Just for your Information, I got this off Scotch-Irish List, thought you all would be interested. Date: Tue, 5 Feb 2002 07:47:23 -0800 To: [email protected] Subject: [Scotch-Irish] (Derry, Mechesneytown Cem, a Cause)) Hi folks, Here are some relevant highlights from "Jots from the Point", the newsletter of the Western Pennsylvania Genealogical Society. www.wpgs.org . Many of our Scotch Irish ancestors went through Pittsburgh on their way westward. INDUSTRIAL ARCHIVES: Check out The Archives Service Center. It is part of the University of Pittsburgh's Archives of Industrial Research in Pittsburgh. Check out their webpage to get a sense of what is there: www.library.pitt.edu/libraries/archives/archives.html to link to Pittcat. NOTE: their archives are not set up as a genealogical archives. Experienced researchers ONLY. LAND APPLICATIONS: Pennsylvania Land Applications, Vol 1: East Side Applications 1756- 1769 by Kenneth D McCrea has now been published by the Colonial Pennsylvania Land Records and PA Chapter of the Palatines to America. It has info on over 4000 land applications THAT HAVE NEVER BEFORE BEEN PUBLISHED. Unless you have researched PA land records at the PA archives and/or LDS (it has many, many, many rolls of film of actual land records, not indexes), this book might be for you. They were east of the Susquehanna River in the area purchased from the Indians before 1765. Price: $40 plus tax. Contact them at PO Box 280, Strasburg, PA 17579-0280 . Can't afford the book? Use microfilmed land records in LDS. Most are filmed, donno about this batch specifically I admit....my ancestors lived north of the Susquehanna in the Allegheny River Valley -- we didn't even marry those southern PA folk <grin>. The southwestern parts of PA were inhabited by Virginians who thought they were still in Virginia, and they didn't like Pennsylvanians. Us, we came from Lancaster Co, so they didn't like us. On a recent trip there visited what is supposed the oldest house in the area, built after the American Revolution about 1790 (laughable to a New Englander, where you can buy houses built in 1650!)....a Virginia plantation house. DERRY AREA: The Derry Area Historical Society has researchers who can do research for you at the Fulton House in New Derry, PA. They charge $10 per hour, minimum of $20 . Write The Fulton House, Box 64, New Derry, PA 15671. Director: Thelma Ometz at 724- 694-9564 . (Obviously New Derry was settled by Ulster folk). The Mechesneytown Cemetery is added to the list of sites that the Derry Area Historical Society recognizes as of historical importance. Evelyn Ruffing at 724-539-2191 has more info. BAD NEWS: Allegheny County (Pittsburgh is in it) has been found to have abandoned 50,000 boxes of city/county records, some of them 300 years old. This was first brought to light 7 years ago. The WPGS has been microfilming them in their grave in an old mattress factory. A second stash has been found now, also abandoned to rot by the county government. The WPGS (see full name, top of article) has been attempting to rescue these. It is in need of the usual: funds, storage, volunteers. The second stash consists of the complete records of Allegheny City until its absorption into the City of Pittsburgh in 1907. (This town was north of the Allegheny River, across from the Point). These are 13 skids of documents, 4 feet high and 20 EACH. They have been in an unheated warehouse since 1969. There is a lot of mold and red rot. While you would think the State Archives would be interested in these, there appear to be jurisdictional issues as well as money so the county would prefer to let them rot than let the State take control. As of Nov 12 apparently the local gov is willing to let them go to Harrisburg. They remain in the unheated warehouse, moldering away, their future undecided, as the mold continues to erase all trace of your ancestors forever. The Allegheny County Deputy Director of Administrative Services says "We basically do not know what's in these boxes and we don't care". Grrrrrrr. I'm not publishing the man's name. Let his name moulder away too. WGHS needs a "head honcho" to manage the rescue project, a committee, support from individual groups, fundraising, and mobilization of broad-based community support. Any support you can provide would be greatly appreciated. Contact the society at the above URL. (PS: JOIN! They are a great group). Linda Merle