Two New Blogs from the California State Genealogical Alliance (CSGA)

There are two new blogs in the right sidebar list of member blogs. Both are products of the California State Genealogical Alliance (CSGA) and some of the blog authors are members of the California Genealogical Society.

First is the CSGA Blog, providing information that impacts California genealogy. Among the team of bloggers are CGS members Sheri Fenley, Cat Nielsen and Cath Trindle.

The CSGA Blog will cover the following types of topics:

• Legislative issues affecting California genealogists
• California projects including the CSGA–FamilySearch partnership, the California Online Research Aid, the California Wiki on FamilySearch, and many individual society projects throughout the state
• California societies, websites, repositories, online materials and events

Other members of the CSGA blog team are: Gena Philbert-Ortega and newcomers Junel Davidsen, CGSM.

The second blog,  Copyright Issues for the 21st Century Genealogical Community (CSGAcopyright), is authored by Cath Madden Trindle and is part of a continuing effort by the Alliance to help gen societies understand copyright issues. The CSGAcopyright blog discusses copyright law, provides links and feeds to other copyright web sites, and will highlight blog postings on other sites.


The California State Genealogical Alliance (CSGA) was founded in 1982 and links genealogical societies and individuals throughout California who are interested in coordination and communication between societies as well as preservation of California’s rich genealogical history. The California Genealogical Society is a member of the Alliance.

Copyright © 2011 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

Member Spotlight: Cath Madden Trindle

One of the high points of the February 27, 2010 meeting of the California State Genealogical Alliance held at the CGS Library was the presentation of The President's Citation award to Cath Trindle by Alliance President Sue Roe.

Cath Madden Trindle, CG, is a first generation Californian who owned a bookkeeping consultation business for thirty years. She earned a Certificate of European Research from BYU and a Certificate in Genealogical Studies - Librarianship from the National Institute of Genealogical Studies.

In addition to being a national conference speaker, Cath is an active administrator for three genealogical societies. She is currently Treasurer of the Federation of Genealogical Societies. She heads up Special Projects for the California State Genealogical Alliance and is a regular contributor to their newsletter. As Publication Chair for the San Mateo Coutny Genealogical Society, she has edited the San Mateo County Naturalization Index Series, the Schellens indexing project, and coauthored their Tree Climbing Guides.

She has been a member of the California Genealogical Society since 2006.

Cath will be making three presentations at the upcoming FGS Conference "Rediscovering America's First Frontier" August 18-21, 2010, in Knoxville, Tennessee. The conference is co-sponsored with the East Tennessee Historical Society and Kentucky Historical Society.

Cath's award states:

President's Citation Award to Cath Madden Trindle for her many contributions to CSGA, the genealogical community as CSGA Treasurer, Special Projects Chair, Speaker and as a positive example of CSGA Member dedication. Presented by the California State Genealogical Alliance, Susan M. Roe, President, 27 February 2010.

Congratulations, Cath!


Photographs by Kathryn M. Doyle, Oakland, California, 2/27/2010.

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

Wordless Wednesday

California State Genealogical Society Meeting

Sue Roe, President

Saturday, February 26, 2010

Photographs by Kathryn M. Doyle, Oakland, California.

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

State Genealogical Alliance Meeting at CGS

All CGS members and members of other local societies are welcome to attend an open meeting of the California State Genealogical Alliance (CSGA) at the California Genealogical Society Library, 2201 Broadway, Suite LL2, Oakland, on Saturday, February 27, 2010.

The gathering is an opportunity for Bay Area genealogists to meet CSGA President Susan M. Roe, attend an Alliance meeting, have a tour of the CGS Library and hear a presentation by CSGA Past-president Lisa B. Lee.

Schedule:

09:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.  Open meeting
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.  Tour of CGS library and presentation about the unique holdings
12:00 p.m. –  1:00 p.m.  Break for lunch*
  1:00 p.m. –  2:00 p.m.  When Oral Histories are Just Plain Wrong by Lisa B. Lee
  2:00 p.m. –  4:00 p.m. Research time

*Participants are encouraged to bring a lunch or visit a nearby restaurant.

PLEASE NOTE:

• Space is limited to 40 attendees. 
• Pre-registration is required.
  
• Please RSVP by email to Events@CaliforniaAncestors.org or download and return the registration flier.

Lisa Lee is a past president of CSGA, a past CGS board member, lecturer and hosts Got Genealogy?

Founded in October 1982, the Alliance serves as a statewide association of independent genealogical societies, individuals and non-profit organizations which acts to further genealogical endeavors throughout the state of California.

See You at the SoCal Genealogy Jamboree?

Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree
Burbank Airport Marriott and Convention Center
June 27-28, 2009

The Southern California Genealogy Jamboree blog is active again as Co-Chairs Paula Hinkle and Leo Myers and members of SCGS gear up for their annual meeting in June.

The 40th Annual Jamboree will be held Friday through Sunday, June 26-28, 2009, at the Burbank Airport Marriott Hotel and Convention Center. The focus of this year's Jamboree is British Isles research – English, Irish, Scottish and Welsh.

Paula has posted an impressive list of speakers, including CGS members Ron Arons, Stephen Danko, Craig Manson, Cath Trindle and Marston Watson. I'm especially looking forward to seeing old genea-blogger friends and meeting new ones at Saturday's Summit 2: Son of Blogger.

This year the California Genealogical Society and Library will be sharing a table in the Exhibit Hall with either the California State Genealogical Alliance or the Federation of Genealogical Societies. I'll be sure to keep you informed as the details are worked out. We're looking for members to help staff the table so please send me an e-mail if you can help.

For detailed information about schedule, speakers, genealogy exhibitors and more, visit the Jamboree blog.

Just One Week Until Jamboree!

Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree

Burbank Airport Marriott and Convention Center
June 27-28, 2008

The California Genealogical Society is heading south next week for Jamboree 2008. This is a great opportunity for our Southern California members to meet each other and attend some fantastic sessions. "Solve Your Family History Puzzle" is the theme of the 39th Annual SCGS Jamboree. More than 1200 registrants have signed up to hear thirty-seven speakers present more than eighty sessions.

A CGS Membership Coffee will be held on Friday morning, June 27, from 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. in Sunset A and B in the Burbank Airport Marriott Hotel and Convention Center. Jamboree attendees and members who live in the Los Angeles area are invited to join CGS President Jane Lindsey for an update on society events. Please be sure to let us know if you can come.

The California Genealogical Society is also sponsoring Membership Table # 710 in the Exhibit Hall next to the California State Genealogical Alliance. Be sure to stop by and say "hello!"

For detailed information about schedule, speakers, genealogy exhibitors and more, visit the Jamboree blog.

CGS is Going to the Jamboree!

Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree
Burbank Airport Marriott Hotel
and Convention Center
Burbank, California
June 27-28-29, 2008

CGS President Jane Lindsey is attending this year's 39th Annual SCGS Jamboree with a small contingent from the Bay Area. The society has reserved a table in the Exhibit Hall next to the California State Genealogical Alliance.

This year's theme is "Solve Your Family History Puzzle." CGS member, past-president of the Southern California Genealogical Society and Co-Chair of this year's Jamboree, Paula Hinkel, is the author of the Jamboree blog which features everything-you-ever-wanted-to-know about the schedule, events and speakers.

CGS will host a Membership Coffee at the Jamboree on Friday morning, June 27, from 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. in the Burbank Airport Marriott Hotel and Convention Center. Members who live in the Los Angeles area are invited to join CGS President Jane Lindsey for an update on society events. Guests are welcome. CGS members, please let us know if you will be attending.

Great Registers of Voters - SF 1890

Several genealogy blogs have commented on the recent release of a new database on ancestry.com - California Voter Registrations, 1900-1968. This collection is a portion of what is more commonly known as the "Great Registers of Voters" which date back to 1866. Legislation was enacted that year to combat voter fraud and bring order after the massive population influx that came with the Gold Rush. The registers are compiled lists of voter names and addresses arranged by district. Additional information was collected which varies by year.

CGS Research Director Nancy Peterson, who devotes a chapter to "Voting Records" in her book Raking the Ashes: Genealogical Strategies for Pre-1906 San Francisco Research, notes that "the Great Registers before the years that Ancestry digitized contained naturalization information." The 1866 legislation required voters to provide the country where they were born and "if a naturalized foreigner, when, where, and by what Court he was admitted to become a citizen of the United States." By 1900, when the United States began collecting specific naturalization information from individuals during the decennial census, the voters of California were no longer required to supply it.

CGS member, Jim W. Faulkinbury, gives the complete background of the Great Registers and has an online database index of Foreign-Born Voters of 1872.

The California Genealogical Society participated in the statewide indexing of the 1890 Great Register of Voters, chosen to provide a partial substitute for the lost United States census of that year. The massive project, which took eleven years to complete, was organized by the California State Genealogical Alliance, a consortium of independent genealogical societies throughout California, chaired by Janice G. Cloud of Santa Barbara. The California 1890 Great Register of Voters, a three volume set, indexes 311,028 men living in California in 1890 and includes significant personal information but not the naturalization data.

The California Genealogical Society separately indexed and published in 2002 a one-volume San Francisco, California: 1890 Great Register of Voters, edited by Jane Billings Steiner. It contains the names of 59,712 men living in the many precincts of the city and county of San Francisco in 1890, as well as their age, place of birth, occupation, home address and all naturalization details as found in the official record. CGS has a names search at our Web site which includes this records set, as well as many more. Results that include the code "FRAN" come from this database and can be purchased.