. The particular description I happened to open was for a map prepared for the Lowndes Bank, so in this case the notes tell us that the street names are indexed and there is an illustration of the bank.

Marin County, another map viewable online from our catalog

The first listing is Map Guide to the U.S. Federal Censuses, 1790-1920. A description appears with the listing and explains that this map “shows U.S. county boundary maps for the census decades superimposed on modern county boundaries. Gives background information on each census, including census availability for each county…”

Some of the catalog listings include a button labeled "Access online." Selecting this will take you to an image of the map. As an example, the link to the City of Berkeley map takes you to an 1880 Sanborn map of Berkeley which is part of the David Ramsey Map Collection. You can enlarge the map to study the detail and see for example that the campus was labeled “College Homestead” in 1880. Cataloging of the Ramsey collection was done by our very own volunteer Phil Hoehn.

The entry for Metsker’s map of Alameda County, California explains that this map shows “land grant lines, judicial townships, mines, roads, railroads, trails, creeks, rivers, schools, camps, airports, parks, lookouts, and power lines.

Birds-eye view map of Reno, Nevada

The Official Map of Alameda County, California, 1900 links to the Earth Sciences & Map Library at UC Berkeley and divides the county into three sections. Each can be enlarged to study the detail.

I also found a Business Map of San Francisco, 1886 that covers the blocks between Dupont and East Street from Market to Jackson Street. It identifies the business that occupied each parcel of every block in 1886. My great grandfather owned a surgical supplies business that was located on Kearney Street in 1889 so I looked for his business but did not find it. Another time I will look for a later map.

Key system map for Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda and beyond

You will find our physical maps in the flat file cabinet that sits to the right of the door to the classroom. The top few drawers contain large-format family trees. The maps are in the drawers labeled with numbers preceded by “G.” As I looked through the layers of maps a few caught my eye, including a colorful state map of Kentucky and Tennessee where my Stover ancestors are from; another Tennessee map dated 1795 that shows rivers and mountain ranges; a map of Texas Missions and Presidios dated 1760; a birds-eye-view map of Reno, Nevada; a map of San Francisco and the peninsula dated 1869 that depicts shockingly little development; a street map of Oakland from 1930; and a really interesting Key System map of Oakland, Berkeley and Alameda, showing the network of train routes including connections to small grids of streets that represented San Leandro, San Lorenzo and Hayward in 1911. Each of these maps provide a wealth of historic information and many are graphically interesting to study. I’m a bit of a map “junkie,” but I suspect just about anyone could find something of interest in the CGS map case.

State map for Kentucky and Tennessee

Phil Hoehn organized and cataloged our map collection as a member of the Library Committee. We are very lucky to have Phil as one of our many stellar volunteers. Phil is the co-author of Dictionary of Abbreviations and Acronyms in Geographic Information Systems, Cartography, and Remote Sensing, published while Phil worked at the UC Santa Barbara Map and Imagery Laboratory. Phil was also a regular contributor to the Western Association of Map Libraries News and Notes publication. Next time you see Phil be sure to say thank you for his ongoing service to our society!

Genie awards recipients. Phil Hoehn is on far right.

Copyright © 2020 by California Genealogical Society

New in the Library: The Bedecarré Family History

One of the newest additions to our library should be an inspiration to everyone. The Bedecarré Family History begins some 400 years ago in France, with a family named Bedecarrat (later changed to Bedecarré). The book is a hefty one, weighing in at six and a half pounds, and is divided into eight sections that include Ambrose, McKisson, Broomhall, Griffith, Sloyan and Reid relations, plus a section on the patents invented by a G. Griffith.

Bedecarrat family members sail for France, May 1923

 

The Bedecarré line begins circa 1600 with Bernard Bedecarrats-Buru in Esquiule, France, and includes ten generations ending with John Bedecarré, who was born in San Francisco in 1922. John and his wife, Cathy (Reid) Bedecarré worked with John Maestri from Bodega Bay to research and produce the book, published in 2016.

Photos of John and Cathy (Reid) Bedecarré from the book

 

Each section of the book provides background information about the places John's and Cathy’s ancestors lived, with lots of color photos. Biographical information and more photos of individuals from each generation follow. Original documents are included with relevant facts highlighted in red. Each document is clearly dated and labeled and personal signatures are emphasized. The book includes all kinds of documents and historic family photos–people, residences, businesses owned and more.

In reviewing the book, CGS Corresponding Secretary Nancy Cork called it “a uniquely beautiful and informative volume that will not only aid in research, but will also inspire other family historians trying to preserve their own stories. This is a truly lovely creation.”

Family photo from the book

Our library team is currently cataloging the new book and it will be on our shelves soon. The Bedecarré book will be available at the annual meeting on January 11. We invite members to bring a family book you’ve created and share a little about it in a three-minute presentation. It should be fun and informative. After the presentations authors will be available to answer questions.

One of many images from the section on G. Griffith's patents

Copyright © 2020 by California Genealogical Society

Annual Business Meeting & Potluck, Saturday, January 11

Some of the Board and other members at last year's Annual Meeting

The annual CGS business meeting for members will be held Saturday, January 11, CGS library classroom, 11 a.m. Our agenda includes voting on Board of Directors, approval of the 2020 budget and revisions to the bylaws. Members are invited to bring family history books, photos, family trees or other graphic family history exhibits/projects to show and share. Immediately following the meeting all are invited to join us for a potluck lunch (dessert will be provided) and socializing.

Questions? Contact Chris Pattillo.  

Copyright © 2020 by California Genealogical Society

January 2020 classes and events

Happy New Year! We kick off the new year and the new decade with some exciting classes and outings. Don't forget our Members' Business Meeting and potluck on January 11th! Details to follow in a separate post.

Here's what's coming up in January. Preregistration is required for all classes (click on the links to register or for more details).

January 8 - Introduction to DNA and Genetic Genealogy
Mark McLaren leads this six-week course on Wednesday mornings. It's an introduction to DNA as an exciting new tool for genealogists.

January 18 - Getting Started With DNA and Using it for Brick Walls

Sue Severson offers this two-hour seminar on basic DNA concepts, and using DNA data to break through those otherwise impenetrable "brick walls" in your research.

January 23 - Field Trip To Oakland Public Library & Oakland History Room
(CGS members only) Jane Lindsey and Dorothy Lazard lead this tour of the Oakland Main Library's impressive repository of historical and genealogical artifacts.

January 25 - Excel for Genealogists

Stewart Blandón Traiman demonstrates how spreadsheets can help with your genealogical research and record-keeping.

Don't forget our FREE "Intro to Genealogy" classes and monthly meetings of Special Interest Groups! All our events can be found listed on our website

Or at the CGS Facebook page

Or at EventBrite.com (search for "California Genealogical Society")

Copyright © 2020 by California Genealogical Society

Scenes from the CGS holiday party

The annual holiday gathering for CGS volunteers was held December 20. Thanks to Linda Okazaki for hosting us in her beautiful home. Fun to see old friends, meet new ones, and chat about all things genealogical.

Copyright © 2019 by California Genealogical Society

Happy holidays to all - see you in the new year

Photo by Rachel Stallworth/Flickr

Just a reminder that the CGS library is closed this week, December 26-28, and January 2. We look forward to welcoming you back in the new year! May you all enjoy the holiday season.


Copyright © 2019 by California Genealogical Society

Fall 2019 Nugget is here! Plus, a call for submissions

Happy Solstice, everybody! Our Fall 2019 issue of The California Nugget hit the mailboxes just before the official first day of winter. (Talk about making it just under the wire.) If your copy hasn't yet arrived, you should be seeing it soon.

The fall issue contains a number of articles we hope you'll find interesting. "The Curious Case of Daniel Duracq" follows the trail of a boy from South Boston whose adventures led him across the country and eventually into San Quentin State Prison. Also, Barbara Kridl details how an old newspaper clipping inspired her investigation into the story of an Ohio ancestor who joined the California Gold Rush. Carolyn Nash writes about the Ölander brothers, Swedish immigrants to California. And our columnist Lisa Gorrell offers a guide to "writing as you go" for the contemporary genealogist.

We hope you enjoy the magazine! You'll also find a preview of upcoming 2020 classes and events—and a call for submissions! Do you have an interesting genealogical story to tell, or a research problem you've solved? Why not write about it for The Nugget? Next year marks the centennial of Prohibition and women's suffrage in the USA, as well as the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower's arrival at Plymouth, Massachusetts, so we are looking for items related to those anniversaries, but anything that might be of interest to our wide and varied readership is invited for consideration.

Wishing you all happy holidays.

Copyright © 2019 by California Genealogical Society

Our Library Collections: Oversized Books

One in a series by CGS member Chris Pattillo, highlighting some of our holdings at the CGS Library in Oakland. For a fuller listing of books, journals, and more, consult the CGS Library catalog in WorldCat.

Ormerod's History of Cheshire

One of the sections of our library you may not think to look at is located at the back wall of the library. It is there that we shelve all of our oversized books–books that don't fit on the standard sized shelves. These would be filed in sections associated with the topic they cover except for the fact that they are just too big.

Many of the oversize books are quite old. Our section begins with three volumes of Ormerod’s History of Cheshire, a massive history of the county of Cheshire in north England compiled by George Ormerod and first published in 1819. These books are leather bound with decorative gold detailing on the binding. They stand 19” tall and weigh about ten pounds each–so take care when lifting one down from the top shelf.

We have a very large collection of genealogical columns from the Boston Evening Transcript spanning the period 1894 to 1941. Remarkably, these are the original columns on newsprint, each cut out from the newspaper and carefully pasted onto the book pages. Each day’s column fits on one page. The patient person(s) who created these record books helpfully underlined each family name in red, making it easy to find the genealogical information being sought. (The names are all indexed in our card files.) The columns cover a broad range of information, from wills and marriage announcements to individual queries or comments.

A portion of our collection of genealogical
columns from the Boston Evening Transcript

We have two volumes of pedigree charts collected by the California Genealogical Society from the early to mid-20th century. These family pedigrees were filled in on pre-printed forms, with space for eight generations on both the maternal and paternal sides. The first chart, for John Hart Allen (1843-1918) and his wife, Mary Helen Kerr Strohan, both of New York, is pretty sparse but others are much more complete. Some include snapshots, news clips or other memorabilia. Each chart is fascinating to look at.

The Tartans of the Clans of Scotland, published in 1886, caught my eye because of its elaborate binding. The cover page says that the book is “also an introductory account of Celtic Scotland; Clanship, Chiefs, Their Dress, Arts, etc., and with Historical Notes of Each Clan.” The bulk of this book consists of large (10” x 7”) high-quality color reproductions of each of the tartans followed by a one-page description of the clan.

From The Tartans of the Clans of Scotland

An example of one of the tartans

Ireland in Pictures (copyright 1898) is another of the many gifts from George R. Dorman. This book consists of 400 black and white photographs of places in Ireland. Each image has a lengthy and informative caption describing what is depicted. A detailed table of contents makes it easy to find a specific place, useful if you were looking for a photo to augment your family’s genealogy.

Ireland in Pictures is just what it says, plus short narratives

The oversize section includes a lot of geographic history books, a few genealogical dictionaries, and a number of atlases. Two more volumes of interest are Edwin A. Sherman's Fifty Years of Masonry in California (volumes II and III, published in 1893). It begins with a chapter on the origin of Royal Arch Masonry, followed by chapters on Freemasonry in America and in California. This book is well illustrated with photos and engravings of historic sites and portraits of notable Freemasons. My great-grandfather and grandfather were both active in Oakland Masons, so this is a book I’ll be coming back to.

A source that could augment my own family's story

Next time you find yourself in the library, look at the back wall and see what might waiting there for you.


Copyright © 2019 by California Genealogical Society

Why You Should Go: 2020 Trip to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City

Lisa Gorrell, CG, is leading the upcoming CGS research trip to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City this coming May. Here's what she has to say about it:

Lisa Gorrell

Our upcoming trip next year to the Family History Library will be from Sunday, May 24 to Sunday, May 30. These dates follow the dates of the National Genealogical Society’s Conference. If you would like to attend the conference, too, you will need to book your own hotel for those dates. Now, you’re probably asking “Why would I want to go to the Family History Library? Isn’t it all online now?” Yes, it is true that FamilySearch has been digitizing their collected records and putting images online, but they are far from putting it all online. Let’s talk about their collection:

Books. Many of the books in their collection may never be digitized. Books that have been recently published are still under copyright laws. Even if a book is digitized, only one person can view it at a time. Your chances are greater viewing a physical copy at the library.

Microfilm. The plan is to digitize all of the microfilm. They are having a hard time getting blank microfilm and it is very expensive. Also, the microfilm machines are getting old and it’s difficult to find parts to repair them. So digitizing the film is a win-win situation for the library. However, some of the original repositories where the records were filmed the have not given permission to publish the images online. Therefore, the only place you can view some “digitized” films is on computers at the Library itself, or perhaps at local Family History centers. This will also include microfiche.

Advantages.  

So what is the real advantage of an in-person trip to the Family History Library?

Six days of distraction-free research
Six days where you didn’t have to do household chores
Six days of being with others who share your enthusiasm for genealogy research
Research assistance from the leader (me) or one of the experts at the library (especially at the foreign language floors)

How should you prepare for such a trip?

Decide which ancestral lines you want to work on

Record the localities where these families lived

Check the FHL catalog for the records and books that are available at the library for each locality. Some items may be available online, but if there is a “key” symbol next to the film number, that film can only be viewed at the FHL or at a Family History Center.

This symbol indicates records
that may only be viewed in a library

If you find lots of books and films you would like to view, then it may be worthwhile to make the trip with CGS.

Consultation

You can schedule a pre-trip consultation with the leader, Lisa Gorrell. You will also be able to have consultations during the trip at the library.

We have fun, too! Of course, the trip isn’t just all serious research. We have three planned joint meals together, and every day we get together for lunch and dinner at a variety of places. It’s a great time to share our successes and get help with our research issues.

To sign up for the trip, use this link at Eventbrite. There are limited spaces, so be sure to register soon!

Copyright © 2019 by California Genealogical Society