Needle in a Haystack

My maiden name is Brown. 

Yep. In the 2000 Census of the United States, it was the fourth most common surname in the country, beat out by Smith, Johnson and Williams (Genealogy Data: Frequently Occurring Surnames from Census 2000. United States Census Bureau. Accessed 21 May 2012. http://www.census.gov/genealogy/www/data/2000surnames/index.html).

We all love the "needle in a haystack" analogy, right?

This is a common topic for genealogy bloggers, researchers and professionals alike. I've been reading tips for over a decade, trying to find what works and what doesn't. There are some basic tools that are used regularly, cluster research, for example. (Cluster research is looking at each individual in the family: how many John Brown's have a wife named Amanda and four daughters; Amy, Andrea, Alexis and Alyson? Of course, its not always that easy.) You can find great suggestions on various blogs, like Elyse's Genealogy Blog, by Elyse Doerflinger, and her post: 3 Tips for Researching Common Surnames (5 Jan 2011).

My question is this: what if you have the needle, but not the hay?

What happens when you have a theory you are trying to prove, but not enough evidence to prove or disprove? I have a few of these gems, and for me, they are as frustrating and difficult as the John Brown's of the world, surrounded by hay.

So this is more about what I do in either case. Often, the research techniques can be the same or at least similar.  Not everybody in my ancestral line gets the same treatment; some walls are just more important than others to destroy. Assume that up to this point, I have already conducted a fairly thorough search of the more common resources, both online and off. I've looked at B,M,D, I've reviewed my notes, I've gone back over all the documentation.

This is my brain obliterating
genealogy brick walls. Or, at least I
like to think so.
Creative Commons: www.ropeadope.com

My typical first step is to walk away. 5 minutes, 5 days, 5 months. Whatever it takes to clear my brain of any assumptions I have already drawn, to erase what I think I know about that person. At times, it leads me to research someone closely connected, which in turn leads to a new resource or possible break through (back to that whole cluster thing). There are people in my past who seem to be mocking me, however, and I just end up right back where I was when I walked away the first time.

Step 2 (though it doesn't always necessarily happen in this order): I draw a picture. It could be a hand written pedigree for the individual, with room for notes, it could be a giant word bubble, it could be a literal sketch of what I think that person looked like. Anything to get my creative juices flowing, the other side of my brain working. Once in a while, its enough of a boost to either motivate me to keep going or gain a new idea on a resource, an avenue of their lifespan I haven't explored yet.

Step 3. Start a new tree. Really. I take this one person, with only his vitals, and start a new tree in my software. That way, I can work on his life alone without influence from those around him. Yes, cluster research works very well, however, sometimes it helps to separate yourself and the subject from everything else. Isolate that person, and see what comes to your brain. If you find evidence that you conclude is correct, you can fairly easily merge the two files or transfer one piece of data at a time.

Always, along the way, talk. Talk out loud. Talk to your cat, the computer, a cup of coffee, a spouse, the tree outside the window. Anything. Just talk. It's the same concept as when you are writing a paper (or editing one!), and they tell you to read it to yourself. Then read it backwards. You find more errors, you are able to make corrections on flow and rhythm. The same theory applies here: if you talk, it forces your brain to process more. It makes you more aware of the possible date mistakes, the pieces of information you have yet to collect, the gaps in your timeline.

Lastly, tell their story. Blog it, journal it, put it in Word and let it sit in your computer. It's the same as talking; spelling it out and putting everything you know out there in some format will cause your brain cells to click into gear. It doesn't matter if you ever share it with anybody else. Just get it out.

I would love to hear about what you do. Hay, no hay, different colors of hay, hay in multiple places. Let the destruction begin! Please share your comments and thoughts.

Frankie's Letter: From a Widow to the Pension Board

Last in three posts dedicated to the military personnel in my family, a Memorial Day tribute of sorts.

As any genealogist would know, pension files can be an incredibly illuminating resource. Several years ago, we obtained the file for Capt. Oscar F. Brown and his wife, Frances (Lawrence) Brown. Frankie's file was considerable in size, having lived several more years after her husband, and petitioning repeatedly for increases in her widow's pension.

Oscar & Frances Brown, seen with unidentified children.
Private holdings of author.

Included is a copy of a letter, written by Frankie, dated 31 Oct 1928. By this time, Oscar had been gone 22 years, and she was living with her youngest son, Warren, in Orting, Washington. She turned 75 the previous July and was expecting a higher monthly sum, due to the change in her age. This excerpt in particular caught our attention as a family:

"... I am a soldier's daughter, a soldiers' widow, and a soldier's mother and think I am entitled to at least $40 a mo., and a soldiers sister [to] 3 brothers."

Although she didn't know it at the time, she is in fact:

the daughter of a soldier
the sister of soldiers
the widow of a soldier
the mother of a soldier
the grandmother of soldiers
the great-grandmother of soldiers
the great-great grandmother of soldiers

We Are Not a Military Family

Many moons ago, my Grandmother Elsie started a family tradition. Each year, we would all gather at Uncle Boone’s house on Memorial Day for a potluck and visit to the local cemetery. My paternal side is well represented in that cemetery, and she felt it was incredibly important to remember those people. I agree. We would all bring flowers, clean up the headstones, and enjoy the peaceful serenity of that place. This is where my love of cemeteries first developed.

My favorite spot here is a small section, downhill from the main part of the property. If you sneak down this hill, you are right on the edge of the beautiful Pacific Northwest forest, and there is an older tree next to a row of Brown’s. It’s a fantastic little spot, and I couldn’t think of a better place for those relatives of mine to rest.

Even though Grandma has been gone some time, the tradition lives on. I now live four states away, and unfortunately cannot participate each year as I once did. But, my family and I carry on, visiting our local cemetery, leaving flowers for the veterans and cleaning their headstones. It’s still an incredibly important day on the calendar.

When I started my genealogical journey over a decade ago, I would have told you, “We are not a military family.” Yes, my father was in the Navy, and my brother in the Army Reserves. Yes, I have a handful of cousins that were, or are, active duty in one way or another. But we really aren’t a military family.

I realized pretty quickly how wrong I was.

Capt. Oscar F. Brown
Private holdings of author.

My great-great grandfather, Capt. Oscar F. Brown, served in two units during the Civil War, most notably, the Mississippi Marine Brigade, which served on board ramming vessels patrolling the Mississippi River. They would try to outrun, blockade and preferably sink Confederate ships by crashing into them. The Marine unit, of which my ancestor was a member, would most often disembark onto the banks prior to the engagement, then travel by foot to the action and shoot from shore. They did, upon occasion, stay on the boat and fight from the water. They were a unique unit in many ways, and quite obscure among Civil War researchers. They were also one of the only units during the war to act under federal jurisdiction, rather than a state.

After his discharge, Oscar homesteaded in Nebraska, where he married and raised his family. He died there, but after his death, his wife, Frances, followed her children to Washington State. She is buried in the Orting Soldiers Home Cemetery as a veteran’s widow.  Of their six descendants, only one, Warren, the youngest, served in the Armed Forces. Like his father, he was on boats, but during World War I, he enlisted in the Navy. We know he was a Machinist, and he probably served on submarines, based on our photo archives. Surviving the war, he lived out his later years in Oregon and California, and died in 1945. He is buried in the Los Angeles National Cemetery, and I hope that one of these years I can get there for Memorial Day.  

2nd Lt. Robert L Brown
Private holdings of author.

The next generation brought a new war, of course. My grandfather wanted to enlist very much, but was turned away from the Army. His brothers, however, both joined, one in the Merchant Marines and one in the Army Air Force. My father’s uncles carried on this unknown tradition. 

Maybe it was known to them?

Author's father, as a young sailor.
Private holdings of author.

Then my father. He served 18 years for the United States Navy during the Vietnam period. In the Navy, he learned his lifelong craft of photography, met my mother, and had their first three children. I am the last and the only one who cannot claim to be a “Navy baby.”  His service stories I can recite to you verbatim, we’ve heard them so many times over our lifetime, but I still never thought of myself as a veteran’s daughter growing up.

Author's brother, US Army.
Private holdings of author.

My brother enlisted in the Army Reserves the summer before I entered the sixth grade.  When he left, I was shocked and saddened; I just did not understand that he wasn't going to be a part of my day to day life anymore. I still have the letters he sent home from boot camp and that first year of training. During the first engagement in Kuwait in the early 90’s, I was petrified he was going to be called to Active Duty, and he came very close from what I was told. I also had one paternal cousin that enlisted, and still have a couple on my maternal side that are serving.

We know with certainty that we have five generations of military service in my father’s line.  There are four theories as to who Oscar’s Dad was, and that is my biggest brick wall at this time. Two of those possible men were also veteran’s, both having served in the War of 1812. If one of those turns out to be his father, then we really have six generations. If my great-great-great grandfather turns out to be the man I think he is, than our family goes back to the Revolutionary War. I'm sure we're not the only people in this country that can say we've served in nearly every major conflict fought by American forces since the Civil War. We are lucky enough, however, to have not lost anyone to these engagements. So, on this Memorial Day, I will take time to remember, and I hope you will too. I will continue my grandmother's tradition, I will ensure that my three year old daughter lays flowers on the grave of a veteran. 

I am proud to say, we are a military family.

The headstone for Frances E. (Lawrence)
Brown, widow of Civil War veteran Oscar
F. Brown. Buried in the Orting Soldiers Home
Cemetery, Orting, Washington.
Photo: Private holdings of author.

Silent Saturday: Remembering what Memorial Day is really about.

Grave site of Robert A Carlyle, my first cousin, 2x removed.

All week I've been updating my cover photo on Facebook with military images from my family tree. A reminder of what Memorial Day truly stands for. Here are some of those images, and more.

John H. Lawrence, Jr.
Ohio Cavalry, Civil War.
Two of his brothers served as well.

The USS Coral Sea, on which my father served in the US Navy.

William J. Brown, WWII

William "Bill" Brown and wife, Stella.

Warren Brown, WWI Submariner

Los Angeles National Cemetery.
Warren Brown's final resting place.

Capt. Oscar F. Brown
Mississippi Marine Brigade, Union
Civil War

Their descendants, participating in the annual family Memorial Day
celebration at the Orting Cemetery, Orting, Pierce County, Washington.
This one is from 2008.

Photography: Questioning the Scanner

Photography. All genealogists use photography in some way or another. We preserve old photos and documents, we pursue images from around the world of headstones and cemeteries, we transcribe using digital imaging techniques. As we progress more and more into the world of technology and digital media, our photography skills must advance with us.

Breckenridge, Colorado
Image Copyright Jen Baldwin,
Ancestral Journeys, 2012

I am not a photographer. I have always been curious about the art, and have enjoyed the hobby as a creative outlet. However, the technical aspects behind a camera often elude me. My advantage is a personal connection with a semi-retired photographer, Mr. Mike Brown. So, I asked him a few questions that had been on my mind for a while.

One of his favorite things to tell me is how much better it is to take a picture of something versus scanning it. What?  My scanner is one of my best friends. Everything gets scanned! So, that was one of my first questions: why take a picture of something when I can scan it?  Although his answer is long, its worth reading through to the end:

"If one is serious about reproducing photographs, I am convinced that the only way to do so is to copy them using a digital single lens reflex camera (DSLR). You also need a couple of lights and some filters and a bit of knowledge. Your camera should have a lens that incorporates a "micro" mode and will accept a polarizing filter. You will also need a set of polarizing filters for your lights (two lights are recommended). A tripod rounds out the equipment list. Now this sounds like a lot of gear, but hang on, it's really not that bad. Of course the camera can be used for other things from family reunions to documenting grave stones, so it is not just a single purpose item. The polarizing filter for the camera ($30.00 or so, depending on the size needed and where you get it) is also a great thing to have when shooting a great scenic photo as it helps get those deep blue skies. For lights, get thee to the local farm store and pick up a pair of "chicken brooder" lamps, maybe $10.00 each. Put a 100W, Daylight balanced CFC bulb in each one. You will need a sheet of Polarizing film that is big enough to cover both of your lamps. Theater supply or larger camera stores carry this for about $50.00 or so a sheet (the sheet is 17 x 20 inches; one sheet would make a filter for both lights).

A tripod is a very handy item for photographers and they come in an extremely wide range of sizes and prices. For this you do not need a very big or too expensive one. In fact, a good way to use a small tripod while copying photographs is to lay the tripod flat on a table so at the camera looks down at the floor, place something heavy on the tripod so it does not fall from the table, lay the photographs on the floor, clamp the lights to a couple of chair backs, turn off the other lights in the room and you are in business! 

Once you have all of this, you can easily reproduce just about any photograph or document that you want. Originals that are too big too fit on a scanner are not a problem, just back up till they fit. Have one of the old oval convex portraits where the middle of the picture is several inches higher than the edges? Have a photo that is stuck to the glass and you are getting too much glare? Maybe a painting with glare from some of the brush strokes? Want to lighten up the image on that old tintype that is almost too dark to see? All of these problems can be easily solved with the equipment described above. The technique is called "Double Polarized lighting."

But the biggest use of this type of lighting is when you are faced with trying to reproduce an old photo that displays "Silvering". Silvering is usually visible in the darker areas of the image as a result of the halides breaking down and the metallic silver becoming visible. By simply turning the filter on the camera one can just dial out the unwanted reflections and capture the image!  

These are copies of the same silvered photograph, one taken with the Double Polarized Lighting method, the other scanned with a typical flatbed scanner. Neither has had any other work done to them except for resizing."  

With Scanner

With Camera

"And of course, if you really want to go first class, some of the more affordable cameras come with the ability to connect directly to your computer so you get to see the images as you take them. Doing so allows one to easily quality check each image as you work your way through the stack. 

I realize that not everyone may be all that interested in this kind of do it yourself photography and may want to send this out to someone else. If that is you, then I would suggest contacting photo studios in your area and asking them if they can do copy work employing the "Double Polarized Lighting Technique." If they say no or do not seem to know what the term means, go somewhere else!"

I'll have more from my conversation on photography within the realm of genealogy in future posts. Feel free to leave comments or questions for Mr. Brown, or myself, and I can include those, with his responses.



With over 50 years of photographic experience, Mike Brown is now semi-retired from the everyday hustle and bustle of owning a photographic studio. He now splits his time between consulting, teaching and mentoring in the photographic world and trying to keep up with a whole herd of grandchildren!

Where Were They? 1936 North American Heat Wave

1936. The country is in the midst of the Great Depression. The Dust Bowl has ravaged the plains states for years. The world is on the verge of war. It must have felt like a never ending armaggedon to some. What could possibly come next?

Goodwell, Okla. Dust Bowl.
Chris Jones/National Geographic/
Getty Images.

Heat.

It set records, some of which still stand today. Drought was rampant. Crops were destroyed. People died.

My knowledge of the heat wave that moved through that year is limited, so I will summarize from Wikipedia. You can read their article in its entirety here.

By late June, temperatures over the country were already exceeding 100 degrees F. Peaking in July, North Dakota recorded 121 F. Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, Minnesota, Michigan, North Dakota, South Dakota, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Nebraska, Wisconsin, West Virginia, New Jersey, Ontario, and Manitoba set still-standing records. The death's numbered in the 5000's.

Where were they?

This heat affected the entire continent, so truly, I could almost profile each and every one of my ancestors who were alive in 1936. That would take a while, however, and I just don't have that much time. So, I'll have to pick just a few.

Oscar F. Brown, my great-great grandfather, died in 1906 in Nebraska, and his wife, Frankie, in 1929. They had six children, and all but one saw the intense heat of '36. Except, none of them lived in the plains anymore. They were all in the Pacific Northwest; Washington, Oregon, and northern California. Bessie probably would have seen the worst of it, living in eastern Washington, near Spokane, versus the western half where her siblings were. She died in 1938, and had three children with her first husband, John R. Frank: William, Frances, and John Oscar. I know that Frances died at age 74, and would have been thirty-six at the time of this event, but I do not yet know when her brothers passed. They, also, would have been young adults, and could have easily moved on from the family home.

Back to Nebraska, looking at the Heerten family, my maternal side. Grandpa Heerten attended high school in 1935 in Keya Paha County, and the 1940 census finds him working on a nearby ranch, not too far from his father's farm. So, I know he was there, as were his siblings, and he was unmarried. Both his parents, John and Emma, would have seen the mercury rise that year. I wonder about their state of mind at this time... crops dead in the field, deep in dust and drought, no financial resources to speak of.

Emma Heerten with her granddaughter.
Abt. 1948, Alabama.
Private holdings of author.

Why didn't they leave? After all this hardship, and the approaching war and growing industry, why stay? Two generations later, and I still have cousins working the land in northern Nebraska.

George Clark Davis, Jr., sixteen in 1936, was bearing the summer in Birmingham, Alabama, with his two siblings: Martha and Patricia. Their parents, George C. Davis, Sr and Ella McGowan had been in Jefferson County since sometime between 1910-1920. He a Confederate sympathizer and she a native of Pittsburgh, would have made an interesting couple.  In his father's household, sentiments of old ran strong.  Would the city environment been worse than out on the plains? Cities generate their own heat; how would the children have gotten through day after day of intense heat and unbearable dryness?  How did a "southern lady", as my grandmother and grand aunt were expected to be, tolerate the temperatures?


So, where were they in the summer of 1936 for this disastrous heat wave? Everywhere. Simply because the heat was everywhere. There was no way to avoid it. Where was your family? I would invite you to share your comments or blog links below.

Go Beyond Records

As genealogists, we are all interested in social history. Well, we should be at least. I recently came across an older blog post, written by Shelley Bishop, on her A Sense of Family site. Her piece, entitled Social History Resources for Genealogists certainly exposed me to some new and great websites to use in my research. Over the years, I have come across a few of my own ideas, and wanted to share some of those, as well. Not necessarily specific resources, but outlets for information.

Did your grandparents
take dancing lessons?

I would say the vast majority of us know the importance of collecting vital information, and for many, the genealogy hunt starts with numbers. It's kinda' like teenagers with Facebook... how many friends do you have? Except our question is, "how big is your file?"  As you mature in your research, the opportunities for social history seem to explode in your face. So, have you thought about...

• Specialized education or training?  Was your ancestor educated outside of public schools or colleges? 
• State licenses? I found my great uncle's fishing license from when he was 25 years old. Cool, huh? 
• Sporting societies?  There was a large Czech population in Colfax County, Nebraska, and their culture brought an emphasis on organized athletics. They had membership papers.
• Olympic Athlete? Maybe your ancestor went a lot farther than local clubs... check out the UK's National Archives; they've just released theirs for the first time online.
• Social clubs, hobbies. Sewing groups, book clubs, you get the idea. Nearly all of these organized groups had membership lists. 
• Occupations, of course, and unions. 
• Military veteran groups. Not just through the government or Veterans of Foregin Affairs (VFA), but groups like the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association, Inc. 
• Car clubs!
• Youth groups. What did their children do? Were the parents volunteers? My father and his siblings were very active in the local 4-H Club, and my grandparents were both leaders at one time. I have a considerable collection of club records left over from my grandmother's estate. (Yes, I am trying to get these back to the 4-H where they belong.) You can also search for newspaper records that include these organizations. They may not list your specific ancestor, but if you know already they were members at that time, it can help you put their day to day life together.
• Continuing Education... this is one I think for more recent generations... cooking classes, second languages, etc. 
• Alumni Organizations
• Financial donations... were your ancestors particular active in local or national politics? Did they have a "cause" they worked towards? Were they influential in their religion? Did they have a few dollars to spare? Then you may find them here, in form of a receipt or acknowledgement from the organization.
• Animals... I found a record indicating that my great-great grandfather owned a registered French Draft Horse. I didn't even know there was such a thing before that. 

This list is by no means all inclusive. There are thousands of ways to learn more about their lives and how they spent their time. What motivated them? What were they passionate about?


Think about how they lived, what was happening during their lifetime. My great grandfather grew up in Nebraska, but the oral family history tells us that he "bought a train ticket and went as far west as he could". He ended up getting off the train in Washington State, and settled in a small community. We know already that he ran the local livery stable for some time, he worked on the roads commission, he joined the volunteer fire department and ran the "school bus" for local children. Only later in life, during the recession, did he start working as a farmer again. He lived in town, not out in the country.  That tells you something: he did everything he could to avoid farming.  Those are all clues that would indicate where you could look for records.

I would love to hear what you have discovered, what sources you have used, what stories you have learned. Feel free to leave a comment or a link to your own blog post!

Going Adventuring!

There are fewer things in this world that my husband and I enjoy together than "going adventuring!"  Generally speaking, we pick a road, an area, an interest we have not explored yet and just go. Pack a few snacks, the camera, and the rain gear, and we hit the road. Of course, now we're taking the little one, too, which adds a whole new element.

On Mother's Day, 2012, we went adventuring. I loved every minute of it; snow, rain, wind, sun and all.

Since we're still fairly new to Breckenridge, Colorado, we stayed local. Hoping to find "old stuff", we turned onto Tiger Road and just kept going. Thanks to the Atlas of Colorado Ghost Towns, Volume II by Leanne C. Boyd and H. Glenn Carson, (Cache Press, 1985) and The New Summit Hiker and Ski Touring Guide by Mary Ellen Gilliland (Alpenrose Press, 2002), we had a vague idea that there was something out there to see. Old mining camps and towns such as Swanville, Parkville, Preston and Royal Tiger awaited us. We just had to find them.

The map in the Atlas we brought along wasn't excellent, but it gave us a rough idea. We stopped at a few places, walked into the woods a bit. Found a washed out bridge and for our daughter, some very cool rocks. We kept going.

Eventually, we had to turn back for home. On the way in, however, we had seen some leftover mining features that we wanted to explore, so we had those to check off the list first. Our first stop, we hit the jack pot. It was such a great little alcove of history!

(All images are Copyright Jen Baldwin, Ancestral Journeys, 2012. 

Thank you for asking permission before use.)

There was a wooden structure on top of the tailing pile you could see from the road. It looked to us like an entrance to a mine, but we did not climb up to explore further.

Immediately adjacent to the tailing pile, were these pieces. Appears to be an old water wheel and possibly some structure that was put in place to keep everything together. Hard to tell, and I'm certainly no expert.

About 100 yards down the trail, was this, just off in the trees, very close to the stream. 

And right next to that... a sluice? Also, someone had come along before us and collected all these nearby artifacts and laid them out for all to see. Pieces of porcelain, metal, old shoes and glass. Interesting to look through. 

One of the pieces still had identifying marks on it. 

We kept walking. Very quickly came upon this "dump" of tin cans and broken dishes. It went on forever! The pics below are the "more interesting" items we stumbled upon. 

Broken pieces, some with marks, and some with existing color. The blue piece was some kind of rough pottery. 

There were piles of these little guys. They looked like the bottoms of bottles, broken apart. We had no idea what they were... best guess was possibly some kind of explosive used in the mine?  One side was flat, obviously, the outside of the container, and they were all broken in the same way and the same rough size.

One of the more distinct pieces of porcelain with its pattern still very clear and the colors distinct. 

This can was interesting because you can still make out some of the lettering on it... two words, the second of which is "ALBERT"

More walking led to this gem; a small cabin or mine opening in the woods. Sat right alongside the road we were walking on. 

Two rooms, and a very intentional flat roof, which made us think it was a cabin intended for human shelter. It was very low, however, so perhaps it was an entrance to a mine? 

Square tin can, versus the round ones that were certainly more prominent. 

Two pieces that my husband was able to fit back together. You can tell which side was exposed and which was laying against the ground. Notice one piece has a small gold 8 stamped on it. 

Another piece with good color. Not sure what the metal next to it is. 

Two pieces laying nearby each other, obviously from the same pattern/dish. 

On the way home, finally, we saw a moose munching in the bushes. Do you see him? 

Neither my husband nor I are incredibly knowledgeable about the lives of miners in the late 1800's in Summit County, Colorado, however, we are working towards learning more. According to one of our area trail maps, this could be a "mine dump" area, which would indicate to me that this is where various people brought their garbage - it certainly looks that way - and I've read about these sites before. What a fascinating journey into the daily lives of the predominant culture in this area! 

If you have knowledge of any of these items, or expertise in this time frame, we would certainly love to hear from you. Please feel free to comment below or send an email/message. 

All in all, we had a fantastic day. I invite you to "go adventuring" and get lost exploring your own regional history.

Favorite Tweets from the NGS 2012 Conference

Warning! This is a very long post!

If you would like to link to this post, please email me.

Over the week of 9-12 May, I anxiously anticipated news and updates from participants at the 2012 NGS Conference in Ohio. Watching Twitter, reading blogs, checking on Facebook updates. All of this has allowed me to accumulate a few "gems". Here are my favorites from Twitter. (All of these were captured from using #ngs2012.)

FYI, they are all in one post mostly for my own use. However, Accessible Archives made it easy on all of us and put all the tweets into a downloadable spreadsheet. Check it out.

Image: factfriday.com

9 May:

• @amandaea129 "Bloom: After you write the proof argument, think of ways others will pick it apart, then go do that research"

10 May:

• @accessarchives "Bettag: 'Negative findings are valuable... but do not constitute proof'"
• @amandaea129 "Mills. Research is a gourmet meal, and we pay a lot for that meal."
• @lfmccauley "An index is not the record. Finding Paris on a map is not the same as going there. ESM" (ESM meaning a quote from Elizabeth Shown Mills)
• @lfmccauley "Substitute vowels when searching indexes. Looking for Allison, also look for Ellison. ESM"
• @a3genealogy "Elizabeth Shown Mills mentioned she wildcards all vowels when possible."
• @amandaea129 "ESM: Treat ethnicity as a surname: German, Gypsy, Negro, etc."
• @amandaea129 "ESM: We have to learn to to read with our ears, as well as our eyes."
• @geneditor "make sure to look @ church duplicates because they may offer more. Don't stop with your German ancestors, look for siblings."
• @CarmelObserver "Get your RSS feeds in Google Reader and avoid cluttering your email says Geni Ninja @tmacentee"
• @downeastdigger "If you want your blog post to be seen in best time for Thomas' geneablogger blog roll-up, schedule post at 9:00 am Eastern"
• @PaulaStewartWarr "As usual, a genealogy conference is like a family reunion."
• @amandaea129 "Bittner: 'A vow as simple as "let us marry," or as vague as "I am yours" was a binding marriage' in Germany at one time."
• @ArchivalBiz "'Make no assumptions, trust no single source in isolation.' More pearls from Tom Jones.
• @downeastdigger "LOVE Tom Jones. 'Eleanors not a biblical name. I know. I googled the Bible.' *room erupts in laughter*"

Random Image to break up all this text.

11 May 

• @cataplin "'In case you didn't know, compiled genealogies aren't always accurate.' - D Joshua Taylor"
• @ArchivalBiz "'A find is not just a find, it should lead us somewhere else.' ESM"
• @accessarchives "One of the most satisfying parts about genealogy is the community of genealogists." (Read the related blog post here:  http://genealogycertification.wordpress.com/2012/05/11/the-community-of-genealogists/)
• @familytreegirl "Barbara says you must research the whole family, all collateral relationships if looking at chancery records"
• @lfmccauley "On PA Tax Lists, inmate=married w/o property, freeman=single w/o property. Freilich"
• @RachelPopma "Elissa Scalise Powell: Don't stop at the will book. Make sure to see the probate packet."
• @skhowOH "Google search for online chancery case records for your state."
• @ArchivalBiz "'Source citations are also reminders to us as genealogists of what we've looked at.' Tom Jones"
• @cataplin "'When should we document? When we want to be believed.' Tom Jones"
• @indepthgen "Is your military research organized? Don't forget to organize the data and analysis as well as the documents."
• @ArchivalBiz "'1) Get it right. 2) Get it right in a way those who come behind us know its right.' Documentation. Tom Jones"
• @indepthgen (All from "In Search of your Civil War Ancestry" presented by Stephen J. Buffat.)
• Don't forget to research county histories, hometown newspapers, etc of both Union and Confederate, especially in border states.
• Check the 1890 Veterans sched for Confederates. Look for crossed off names as it was intended for Union veterans.
• Don't just gather your facts. Social history, baby! Know how they lived (and died) during the war.
• Do you know the history of the draft order for CW? Look it up. Might have just gotten a lead to chase one of my guys.
• Don't have CW ancestors? Maybe you should check draft records to see if he was rejected or exempted. NARA record grp 110
• Union medical records are at NARA while confederate medical records are on the state level.
• @skhowOH "'compare land records with those in will who are left property.' may or may not be land  registration records"
• @cataplin "'A citation is not a fill in the blank formula. You have to think about why you are doing this.' Tom Jones"
• @downeastdigger "TerraGo=free download which embeds within Adobe as map tool usgs.gov"
• @skhowOH "records were mandated to be kept since council of Trent (1560-1580)" [Referring to Chancery records]
• @skhowOH "Marriages most often occurred in brides parish but were recorded with baptism records  of both bride and groom in respect parish"
• @JLowe615 "@DigiGenie says 'Twitter is the great aggregator'"
• @JLowe615 "@DigiGenie 'Keep your followers engaged' (Twitter)"
• @skhowOH "may times the diocese has copies of parish records"
• @BretPetersen "@m_kcreations Keep your eye out here for the recordings in the next week or so.  http://www.jamb-inc.com/genealogy " [Link is to purchase recordings of the various sessions; an important resource, especially for those of us who were unable to attend.]
• @skhowOH "The Assoc of Catholic Diocesan Archivists has a website listing all archivists."

There's more? Is she for real? 

12 May

• @Indepthgen: 
• "You learn to research based on the tools that you use. Make sure you establish your identities and start on a good foundation."
• "Find independent sources. Key word = independent." 
• "Want to avoid (or break) a brickwall? Plan. Research. Analyze everything to the smallest detail, name listed, etc."
• "Done w a problem? Write it out. Look for holes. Did you miss anything or was it thorough?"
• "Look for your siblings and associates to help confirm the identity of your people. Groups are easier to locate than individuals."
• @JLowe615 "Michael Hait. Beware of census enum when all ages end in 5."
• @genaortega "Weisberger: if you are told there is no death certificate & you have the obit, send them obit, ask for them to look 4 certificate again"
• @amandaea129 "Stamm: Railroad papers are not always located where you think they would be. Look everywhere."
• @Indepthgen "Don't discount negative info. Lack of information IS information."
• @geneditor "follow the county histories backward to see if you may locate an ancestor's bio in a mug book. Look for siblings, even cousins."
• @Indepthgen "YES --> 'You can't assume anything. Ever.' Michael Hait"
• @skhowOH "Many reasons for migration: economics, politics, religion, family dynamics, race, geography, class, etc."
• @gensearchdeb "Treat yourself as a client when creating research reports on your own family. - Stuart-Warren"
• @geneditor "Springpad is well designed to create to-do lists, research notes, etc. Has a clean design. And it's free."
• @heftisearch "Just saw the best sideburns of the conference. Think early Ohio presidents." (HA! Right in the middle of all these serious topics, great tidbits coming in, and then this. Boom. Love it!)
• @amandaea129 "ESM presentation has so much great info. If you aren't at #NGS2012, get the CD!"
• @lfmccauley "Every research project should have The Research Report & Individual Research Notes. ESM"
• @KAMChapman "ESM Research is an analytical process not just looking up names."
• @Darris "Michael Hait says digitized records require less time to locate and more time for evaluating the evidence."

Another random image.
Oh yea, I did that.
Breckenridge Resort, Colorado.

• @skhowOH: (Tweeting about the session, "Using Excel to Compare Name Lists of Family Associates and Neighbors", presented by David Ouimette, CG.)
• "1. Trace immigrant origins with maps."
• "2. Build a village migration chain."
• "3. Index a parish register."
• "4. Reconstruct families in a parish."
• "5. Create a family timeline."
• "6. Research close acquaintances."
• "7. Leverage name variants."
• "8. Estimate birth year from censuses."
• @lfmccauley "Use Excel to index records or estimate birth year from census records. Unlimited uses in genealogy research. Ouimette."
• @cataplin "'I love my wife. She has resisted the urge to take a match and lighter fluid to my study.' Rev. David McDonald."
• @skhowOH: (Tweeting about the session, "10 Top Tips to Concluding Effective Research", presented by David McDonald.)
• "1. Be actively engaged in analysis throughout the research phase of a project."
• "2. Do not be afraid of indirect evidence."
• "3. When you realize others are quoting your research to vouch for their conclusions..."
• "4. You have conducted a reasonable exhaustive search."
• "5. The client has asked for report."
• "6.  Conclusions are becoming clear."
• "7. Ongoing analysis and drafts have been shared w/other trusted, competent colleagues."
• "8. The reliability and utility of resources consulted can be explained & shared w/client or other researchers."
• "9. The target individual or family can be identified in their community & context."
• "10. Further research would require an unreasonable expenditure of time, talent or treasure in pursuit of minimal return."
• @cataplin: "'Mug books were created in the Victorian Era. What do we know about the Victorian Era? They were uptight and they lied.' D. McDonald"

And now you ask the big question: how in the world did I manage to save all these tweets? Well, that was the easy part. As people were attending sessions, I would try to read along. When something interesting, intriguing, or just funny popped up, I put it on my "favorite" list in Twitter. At the end of each day, I went back to that list and collected them into this post. This way, I get to maintain the "conversation" during the day, I have them for future reference and can spend more time later on "intentional thought". I can also go back and ask the sender for more info, and see what they can remember. It's a handy tool, that little star.

Where Were They: The Children's Blizzard, 12 Jan 1888

I am currently reading The Children's Blizzard, by David Laskin. If you have not read this, and are interested in American history or events in the plains states, you should really pick it up. Honestly, I'm only about half way through, but it made me stop to think: where were my family members on this day?

I had two major lines living in Nebraska at this time. Oscar F. Brown and family represent my paternal side, residing in Colfax County. Farther north were the family of Eilert Heerten, farming in Keya Paha County.  Eilert was the first of my mother's Heerten line to immigrate from Germany. Both of these groups would have seen this historic storm, and both would have certainly told stories of it later in life.


This is the comment published on the inside cover of the book, and when I first picked it up, this is what nearly forced me to purchase it and immediately sit down with a cup of coffee to devour this text:

"In three minutes, the front subtracted eighteen degrees from the air's temperature. Then evening gathered in, and temperatures kept dropping the northwest gale. By morning on Friday, January 13, 1888, more than a hundred children lay dead on the Dakota-Nebraska prairie..."

Wow.

The problem with this storm, from what I've been able to decipher so far, was the timing. The morning of January 12 was unusually warm and sunny, so many of the children went off to school, most walking, in lighter clothing, not worried too much about good coats, boots and other typical winter gear. When the storm started to approach, teachers frantically sent their students home, and many were lost in this fast moving weather. When I say they were "lost", I mean that literally. They got lost in the blinding snow and wind, could not find their way to shelter of any kind, and died from exposure. It's a sad tale, tragic. And it begs the question: where were they?

Always curious to know more about the daily lives of my ancestors, and facing the reality that this could possibly explain young deaths in my tree, I begin my journey.

Eilert Heerten immigrated to the United States on the vessel "New York". Family legend and his obituary tell us that he was a stowaway. Three brothers came over together, but they only had enough funds for two, so the other brothers sneakily got Eilert on the ship and managed to keep him hidden for the duration of this voyage. I have no idea if this is really true or not, or even if it was feasible, but it makes for an interesting story.

When Eilert arrived, he originally settled in Mason County, Illinois, and this is where he met and married Amke Dirks Rademacher, also immigrated from Germany. Between 1875 and 1887, though possibly earlier, he had moved the family onto a farm in Keya Paha county, along the northern edge of the Nebraska border with South Dakota.

The young couple had seven children:

John, born 1875, Illinois
Dick, born 1878, Illinois
Annie, 1880, location unknown
Herman, 1884, location unknown
Frank, 1887, Nebraska
Edward, 1890, Nebraska
Bessie, 1896, Nebraska

The storm hit 12 Jan 1888, so all but Edward and Bessie would have been alive for this event. Thankfully, none of the family members have corresponding death dates. No matter what they were doing that day, they all survived. *whew*

Headstone of Eilert & Anna Heerten.
Springview, Nebraska

Enter the Brown family. I know them best, so I'm fairly confident I'm not going to find anything here, either.

Oscar F. Brown, veteran of the Civil War, homesteaded in Colfax County, Nebraska. There he married Frances Elizabeth Lawrence, originally from Ohio. Together, they lived in Nebraska until his death in 1906. After he passed, Frances followed her oldest son to Orting, Washington, where she resided for many years, finally living with daughter Carrie in nearby Tolt.

All of their children were born in Nebraska:

William, born 1876
Elizabeth (Bessie), born 1878
Sarah Alice, born 1880. Died February 1881.
Mortimer, born 1882
Carrie, born 1886
Warren, born 1892

William & Bessie Brown.
Richland, Nebraska.
Image: Private holdings of author.

The only child to die young was Sarah Alice, and she was not quite a year old at that time. Again, no one in the family appears to have suffered too greatly during this event. All but Warren would have lived through it.

Another of my Nebraska lines is the family of Charlotte "Lottie" Lee, whose memoirs I have transcribed and posted on this site. She certainly would have been affected, also, and because I have spent so much time on her recently, here is her family situation.

Cyrus Homer Lee and Mary Josephine Lawrence (sister to Frances, wife of Oscar, above) married 13 Aug 1872 in Columbus, Nebraska. Both transplants from Ohio, they ended up in Nebraska for very different reasons, and based on Lottie's memories of her parents, they lived a happy and fulfilling life; devoted to their religion. During the winter of 1888, they were on their land near Silver Creek in Merrick County, not too far from the Brown family in Colfax County. Cyrus ran the local store and served as post master for a time.

Their children include:

Charlotte, born 1873
Lawrence, born 1874
Bertha, born 1877
Florence, born 1879
Mortimer, born 1881
Lucy, born 1882
Elmer, born 1884
Roy, born 1886

Out of the group, Roy was the only child not born in Nebraska, he is a native son of Colorado. He grew only to be 15 years of age, but died in a drowning accident. Mortimer also died young, passing in July of 1881 at only 4 months. It would appear that the Lee's did well during the storm, also, and did not lose any immediate family.

Lottie does indicate that she and her siblings attended school regularly, as that was important to her parents. So I wonder how they managed to avoid getting trapped in the weather that day? Did Mary have a "sixth sense" as some stories describe in the book; feeling that the morning's warmth was too good to be true, and kept her children home?  Did their teacher shelter the children in the school, rather than send them home when the weather turned?

I suppose we'll never know, but it is certainly interesting to profile my ancestors with a historic event. I think I feel a series coming on...

I would love to hear where your folks were on 12 Jan 1888. Please feel free to comment, or share on your own blog. Just be sure to leave me a link!