Passing this on from another list. I thought it would be of interest to others. ===================================================================== BLM SITE IS BACK ONLINE ===================================================================== The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), General Land Office (GLO) Records Automation Web site is back up and running after a court order shut down Department of Interior sites back in early December. The site contains two million Federal land title records for Eastern Public Land States, issued between 1820 and 1908 (with images of the patents available). Additional records issued between 1908 and the mid-1960s are also being added. Information contained in these records can be used to order more extensive records from the National Archives. The BLM site is online at: http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/ ===================================================================== SHARE YOUR FAMILY'S IMMIGRATION STORY ON TELEVISION! ===================================================================== "They Came to America" is a new PBS show that will celebrate the unique spirit of the diverse groups of people who have come to America over the past one-hundred-and-fifty years. Perhaps they came to escape poverty, religious persecution, or military service - or to follow their dreams for individual opportunity, prosperity, and adventure. Whatever the motivation, we'd like to hear about your family's immigration experience. The following will give you an idea of the kinds of stories we hope to find and share: TIMEFRAME: Immigrants arriving from 1850 to today PLACE OF ENTRY: Immigrants through all ports and borders: --- Emphasis on Ellis Island and Angel Island, but including all Atlantic, Pacific, Gulf Coast and Great Lakes ports (e.g., Baltimore, Boston, Philadelphia, Galveston, New Orleans, etc.) --- Mexican or Canadian border entries (legal or otherwise) --- More recent arrivals by air ETHNICITY: Immigrants from all parts of the world including Asian, European, African, Latin American, etc. MOTIVATION FOR COMING TO AMERICA: --- Better known reasons such as avoiding religious or political persecution, seeking a better life for one's children, getting a job or education, etc. --- Colorful reasons such as dodging the draft, avoiding an undesirable arranged marriage, being at war or early "mail order" bride (i.e., "I've got a sister back in the old country who would be perfect for you!" situations), being "booted out" by an existing regime for political activities, alleged crimes, etc. DRAMATIC STORIES WITH EMOTIONAL IMPACT stemming from happenings or circumstances related to the actual immigration event: --- Major life events such as birth, marriage, or death (e.g., gave birth at sea, married someone he/she met at Ellis Island, died in quarantine, etc.) --- Powerful emotions such as love, fear, anticipation, resentment, etc. --- Universal and inspirational themes such as separation, reunion, hope, adventure, etc. STORIES THAT CAN BE TOLD ON TELEVISION: --- About people who are still alive or descendants who can tell the stories on camera. --- With supporting visuals (e.g., photos, documents, moving footage, present-day places that can be filmed, people to interview, etc.) and/or candidates for dramatic re-enactment --- Can be factually verified If you'd like to submit your family's story for consideration, please complete the form at http://honoringourancestors.com/share.html NO LATER THAN 17 APRIL. Alternatively, you can summarize all the preceding points in an e-mail to mailto:megan@honoringourancestors.com or print out the form from the Web site and fax it to: 703-242-0685. Unfortunately, due to the anticipated volume of responses, we won't be able to reply to each submission individually, but those selected as candidates can expect to be contacted in about one month's time. ===================================================================== ANCESTRY QUICK TIP ===================================================================== When a loved one dies in an area other than the one that he was born in, be sure to have his obituary printed in the newspaper of the town of his birth. My cousin died in south Florida at the beginning of this month. The local newspaper wanted an astronomical amount of money to print even a basic obituary; money that the family did not have to spare. Being a genealogist, I know how important a published obituary can be for future generations; plus I just believe that everyone deserves that last hurrah. My first step was to have the obituary published in my hometown's newspaper in West Virginia; we're a very small community and they will print them for free. I then called the Brockton Enterprise in Brockton, Mass., which is where my cousin was born, and found that they also printed obits for free. Naturally, I sent one out. One of my cousin's survivors was a daughter that we didn't know the whereabouts of. After this obit was printed in the Brockton Enterprise, my cousin's widow received a phone call from that lost daughter, who had been living in Brockton all along. And another cousin found their way through cyber-space to us as a result of reading the obituary. More than likely, had we been able to print the obit in the Florida paper, we would have never considered printing in the Brockton paper, as my cousin had not lived there for several decades. I will certainly do the same for any other family members that pass away from now on; and bless those newspapers who still provide this service free!!!