Latest issue of The California Nugget

The Fall 2020 issue is in the mail and now available online

 

Our latest issue of The California Nugget is in the mail now! and hopefully will arrive soon in your mailbox. Members can access the digital version online at our website.

 

Our Editors' Note gives this overview:

Lucille Ball

We’ve assembled articles on a variety of topics. In "Lucy’s Fred: Three Generations of Hunt Ancestry of Lucille D. (Ball) (Arnaz) Morton," Darcie Hind Posz looks at the time actress Lucille Ball came under scrutiny by the House Committee on Un-American Activities. Examining why Ball and other family members joined the Communist Party in the 1930s, Posz uncovers a history of sympathy for the working class that stretched back to the Civil War.

 

 

In this year marking the centennial of American women’s suffrage, Virginia Turner shares the story of her ancestor Elizabeth Healy Turner, who lived in Wyoming Territory when women there were granted the right to vote in 1870, and who was one of the first women called to serve on a jury. 

Lizzie Spooner

Ted Steele’s "Benjamin Franklin Lowe, A California Pioneer" profiles a businessman ancestor who came to California during the Gold Rush. It follows the interesting histories of his children, half of whom returned to their native East Coast, while the other half settled permanently in the West. 

Benjamin Lowe

In our genealogical methods column, Lisa Gorrell examines the first principle of the Genealogical Proof Standard—“reasonably exhaustive research"—and discusses what that means for the researcher.

Table of Contents

 Our Ancestors:

"Lucy’s Fred: Three Generations of Hunt Ancestry of Lucille D. (Ball) (Arnaz) Morton" by Darcie Hind Posz

"The Vote Before the Vote: Lizzie Healy Spooner in Wyoming Territory, 1870" by Virginia Turner

"Benjamin Franklin Lowe, A California Pioneer" by Edward E. "Ted" Steele

21st-Century Genealogy:

"What Does It Mean to Do Reasonably Exhaustive Research?" by Lisa Gorrell

At the Society:

2022 National Genealogical Society Conference

Upcoming Events

Index

 

NOTE: We always welcome submissions. For more information, contact the editors at nugget@californiaancestors.org.

 

Photo credits: Lucille Ball, Wikimedia; Lizzie Spooner, Debbie Smith; Benjamin Lowe, Society of California Pioneers.

Copyright © 2021 by California Genealogical Society

On Our Shelves: The American Genealogist

by Nancy Cork

I love periodicals: the thrill of opening a new publication not knowing what delights it may contain never gets old!  

Each week at the library, as I check in the new magazines, journals and newsletters, I sneak a few moments to leaf through some of the periodicals, noting articles that relate to my area of family research, and relishing the curious titles that pique my interest.  

This week, I want to share with our California Genealogical Society (CGS) community an article I found that is special for another reason: it was written by one of our own members.

Darcie Hind Posz

In the journal The American Genealogist, CGS member and certified genealogist Darcie Hind Posz writes of a family’s path from Japan to Hawaii, which movingly includes the bombing of Hiroshima and the internment camps of World War II. Darcie’s two-part article is a compelling, beautifully written and documented read. She won the American Society of Genealogists Scholar Award in October 2015 with this article. 

Want to read it? Here’s what you need to know.

“Tanaka and Ishihara Families of Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan, and Papaaloa, Hilo, Hawaii” by Darcie Hind Posz, CG

The American Genealogist, April 2016 Vol. 88, No. 2, and continued in July 2016 Vol. 88, No. 3     Library call number: CS42 .A44

This is just one of the many treasures waiting for you to discover in our genealogy library.  So, the next time you are visiting our library, take a moment and treat yourself to a scholarly delight…because it’s on our shelves!

Copyright © 2017 by California Genealogical Society

Registration for the CGS Research Trip to Washington DC is now open!

Join the California Genealogical Society's president Linda Harms Okazaki on a research trip to the National Archives in Washington DC and College Park MD, plus the library at the Daughters of the American Revolution.  An additional day is planned for research at the Library of Congress.  Attendees may register for an optional lecture at USCIS (United States Immigration and Citizenship Services). 

Trip details

• Guests will stay eight nights at the Holiday Inn, Rosslyn. 
• Two group dinners are planned, taking place on November 13 and 20. 
• Guests will provide their own transportation to the DC area, as well as their own transportation within the city (metro, taxi), plus meals excluding the group dinners.
• Transportation to College Park, MD will be provided. 
• Orientation sessions will be offered in August and September to help attendees prepare for the trip.
• The trip will be co-led by professional genealogist Victoria Kinnear (Sunday through Thursday). 
• Certified genealogist, Darcie Hind Posz, will offer one-hour consultations on Sunday and will assist researchers Monday through Wednesday.
• This trip is suitable for intermediate researchers, and above.

Victoria Kinnear

Victoria Kinnear, owner of My Ancestors Lived Here, is a professional genealogist with deep Maryland roots. She currently serves on the Executive Board of the Maryland Genealogical Society. She is also President of the North Capital Area Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists and Registrar for the Mary Young Pickersgill Chapter of the Daughters of 1812. 

Victoria has researched for television shows including Henry Lewis Gates’ Finding Your Roots and Genealogy Roadshow for the past two seasons. Victoria completed the Boston University Certificate course in Genealogy and GENFED.

Darcie Hind Posz

Darcie Hind Posz, CG, is a genealogist, author and researcher. Recipient of the ASG Scholar Award, she has authored articles that have been published in The Nugget, The Genealogist, National Genealogical Society Quarterly, and The American Genealogist. 

What's the cost?

• $1895 for a single room

• $1275 for a double room

*Please add $40 if you are not a member of The California Genealogical Society 

Payment in full is required and refunds cannot be issued after October 1. Trip insurance is always recommended.  

Please indicate your roommate choice, if you are traveling with a researching companion. If you would like to share a room, we will do our best to assign a roommate. **If a roommate is not available, there is a chance you will be assigned to a single room at the single rate.

What else might I do in D.C.?

Some guests might want to visit the Smithsonian’s new African American Museum slated to open in September or the Japanese American Exhibit at the National Museum of American History.

Ready to join us?  Great, sign-up today and be a part of this amazing trip---we hope to see you there!

Copyright © 2016 by California Genealogical Society

The California Nugget preview: Fall is filled with mystery & intrigue

Are you ready for the fall issue of The California Nugget ?

Editor Jane Hufft says, “In each issue of the Nugget we want to offer something for every reader, especially for those newly embarked on genealogical research. Fortunately for us, our submitters always seem to light the way.”

Here are Jane's thoughts on this upcoming edition:

Two of the articles in “California Ancestors” demonstrate the importance of an ancestor’s F.A.N. club, or Friends, Associates and Neighbors, the approach to research stressed by renowned genealogy researcher, Elizabeth Shown Mills.

Powerful research approach

While family connections are important, the addition of the names of friends, neighbors, and associates enlarges the historical context, suggests possible links to new information, and adds layers of richness and detail to the story.

Hollywood Intrigue

In the first article, Darcie Hind Posz takes on an unsolved Hollywood mystery that both celebrity writers and other researchers had not been able to solve, and found the true identity of Dorothy Millette. By tracing associates and siblings Darcie uncovered Dorothy’s real name and family, showing how she had lived two lives, first as a poor foster child and then as a player in a Hollywood tragedy.

A Woman of Color

Next is Robert Bubb’s account of Louisa Yoos’ life, first in Texas and then in California, which also followed associates to gleen wonderful nuggets about her past. Not only is Louisa located in very precise times and places because of careful attention to those around her, but her neighbors and associates were also brought to life, painting a clear picture of the challenges she faced as a former slave and woman of color.

Newspaper Research Pays Off

There’s yet another elusive ancestor story, this time from Henry Snyder.  In this case, newspaper research revealed decades of information about Rhenodyne August Bird’s drama-filled life, the good and the bad. The resources he found in various online archives, especially the California Digital Newspaper Collection, shows how they should not be overlooked.

The War to End All Wars

We finish with three WWI ancestor sketches that take us back to the trenches:

A positive experience was had by Clement Robert Gibson (written by Mary Keller) who wrote lively, reassuring letters from France to his family and then returned home to civilian life.

The flipside was true for two other soldiers who perished.  The tales of George Fail of England written by Hugh F. Daniels & Sharon Corey Harris and Henry Oscar Sommer of California as told by Scott Taylor, lost their lives in the huge Allied offensive during the last days of the war. They are not forgotten by their descendants. David Goerss’ introduction to their stories explains the history of the Hindenburg Line.

We hope you enjoy this edition (publication expected by end of November).  Thank you to all our submitters for their thoughtful stories about their ancestors.  Also, kudos to Lois Elling for design and layout!

Have a story about one of your ancestors that you’d like to share?

To submit an article for one of The California Nugget’s upcoming editions, please email Jane Hufft.  She can be reached at jhufft@californiaancestors.org

The California Nugget, the magazine of the California Genealogical Society, is published twice a year. Its purpose is to share the unique genealogical material in the CGS library, add to the body of family history information about Californians, offer guidance and timely information to family researchers, and to provide a forum for members to share their expertise and findings. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the society. The magazine is distributed free to members and is available to non-members for $5.00 an issue, plus postage.

Copyright © 2015 by California Genealogical Society