RootsWeb Review: RootsWeb's Weekly E-zine 04 July 2007, Vol. 10, No. 27 (c) 1998-2007 RootsWeb.com, Inc. http://www.rootsweb.com/ * * * Having trouble reading this newsletter? The online version is available at: http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/review/2007/0704.txt * * * ROOTSWEB HELPDESK: Check here for site maintenance announcements: http://helpdesk.rootsweb.com/ * * * ROOTSWEB NEWSROOM: Check here for the latest RootsWeb news: http://blogs.rootsweb.com/newsroom/ * * * ROOTSWEB STORE: Check here for the latest in genealogy books, software, photos, and more: http://www.therootswebstore.com/ * * * ROOTSWEB REVIEW ARCHIVES: Check here for previous editions: http://e-zine.rootsweb.com/ ============================================================== IN THIS ISSUE: 1. Editor's Desk: News and Notes 1a. Citing Your Sources--The Necessary Evil 1b. Archives Awareness in the UK 2. Using RootsWeb: The Red, White, and Blue of RootsWeb 3. Connecting Through RootsWeb: I Found It on the Web 4. Bottomless Mailbag: Internet Cousin Reunion Reuniting Photographs with Their Owners Printing Large Pedigree Charts Using YouTube in Your Genealogy 5. New at RootsWeb 5a. New User-contributed Databases 5b. New/Updated Freepages and Homepages by Individuals 5c. New/Updated Freepages and Homepages by Counties, States, and Genealogical/Historical Societies 5d. New Mailing Lists 6. Humor/Humour 7. Subscriptions, Submissions, Advertising, Reprints ============================================================== IN THIS ISSUE: 1. Editor's Desk: News and Notes 1a. Citing Your Sources--The Necessary Evil No one likes citing sources, but the difference between amateur and professional genealogists is their ability to not only find, but document, their sources. For many years Elizabeth Shown Mills's "Evidence! Citation and Analysis for the Family Historian," has been the industry standard on how to create accurate citations for your family trees and family history books. Her new book, "Evidence Explained: Citing Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace," will be released by Genealogical Publishing Company at the end of July, but will be available for pre-order sometime this week on the site: www.genealogical.com You can also call and place a pre-order at 800-296-6687. All pre-orders will be shipped the last week in July. Just a word of caution: This book is an intense, 885-page, reference work, a la "The Chicago Manual of Style," so if short is more your speed, start with her first book, "Evidence!" or order her Quicksheet, a four-page laminated cheat sheet with sample citations and a focus on online resources. Both are available at the above website. 1b. UK Archives Awareness 2007: Freedom and Liberty If you live in the UK, you'll want to participate in one of many events taking place as part of Archives Awareness 2007. The theme for this year's campaign is "Freedom and Liberty," chosen to commemorate the bicentenary of Parliament's abolition of the transatlantic slave trade. The Archives Awareness initiative started in 2003 to address the under- representation of archives in the UK and is sponsored by the National Council on Archives; The National Archives (TNC); and the Museums, Libraries, and Archives Council. To read more about the Archives Awareness initiative, visit: http://www.ffhs.org.uk/ezine/articles/freedomliberty.php For a list of events you can attend as a part of Archives Awareness visit: http://www.archiveawareness.com/events/ (Note: The majority of events take place in the fall.) If your family history society has a document, story idea, or event you would like help promoting, you can team up with Archives Awareness to do so by contacting: elise.oliver@nationalarchives.gov.uk 2. Using RootsWeb: The Red, White, and Blue of RootsWeb By Mary Harrell-Sesniak "Genealogy is not just a pastime; it's a passion." Today America celebrates her independence. Many will observe the holiday with picnics, participate in parades, and watch fireworks. As you commemorate this day, take time to honor our veterans and soldiers. Also, take time to view some RootsWeb sites that celebrate our heritage. PATRIOTIC ROOTSWEB SITES AND LISTS If you want a closer look at what some of our veterans have gone through, read this letter, written by a young soldier shortly before being killed at Gettysburg on 1 July 1863. He briefly discusses his Fourth of July plans. The letter is hosted on a RootsWeb page here: http://www.rootsweb.com/~paluzern/military/gmegines.htm This homepage, dedicated to the Fourth of July, includes a brief background of the holiday; some commemorative poems, songs, and portraits; and links to other websites--like the Statue of Liberty site--that contain other patriotic photos and information: http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~maggieoh/Foj/h1index.html#ABOUT One of our more patriotic sites is "Julie's Genealogy," where you can read the "I Am Still the Same Old Flag" poem, "The Pledge of Allegiance," and "The Star Spangled Banner." Julie also reminds us why the flag is folded thirteen times--but you'll have to check out her site to find out why: http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~julieann/flag_day.htm And let's not forget our quest for freedom started with the Revolutionary War; RootsWeb has numerous sites commemorating it. One favorite is "North Carolina in the Revolutionary War," coordinated by Diane Sinard. Diane has articles discussing battles and the participation of women and African Americans. There are stories about soldiers, martyrs and heroes, and a page called "The Flags of the War." The "Little Known Facts about the Revolutionary War" link reports that George Washington was the best spymaster in American history. Not only did he run espionage rings in New York and Philadelphia, he leaked reports that inflated the strength of his army. http://www.rootsweb.com/~ncrevwar/ncrevwar.htm I also welcome you to join in a military mailing list, of which there is no shortage. A search for "war" or "military" in the mailing lists reports 136 lists, twenty-seven of which mention the Revolution. Some are general and others specific to military events and service. To subscribe, send an e-mail with the word "subscribe" in the message subject and body. And, if you change your mind, send an e-mail with "unsubscribe" to the address listed. STATEHOOD STARS Do you know when your state received its star on Old Glory? I leave you with a list of the dates when America's fifty states entered the Union, and a wish for a truly wonderful Fourth of July. 1. Delaware, 7 December 1787 2. Pennsylvania, 12 December 1787 3. New Jersey, 18 December 1787 4. Georgia, 2 January 1788 5. Connecticut, 9 January 1788 6. Massachusetts, 6 February 1788 7. Maryland, 28 April 1788 8. South Carolina, 23 May 1788 9. New Hampshire, 21 June 1788 10. Virginia, 25 June 1788 11. New York, 26 July 1788 12. North Carolina, 21 November 1789 13. Rhode Island, 29 May 1790 14. Vermont, 4 March 1791 15. Kentucky, 1 June 1792 16. Tennessee, 1 June 1796 17. Ohio, 1 March 1803 18. Louisiana, 30 April 1812 19. Indiana, 11 December 1816 20. Mississippi, 10 December 1817 21. Illinois, 3 December 1818 22. Alabama, 14 December 1819 23. Maine, 15 March 1820 24. Missouri, 10 August 1821 25. Arkansas, 15 June 1836 26. Michigan, 26 January 1837 27. Florida, 3 March 1845 28. Texas, 29 December 1845 29. Iowa, 28 December 1846 30. Wisconsin, 29 May 1848 31. California, 9 September 1850 32. Minnesota, 11 May 1858 33. Oregon, 14 February 1859 34. Kansas, 29 January 1861 35. West Virginia, 19 June 1863 36. Nevada, 31 October 1864 37. Nebraska, 1 March 1867 38. Colorado, 1 August 1876 39. North Dakota, 2 November 1889 40. South Dakota, 2 November 1889 41. Montana, 8 November 1889 42. Washington, 11 November 1889 43. Idaho, 3 July 1890 44. Wyoming, 11 July 1890 45. Utah, 4 January 1896 46. Oklahoma, 16 November 1907 47. New Mexico, 6 January 1912 48. Arizona, 14 February 1912 49. Alaska, 3 January 1959 50. Hawaii, 21 August 1959 * * * * * * * * * * Advertisements * * * * * * * * * * REQUEST A SEARCH FOR YOUR ANCESTORS AT THE WORLD'S LARGEST GENEALOGICAL LIBRARY ANCESTOR SEEKERS researchers at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City will search this vast collection for your ancestors from the U.S.A., Canada, Australia, or Europe. Friendly service, affordable prices. For a no-obligation research assessment visit: http://www.ancestorseekers.com/research.rwr/ For help from professional genealogists in England or Scotland visit: http://www.britishancestors.com/ Or join us 30 September-5 October for our NINTH SALT LAKE CITY RESEARCH TRIP--the ideal genealogy vacation! * * * * * * * * * * End of Advertisements * * * * * * * 3. Connecting Through RootsWeb: I Found It on the Web By Bill Galante San Diego, California It all began as an inquiry to a COULTER family forum. I was looking for any reference to Canadian COULTERs from Ontario when I spied an entry from a COULTER who seemed to be looking for the same family. We exchanged information, and except for the dates and some names, we seemed to be talking about the same great-great-grandparents: William and Ellen COULTER, who were buried in the Moira Cemetery near Tweed, Ontario. From the information we had, the dates for the great-great-grandmother seemed correct, but there was a distinct difference when it came to the dates for the great-great-grandfather and the names of the children. At this point a third cousin, previously unknown to the two of us, came online to say that he had been to the grave site and the tombstone actually read, "William COULTER (1795-1846), William COULTER (1812-1864), and their wife Ellen (1809-1895)." By using the Canadian census records we were able to reconcile the two COULTER families. For additional confirmation, the third cousin supplied information that the original William COULTER and two of his brothers, James and John, came from Ireland to Canada together. In the will of James there is mention of the children of the first William not inheriting from the uncle unless they forgave the debt to the second William. From additional oral history from another newfound cousin, we found out that the second William was a cousin of the first, living in Ireland. The sons of the first William sponsored him to come to Canada, paying his costs. He married Ellen after the first William COULTER died in 1846. Both marriages produced children. Thanks to the information on the Web, not only did I get more information about my family, but I found three more cousins I never knew I had. 4. BOTTOMLESS MAILBAG [Editor's note: The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and are not necessarily those of the editor or of RootsWeb.com.] ------------------------------------------------------------- Internet-Cousin Reunion Anonymous In 2001, one of my Internet cousins came up with a plan to host a family reunion in our ancestor's original hometown of Marion, South Carolina, in 2002. This cousin lived in Oklahoma and enlisted the help of an interested, but not directly connected, cousin in England and me in Alabama. Things were going along slowly but progressing with the help of two accommodating genealogists in Marion. In March, the Oklahoma cousin disappeared from the Internet and England and Alabama were unable to make contact. Fortunately one of the Marion genealogists posted a message on the family's Yahoo group site about not being able to contact Oklahoma and not knowing that England and Alabama were involved. Through e-mails, phone calls, and snail mail, restaurants were booked for the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday meals, hotels were alerted and family discounts received, a program was formulated and speakers obtained, and a list compiled of persons England and I thought might be interested in attending. These were mostly Yahoo group members and Internet researchers of our family name. This is the interesting thing. England and I had met once and neither of us had ever met the Marion genealogists. I had met one of the invitees but all the rest of the invitees were unknown to us except through the Internet. The two Marion genealogists were not connected in any way to our family but they spent countless hours helping to put together this reunion, even going to the point of finding our original (ca. 1775) ancestor's cabin and grave site. More than sixty of our widespread family members (from England, California, Mississippi, Alabama, Texas, the Carolinas, Florida, etc.) enjoyed a great three days and met many folks we had never seen before. This reunion would not have been possible without the gracious assistance of the two Marion genealogists. Ironically, Oklahoma--the initiator of the event--was never heard from again, but we have him or her to thank for starting this wonderful project that connected so many formerly unacquainted relatives. * * * Reuniting Photographs with Their Owners By Ed Bruening Edsdata@comcast.net I keep reminding myself to write identities of people on the back of old photos I have had for a long time. The importance of this act was recently reinforced while I was at an antique store. (I've been a genealogist and a frequenter of antique shows and stores for decades.) I stopped at one counter to browse through a collection of very old photos in a small box. Most were at least 100 years old. A couple of them were tintypes. I found four that had names written in ink on the back and all in the same handwriting. All bore both given names and surnames. Two also had notation of relations like "sister of Rachael" and "daughter of Sarah." I bought the identified pictures. You see, it suddenly occurred to me that it would be great if these photos could be united with living descendants. I made a brief family tree, using the written names and comments. Then, I used the usual Internet search tools to try and locate the individuals. Not only did I find the names in census data, birth records, and so on, but I also found a published family tree. You can guess the rest of the story! If more of us do the same, it is another nice way in which genealogists can help (and delight) other genealogists. * * * Printing Large Pedigree Charts By Mary Ellen Wilmoth My husband is the oldest of twelve children. When there is a family get- together, I print out a chart of the descendants of his parents. Sometimes I am lucky enough to be able to pin it to the wall; other times I place it on tables put together. I ask for corrections and additions, then proceed to make those entries in my database, which is maintained on Family Tree Maker (FTM). To print the chart, I simply make a copy of it and download it to a diskette, and take it to Kinkos, or to other office supply houses with copying capabilities (a print shop that does blue prints works, too). I give them the diskette and ask for a copy. While preparing the chart in FTM, I can see the dimensions of the chart and make appropriate adjustments in the size of the lettering if I want it smaller or larger. Two years ago, a 24" x 60" chart cost about $7.00, which was much less expensive than printing and pasting the chart myself, as well as much easier to do and to handle later. They even rolled the chart and put it in a container that I could have used as a mailer had I needed to mail the chart. * * * Using YouTube in Your Genealogy Anonymous With the advent of the Internet, so many neat ways for us to share our information have developed. I wanted to share one I came across this week. I subscribe to a mailing list for Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, and this week someone made a post to the list with a link to a video she made and posted to YouTube. She had traveled to a town in Lackawanna that her ancestors were from and taken many pictures of old mines and other historic landmarks. Then, using her still images, some postcards, and pictures of her relatives, she made a short video commemorating the trip. I was able to go to YouTube and watch the video; I felt a little like I had taken the trip myself. I appreciated her taking the time to "take me along." For those of you who are computer savvy, maybe you should also consider documenting your family history trips and posting them online for others to see. And, I'm sure there are many other creative ways genealogists could use YouTube to share information. I don't think she would mind if I posted the link to her video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TgYYPOu0Is 5. New at RootsWeb 5a. New User-contributed Databases at RootsWeb http://userdb.rootsweb.com/submit/ ------------------------------------------------------------- The following databases have come online recently. They are searchable, but not browseable. Search: To look for specific data or occurrence of text in a file. Browse: To view the entire contents of a file or a group of files. NEW MEXICO. Roosevelt County. Eastern New Mexico College, class of 1944. 12 records. Susan Jaycox. http://userdb.rootsweb.com/alumni/ NEW MEXICO. Roosevelt County. Eastern New Mexico College, class of 1945. 17 records. Susan Jaycox. http://userdb.rootsweb.com/alumni/ 5b. New/Updated Freepages and Homepages by Individuals To Request a Free Web Account: http://accounts.rootsweb.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------- Can your cousins find your website at RootsWeb? Has it ever been mentioned here or do you have a new, updated, or substantially revised website at RootsWeb (it will have "freepages" or "homepages" in the URL)? Send the URL, the title of the website, the name of the author, and a BRIEF description of the site, including major surnames, to: Editor-RWR@rootsweb.com * * * If your genealogical or historical related site is located somewhere other than at RootsWeb.com, you can add the link here: http://resources.rootsweb.com/~rootslink/addlink.html * * * Palmer Family History: Descendants of Reverend Joshua Palmer of South Carolina and Indiana. By Donna Meszaros. Joshua Palmer emigrated from England to South Carolina about 1762, became a Baptist minister, and moved to Union County, South Carolina, in 1807. Major Surnames: PALMER, SPARKS, MORRIS, RUST, COUSLAND, HUFF, VANATTA, MCCRAY, HARLAN. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~palmerfamily/Palmer/index.htm 5c. New/Updated Freepages and Homepages by Counties, States, and Genealogical/Historical Societies To Request a Free Web Account: http://accounts.rootsweb.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------- Some of these Web pages might not yet be accessible. They are created by volunteers, so if one that interests you isn't up yet, please check again in a few days or next week. http://www.rootsweb.com/~xxxxxx[accountname] * * * U.S.A. alcullm2 -- Cullman County (Alabama) caegs -- Escondido Genealogical Society Website (California) indbchs -- Dearborn County Historical Society (Indiana) meknox2 -- Knox County (Maine) moboone2 -- Boone County (Missouri) msdrghs -- Dancing Rabbit Genealogical and Historical Society (Mississippi) sdfpgs -- Fort Pierre Genealogical Society (South Dakota) International irlinsma -- Irish National Services Museum Association (Ireland) mexcmagd -- City of Magdalena, Sonora (Mexico) 5d. New Mailing Lists To Request a New Mailing List: http://resources.rootsweb.com/adopt/ ------------------------------------------------------------- For information and an index to the more than 30,000 RootsWeb-hosted genealogy Mailing Lists and for easy subscribing (joining) options go to: http://lists.rootsweb.com/ NEW SURNAME MAILING LISTS ALBERSON DUTTON-SOUTH FEHRENBACH GREEFF KING-OR LEPREUX MACIVER MCDERMAND MCGIRT MCLUCAS MCMELLON MEURANT ROEHRER SMAYDA NEW REGIONAL MAILING LISTS No New Regional Mailing Lists NEW ETHNIC OR SPECIAL INTEREST MAILING LISTS AK-NATIVE-GENEALOGY -- A list for the research and preservation of genealogical information regarding Alaska natives, including Athabascan, Inupiat, Yupik, and others. ENGLAND-OBITS -- A list for the use of researchers of English subjects and for the posting of obituaries of born and bred persons in England only. GOOGLE -- A mailing list for the discussion of Google and how it can be used to maximize your genealogy searches. RCOGS -- A list that will allow people to be notified when new material is added to the Richland County (Ohio) Genealogical Society's site. UKR-KREMENETS -- Genealogical discussion list for descendants of Jews who once lived in the Kremenets district of Ukraine. It will be used for updates and discussions about Jewish genealogy in the towns, villages, and shtetlach of the Kremenets district. 6. Humor/Humour While extracting obituaries from the following newspaper I came across this humorous item. THE DAILY TIMES ENTERPRISE (Jonesboro, Arkansas) 18 October 1904 "Remained a Bird" "Mrs. Elizabeth Martin, a Kentucky woman, started out early in life to feather her nest well, and has always had her eye on the main chance. She began as Elizabeth Bird of Harrison County, near Paris, Kentucky. Her first venture outside the home was when she married Bud Martin. When Mr. Martin died she married Edward Crow, a farmer. When the time came to change nests she allied herself with William Robin, and lived happily until the matrimonial season for Mrs. Robin again rolled around. Then David Buzzard, a widower more attractive personally and socially than his name would indicate, appeared and Mrs. Robin became Mrs. Buzzard. Into the Buzzard roost Mrs. Buzzard carried one little Martin, two little Crows and one little Robin. One little Buzzard was already there to welcome the other birds." P.S. An index to this paper and others serving Craighead County, Arkansas, 1904-2007, can be found here: www.gscca.net --Thanks to Joyce Hambleton Whitten * * * Found a funny or "proper name for the job" in old records, or an amusing entry in census, parish, church, etc. records? Send them to: Editor-RWR@rootsweb.com. We also welcome other humorous genealogy-related submissions. 7. Subscriptions, Submissions, Advertising, Reprints ------------------------------------------------------------- SUBSCRIPTIONS. To manage your e-mail communications (i.e. to subscribe or unsubscribe to this newsletter, or to sign up for others), visit our newsletter management center any time at: http://newsletters.rootsweb.com/ If you use a spam-filtering program, in order to receive the RootsWeb Review please make sure that you're allowing e-mail from: rootswebreview@email.rootsweb.com The RootsWeb Review is a free publication of The Generations Network, Inc., 360 West 4800 North, Provo, UT, 84604 * * * The RootsWeb Review does not publish or answer genealogical queries, and the editor regrets that she is unable to provide any personal research assistance or advice. RootsWeb Review welcomes short (500 words or less) articles, humor, stories, or letters, and reserves the right to edit all submissions. The announcement of books and products is provided as a community service and is not an endorsement in any way. All mail sent to the RootsWeb Review editor is considered to be for publication--send in plain text (please, no attachments) to: Editor-RWR@rootsweb.com and please include your full name and e-mail address in the text. * * * ROOTSWEB REVIEW ADVERTISING CONTACTS. Ad Sales Worldwide: Tami Deleeuw, tdeleeuw@tgn.com * * * REPRINTS. Permission to reprint articles from RootsWeb Review is granted unless specifically stated otherwise, provided: (1) the reprint is used for non-commercial, educational purposes; and (2) the following notice appears at the end of the article: Previously published in RootsWeb Review: 04 July 2007, Vol. 10, No. 27. * * * *