I get this ancestry newsletter in email. I don't know if any of you know about it, but perhaps it could be a useful tool for some of you. I noticed in this particular issue a Wisconsin search site, and thought about the ones asking about Hookers in Wisconsin. Lee Ancestry Daily News http://www.ancestry.com/DailyNews Brought to you by the publisher of "The Source" and "Ancestry" Magazine http://www.ancestry.com ========================================================== Please do not reply to this message. For contact information, please see the bottom of the message. ========================================================== 07 July 2000 In this issue: - Databases of the Day: ----- Milwaukee, Wisconsin Directory, 1889-90 ----- New York Holland Society, Yearbook 1902 ----- Wawarsing, New York Reformed Dutch Church Records ----- Tennessean (Nashville), Obituaries, 1998-99 - Today's Featured Map: ----- American Revolution, 1783 - George G. Morgan: "Along Those Lines . . ." ----- "Using Online Library Catalogs in Your Research" - Headlines from Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter - Ancestry Quick Tip - Thought for Today - Share Your Opinion - Product of the Day at the Online Store ----- Clooz--Only $29.95 for a limited time! ____________________________________________________________________ SEEKING HELP TO RESEARCH YOUR FAMILY TREE? Join Keen.com(tm) now, and use your $5 FREE to get your genealogy questions answered live over the phone today! Start building your family tree by talking live to people experienced in finding family records: http://adforce.imgis.com/?adlink|397|159762|1|16|adforce;Adid=225716;bnid =1 ============================================================ DATABASES OF THE DAY (Free for 10 Days!) <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> ============================================================ MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN DIRECTORY, 1889-90 Located in southeastern Wisconsin on the shores of Lake Michigan, the city of Milwaukee is the county seat of Milwaukee County. This database is a transcription of city directories originally published in 1889 and 1890. In addition to providing the residents' names, it provides their addresses and occupational information. It includes more than 147,000 names, mostly heads of households. For the researcher of ancestors from southeastern Wisconsin, this can be an extremely valuable collection. Source Information: "Milwaukee Directory, 1889." Milwaukee, WI: Alfred G. Wright, 1889. "Milwaukee Directory, 1890." Milwaukee, WI: Alfred G. Wright, 1890. To search this database, go to: http://www.ancestry.com/search/rectype/inddbs/4749.htm This database is also included in the 1890 Census Reconstruction Project and can be searched through its main page at: http://www.ancestry.com/search/rectype/census/1890sub/main.htm ____________________________________________________________________ NEW YORK HOLLAND SOCIETY, YEARBOOK 1902 The Holland Society of New York is composed of descendants (in the direct male line) of those who lived in the colonies under Dutch rule in America before or during 1675. This is a yearly publication that includes various records from the Holland Society of New York. Some of the data included is "Passenger Lists to New Netherlands, 1654-64"; an index to passengers; an index to places of departure; the society's record of members and deceased members; and a report of the annual meetings. For those with colonial Dutch ancestry, this database will be helpful. Source Information: Holland Society of New York, comp. "New York Holland Society, Yearbook 1902." [database online] Provo, UT: Ancestry.com, 2000. Original data: Holland Society of New York. "Yearbook of the Holland Society of New York: 1902." New York: Knickerbocker Press, 1902. To search this database, go to: http://www.ancestry.com/search/rectype/inddbs/4736.htm ____________________________________________________________________ WAWARSING, NEW YORK REFORMED DUTCH CHURCH RECORDS Wawarsing lies in Ulster County, New York. It was formed from Rochester in 1806, and part was re-annexed to Rochester in 1823. This database contains the Dutch church records for the area, covering the years 1745-1850. The records contain details of births, baptisms, marriages, and church members. This database will be helpful to those tracing their eastern New York ancestors. Source Information: Vosburgh, Royden Woodward, ed. "Wawarsing, New York Reformed Dutch Church Records." [database online] Provo, UT: Ancestry.com, 2000. Original data: Vosburgh, Royden Woodward, ed. "Wawarsing Reformed Dutch Church Records." New York: New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, 1922. To search this database, go to: http://www.ancestry.com/search/rectype/inddbs/4737.htm ____________________________________________________________________ TENNESSEAN (NASHVILLE), OBITUARIES, 1998-99 Source Information: Bell and Howell Information and Learning Company. "Tennessean (Nashville), Obituaries, 1998-99." [database online] Provo, UT: Ancestry.com, 2000. Original electronic data is from the electronic newspaper newsfeed service of the Bell and Howell Information and Learning Company. To search this database, go to: http://www.ancestry.com/search/rectype/inddbs/3514.htm ============================================================ TODAY’S FEATURED MAP <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> ============================================================ Today's featured map is: AMERICAN REVOLUTION, 1783 To view this map, go to http://www.ancestry.com/search/rectype/reference/maps/freeimages.asp?Imag eID=290 ============================================================ For a printer-friendly version of articles in this issue, to e-mail an individual article to a friend, or to submit feedback on something you have read here, visit the Daily News Desk at: http://www.ancestry.com/dailynews/ ============================================================ GEORGE G. MORGAN: “ALONG THOSE LINES . . .” “Using Online Library Catalogs in Your Research” <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> ============================================================ It used to be that there were few things worse than being a genealogist with a case of insomnia. I would be wide awake at 3 a.m., wishing I could be in a library poring over volumes of family history books or spinning through reels of microfilm until my eyes rolled back into my head. In the pre-Internet "olden days" of genealogy just a few years ago, I had to be satisfied with just making lists in preparation for a visit to a library or archive. It was only when I arrived there that I could really determine what was there and plan the remainder of my research time in the facility. Times have certainly changed! Now I can access the Online Public Access Catalogs (also known as OPACs) of libraries and archives from the comfort of my home office twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Yes, I can now use my Web browser to search thousands of catalogs all over the world, conduct effective research, and do all sorts of advance planning for library visits at 3 a.m.--and in my jammies too! In "Along Those Lines . . ." this week, let's discuss OPACs, some places to find them on the Web, and ways you can use them to your research advantage. WHAT IS AN OPAC? Libraries and archives used to have their catalog of holdings indexed on 3" x 5" cards in wooden or metal filing cabinets at a central location in the library. The cards were held in place by a metal rod inserted through a hole in the bottom of the card. Books were (and still are) catalogued using either the Dewey Decimal or Library of Congress classification system. In time, libraries computerized their holdings into online databases or "online catalogs," and this data was accessible via so-called "dumb" terminals. That is, the computer terminals were simply machines used to access the catalog, but they had no computing workstation capabilities. With the advent of the Internet's World Wide Web, libraries and archives and other information repositories have reached out to the public by establishing Web sites. As they have done so, they have also made the transition to personal computer workstations. This has facilitated access to the libraries' Online Public Access Catalogs, or OPACs for short, and to perhaps other online resources including CD-ROM products and databases they have either purchased on some media or to which they have purchased online subscription access. More recently, libraries have utilized the interface capabilities of their OPAC software and have integrated the inquiry facilities into their Web pages so that you and I can log on any time we like to check on materials in a collection. What a wonderful resource! WHERE CAN YOU FIND OPACs? It's a pretty simple process to locate your own local library's OPAC. Simply ask the librarian if the library provides access to its catalog online via the Internet. The answer today is usually yes. Most libraries have already integrated the OPAC into their Web pages; some may not quite be there, but they will usually have some access available, even using a dial-in Telnet facility. Because libraries want to encourage use of the online catalog facility, they will usually have some sort of printed handout or bookmark with a description of what is available and instructions for how to access it. When in doubt, ask the librarians for help. If you want to locate libraries, archives, and other facilities outside your hometown, never fear! There are some excellent Web pages with collections of links to these facilities. One of my favorite library sites is called LibrarySpot (http://www.libraryspot.com/librariesonline.htm). Here you will find a catalogue to collections of libraries of all sorts. On the main screen is a link to PublicLibraries.com (http://www.publiclibraries.com/), which lists public libraries and other repositories across the United States. The WebCats link at the LibrarySpot page takes you to a page with two very important ways of locating libraries around the world. The Geographical Index is organized by area of the globe and then by country and the libraries; the Library Type Index sorts libraries by category of its content (e.g., military, public). Please note that this is not an all-inclusive listing. Another important link at LibrarySpot is The Canadian Library Gateway (http://www.nlc-bnc.ca/gatepasse/index_e.htm). Here you will find a window into Canadian libraries of all types and sizes, as well as to a directory of special collections held in many of them. This link provides you with the choice of presentation of the information in English or French. Also at LibrarySpot, you will find categorized collections of links to other library types that may be of interest to you, such as government libraries, presidential libraries, and many others. There is also an impressive collection of online reference resources and an online reading room with links to online books, journals, newspapers, and other materials you may find helpful. LibrarySpot is an impressive facility. The African American Genealogical Society of Northern California has created a wonderful Web site containing links to all fifty of the U.S. state archives. This page can be found at http://aagsnc.org/library/archives.html. In addition to the links to the state archives, they also link to a collection titled "States Listed by Region" (at http://www.50states.com/city/regions.htm), where states are grouped in geographic clusters and then alphabetic lists of "communities" (read: towns) and links to specific libraries' Web pages are included. Other resources are included at this site as well. No list of library sites in the United States would be complete without the venerable Library of Congress at http://www.loc.gov/. From the main page, click on the graphic labeled "Using the Library--Catalogs, Collections & Research Services" to go to a page with a collection of links (http://catalog.loc.gov/). >From here, the Library of Congress OPAC can be accessed several ways. You will, by now, be most familiar with a search by author or title, etc. Another alternative access method is available at http://lcweb.loc.gov/catalog. Here you use the Z39.50 Gateway--a fancy name for another Web-based inquiry format--to access the catalog. You will probably find the standard catalog search easier, but those of you who are familiar with Web-based search engines may want to use the "Simple Search" or structured "Advanced Search" and "Phrase Search" options that the Z39.50 facility offers. Also available at the Web page (http://lcweb.loc.gov/z3950) is a link to an alphabetized list of links to other libraries and databases in the United States and in other countries. If you can't locate a library you're seeking in the links above, choose your favorite Web search engine and use the following search string, substituting a place name in quotation marks where NAME is shown: "NAME" + library WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH THE OPACs? The links I've described above can provide you with a comprehensive collection of Web pages, allowing you to locate many libraries and archives. The following are some suggestions for how to use these new-found resources to your advantage. - Determine locations, hours of operations, collection content, policies, and even the cost of photocopies and microfilm copies so you can take the right change denominations. - At the Library of Congress, you must have a researcher's identity card and fill out call slips in order to have someone pull the books you want to see. Learn how to obtain a card in advance. Also, obtain call slips in advance so that you can locate items in the OPAC and complete the call slips before you go to the library. You can simply present them when you arrive at the LOC and avoid much waiting time. - Check the holdings of a library or archive to determine if specific books are circulated (can be checked out). Determine if they are in the library, and place a reserve on them so that they will be there when you arrive or can be checked out. - Locate a specific book in a library's collection in another place, such as at the Library of Congress. If it is non-circulating, as most genealogical materials are, and you want to see if portions contain helpful materials for you, use the OPAC to obtain author, title, and catalog number (Dewey and/or LOC). Take this to your local library to determine if it provides Interlibrary Loan (ILL) service. If it does, the librarians can contact the other library and request a photocopy of specific portions of a book's index (such as surnames). On receipt of these copies, you can determine if you want specific pages from the book copied, and you can ask your library to make another photocopy request via ILL. - Plan your genealogical stops of a research trip or family vacation by checking libraries' or archives' collection holdings in advance. Obtain telephone numbers from Web sites, and make telephone calls in advance to clarify any questions you have. Do the same checking with genealogical societies and museums. Their collections of materials may be accessible only by appointment, so be sure to call in advance. FINAL WORDS One word of advice, however, is that genealogical collections often include materials that have not been cataloged, that have been partially cataloged, or that have only been line-listed. This latter group may consist of vast holdings of correspondence or other papers for which a small, single, one-line descriptive entry is made in the OPAC, but which may not adequately represent the scope or scale of the item. When you contact or actually visit the library or archive, be sure to ask if there are other items in the collection that may not have been cataloged. You may be surprised at what miscellaneous, uncataloged treasures you might find. There are certainly other uses of OPACs; you just need to be creative. Now that you know about them, where to locate them, and what you can do with them, get cracking! Happy Hunting! George __________________________________________________________________ George G. Morgan is a proud member of the International Society of Family History Writers and Editors, Inc. (ISFHWE). He would like to hear from you at mailto:[email protected], but due to the volume of e-mail received, he is unable to answer every e-mail message received. Please note that he cannot assist you with your individual research. Visit George's Web site at http://ahaseminars.com/atl for information about speaking engagements. George is also the author of "The Genealogy Forum on America Online," which is available in the Ancestry Online Store at: http://shop.myfamily.com/ancestrycatalog/product.asp?pf%5Fid=1101046&dept %5Fid=10102000 Copyright 2000, MyFamily.com. All rights reserved. ============================================================ HEADLINES FROM EASTMAN’S ONLINE GENEALOGY NEWSLETTER <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> ============================================================ IN THIS ISSUE: - CompuServe's Genealogy Forums are Now Available on the Web - More on Family Tree Maker and "E.T. Phone Home" - Index of Irish Wills 1484-1858 - Online Family Tree Enhanced - Online Timelines - Society of Genealogists' Computer Committee Dissolved Abruptly - More NGS Awards - Back Issues of this Newsletter - Upcoming Events To read this issue of Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter, visit: http://www.ancestry.com/library/view/columns/eastman/eastman.asp ============================================================ ANCESTRY QUICK TIP <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> ============================================================ My father-in-law always told me he had an uncle that went west and wasn't heard from again. I knew his grandfather from Tennessee was in the Civil War, so I sent for his war records from the state archives. On the pension application he was asked if he had any children to help him financially. He stated that "no, one was in an institution (heat stroke) and the others had large families--one being in Texas." Checking the census records for 1910, I found the uncle in Ft. Worth. On a trip to the Ft. Worth library, while searching city directories, I then located the residence. In 1921, his wife was listed alone as widow. This led me to the newspaper microfilms, where I found his obituary, which listed the names of his children. Following the directories, I found a listing that showed the children were living alone in the residence, which led me to believe that the wife may have been deceased at this time. When I checked the newspapers again, the obituary gave the name of a daughter in another city. In 1993, I checked the phone books of that city, called a person by that surname, and found the daughter (then age 91) still living. She filled me in on our shared family history. She is still alive and recently celebrated her 99th birthday. It all started from a Civil War record! EllieSS ____________________________________________________________________ Thanks to Ellie for today's Quick Tip! If you have a tip that you would like to share with other researchers, you can send it to: mailto:[email protected] ============================================================ THOUGHT FOR TODAY <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> ============================================================ "Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." ----- Ralph Waldo Emerson ============================================================ SHARE YOUR OPINION <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> ============================================================ Today's question: WHEN DO YOU SEARCH THE NEW DATABASES AT ANCESTRY.COM? ----- As soon as I see new databases I do all my searches. ----- I do all of my searches during the first 10 days, while they are free for anyone to access. ----- I notice the new databases, but search them later on, even after the 10 days of free access have passed. ----- I generally don't pay attention to the new databases. To share your opinion and see what others are saying, go to: http://www.ancestry.com/today/main.htm ============================================================ PRODUCT OF THE DAY AT ANCESTRY’S ONLINE STORE <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> ============================================================ CLOOZ: THE ELECTRONIC FILING CABINET FOR GENEALOGISTS http://shop.myfamily.com/ancestrycatalog/product.asp?pf%5Fid=108611&dept% 5Fid=20102000 Now with stand-alone and "Access 97" versions on a single CD! You'll never lose an important fact, photo, or other piece of information about your ancestors again! "Clooz" is not another genealogy program. It's an easy-to-use electronic filing cabinet that will help you catalog, locate, and retrieve important information you've already found. What's more, "Clooz" is a surprisingly valuable research tool, enabling you to pull genealogically significant data from multiple documents for comparison, verification, and patterns that may give you new "clooz" to help unravel the mysteries of your ancestral past. Now, with more than thirty new features and enhancements, like improved reporting functions, more data retrieval and sorting options, and enhanced "Windows" compatibility, "Clooz 1.2" is easier and better than ever! Friendly templates make it easy to work with every imaginable data source, including: - U.S. Federal Censuses 1790-1920 - Irish Censuses 1901, 1911 - U.K. Censuses 1841-91 - Canadian Censuses 1852-1901 - Generic Censuses - City Directories - Miscellaneous Documents - Correspondence - Irish Valuation Records - Photographs - Even Individuals Normally "Clooz" retails for $39.95, but today you can buy it in the Ancestry.com E-Store for only $29.95. This price will be effective until midnight Mountain Time, Monday, July 10. ____________________________________________________________________ You can see a full description, and order today's products through Ancestry's Online Store at: http://shop.myfamily.com/ancestrycatalog/ For more product news, plus insider and exclusive savings offers from Ancestry.com, subscribe to Product Watch at: http://www.ancestry.com/productwatch ******************************************************************** Join Ancestry.com and access 600 million names in 2,500 databases. Annual memberships start at only $59.95 (That's less than $5 per month!) View our various membership plans at: http://www.ancestry.com/subscribe/main.htm ******************************************************************** Keep in touch with your family and share information and data with a FREE MyFamily.com site. Sign up now for your site at: http://www.myfamily.com/banner.asp?id=ancnewsfooter ******************************************************************** Search Ancestry's World Tree--the largest, free database of family files available on the Internet! Add your family tree today! http://www.ancestry.com/search/rectype/usersub/worldtree/main.htm ============================================================ <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> Best Wishes, Juliana Smith, Editor, Ancestry Daily News Megan Vandre, Associate Editor Please feel free to circulate this newsletter to other genealogy enthusiasts! We hope that you will also credit the Daily News as the source. To subscribe to this newsletter, visit http://www.ancestry.com and type your e-mail address in the box provided, or send an e-mail message to: mailto:[email protected] with the word "subscribe" in the subject line. For comments or submissions to the Daily News, e-mail: mailto:[email protected] The editor regrets that she cannot respond to every e-mail or assist with personal research, but periodically will feature letters to the editor in the Daily News. Ancestry.com reserves the right to edit for content and clarity. <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> ******************************************************************** Ancestry http://www.ancestry.com Sales: 1-800-ANCESTRY Customer Solutions: 801-431-5220 Fax: (801) 426-3501 E-mail: mailto:[email protected] ============================================================ ____________________________________________________________ To unsubscribe, click>> mailto:[email protected] or if the email address is not clickable, simply copy [email protected] and paste it into the 'to' field in your email application and hit send. You will be taken off the list immediately. Thank you! @->->@->-> I believe in everything until it is disproved. So I believe in fairies, myths, dragons. Who's to say that dreams and nightmares aren't as real as the here and now? John Lennon http://homestead.juno.com/leefinkle1/STORIES.html ________________________________________________________________ YOU'RE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR THE INTERNET! Juno now offers FREE Internet Access! Try it today - there's no risk! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj.