Five Fabulous Years!

Five Fabulous Years!

To celebrate the occasion I am going to share some highlights since I started my blog back in 2008.  

My profile photo in 2008

I have ancestors that are Germans from Russian who immigrated to Kansas in 1878.  I wrote about them HERE.

I have shared my seemingly never ending research story "The Problem With Pauline."  I just recently found a new document that explains so much and will follow up with a post about it very soon.

With the FGS Conference just around the corner, a couple of posts I wrote giving tips to make your experience the best ever can be found HERE and HERE.

In 2009 I came up with the idea of Genealogist trading cards which you can read about HERE.

I wrote several posts about my sister-in-law's family.  They are Jews from Bavaria who came to San Francisco in the 1850's and became a part of the "Gilded Circle" and "Reckendorf Aristocracy."

You can read about how my life intersects with the Sisters of Providence and my need for a goodly supply of "Get Out of Hell Free" cards.

Some of my lessons learned working as a professional genealogist can be read HERE, HERE and HERE.

I have shared my artistic talent with you over the years and you can read about it HERE and HERE.

San Francisco Chinatown Bubonic Plague Records

  by  ralphrepo 

I should win a prize for finding a most obscure group of records in the most unlikely place.

The place:  Special Collections at the Holt-Atherton Library, University of the Pacific, 3601 Pacific Avenue, Stockton, California  (209) 946-2404.  

The records:  San Francisco Chinatown Residential Inspection Records from 1904.

I know, who would have thought to look in Stockton for San Francisco records!

About the records, why they were created:

Called the "Barbary Plague," San Francisco was hit with an epidemic of the bubonic plague 1900-1904.  An autopsy on a deceased Chinese man by a city health officer in 1900 reported that the man had died of the plague.  The anti-Chinese sentiment of the day caused officials to quarantine Chinatown.  After objections of the Chinese community and threatened with lawsuits, the quarantine was lifted after just a few days.  In its place, health officials ran door-to-door inspections of all the homes in Chinatown.

The 4 volumes have about 300 pages each.  Volume 1 is arranged by addresses. It describes rooms, number of inhabitants, toilets, conditions of kitchen and toilets, arrangement of rooms, entry access, stairways, etc.  The other 3 volumes are an alphabetical listing of names, addresses, occupations, children and their ages.

These records could very well be the only census type record ever taken of San Francisco Chinatown and will be a goldmine of information for anyone doing Chinese research.

Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress

Simply Mahvahlous, Dahling!

According to Geneabloggers, there are now over 3000 genealogy and family history related blogs listed on their site.  The thought of trying to read them all is simply exhausting.  I do manage to read through quite a few of them as well as keep up on Facebook, Twitter and Google+ and from time to time I will share with you things I found that are "Simply Mahvahlous, Dahling!"

Most all of you know that the show "Who Do You Think You Are" is back on the air, this time on TLC (The Learning Channel).  Last night Christina Applegate was the star and it was a very powerful, very real episode.  The In-Depth Genealogist has been hosting a Google Hangout after each show with the panelists sharing their thoughts about it.  Michael Hait was one of the panelists along with Dear Myrtle and Gena Philibert-Ortega and Host Jen Baldwin.  Michael said something that really rang true to me regarding my own family.  In reference to why he spent so much time researching  his step-grandfather Michael said:

"Alot of genealogists focus on the bloodline.  Well, blood comes out of the heart and he is the grandfather of my heart."

To watch the archived Hangouts click HERE.

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Michael Leclerc hosts a weekly video "Fireside Chat" over at Mocavo.  This week his guest was Maureen Taylor who talked about her newest project "Revolutionary Voices: A Last Muster Film."  Great interview - the 45 minutes just flew by and left me wanting more.

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Thomas MacEntee, the genealogy ninja, has a new website called "Hack Genealogy."  According to the site, Hack Genealogy is about "re-purposing today's technology for tomorrow's genealogy." 

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There are other blogs that share their Mahvahlous finds and I encourage you to click over and see what's up.

Randy Seaver's blog, Genea-Musings, offers "This Week's Genealogical Eclectica" and the "Best of the Genea-Blogs."

Julie Cahill Tarr's GenBlog has "Friday Finds"

Jana Last of Jana's Genealogy and Family History Blog has "Follow Friday - Fab Finds"

Ruth Blair's The Passionate Genealogist has "Ruth's Recommendations"

John D. Tew's Filiopietism Prism has "Saturday Serendipity"

Michael Leclerc on the Mocavo Genealogy Blog has "News and Blog Posts for Genealogists"

Heather Kuhn Roelker's Leaves For Trees has "Follow Friday Favorites"

In Which a Somewhat Young-ish Dog Learns A New Trick

I am a panelist on the MGP Study Group with Dear Myrtle.  The chapter we are currently discussing has to do with source citations.

I use photos from Wikimedia Commons and am very embarrassed to say I haven't been citing them correctly.  Color me very red.

Fortunately, I came across this short but VERY informative article on the proper way to credit photos you find and use on Wikimedia Commons.

For more on citing photos:  Cite and Attribute Your Sources

There is a great little tool you can use to make sure you get it right - ImageCodr.org


Photo credit:  

  by  IvanWalsh.com 

Sacramento City and County Resources - Center for Sacramento History

This first post (in a planned series for Sacramento) is about a repository that doesn't get as much attention as it should.  The Center for Sacramento History houses an abundance of records for anyone researching in the Sacramento area.  Patricia J. Johnson is the senior archivist there and I have worked with her a few times.  When I provide an exact citation for records I need via email, she saves me the trip to the Center by copying and mailing the records to me.  The reading room at the Center is very, very small so this is my preferred way to obtain records from the Center.

For a listing of the Sacramento County court records housed at the Center, they have a PDF file you can download  - SACRAMENTO COURT FILES.

And more court records:

CIVIL CASE FILES, Sacramento County Court -  1850-1879 - 3666 case files that give the name of the plaintiff, the defendant, the type of case, the date and the location of the file at the Center for Sacramento History. Some of the types of cases are recovery of a debt or wages, property disputes, mechanics lien, disturbing the peace, slander, unlawful detainer, obstruction of justice, overcharge for cattle, recovery of cattle, mining claim disputes, ordinance violations, assault and battery, prostitution, injury to a horse, malicious mischief, trespassing, unpaid taxes, claim jumping, and just plain being a nuisance.

SACRAMENTO COUNTY JUSTICE COURT CASES 1850 to 1870  contains the folder number, case number, name of plaintiff and defendant, cause of action and the date.

SEPARATE PROPERTY of MARRIED WOMEN and SOLE TRADERS, 1850-1930 - California's constitution of 1849 protected women's rights not only to property acquired before marriage but to property acquired independently after marriage.  In 1852, the California enacted a law permitting married women to engage in business as sole traders.  Sole trader status guaranteed that the business and profits a married woman acquired independent of her husband belonged exclusively to her. Once registered as a sole trader, a married woman's assets were no longer at the disposal of her husband.  The husband continued to have the sole right to manage community property, recognition of separate property status for women opened the world of business and real estate to California women.

The Center also offers us a cemetery: A listing of all burials at Sacramento City Cemetery 1849 to 2000   gives the name of the deceased, age at time of death, date of death, date of burial, lot number and notes that include cause of death, place of birth and some date of birth.

The Center has a Manuscripts and Personal Papers Collection which includes photographs and oral histories.  Finding aids, in downloadable PDF files, for this collection can be found HERE.

Some records of genealogical interest at the Center are:

Birth Index 1912 - 1935

Delayed Birth Index 1890-1960

Marriage Affidavits  1893-1906

Marriage License and Consents Stub Book  1877-879  

Divorce Cases  1880 to 1910

Record of Wills  - 19 volumes A-I and K-S  -  1850-1927

Probate Case Files - Case #2 to Case #20140 - 1880-1940

Probate Records, General Indexes - 1884-1930

Estates of Deceased Persons - 1860-1864

Homestead Declarations 1860 - 1878

Homestead Declarations of Married Persons 1860 - 1929

Indexes to Declarations of Intent and Naturalization 1850-1950

Declarations of Intent  1859-1951

Naturalization Petitions  1904 - 1954

Naturalization Records   1861-1906

Naturalization Case Files  1848-1868

Some seldom used, but interesting records at the Center:

District Court Execution Records 1855-1876

Repatriation Records 1941-1956

Coroner's Inquest Records 1892-1912

Records of the Harbor Master, Port of Sacramento 1851-1902

Sacramento Superior Court,  Record of Insane Commitments  1881-1887

Docked Horses Register 1903-1913

To search the Center's entire online catalog simply click HERE.

The Center is also one of four institutions in Sacramento that joined together to digitize and catalog items from their collections which document agriculture and transportation in the region from mid 19th to early 20th century.  The Project is called "Sacramento History Online" and can be accessed and searched HERE.

Center for Sacramento History

551 Sequoia Pacific Boulevard

Sacramento, CA 95811

TEL (916) 808-7072

FAX (916) 808-7582

www.centerforsacramentohistory.org

Research at the Center is by appointment only

DeltaFusion - A Cultural Community Celebration

Saturday - June 29th

9:30 am to 1:00 pm

Victory Park (next to the Haggin Museum)

The 3rd Annual DeltaFusion is a celebration of the diverse natural and cultural heritage of Stockton and the San Joaquin Delta Region. Using giant puppets, masks, music, and pageantry, DeltaFusion tells the story of how these cultures were drawn to settle in our area and thrive there today.  This year's theme is:  "The Strength of Many."

In addition to the parade and pageant, there will be food, craft, and informational booths and vendors as well as live performances from a variety of  dance and musical groups representing the cultural diversity found within San Joaquin Delta Region.

Northern California APG Chapter Field Trip to Sutro

Sutro Library

Wednesday - June 26th  -  10:00am

The Northern California APG Chapter is going on a field trip to the Sutro Library.  The archivist responsible for all the vault material will be giving us a guided tour.

We will meet at the entrance to the library at 10:00 am.  Anyone who is a member of APG is welcome to join us.

The Sutro, which is part of the California State Library, is located on the fifth and sixth floor of the J. Paul Leonard Library on the San Francisco State University campus.  The address is :

1630 Holloway Avenue, San Francisco and a map of the university campus can be found HERE.

To search the California State Library catalog click HERE.

Additional Info & Correction to MGP Class Time

In my last post, I gave the incorrect starting time for the class.  Please make a note of the correct time:

5:00 pm PST / 8:00 pm EST

The classes are live on the Dear Myrtle YouTube channel and are immediately archived afterwards to watch at any time.  The first class from last night is now available.  

Each of the panelists will be posting their homework which is located after each of the chapter in the book. My Chapter One homework is completed and can be found here on my blog.  Up at the top of the screen you will see the tab "MGP Homework" - click on it and like magic, you will find my assignments.  Please feel free to comment on my answers, but try to keep your comments constructive if you happen to disagree with my answers.

For those who want to follow along with the classes, here is the schedule:

All classes are on Sunday evenings and begin at 5pm PST / 8pm EST.

June 23rd - Chapter 2:  Concepts Fundamental to the GPS

June 30th - Chapter 3:  GPS Element 1 - Thorough Research

July 14th - Chapter 4:  GPS Element 2 - Source Citations

July 21st - Chapter 5:  GPS element 3 - Analysis and Correlation

August 4th - Chapter 6:  GPS Element 4 - Resolving Conflicts and Assembling Evidence

August 11th - Chapter 7:  GPS Element 5 - The Written Conclusion

August 25th - Chapter 8:  Using the GPS

September 1st - Chapter 9:  Conclusion

"Mastering Genealogical Proof" - The Class Starts Tonight!

In March of this year the National Genealogical Society released "Mastering Genealogical Proof" by Thomas W. Jones, CG, CGL, FASG.  Dear Myrtle organized a classroom type setting using Google Hangouts on Air.  A panel of ten will discuss each chapter over ten weeks.  I am thrilled to say that I was chosen to participate on the panel.  Joining me on the panel will be Russ Worthington, Michael Hait, Kathryn Lake Hogan, Peggy Lauritzen, Jennifer Dondero, Barry Kline, Pat Kuhn just to name a few.

The first class is tonight - Sunday - June 16th - 6:00 pm Pacific / 9:00 pm Eastern.

To view the Hangout on Air Class tonight simply click  HERE.  Open another tab or screen HERE to post comments during the class.

Design Our Logo Contest - San Joaquin County Genealogical Society

Are you clever and a wee bit artistic?  Then try your hand at designing a logo for the San Joaquin County Genealogical Society.

Located in Stockton, California we are looking for a design that expresses genealogy and San Joaquin County and will award a prize of $50 for the design selected.

Here are the Guidelines:

1.  Your design should include elements that reflect genealogy and San Joaquin County

2.  All work must be original to and produced solely by the artist.

3.  Entries must be appropriate to a variety of production standards (print, online use, etc.)

4.  All entries must be submitted in both color and black and white, dimensions of 1920x1080 or 1200x1200 and must be a PNG file

5.  Must include the text "San Joaquin County Genealogical Society" and "est. 1952"

Submission Requirements:

1.  All entries must be submitted as a PNG file and the contestant's name must be included in the file name - example: johnsmithcolor2.png

2.  No limit to the number of designs submitted, however each entry must be submitted separately.

3.  All entries must be submitted via email to:

sjcogensoc@gmail.com and must include the artist's full name, address, email address and phone number

4.  All entries must be received by August 10, 2013

Selection Process:

Five finalists will be selected by the Logo Contest Committee.  The membership of the San Joaquin County Genealogical Society will determine the winner by a vote and announced at the society membership meeting on September 19, 2013.