A Tale of Two Ancestors: January 2010

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Awesome New PDF Tool!

Thank you Judy for posting about this!

You can PDF any webpage you want! It's so easy - just put your URL in the box and up pops a download box for the PDF. Even better, you can get a bookmarklet, which makes it even easier. The ways this can help with saving webpages you like and backing up your data are numerous.

National Women's History Museum

The National Women's History Museum now has a blog.

Surname Saturday: Eichhorn/Eichorn

Each Saturday this year I am posting one of my surnames, going in alphabetical order. This weeks surname is Eichhorn/Eichorn. The names in red are my direct line ancestors.

1-Nicholas EICHHORN
b: calculated 16 January 1799, , , , Germany
d: 28 July 1878, Welland, Niagara, Ontario, Canada
+Dorothea SCHNEIDER
b: , , , Germany
. . . . 2-Charles Herman EICHHORN
        b: 25 December 1848, , , , Germany
        d: 25 February 1907, Buffalo, Erie, New York, USA
. . . . +Katherine WEISS
        b: April 1849, , , , Germany
        m: 3 September 1871, Chippewa, Welland, Ontario, Canada
        d: 1936
. . . . . . . . 3-William Fred EICHHORN
                b: 22 June 1874, Chippewa, Welland, Ontario, Canada
                d: 9 March 1931, Buffalo, Erie, New York, USA
. . . . . . . . +Augusta M. TROSS
                b: 6 September 1877, , , , Germany
                m: 14 June 1899, Buffalo, Erie, New York, USA
                d: 1 January 1939, Buffalo, Erie, New York, USA
. . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Kathryn V. EICHHORN
                        b: about 1901, Buffalo, Erie, New York, USA
                        d: before 16 June 1966
. . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Clara Evelyn EICHHORN
                        b: 3 February 1902, Buffalo, Erie, New York, USA
. . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Marie A. EICHHORN
                        b: about 1905, Buffalo, Erie, New York, USA
. . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Edna L. EICHHORN
                        b: about 1907, Buffalo, Erie, New York, USA
                        d: 2 November 1985
. . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Lillian L. EICHHORN
                        b: 22 December 1908, Buffalo, Erie, New York, USA
                        d: 19 December 1938, Buffalo, Erie, New York, USA
. . . . . . . . . . . . 4-William Tross EICHHORN
                        b: 10 April 1914, Buffalo, Erie, New York, USA
. . . . . . . . 3-Frederick William EICHHORN
                b: 14 July 1875
. . . . . . . . +Mary C.
. . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Edward M. EICHHORN
. . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Dorothy EICHHORN
. . . . . . . . 3-George EICHHORN
                b: about 1878, , , New York, USA
                d: 1928
. . . . . . . . +Lauretta Flynn
                m: 21 November 1900, Buffalo, Erie, New York, USA
. . . . . . . . 3-EICHHORN
                b: before 1884
                d: before 1884
. . . . . . . . 3-EICHHORN
                b: before 1884
                d: before 1884
. . . . . . . . 3-EICHHORN
                b: before 1884
                d: before 1884
. . . . . . . . 3-Clara C. EICHHORN
                b: 9 August 1884, Buffalo, Erie, New York, USA
                d: 1967
. . . . . . . . +Ernest EHRIG
                b: 1884
                m:
                d: 1951
. . . . . . . . 3-Marie EICHHORN
                b: 21 December 1891, Buffalo, Erie, New York, USA
. . . . . . . . +William GRAFF
                m:

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Data Privacy Day

Today is Data Privacy Day. This was created so people would remember to think about their privacy for online sites, particularly in relation to social networking sites. What does this mean for genealogists? It is important to remember that what we put online can be seen by all. If you have a genealogy blog, do not post information about living people unless you have their permission. Remember also that what you put online will always be there, through Internet Archives' Way Back Machine, for example. It is always better to be safe than sorry.

Happy Blogoversary to Me...

It is hard to believe I have been blogging now for a full year. During this time I have met many great bloggers and cousins through this blog!

Monday, January 25, 2010

Part 5 of The Genealogy Reference Desk Institute

To get to the beginning of this series, go here:-)

Laura Prescott, APG President, spoke on Timelines: Placing Your Heritage in Historical Perspective. I had not realized the importance in using timelines for your research and plan on using them in the future much more often.

By using timelines, you can see important events that happened in your ancestors lives, which may have influenced their decisions and movements. You can also use them to migration and settlement patterns, look at military and career paths and track your ancestors through the census, among other things.

Many genealogy programs have timeline options, but there are multiple other places to create them. The most interesting one is Google Maps. I have often used this for directions, but was unaware of their My Maps feature. By adding addresses, you can create a timeline of your ancestors movements, homes or cemetery cites. You can even add photos, videos or text and then embed the map into a blog post or email it to others.

After Laura, Drew Smith, librarian, author and half of the Genealogy Guys was the last speaker of the day. His presentation, Using Web 2.0 Tools with a 101 Knowledge Base, was an explanation of using Web 2.0 tools in the library. I have been reading his book, Social Networking for Genealogists and recommend checking that out for a more thorough explanation of his program than I can give.

It was amazing to hear a presentation by someone who's podcast I listen to on a regular basis. Using Web 2.0 tools to educate patrons, as well as to provide access to resources and services, is something I have become very interested in for school and future employment situations. This workshop was a basic overview of these topics for librarians who have been out of school for awhile and need to learn the basics of Web 2.0.

This was a wonderful workshop and I am looking forward to continuing my education in this matter. Workshops are held four times a year, before the two ALA conferences, before the NGS conference and before the FGS conference. If you ever have the option to attend, I recommend it highly.

Week in Review: 18 Jan 2010 – 24 Jan 2010

Research:

Read A History of Knockholt in the County of Kent by David Waldron Smithers

It has my Knockholt surnames of Bond, Whitehead and Wells(which may or may not be one of my surnames...)

Education:

Was accepted as a member of the ProGen Study Group, beginning 1 February.

Blog:

My The Genealogy Reference Desk Institute series was listed as one of Genea-Musings Best of Genea-Blogs!!! This is the first time I have made this list and I may now have to stop blogging, as I have nowhere to go but down... Randy is one of my genea-blog hero's and to get on this list is a tremendous honor.
Caught up on the past 2 weeks of the 52 Weeks to Better Genealogy

Volunteer:

Continued transcribing East Aurora in 1865 NY Census for WNYGS

52 Weeks to Better Genealogy - Week #4

Amy Coffin at the We Tree blog is challenging bloggers to become better genealogists, with a new prompt each week through her 52 Weeks to Better Genealogy:

Week 4: Learn about your local public library’s inter-library loan (ILL) policy. Pick a genealogy-related book that you want to read that is not in your library’s collection. Ask the librarian how to request the book from another library. Find the different library systems from which you can request books through your own library, as this can dramatically increase the number of genealogy books to which you have access. If you have a genealogy blog, write about your experience with requesting items through your library’s ILL service.

I adore inter-library loan. As a college student, I tend to use the universities system, because I can do it from my couch, while for the public library I have to go in to request an item. I recently received my first ILL for a genealogy book. While looking for films on Knockholt, Kent, England from the FHL, I noticed a book that seemed useful: A History of Knockholt in the County of Kent by David Waldron Smithers. This was published in England in 1991 and is currently out of print. Only 3 libraries in the USA own it, according to WorldCat: Princeton, Harvard and the Library of Congress. I ILL requested it through SU and a couple weeks later arrived the apparently never before used (it is pristine!) book from Princeton University.

This book is FANTASTIC! It was written by a lifelong resident of Knockholt and it mentions surnames such as Bond, Whitehead and Wells. Are they my Bonds, Whiteheads and Wells'? It was a small town, so I am sure there is some relation (hopefully I will know for sure when my films come in...) It also gives the towns history, beginning in the stone age, has photographs, gives information about the parish church records and has more information that gives a genealogist a background on the town their ancestors came from.

If you are new to ILL, be sure to check out WorldCat. According to their website, "WorldCat is the world's largest network of library content and services. WorldCat libraries are dedicated to providing access to their resources on the Web, where most people start their search for information." Although not every library in the world is a member, most large libraries, particularly in the US, are and it will give you an idea of what books are out there and where they are located.

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: Life Outside Genealogy

From Randy at Genea-MusingsYour mission, should you decide to accept it, is to:

* Tell us about your "other" hobbies or interests outside of genealogy and family history research, writing, speaking, etc.

When not doing genealogy, my hobbies and interests include:

Hanging out with my fiancé Aaron, my family and friends - we get tea, play board games, watch movies and chat.
Traveling - I love cities, history and subways the most. I cannot ever imagine traveling to lay on a beach, when there are so many old buildings, churches, museums and world heritage sites to see. My favorite places I have been include South Africa, Prague, Savannah, and Ottawa.
Reading - Mostly nonfiction and magazines. Recently I have been reading the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde, which I highly recommend. I also hang out in bookstores and libraries as much as possible.
Musicals - I used to be in them constantly, but it is too difficult with work and school, so now I just listen to the CD's and go watch them whenever I get the chance.
School - I am not sure this can be counted as a hobby, although I love learning new things and attending conferences and classes. Most of my time has been tied up in this, but I have found a way to combine it with most of my other hobbies...

As you can see, I do have a life outside of genealogy, although most of my interests are still tied to the overall theme of family, history, and research:-)

Saturday, January 23, 2010

52 Weeks to Better Genealogy - Week #3

Amy Coffin at the We Tree blog is challenging bloggers to become better genealogists, with a new prompt each week through her 52 Weeks to Better Genealogy:
Assess yourself! You’re great at researching everyone else’s history, but how much of your own have you recorded? Do an assessment of your personal records and timeline events to ensure your own life is as well-documented as that of your ancestors. If you have a genealogy blog, write about the status of your own research and steps you may take to fill gaps and document your own life.

This is an aspect of my research that I have pretty much skipped over entirely. I do have a few events for my life in my genealogy program, mainly addresses, schools and diplomas. Outside of this, I have no information that will help my (future) descents.

Plan of attack: I need to do some (it will someday be) Spring Cleaning! I will go through my folders and boxes and pull out important documents and give myself a space in my genealogy binders. I will also write up a short narrative of my life thus far. Additionally, I need to start adding information about my memories to this blog, as that will make it more useful.

Although I would like to say that I plan to do this soon, the odds are that it will not be until I get back from Germany in July, as I have my plate pretty full for the next month before I leave.

52 Weeks to Better Genealogy - Week #2

Amy Coffin at the We Tree blog is challenging bloggers to become better genealogists, with a new prompt each week through her 52 Weeks to Better Genealogy:

Go to your local public library branch again. Examine the local history, archives and/or special collections section. Ask a librarian if you don’t know if your library has special collections or where they are located. Be sure to check the reference section, too, as many of the newer and more valuable books are held in that area. If you have a genealogy blog, write about what you find in your library’s local history and special collections.

Slightly late, but better than never;-)

At the Onondaga County Public Library Central Branch, the Local History/Genealogy room is amazing. It is on the 6th floor and contains a tremendously large amount of books and microfims. Some of the items I have used in the past or need to check out that are useful to my searching are:

Marriages from Buffalo church records 1825-1900, volume 1 : transcribed from microfilm of English-speaking Protestant church records and compared with marriage license records in Erie County Hall

by Zintz, June P. (June Partridge)

Index of marriages from Buffalo newspapers, 1811-1884 : from a file in the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society, supplemented with additional information from Erie County Hall
by Zintz, June P. (June Partridge)

20 years worth of Buffalo City Directories on microfilm

A catalogue of books, pamphlets, engravings, etc., relating largely to Niagara Falls
by Porter, Peter A. (Peter Augustus), 1853-1925.

The cradle of the queen city: a history of Buffalo to the incorporation of the city
by Bingham, Robert W. (Robert Warwick), b. 1880.

Surname Saturday: Casillo/Casell

Each Saturday this year I am posting one of my surnames, going in alphabetical order. This weeks surname is Casillo, which was changed to Casell after immigration to the US to fit in better on the railroad where my gg grandfather worked.

According to Gens, Casillo is most common in the Campania region of Italy, which is where my family came from.

Looking at Italy in Full Detail, Casillo is most popular in the Napoli province today, although 17.15 people with the surname still live in Roccaromana, Caserta, Italy, where my ancestors came from.

I currently have 2 microfilms on order for Roccaromana, which should be arriving any day now. I am hopeful these will expand upon this line.

Descendants of Guiseppe Casillo
-------------------------------
1-Guiseppe Casillo d. Bef 1868
+Unknown
|--2-Pietro Casillo b. Abt 1835
   +Angela Rosa Palmiero b. Abt 1845
   |--3-Marcantonio Maria Casillo (Marco Antonio Casell) b. 11 Jan 1868, Roccaromana, Caserta,
   | Campania, Italy, d. 26 Nov 1937, Colden, Erie, New York, USA
   +Caroline Izzo b. 3 May 1876, , , , Italy, d. 2 Oct 1934, Buffalo, Erie,
   New York, USA
   |--4-Amelia Angela Maria Casillo b. 14 Jun 1903, Buffalo, Erie, New York,
   | USA
   |--4-Alfredo Marco Casillo (Alfred Marco Casell) b. 28 Jun 1906, Buffalo, Erie, New York, USA,
   | d. 25 Jan 1981, Buffalo, Erie, New York, USA
   |--4-Angela Casillo b. 28 Jun 1906, Buffalo, Erie, New York, USA
   |--4-Lucia Marian Casillo b. Dec 1910, Buffalo, Erie, New York, USA, d.
   | 1993, , , California, USA
   |--4-Clara Casillo b. Abt 1914, Buffalo, Erie, New York, USA

Friday, January 22, 2010

Part 4 of The Genealogy Reference Desk Institute

To get to the beginning of this series, go here:-)

The Genealogy Reference Desk Institute had lunch sponsored by ProQuest. As such, they did a presentation on some of their library services, such as HeritageQuest and Ancestry Library Edition, both of which I use on a regular basis.

They also told us about their new library product: ProQuest Digital Microfilm. ProQuest will go into libraries and digitize their microfilmed newspaper holdings so that users can have access to it remotely. It will also be searchable, users can crop and save the articles they want and enhance brightness and contrast. According to ProQuest, this will "reduce film damage and loss as will as the need to use and maintain microfilm readers/printers." ProQuest will also help they libraries with getting the rights due to copyright. It will be interesting to see how many libraries take this on. I know it would help me out as I do not get to Buffalo nearly enough to go through newspapers there.

The next session was on timelines by Laura Prescott, which I will post tomorrow.

Upload any Document Type to Google Docs!

Google Docs now allows any type of document to be uploaded! After seeing this announcement I tried to upload my Gedcom and it does indeed work. This is one more place I recommend you back-up your data each month!

Part 3 of The Genealogy Reference Desk Institute

For Part 1 and Part 2 of the series:-)

The third session was titled "My Family is Boring, May I Borrow Yours?: Integrating Historical Research into Historical Inquiry" by Christine Baron. Christine discussed her work in searching for a way to make the famous Old North Church of Boston into a cite for learning by visitors.

This was one of the most fascinating and useful parts of the day, as Christine and her staff are not genealogists, do not want to be genealogists, but see the value in genealogical interpretations. Their goal was to "put the people back in the pews," and genealogists at the NEHGS helped them get beyond names and dates, connecting families while using primary and secondary sources.

Although many people have preconceptions about historians versus genealogists, Gex Xers (and Y as well) just want expertise. These are the people genealogists can reach to expand their users. What kind of projct would benefit from a genealogist? Questions about social inter-relationships within a communitty, research involving individuals with common names and technocratic teams without deep idealogical divides.

With the help of genealogists, Christine came up with OldNorth.com and the online program Tories, Timid or True Blue? This shows students why history is fun, namely the spirit of inquiry and intellectual risk - which is also why genealogy is fun! Students get to look at primary documents to solve mysteries and learn important things such as "you can't trust everything you see." I highly recommend looking at the program and using it as a way to get children interested in history and genealogy.

Programs such as these are the future of digitizing information and documents. The field of digital humanities is fast growing, as people no longer want to know what is being put online, but what one is going to do with it once it's there.

After this session came a presentation by lunch sponsor by ProQuest, which I will discuss tomorrow!

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Part 2 of The Genealogy Reference Desk Institute

Please see part 1 of this series.

The second session of the Genealogy Reference Desk Institute was "An Overview of American Colonial Records" by David Dearborn, staff genealogist at the NEHGS and Fellow, American Society of Genealogists.

David began the presentation by telling us the cardinal rule, "Colonial records were not created for the benefit of 21st century genealogists." A rule that needs to be remembered for all records, in my opinion, not just those of the colonial time period.

What I learned most about these records is that it is important to learn about the area one is researching, as every area is different and borders changed drastically over time. Towns were invented in the colonies. Prior to this, there were ecclesiastical parishes, manors, et cetera, in England, but not a governmental area without a religious basis.

The earlier back your ancestry is in the colonies, the easier it is to find information for a few reasons. First, there were few people here, so it is relatively easy to follow them. Second, land records were very well kept and most people owned land.

My ancestors did not immigrate until long after the colonial period, but it was interesting to hear about research strategies. David also handed out a reading list with many books and articles I will be seeking out.

I will be discussing the third session tomorrow and it was a fantastic one!

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

The Genealogy Reference Desk Institute

On Friday, 15 January, I attended the American Library Association's "The Genealogy Reference Desk: Where Everyone Knows Your Name" at the New England Historic Genealogical Society. The NEHGS is located in the historic Back Bay area of Boston in a gorgeous old bank.

The first session was "Sustainability in Genealogical Collections" by D. Brenton Simons, president of the NEHGS. He began by discussing the the Society, which was formed in 1845. They currently have a reference librarian whose entire purpose is to be online to "spread the intellectual capital." I had never realized how much information they have on areas outside of New England, which is shown in their online catalog and portals such as their new AficanAmericanAncestors.org (coming February 3rd). They are even changing their journal name to "American Ancestors" and we were the first outside of staff to get a sneak preview at the cover.

He went on to discuss the importance of a service culture in libraries, quick tips for libraries during economic downturns and strategic planning information. My favorite tip he gave was that your goal should always be "aim to thrive, not just survive." This is what has helped them to thrive during the poor economy when so many others have not.

I will continue my report on the Institute tomorrow, when I will discuss "An Overview of American Colonial Records" by David Dearborn.

Monday, January 18, 2010

Week in Review: 11 Jan 2010 – 17 Jan 2010

After being sick for the first half of the week and in Boston for the second, I did not accomplish any research, blogging or transcribing. Luckily, the conference I attended in Boston (ALA midwinter) had an optional Genealogical Reference Workshop at the NEW ENGLAND HISTORIC GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY!!! Starting tomorrow I will do a series of posts on what I learned there and the amazing speakers I saw, which included Laura Prescott, APA President and Drew Smith from The Genealogy Guys Podcast

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Week in Review: 4 Jan 2010 – 10 Jan 2010