10 Decmber 2008, Vol. 11, No. 22

Table of Contents

Using Rootsweb

By Jana Lloyd

Several months ago, I wrote an article on using RootsWeb to create and host a Web page. I explained how to request free server space on RootsWeb where you could host your site, and I explained how to use the RootsWeb File Manager’s HTML editing controls to create a basic Web page and upload it to the RootsWeb server.

Today I would like to highlight another tool in the RootsWeb File Manager—the free FTP tool. You can use the FTP tool to upload HTML pages you’ve created outside of RootsWeb, or any other files you would like to put on your website (e.g., photos, spreadsheets, PDF files).

Some HTML editing software, such as DreamWeaver and Expression Web, have FTP tools included in their software that you can use as well, but many freeware programs do not. Also, the FTP tools included with the more sophisticated HTML editors can sometimes be complicated to use. It may be easier to use RootsWeb’s tool until you have figured out how to use the FTP tool that comes with your editing software.

WHAT IS FTP?
FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol. It is a method of transmitting files from one computer to another computer, via the Internet. It’s sort of like e-mailing, except you can use it to transmit larger files, and it’s a little faster and more secure.  

Once you’ve created an HTML file you want to put online, you must use an FTP client to transfer the HTML file from your computer to another computer—the server, where your page will be hosted so that others can see it. You must also use an FTP tool to transfer a picture, for example, from your computer to a server where it can be hosted online for others to view.

ROOTSWEB’S FTP TOOL
Follow the instructions below to use RootsWeb’s free FTP tool to upload your HTML pages, photos, or other files to RootsWeb’s server. (Note: For this to work you must first register for free server space on RootsWeb, after which you will be sent an account name and password. Registering for a RootsWeb account is explained in my former article.)

1. Go to the File Manager at http://freepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/fileman/.
2. Enter your account name and password. Click Log in. (Note: This is where you use the account name and password you received after registering for free server space on RootsWeb.)
3. You will be prompted to select a “community.” Select “Genealogy” from the drop-down list.

4. Click the Enter File Manager Button.
5. Scroll down the page until you see the File Upload Utility.
   
   
   
6. Click Browse and locate your HTML files, photos, or other documents on your computer. (Note: You must identify each file uniquely. While most other FTP programs allow you to transfer a whole folder of files at once, you cannot do this with RootsWeb’s FTP tool.)
7. Click Open. You will be taken back to the File Upload Utility.
8. Click Send Files.

You should now see your files listed at the top of the File Manager. You can click the “View” button next to each one to preview what the file looks like online.

OTHER HELPS
The RootsWeb File Manager mentioned in the instructions above is to be used by individuals creating their own personal Web pages, or freepages. RootsWeb has a different File Manager for Web pages created by genealogical societies: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/fileman/. It also has a different File Manager for those with homepages (these are old Web accounts given to RootsWeb donors): http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/fileman/

Helpful instructions for creating your own freepage on RootsWeb: http://helpdesk.rootsweb.com/FAQ/fpindex.html

A RootsWeb freepages mailing list, which you can subscribe to to get help creating and modifying your website:
http://lists.rootsweb.ancestry.com/index/other/RootsWeb_Support/Freepages-Help.html

Genealogy Tip

By Mary Harrell-Sesniak
"Genealogy is not just a pastime; it's a passion."

If you're looking for the perfect gift for a family historian, assemble a genealogy kit—either for preserving family memorabilia or for making your road warrior's life easier. Look for acid free, lignin free, and P.A.T. (photographic activity test) on labels, and present it in totes or acid-free archival boxes.

Creative gifters might enjoy making their own archival boxes by following the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) guidelines.

Home Preservation Kit Ideas:

1. Archival box
2. Acid- and lignin-free tissue paper (for wrapping books and documents)
3. Acid-free adhesives (tapes, glues) and writing instruments (pens and pencils)
4. Archival sleeves of varying sizes, or Mylar rolls for over-sized items
5. Conservator gloves
6. Forms (blank census, pedigree charts, research logs)
7. Hygrothermograph to measure temperature and humidity
8. pH pen
9. Scrapbooks and binders
10. Silica gel desiccant packs

General Genealogy Kit Ideas:

1. Tote or briefcase
2. Digital memory and batteries
3. Flash drive and backup media (external drives, etc.)
4. Forms (census, pedigree charts, research logs)
5. Gift cards (gas / restaurants) and coins for parking
6. Library print / copy card or coins for copying and parking
7. Magnifying glass or flat sheet (purse or pocket size)
8. Maps (historical atlases, county and current)
9. Notepads (pocket size and larger)
10. Office supplies (file folders, paper clips, pens, pencils for libraries, portable stapler)

Other Ideas:

1. Binding machine (spiral or other)
2. Books and software (available at the RootsWeb store
3. Diaries and journals (for family memories)
4. Digital camera
5. Furniture (ergonomic chair, vertical files accommodating legal size)
6. GPS (locate towns / cemeteries)
7. Ink, toner, printer, or photo paper
8. Stamps ("from the library of", etc.) and labelers
9. Stapler (automatic—helps prevent arthritis)

Consider making his / her kits for couples who share the love of genealogy. And don't forget to stock with your favorite articles from the RootsWeb Review!

Connecting

After several years of attempting to link my wife's ancestor with someone already approved by the DAR (for a DAR supplemental), I encountered a posting on your website from a very distant cousin in Windsor, Ontario, who was seeking information on the same family line. My wife's ancestor had moved with his two brothers, sister, and mother from Salem, New York, to Belleville, Ontario, Canada, in 1820. However, search after search produced no primary evidence linking these family members. 
 
Our new Internet cousin-friend in Windsor sent me a copy of a written document passed down through her family, but she had no idea what it was. Careful study of the written signature on this paper revealed that the writer was the great-grandson of my wife's ancestor. And, better yet, the document turned out to be an interview with his mother in 1944, conducted two days before she died. It made numerous references to Grandfather Edwards and Uncles John and Ebenezer and Aunt Eliza, all living in Hastings County, Ontario. The connection was finally made. I had a happy wife gaining DAR approval and a happy Ontario cousin who now understood the document buried in her family papers.
 
Thank you to RootsWeb for you making available to the public an avenue to share family history.

Bottomless Mailbag: Readers Write In

M2 Designation in the 1910 U.S. Census

The comment by Chad Milliner (RWR 11:21, November 12, 2008) about the designation "M2" in the 1910 census for someone married more than once is correct: The enumerator instructions for the 1910 census told the enumerators to write "M2" for a "second or subsequent marriage," so that even a third or fourth marriage might be labeled "M2." Fortunately for genealogists, the enumerators often ignored this instruction. I have found numerous instances of individuals designated as "M3" in that column and even one person with an "M5."

I would say treating "M2" as possibly meaning more than two marriages is a good idea, but if the enumerator chose to use "M3" or higher, he probably had a good reason for doing so.

[To read Chad Miliner's comment, visit "Responses to 'Census Records—For Demographics or Genealogy?'" in the November issue.]

My husband has not been at all interested in my genealogy research, including the fact that I organized and led a family reunion in Kansas in 2005 for his mother's family. But I think he finally understands the importance of genealogy and what it means to me.

He works for a place where folks throw all kinds of things in dumpsters. One day he brought me three notebooks crammed full of genealogy information (with letters and other correspondence dating back to the 1940s and 1950s) on the Jarrett family. Two of the books were identical. I immediately posted a message on RootsWeb stating that I had these books and anyone interested in them could have them for the price of the postage.  Within 24 hours I had a reply and the books were mailed.

So if someone in your family does not seem interested in your genealogy research, they are probably still aware of its importance to you.

Old RootsWeb Review Provides Success

I make it my practice to occasionally go back through the old newsletters. Today I found something I didn't expect—my step-great-great-grandmother's obituary. I was re-reading and checking the links in the newsletters for tidbits, not expecting a major discovery, when I came across the Rootsweb Review for 26 March 2008, Vol.11, No. 13. I followed the link for a freepage on RootsWeb where family Bible transcriptions are housed, plugged in my great-great-grandfather's name, and out popped Alice Carrie Hull Kinney's obituary! I had not been able to locate when and where either Alice or Harry had died or where they were buried. I now know where to look for my great-great-grandfater as I know where his second wife is buried. This is so exciting.

 Thank you for producing such a great newsletter.

Have a story, question, genealogy resource, or tip you'd like to share with RootsWeb Review readers? Send it to Editor-RWR@rootsweb.com.

Editor's note: The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and are not necessarily those of the editor or of RootsWeb.com.

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What's New: Databases, Freepages, and Mailing Lists

No new user-contributed databases.

Submit Your Genealogical Data to a RootsWeb Database.

Welcome to Embree's and More is a website about the Hembree, Embree, Rose, Cates, Williams, Kelley, Kindred, Parks, Priest, Jackson, Edwards, and other families who lived in Madison, Estill, and Jackson Counties, Kentucky, and had some connections to North Carolina and Tennessee.

If you have a new or substantially revised freepage at RootsWeb and would like to see it mentioned here, send the URL, the title, and a BRIEF description, including major surnames, to Editor-RWR@rootsweb.com.

If your genealogy- or history-related site is located somewhere other than RootsWeb, you can add the link to RootsWeb here.

Request a Freepage (Free Web Account).

DAR = Daughters of the American Revolution
SSAWV = Sons of Spanish-American War Veterans
UDC = United Daughters of the Confederacy
WGW = WorldGenWeb

U.S.A.

• azmwsdar — Major Winfield Scott Chapter (AZ), DAR
• idssfhc — Soda Springs (Caribou County, ID) Family History Center
• inallcem — Allen County (IN) Cemeteries
• ncjohcem — Cemeteries of Johnston County (NC)
• nj33rgmt — 33rd New Jersey Regiment Re-enactors
• nylssawv — Joseph Melvin Leonard Camp #168 (NY) SSAWV
• paberdar — Berks County Chapter (PA) DAR
• sceccudc — Ellison Capers Chapter 70 (SC) UDC
• txddcudc — Dixie's Daughters Chapter (TX) UDC

International

• ausyfhg — Yarrawonga Family History Group (Victoria, Australia)
• indmpwgw — Madhya Pradesh (India) WGW
• onpushs — Puslinch Historical Society (Ontario, Canada)

Some of these Web pages might not be accessible yet. 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.
www.rootsweb.com/~xxxxxx

Note that the ~[tilde] before the Web account name is required.
For example, the Major Winfield Scott Chapter (AZ), DAR website is at www.rootsweb.com/~azmwsdar/

Request a Freepage (Free Web Account).

New Mailing Lists

New Surname Mailing Lists

• AERNI 
• BELLWOOD 
• COZIAHR 
• DENIGER 
• GUIMBELLOT 
• HELLESOE 
• HUBKA 
• IANDOLI 
• LALLANCE 
• MACCOLL 
• MACCOY 
• MCENANEY 
• MCDUFFY 
• MCILHATTON 
• OBAMA 
• SIEBENTHALER 
• WEAGANT 
• YANKIE 

New Regional Mailing Lists

• none

New Ethnic or Special Interest Mailing Lists

• MEDIEVAL-GEN—A mailing list for discussing the time period roughly from AD 500 to AD 1600 in the general area of Europe.

• MTDNA-HAPLOGROUP-R—A mailing list for discussing information regarding mtDNA Haplogroup R theories, genealogies, methods, and test results.

• USGW-KIDS—A mailing list for all kids, teens, and young adults interested in researching their family tree. Participants are encouraged to participate in the USGenWeb Kidz Project.

• VA-SCV-1993—A mailing list for discussing the activities of Princess Anne Camp #1933, Sons of Confederate Veterans (Virginia Beach, VA).

• VGS-SOC—A mailing list for officers and leaders of genealogical and historical societies in Virginia.

To find or subscribe to a mailing list, or to search archived posts to more than 30,000 RootsWeb-hosted genealogy mailing lists, go here.

Request a Mailing List.

The Darkroom

This picture of my immigrant grandfather, Michael Muha (center), with his brother, George Much (right); his wife’s brother, Andrew Halapin (left); and Anna Muha (center front), was taken circa 1926 in Central City, Pennsylvania. Many of our immigrant ancestors worked at hard jobs to provide for their families.

For a chance to see your ancestor's photo in the RootsWeb Review, send it to Editor-RWR@rootsweb.com. Make sure to include your name and a brief description of the photograph.

You Found It

I have found two creative uses of surnames while doing my research. These are both male names:

Cyrus Hale Stone Powers
Starr Moon

In researching my husband's family after their arrival from England, I found that they lived on Cubba-you-quit Alley, which was in the English settlement district known as Soho, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

I wonder what could have been the source of such a name.

Fertile and Manley are neighboring small towns in North Central Iowa. Some time ago, the local newspaper announced the engagement of a young local couple: "Fertile Girl to wed Manley Man."

Found a funny name or humorous tidbit in old records, or an amusing entry in census, parish, church, or other records? Send these and other genealogy-related humor/humour items to Editor-RWR@rootsweb.com.

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 at any time.

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

Submissions
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. Pictures for "The Darkroom" should be at least 72 dpi, preferably jpgs.

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.

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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: 10 December 2008, Vol. 11, No. 22