#genchat Challenge: Mapping Your Ancestors

Tonight on #genchat, we discussed US Migration Routes. Although this chat was specifically discussing the United States, numerous area's around the world experienced land rushes, massive migration, and other significant moments of human movement.

Tonight's challenge, should you choose to accept it:


Map your families migration around the globe. 


This could be done on paper, electronically, or using a good old fashioned map and push pins. Create a visual representation of how your family ended up where it did, depending on what you know already.


What can you learn from this process? What do you see on the map that you may have missed otherwise?


Does it have to be global?

Well, no. Focus on the ancestor or ancestral line that will benefit your research the most right now. I say global because not all of us have US migration routes to map, nor do we all have far to travel. Think about putting your map,  your ancestor, on a very detailed level. County boundaries, even town boundaries, can make a difference and lead you to another clue.



Share what you find! Share your maps! Think about where they might have stopped along the way, what they might have seen. I'm looking forward to your creations!

Using a county map such as this one may prove beneficial. 

Using the National Register of Historic Places Database

Genealogical research can lead you in so many different directions, and investigating the origins of a specific site or building can really make an impact in the stories you are trying to tell. The United States is lucky to have an amazing resource in the National Register of Historic Places, and researcher’s in all disciplines can utilize the database made available to us via the National Park Service website.

Using this tool can prove to be incredibly exciting, especially for those researching a general area or community that has been put on the list. In work done relating to the Town of Breckenridge, Colorado, I was able to find the original (scanned) application that was submitted, dated 1980; all 38 pages of it! The document included a typed list of contributing buildings, and a color coded map of the town indicating “Historic”, “Contributing” and “Intrusion” properties that factored in to the decision.

The Frisco Schoolhouse, now a
Museum. Main Street, Frisco, CO. 

Certainly individual properties are listed as well, and are more frequent than the “districts”. This includes site such as the Frisco Schoolhouse, which is now a museum on Main Street of Frisco, Colorado. The picture seen here was available on the site to be downloaded, (the material is considered public domain according to the site "Disclaimer") and dates from 1983.  I was also able to learn that the addition in the back of the building was put on in the 1950s, and that’s also when the double door was added to the main entrance. The diamond shaped window in the upper eaves appears to be original (ca. 1909).

Records relating to individual residences include written descriptions and in several cases, a floor plan of the building. There is also a required “Significance” summary that generally gives a historical background of the building, and why it is being pursued as a addition to the list.


Not every site has the application and images online yet, but many do. This is a site you will want to add to your bookmarks list and go back to recheck on a regular basis. For advanced viewing, printing or downloading the documents,  you will need the DjVu Plugin. There is a link at the bottom of the screen when you open the files.

Screenshot of the NPS Focus site, allowing you to see the original application records. This example is from a residence in Salida, Colorado. 

Imagine This: A List of All Genealogy Conferences

Have you imagined it? What would it look like? There might be a page for "national" conferences, perhaps another to list conferences and workshops by state. Maybe a tab or two devoted to Canada, Ireland, or Australia.

And that, all for free.

I tried to find it. Last week I spent two days searching the internet, then messaged folks on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn. Only to find, it didn't exist. There were some great options to use; certain organizations posted calendar pages; there is a Facebook page dedicated to the idea of a comprehensive list. But, they all required me to do extra work to find what I was looking for, and it just was not coming together for me.

What do to?

Everybody I asked left comments like, "wow, that would be great", or "awesome idea!"


Enter: Conference Keeper.

It took me all of fifteen minutes to make a decision, create a name, pick a theme and start putting the site together. I have a feeling it will consume a great deal of time moving forward, as I work to stay on top of the variety of functions that are hosted world wide on the topics of genealogy, family history, story telling, technology, small business and more. However, I am going to try.

It's a very simple concept. I've started by focusing on scheduled events around the United States, though I do have a short list of international events currently. It gives just the basics: name, date, city/state, and a link to the website for either the conference or the host organization.

You can easily contribute to the list, just use the "Contact Us" tab on the website, or message me through Facebook on the Conference Keepers page. Assuming I don't already have it on there, I'll add your event.

Time will tell where this will go, but in the end, the genealogy community now has a one stop shop style website to find the conference, seminar, workshop of interest in your area. No more wasted hours spent searching for each individual event, taking notes, comparing dates and "re-finding" the website you had an hour ago to make a decision on what to attend, when and where.

I hope it is helpful, and I hope you utilize it over and over.

Where Were They? The Day Standard Time Began

Where were they?  A real question, worthy of evaluating. In the past, we have relived a blizzard and extreme heat. Today, our moment in history is a human development; that of "standard time."

White Pine Cone, White Pine, Gunnison County, Colorado Newspaper
30 Nov 1883, Page 3
Part of an article explaining the change to Standard Time.

18 November 1883. The railroads in the United States and Canada adopt "Standard Time" to unify the schedules and routes across the continent. Starting at exactly noon, we divided into time zones using hour differentials; the same system still in place today. The idea did not necessarily change life as a whole for the average American, it took some time for the effects to spread. The idea of daylight savings time was first concocted by Benjamin Franklin, during his time as Ambassador in France, in 1748, but was not instigated until the 1900's. (Source on all above facts: http://www.webexhibits.org/daylightsaving/d.html.)

So, where were they?

Where were my ancestors when standard time went "live"? Were they about to board a train? Were they out in the wilderness and had no idea this was even happening?

Let's find out.

My usual suspects will make their presence known once again: Oscar F. Brown and Eilert Heerten. I've also decided to try to include some folks that were in more urban environments.

The date in question is 18 November 1883. Oscar was 51 years of age, had a wife and four kids, with two more to come later. They were living in Richland, Nebraska, having given up the homesteading life, and Oscar was serving a two year term as a State Senator. We can assume from his "in town" political activity that the family knew of the adoption of standard time. The railway had been in Richland since 1866, and in 1879, they had a grocery store (http://www.casde.unl.edu/history/counties/colfax/richland/). The town was well on its way by 1883.  I wonder if and when the State Senate made the switch? From what I've read, it started with the railroads, and took some time for the rest of society to catch on, so did governments switch earlier than the rest of society? Would the Brown's have adapted to the new system to make life more seamless for Oscar in his public office, or did he just adjust from his personal to professional life?

Eilert's whereabouts during this time are a little more uncertain. We know he was in Illinois in 1875, and in Nebraska by 1890, but those in between years are a little gray. For the purposes of this post, I'm going to assume he was already in Keya Paha County, Nebraska, since its only a few years off.   

From what I have been able to find, the Nebraska Northeastern Railway Company and the Burlington-Northern San Francisco (BNSF) currently run routes near Springview, the county seat. Both of these also run near Ainsworth, in neighboring Brown County, which is where the Heerten family is buried. However, the railroading history in the area began in 1883, with the arrival of the Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad (in fact, the town of Ainsworth was named after one of the rail construction engineers); which may seem relatively late to most for the first train. I would have to guess that since the rails were not a significant part of life for the north central area of Nebraska residents, then neither was the designated change to "standard time" in late 1883.

What about those that resided in the cities, or in major transportation hubs? Did it make a bigger difference?

In 1883, the McGowan family was living in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Patrick worked in the steel industry, and Elizabeth, or "Lizzie", was at home, pregnant with their first of ten children, who would be born Mary Ann.  Knowing little about the steel industry in 1883, I can only assume that they had ties to the railroad system for shipping their material out from their factory or, at the very least, a distribution center of some sort. So, again, I think that my 2nd great grandfather Patrick would have been aware of the new program, and that it affected his work life in some way. (Of course, I've just created a whole new line of research for myself, haven't I?)


How long, I wonder, did it really take for standard time to gain a foothold in every day life.  It must have felt very unnatural to some, to start watching the clock, versus just watching the sun. Did some folks fight it; just absolutely adamantly refuse to adapt? Or did they shrug it off, downplaying the impact on their routines and way of life. It would have mattered, eventually, even in the most basic ways. Churches, government offices, schools, stores and markets. They all would have had to adopt the idea at some point.

Do you think your ancestor welcome standard time with open arms, or did they argue that it was unnecessary and unnatural?

Perhaps, only time will tell...

Book Review: Hey America, Your Roots Are Showing

Hey, America, Your Roots Are Showing by Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak.

I'll start with a disclaimer: this book was not what I expected. However, the natural question to that is, "what did you expect?" and I'm not really sure about that either. I guess I thought it was going to be more like a reference text, versus stories.

I also have to admit, this is the first of her books that I've read.

I know! That must be some kind of crime, somewhere. But, I have a family, I have my own research to do, I have a blog to write... I just don't have a lot of time for books anymore. My other defense is that I have a very small local library with a very small selection of genealogy related books, and not a whole lot of time to work the inter-library loan system (see my first point in this paragraph). So, guilty. I will also defend myself with this: I have only been trying to "go pro" since January. Therefore, when I reached for a new book to read, I grabbed the one mostly recently released, most talked about, most "now".

Last confession: I've never written a book review before.

I'm 0 for 3 here. (This may be the only time you ever see a baseball reference in one of my posts.)

If you haven't read it yet, stop now. Go get it, read it, come back to my blog to share your opinions. I'm a firm believer in not reading a review of a book until after I've read it myself.

Ok, here goes.

whotalking.com

First of all, this was an easy read. What I mean by that is, it flowed well; the stories pieced together well; it was easy to follow even for a non-genealogist. In fact, in my opinion, it was not written for genealogists at all - it was written for those that think that we all sit in dusty back rooms staring at microfiche's for hours on end with no social engagement, nor the desire to engage. It was written to prove that our study, our search, can be exciting, invigorating, and engaging.

It's written to show that genealogy is more than names and dates; it's a story. These are real people we work with every day, real lives. Non-fiction. Real history, lived by every day people having every day lives.

As a genealogist, I think what I gained from it most was exposure to the new. New ideas, projects I was unaware of, different ways to go about gaining results. Although Mrs. Smolyenak touches very briefly and lightly on technique, I was still able to learn through her innuendos and by "reading between the lines."  A particular moment that caught me was her discussion of researching Mabel Calvin (pages 179-186). She uses the term "black sheep" and that really got me thinking about my own livestock (see my recent post: Baaaa... Black Sheep, inspired by this chapter.)

I also learned about www.UnclaimedPersons.org. I was truly intrigued by what the the author has done with coroner's offices, the FBI, and the Army. What a wonderful way to utilize your skill and passion! So of course, I'm now registered with the site and on Facebook. The grace and respect in her story telling came through every word, she obviously is very passionate about this work.

In short, getting a quick glimpse at the varying situations she has encountered during her career was a fun way to learn more about the "other side" of genealogy, where the grass is so green, and the opportunities that may still be out there for the rest of us. It was eye opening and, yes, inspirational to a point.

I'm giving this book five stars in my brains' "general reading" category, and four (out of five!) in my "genealogy" category. Simply because I stand by the idea that it wasn't necessarily written for genealogists - if it had, it would have included more technical information. If you are at all interested in family history, American history in general, or any other such area of study, pick up a copy and enjoy it.

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.