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The newspaper is the most important printed source for local history and especially so for genealogists.On Saturday, July 10, 2010, at the CGS July membership meeting, Dr. Henry Snyder presented The California Newspaper: A Genealogical Treasure, What Survives, How to Find and Use It. Henry is a member of CGS and Professor of History Emeritus at the University of California, Riverside.
– Dr. Henry Snyder
Bringing a dark and forgotten era into vivid life, this fascinating history explores a booming criminal enterprise that was spawned in California in the 1920s and 1930s. Exposing a spree of kidnappings referred to as the “snatch racket,” true accounts of the crimes and the unfortunate victims are revealed. Driven by greed, desperation, or sheer stupidity, this detailed discussion explains that the ransom artists preyed indiscriminately on Hollywood socialites, wealthy heiresses, and even the poor—while each new disappearance brought new headlines and sales to the newspaper companies.
Illustrating the manner in which even the simplest capers would often run tragically awry, fifteen bizarre and often ironic tales are presented, including how a modern city rose to lynch a pair of kidnappers, the college kids who chose to imitate Leopold and Loeb, and the famed evangelist who faked her own abduction to cover up an affair. Early forensic techniques are described, including the first documented call tracing using a bevy of operators in a phone chain, as well as the birth of the modern symbiotic relationship between the news media and high-profile crime, demonstrating how the sensationalism of personal tragedy became a source for increased media sales.Jim is also the author of San Francisco's Lost Landmarks, published in 2004.
This is Jeff Vaillant's final installment of his series from the Samford Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR). Thanks so much, Jeff!
Friday was the “short” day with three presentations. Those of us staying in the dorms had to be out before breakfast so the rooms could be cleaned for a new group arriving in the afternoon. Samford University hosts many activities: youth sport camps, freshman orientation, and church organizational meetings. The decibel level in the cafeteria must have been in excess of 80!– Jeffrey Vaillant
Lloyd started the day talking about Church Records. His bibliography included surveys and denominational records. He drove home the point that understanding the religion of an ancestor will help in finding records. Two tidbits offered were the 903 churches in 1750 (465 Congregational, 288 Anglican and about 250 Quaker meeting houses) and that a “graveyard” is associated with a church whereas a “cemetery” is not.
John Colletta revealed our ancestors using nineteenth-century newspapers. I heard a similar presentation from him in Santa Rosa a few years ago. If you have heard John speak, then you know he is both entertaining and informative. Again, an excellent outline and bibliography was offered. John cited St. Louis as an example of why newspapers are important in research. Of the fifteen papers in print there in 1904: six were in English with four for the white community, one for the black community and one for the Jewish community. There were five German newspapers, two Czech, one Polish and one Italian publication. The Library of Congress has a newspaper collection as well as many state archives and local archives. There are several websites with varying newspaper collections available—mostly on a fee basis.
The last session was Lloyd’s opportunity to finish his discussion of church records and other tidbits, for which there was little time earlier in the week. Yes, we all got handsome certificates of completion.
My take on IGHR is that I now understand why people keep coming to the Institute. One can spend an entire week on Virginia records or Military records or Scottish records.
The June 12-17, 2011 Course Offerings are:
I meet some splendid people while at the Institute. My next genealogical educational endeavor will be the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy in Salt Lake City, Utah in January. So, it will be from the frying pan of Birmingham to the freezer of SLC.
- Techniques and Technology (Pamela Boyer Sayre)
- Intermediate Genealogy and Historical Studies (Lloyd DeWitt Bockstruck)
- Research in the South, Part 3 (Carolyn Earle Billingsley)
- Advanced Methodology and Evidence Analysis (Elizabeth Shown Mills)
- Writing and Publishing for Genealogists (Thomas W. Jones)
- Advanced Library Research: Law Libraries and Government Documents (Ann Carter Fleming and Benjamin b. Spratling)
- Virginia's Land and Military Conflicts & Their Effect on Migration (Barbara Vines Little)
- Researching African-American Ancestors: Slave & Reconstruction Era Records (Frazine Taylor)
- U.S. Military Records (Christine Rose)
- Scottish Genealogical Research (Paul Milner)
Jeffrey Vaillant continues his series from the Samford Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR).
Thursday was Bockstruck day! The definition of a walking encyclopedia is Lloyd. His first presentation was on Hereditary Societies and Their Records. His bibliography included history, directories, military, armigerous (right to use of coat of arms), occupational, ethnic, colonial, old world societies and geographical references. He illustrated many of the lineage societies with his own family.– Jeffrey Vaillant
Next he covered the topic of Migrations or Westward Expansion in two separate presentations. One interesting set of facts about immigration that he offered was the number of arrivals.
Those are big numbers that stretch the brain to comprehend the impact made. A selfish thing that I found happening while listening was noting those references and aids which will help me in my own research. Most of the materials presented related to the Colonial period.
- 1620 – 1820: 650,000 people immigrated in 200 years
- 1820 – 1880: 10,000,000 arrived over the next 60 years
- 1880 – 1920: 25,000,000 in the next 40 years
Lloyd finished the day talking about Special Collections. The points made were to survey the literature, become familiar with handbooks and guides to collections, stay current on genealogical literature, attend conferences, interact with other genealogists, and search computer data bases. Search the Family History Library catalogue, identify WPA inventories, use the NUCMC (National Union Catalog Manuscript Collection) and a touch of serendipity is useful too.
Thursday evening was the dinner banquet in the dining hall with Pamela Boyer Sayre talking about Lookin’ for Kinfolk, Dead or Alive. Hers was a light hearted presentation about field work and what might encounter.
