LEGISLATIVE REPORT - NOVEMBER 5, 2002 I had planned to bring you a report for the CSGA meeting November 2, 2002, but when the meeting was cancelled, I took a few more days to try to do some checking. Since the close of the legislative session I have been ill and for the most part out of touch. I have contacted the Dept. of Health Services to check on the progress of their enactment of the mandates set out in SB1614. They are moving full speed ahead and believe they will have the new indexes ready for the January 1st dead line. The new index will run from 1905 to 2001. There will be additional and/or more updated information included. When the original CDs were done, new and additional information held by the Department was not included. With the current process it will include such editing corrections. Of course, the maiden names and the social security numbers will not be included. Presently, the Governor's executive order to cease the sale of the orginial CDs remains in effect. It would take an act of legislation to change that now. If you need to do an index search at the State level, you will be required to request a search and they will do it for you. Because the counties do not fall under the Governor's executive order, you may still make informational searches in the indexes at the county level. Remember that each county has their own procedure, therefore, you will be required to meet their criteria. But, if you need to make searches and know the county, it would be wise to move quickly. Once the new indexes are available, the counties will be required to use them. The major problem for the Dept. of Health will be to implement the new procedures for the issuance of birth and death certificates as mandated by SB247. It will require an entirely new procedure and new forms. But they are moving ahead quickly and hope not to have any delays. There was one big problem. In the knock-down-drag-out last minute fight on SB1614, I totally missed inserted language in SB 247. That language requires that on the secondary certificates issued and indicating 'not to be used for identification' the maiden names and social security numbers will be redacted. While I encouraged the passage of this bill to help ensure privacy protection, I was unaware that this language was included. If you can meet the requirements to show relationship, then you can purchase a complete copy of the birth and death indexes which will include all the information. I know there are additional questions and I still have queries out, looking for answers, if there is something specific, please feel free to contact me. To follow State Legislation, check the State Web site at http://www.sen.ca.gov> To be added to my Network, send your name, name of your organization, and E-mail address, to me indicating you wish to be added to the Legislative Network, <[email protected]>.---5 November 2002, CSGA Legislative Network Coordinator, Iris Carter Jones. [Permission granted to reprint Legislative reports. Please cite your source.]

Dear Listers: I thought this would be of interest. Lauren * * * * * DONATING GENEALOGY MATERIALS By Susan Scouras [email protected] As a librarian with the West Virginia Archives and History Library, I would like to make several suggestions regarding recent discussion in Missing Links about what to do with one's personal genealogy when there is not another family historian who will appreciate the inheritance. Donation to a library, the larger and the more prominent the better, makes the information the most accessible to anyone searching for the same family. Do a little research to locate the library that has the best genealogy collection in the state or other geographic area most closely associated with your family. Possible recipients of your donation are a genealogical or historical society, a college or university library, a sizeable public library, or a state library and/or archives (in some states, the two functions are in separate agencies and in others are combined). Ask for a copy of their collection policy regarding donations, and discuss terms with them for the donation of your specific materials. Ask how materials are made available to the public and how different types of materials will be preserved. Be prepared to be flexible. Keeping all of your materials in the same box, regardless of type or format, will not be feasible for many institutions nor wise for preservation purposes. Generally, photographs will be housed in a photograph collection, bound books (with a gift plate inserted) will go on the library shelves, letters and journals may go in a manuscript collection, genealogy charts will be placed in a folder in a map case, while postcards and scrapbooks will be considered special collections. The West Virginia State Archives even has a separate collection of West Virginia family Bibles. Regardless, in any setting most materials should be accessible through the library's catalog under the subject heading of your family name. Usually you will be asked to sign a donation form that allows the institution to use the materials as it sees fit, as long as you are credited as the donor. I know West Virginia Archives and History does not make a significant profit from this practice; however, I realize that our fee schedule is necessary to cover our costs. For example, area restaurants and other businesses often decorate with copies of photographs of West Virginia scenes from our collection. We also receive requests from all types of publishers and filmmakers for West Virginia-related images. When we provide these images, we always name the donor ("From the A. B. Cee Collection.") and ask that the donor be credited. Individuals may also purchase photographic copies of images in our collection. If you donate a typescript of your family history, generally the West Virginia Archives and History Library will have your manuscript bound in a standard library binding, cataloged as a published book, and placed on the library shelf for public use. Based on our experience with genealogy collections accepted by us in the past, we know an explanation of how the material is organized will be very helpful. While various record-keeping systems for family history have been developed and improved over the years, there is no standard method for organizing a family tree. Please include a description of the system you have adopted or that you have devised for yourself. If no one can figure out how your system works, your information has limited value. At the very least, a good genealogy chart that shows names and dates will be a basic guide to accessing the more detailed information in your collection. Please, please, please do not assume that the library will do the organizing for you! Few, if any, tax-supported institutions are going to have the staff time to spend on this type of project unless your family history is of significant historical interest in some way (prominent politician, scientist, artist, author, etc.). A bonus of donating to an institution such as the West Virginia State Archives is that your materials are also made available to the State Museum for display. If you have clothing, artifacts, antiques, etc., that you would like to donate along with your research materials, in West Virginia you can keep them all in the same building. The State Museum considers these type of items with West Virginia connections, while all paper, photographic, tape and film formats are reviewed by the State Archives for acceptance. We are also interested in West Virginia- related business or professional records for our collection. We have architectural drawings, blueprints, account ledgers, etc., from a variety of West Virginians. Look for a similar arrangement in your state of choice. Finally, please write or call the institution and make formal arrangements for acceptance of your donation. While the West Virginia Archives and History Library will accept any family history book for the library collection, all other materials must have a West Virginia connection to be considered for acquisition. Most libraries and archives will have similar policies. If the institution you have selected is not the appropriate place for your collection, hopefully the staff there can guide you to a better home for your work. For more information on West Virginia Archives and History, visit our Web site at http://www.wvculture.org/history . * * * * * Previously published in MISSING LINKS, Vol. 7, No. 44, 3 November 2002 http://www.petuniapress.com

Just read this in Eastman's Newsletter: Mar. 22, 2003 - Rohnert Park, CA: Sharon DeBartolo Carmack will be all-day speaker for the Sonoma County Genealogical Society's meeting. http://www.rootsweb.com/~cascgs/carmack.htm I have heard she is an excellent speaker. Anyone got more details to share on the list? Happy Trails, Lauren

Just read this in Eastman's Newsletter: Mar. 22, 2003 - Rohnert Park, CA: Sharon DeBartolo Carmack will be all-day speaker for the Sonoma County Genealogical Society's meeting. http://www.rootsweb.com/~cascgs/carmack.htm I have heard she is an excellent speaker. Anyone got more details to share on the list? Happy Trails, Lauren

It has come to my attention that there is a $3 donation requested by Napa Genealogical Library to use their resources. Stephanie

Forgot to mention -- if you come on the field trip, be sure to bring a sack lunch. Stephanie Acree

MCGS Field Trip - 12/14/02 Napa Valley Genealogical Library 1701 Menlo Avenue, Napa 707/252-2252 (if you get lost) This is reputed to be one of the finest family research and American history collections in Northern California, covering the entire U.S. and many foreign countries. The library is open that day from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. Meet on Saturday, December 14th at the Lutheran Church parking lot , 1100 Las Gallinas, San Rafael, at 8:30 a.m. (a little earlier than ususal) for general directions to the library. We will break into carpool groups. If you have any questions, call Esther Kooiman at 663-1192. The library offers a means for learning about ancestral heritage and homeland history. The library is located at 1701 Menlo Avenue (at the corner of Menlo and California); the building was purchased and paid for by fund raising, gifts and donations. Available for use are family histories; vital records; atlases and maps; Napa County marriage, census, voter, church, and cemetery records; and the Hartford Times index. For those who cannot make the field trip, the library hours are: Tuesday 10 am - 6 pm Wednesday 10 am - 4 pm Thursday 10 am - 4 pm Saturday 10 am - 2 pm (2nd and 4th Saturday only) (always call to double-check current operating hours)

Subject: Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter Date: Wed, 23 Oct 2002 16:37:58 -0400 The following article is from Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter and is copyright 2002 by Richard W. Eastman. It is re-published here with the permission of the author. ============================================================== - Virginia's Digital Library Program Curtailed Bad news. The very popular Library of Virginia's Digital Library Program is about to close or perhaps only be "suspended." This online collection has become what is probably the best resource on the web for researchers of Virginia ancestors. It has a wealth of digital images of pages from old family Bibles, confederate pension applications, land deeds, and many other genealogically important resources. However, the site is no longer funded. A statement on the Library of Virginia Web site says: The Library of Virginia-the Commonwealth of Virginia's official research library and archival repository serving government officials, state and local agencies, public libraries, college faculty, students, historians, and genealogists-has experienced several rounds of budget reductions during the past two years. The cumulative effect has been a 28 percent permanent reduction in the Library's overall general fund appropriation (22 percent of that occurring with the 7 and 15 percent reductions this fiscal year). The Library has had to absorb a disproportionate amount of these cuts internally rather than pass them on in full measure to localities and other state agencies that receive funding through the Library's budget. Thus, the net effect of the past two years (including the 15 percent reduction announced by Governor Warner on October 15, 2002) has been a loss to the Library's operating budget of a staggering 39 percent. The same page details a long list of planned cutbacks, including the layoff of 23 full-time staff (out of a maximum employment level of 216) and 17 part-time staff, with an additional 19 vacant positions that will not be filled-leaving a total staffing shortfall of 59 valued individuals. The Web page then lists: Elimination of the Digital Library Program, which has allowed the Library to make heavily-used collections available to researchers through the Library's Web site You can read the full statement at: http://www.lva.lib.va.us/whoweare/events/reducsummary.htm Note that the official statement on the Library of Virginia Web site says "Elimination of the Digital Library Program." However, an e-mail from an official at the Library offers a somewhat different statement, saying that the existing digital program will remain on line, but will not be updated. Without funds, no further historical records will be preserved through the Imaging Services Program. There seems to be little recourse to genealogists, other than to those who live and vote in Virginia. As long as the state residents and elected officials impose heavy financial constraints on state agencies, actions like this are inevitable. My thanks to Mary Taffet for alerting me to this bad news. To discuss this story further, please visit the newsletter message board at http://www.RootsForum.com and click on "Message Board." ======= You are hereby granted rights, unless otherwise specified, to re- distribute articles from this newsletter to other parties provided: 1. You do so strictly for non-commercial purposes 2. You may not republish any articles containing words attributed to another person or organization until you obtain permission from that person or organization. While you do have permission to republish words written by Richard W. Eastman, you do not have automatic authority to republish words written by others, even if their words appear in this newsletter. If you have questions or comments about the article in this newsletter, go to http://www.RootsForum.com and then click on "Message Board." Post your message there. You will receive then assistance from Dick Eastman or from a number of other people. SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION: This newsletter is sent to you free of charge. Please feel free to copy this subscription information and pass it on to anyone else who you think might be interested in obtaining a free subscription. To subscribe, unsubscribe or to change your e-mail address on a present subscription, go to: http://www.rootsforum.com

Dear Listmembers: Last night the Society held a workshop. When I arrived it looked like there was a full house. I only had time to spend at one segment of the workshop and I chose to attend John Trumbull's lecture on "Tombstones: Their Care and Feeding." John had planned to show a video on the subject and share his experience. Well... the video player was not cooperative so we skipped the video. As usual, John gave us an excellent lecture. He had 3 pages of valuable notes to give us on the topic. I was very impressed with the rubbing method and material used. He brought photos, 2 kinds of stone rubbings and other items to show and share. I would like to thank John for his presentation and his great tips! Thank you Susan Trumbull for all the time, effort and energy you put into planning and putting on this workshop! You did a great job! Happy Trails, Lauren

<PRE>Sonoma County Genealogical Society and the LDS Family History Center are co-sponsoring a Family History Fair on Saturday, October 26, 2002 at the LDS Church, 1725 Peterson Lane, Santa Rosa from 9 am to 3 pm. There will be 16 classes, some geared for LDS church members, others aimed at beginners as well as advanced; four live internet presentations for FamilySearch.org; building your own family website; and how to organize your on-line research. There is no charge. Bring your own lunch.

Hi folks, I am attempting to find the family of Sally Fifarek of Novato,Ca. We of the family here in Ohio can not locate her. When her parents the late Leslie and Mildred Richards passed away in 1981 and 1983 respectively in Fla., Sally was in this city. We of the Van Wert,Oh. OGS, are writing a history on fathers family. We would appreciate it if anyone there can help us. According to the SSDI Sally died 21 August 1999. At this time her married name was MELODY. Please feel free to contact me at my private e-mail here at home. Respectfully, Gary

Hi, You can also access the 1901 UK census here: http://www.census.pro.gov.uk/index.html Just click on "Person Search" or Advanced Person Search" to see if your people are there (searches are free). If you find records you want, the cost is very cheap (5 pounds for 48 hours of access, and you can log in and out, so the time is *not* consecutive) to get images. For less than $20 I found all my ancestors who were in the UK! For those who have been waiting years to see where this census release would take their research, it is a VERY good thing! Jana

These 3 censuses are available on line from today at the familysearch site - www.familysearch.org 1880 United States 1881 British 1881 Canadian Esther Mott

Forwarding: -------- Original Message -------- Subject: [eogn-ascii] Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter - ASCII Text Edition Date: Sun, 20 Oct 2002 22:27:38 -0400 From: [email protected] Reply-To: [email protected] To: [email protected] Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter A Weekly Summary of Events and Topics of Interest to Online Genealogists Vol. 7 No. 42 - October 21, 2002 Search past issues of this newsletter at: http://www.RootsForum.com Please feel free to forward copies of this newsletter to other genealogists. Copyright(c) 2002 by Richard W. Eastman. All rights reserved. ============================================================== This newsletter is available in both HTML and ASCII text versions. Most subscribers prefer the HTML version. You can switch to the other format at any time. To switch format, to subscribe, to unsubscribe, or to change your e-mail address on a present subscription, go to: http://www.RootsForum.com. You can obtain more information or discuss any of the articles in this newsletter on the message board at: http://www.RootsForum.com. You can also search past newsletters at the same address. ============================================================== IN THIS ISSUE: - This Newsletter Is Unsponsored - Word of Mouse Advertising - Search Past Newsletters - SmartDraw - IMSI to Publish Legacy Family Tree Deluxe - American County Histories to 1900 Online - Virginia's Digital Library Program Curtailed - GenealogyExperts Shut Down (Again) - The Security of Your Mother's Maiden Name - GrillYourGranny.com - DAR Exhibit on African-American and American-Indian Patriots - "We Plan on Having a Girl" - New Books ============================================================== - This Newsletter Is Unsponsored You may have noticed that the beginning of this newsletter did not start out with the customary words, "This newsletter is sponsored by..." In fact, for the first time in more than five years, there is no sponsor. For the past five and a half years, Ancestry.com has been the sponsor of this newsletter. Each edition carried a brief mention of Ancestry.com's services. In return, the company paid me a fee for carrying their ads and for the right to post this newsletter on their Web site. Their funding allowed me to pay for a bulk e- mail service and for other newsletter expenses, to travel to genealogy conferences, and to purchase some hardware and software used in some of the articles published here. Like any other business, Ancestry.com constantly re-examines their expenses and makes adjustments whenever they feel the need. Effective this week, they have elected to stop their advertising in this newsletter and to allocate their advertising dollars elsewhere. Future newsletters will not be posted on their Web site. Obviously, I am disappointed, but I respect the company's right to spend their advertising dollars as they think is best. It's been a great five and a half years, and I want to say "Thank you" to everyone at Ancestry.com for their fine support. It has been great working with all of you. Of course, this now creates a quandary for me and perhaps for newsletter readers as well. Those who know me can verify that I have never been an employee of my sponsor and do not sit in a large corporate environment. Instead, I am one person sitting at home, banging on a keyboard and writing about the items that interest me. I do have one assistant: a lady who does a great job of editing my words, converting my efforts into proper English. Thanks to the generosity of a sponsor, I have always been able to deliver the newsletter at no cost to you, the reader. However, if this newsletter is to continue in its present format, I will not be able to pay the expenses out of my own pocket for more than a few weeks. The future of this newsletter is not clear at this time. Do you or your employer have an interest in sponsoring this newsletter? If so, please contact me at [email protected] Keep in mind that this newsletter currently is delivered by e-mail to 19,000 genealogists each week, all of whom own computers. That is a very targeted audience for any genealogy vendor. To discuss this story further, please visit the newsletter message board at http://www.RootsForum.com and click on "Message Board." ============================================================== - Word of Mouse Advertising The PR Budget for this newsletter is $0.00. At the same time, the number of subscribers will factor strongly in attracting a new sponsor. I rely on "word of mouse" advertising, whereby you recommend this newsletter to your friends. As explained above, this newsletter is a private project of mine, and I have zero budget for a publicity campaign to get more readers. In each issue, I try to offer useful, interesting, and sometimes amusing information to help you with your genealogy efforts. Can you take a minute to help me out in return? If you think this newsletter is a worthwhile read, please tell your friends. Better yet, forward a copy of the newsletter to them by e-mail and suggest they get their own subscription at http://www.RootsForum.com. Thanks. ============================================================== - Search Past Newsletters A new search engine was added this week to the Web site that now supports this newsletter. You can search the past six years of newsletters for any word or phrase at: http://www.RootsForum.com. ============================================================== - SmartDraw SmartDraw is a Windows program used to create flowcharts, org charts, network diagrams, printed forms, floor plans, time lines, presentations, and the like. I know a few people who use it, and they all love the program. I never thought of it as a genealogy program, however, until this week. I had a chance to use the latest version of SmartDraw and its built-in library of pedigree charts, timelines, family genograms, and more. SmartDraw can even create a "family ecomap," a term I had not heard of previously. To see a typical family ecomap, look at http://www.smartdraw.com/resources/examples/business/orgchart4.htm. Then use your imagination to determine ways you could use it to draw family relationships. I suspect you could even use an ecomap to illustrate those second-cousin intermarriages, something I have never seen in traditional genealogy charts. SmartDraw is available in four versions: 30-day Free Trial, Standard, Professional, and Professional Plus. The free trial version of SmartDraw can be downloaded online and used for up to 30 days at no charge. Although the download version includes a variety of symbols and clip art images to use in your own charts, it does not include the full library of images and symbols that are found on the CD-ROM versions. If you create charts with the free trial version, you can save them and then use them again after purchasing one of the other versions. I installed SmartDraw Professional Plus version 6 on a Windows 2000 PC. The program fills two CD-ROM disks with the software and a library of more than 50,000 templates, symbols, and clip art. Installation was simple: insert the first CD into the PC and then follow the directions that appear on the screen. The program asked me how many "collections" (libraries of symbols and click art) I wanted to install on the hard drive and also told me how many megabytes of disk space each collection would consume. Frequently used collections should be installed onto the hard drive, while less-frequently-used collections can be left on the CD-ROM, available for future use, if needed. I decided to not install the medical and anatomy collection, the mechanical engineering collection, and others that did not interest me. SmartDraw Professional Plus without any collections requires roughly 35 megabytes of disk space. Installing collections onto the hard disk increases the needed disk space significantly. I launched the program and selected "Create a new chart." Being a novice at charting programs, I immediately read the slim, 18-page "Getting Started With SmartDraw" booklet that was included with the CD-ROM disks. Next, I read quite a bit of information found in the 200-page user's manual that was installed onto my hard drive in PDF format. The user's manual is easily accessible from the program's built-in help files. SmartDraw also has a built-in tutorial of 12 lessons; I read all of the tutorial pages. A similar tutorial is also available on SmartDraw's Web site at http://www.smartdraw.com/resources/centers/orgcharts/tutorial1.htm. You might want to view the online tutorial first if you are thinking of purchasing the program. I then created my first chart. I clicked on "Org Chart and Trees" and then on "View Examples." Thumbnail views of more than 40 charts appeared in a small window. I scrolled through them and selected Family Tree, and an example of someone else's family tree appeared on my screen. I found that I could modify that family tree by dragging shapes from a library or toolbar and dropping them on the page. All I had to do was to click and hold the left mouse button, click down on the desired shape on the SmartDraw toolbar, drag the shape into the drawing area, and release. To connect shapes, there are different Line Tools. For instance, to connect two shapes with a straight line, click on the Straight Line Tool on the Toolbar and release. Lines do not need to be straight; you can curve or bend the lines in many different ways. Keep in mind that I am "graphically challenged." I never could create even the simplest charts with a regular drawing program. At least, I never created anything that I was willing to show to others. However, with SmartDraw's "click and drag" capabilities, I was able to quickly create attractive charts. I will point out, however, that this is not a program that you will learn to use in five minutes. I had to invest some time to learn SmartDraw's operation. If you are already expert at another simpler drawing program, your learning curve undoubtedly will be shorter than mine. Once you understand how to use the program, you can create any number of attractive charts designed for many purposes. To see some examples of genealogy charts created with SmartDraw 6, look at http://www.smartdraw.com/specials/genealogy.asp. Click on the various charts found there to view larger examples. You can find examples of many other types of charts at http://www.smartdraw.com/resources/examples/business/orgcharts.htm. SmartDraw obviously is a "general purpose" drawing program, not one designed for the genealogy marketplace. As a result, I was not surprised to learn that it will not import GEDCOM files. You need to type all the data in manually, a task that is very simple when creating a one-page chart. SmartDraw Standard will, however, import graphics files in Windows Metafile format, Enhanced Metafile format, and several bitmapped formats, including, BMP, PC PaintBrush (PCX), GIF, JPG, PNG and TIFF. SmartDraw Professional imports a much wider variety of formats including: Encapsulated Postscript (EPS), AutoCAD(DXF), CGM, HPGL, PDF, Adobe Illustrator, CorelDraw, MicroGrafx Draw and Visio. Once imported, images become Image Objects within SmartDraw charts. SmartDraw works as a stand-alone program or as part of Microsoft Office or any other programs that support Object Linking and Embedding (OLE). You can insert a SmartDraw drawing directly into Microsoft Word for Windows with either Cut & Paste or the Insert Object command. SmartDraw will print charts on any Windows-compatible output device. You can print to almost any color or black-and-white printer as well as to plotters and other specialized output devices. I found the charts looked great, even when printed on my $88 inkjet color printer. If you want to print on a plotter or other expensive output device that you do not own, you can always print to a disk file and then take that file to Kinko's or any other service that will allow you to print on their specialized output devices. You can also publish charts on the Web, if you wish. There are three different methods to accomplish that: 1. SmartDrawNet, owned and operated by SmartDraw.com - As an owner of SmartDraw, you can create your own SmartDrawNet account at no additional charge. Your SmartDrawNet account is your own personal web space for sharing your drawings with friends, colleagues, and clients. 2. Exporting to HTML Files - A second option for generating web output is to export a drawing to HTML files. You can upload these files to any web site. 3. Exporting to a Bitmap File - The web supports three different bitmapped graphic formats: JPG, GIF and PNG. You can export your drawing to any of these three formats, using the Export command under the File menu. Then incorporate the images into your own HTML. Another nice feature is SmartDraw's free Viewer Program. You can create a chart, save it as a SmartDraw file, and then send that file to a friend co-worker, or relative. You can also give the recipient a copy of the SmartDraw free viewer, or else he or she can download it from SmartDraw's Web site. The free viewer program allows any Windows user to view SmartDraw charts without buying the entire program. SmartDraw will create an infinite variety of family charts; the only limit is your imagination. Of course, it has hundreds of uses besides genealogy. It can create org charts for the office, city department charts, wedding invitations, network diagrams, floor plans, certificates, schematic diagrams, decision making flowcharts, bowling league scoring sheets, and much, much more. It is a powerful and very complete graphics program. As the company states on one of the tutorial pages, "SmartDraw is the easy-to-use graphics program that takes the drawing out of drawing. With SmartDraw you simply drag and drop lines and shapes with your mouse to create beautiful, professional-looking drawings and diagrams." SmartDraw 6 requires a PC with a Pentium processor or better; Windows 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, or XP; and 30 megabytes to possibly 2 gigabytes of hard disk space (depending on how many optional symbol collections you install). SmartDraw 6 Standard Edition sells for $69. SmartDraw 6 Professional costs $129, while SmartDraw 6 Professional Plus is available for $198. You can compare the features of all three at http://www.smartdraw.com/buy. All in all, I like SmartDraw 6. It has a bit of a learning curve, but the results are worth it. It has a simple user interface, a large library of symbols and clip art, and all the graphics tools one needs. You can use this program to create attractive charts for many purposes, including for family trees. To learn more about SmartDraw 6 and especially about its use in genealogy, look at: http://www.smartdraw.com/specials/genealogy.asp To discuss this story further, please visit the newsletter message board at http://www.RootsForum.com and click on "Message Board." ============================================================== - IMSI to Publish Legacy Family Tree Deluxe Legacy is a very popular genealogy program for Windows produced by Millennia Corporation. See the March 18, 2002, edition of this newsletter at http://rootsforum.com/archives/news0211.htm for details. The program also was recently named as PC Magazine Editor's Choice in their software review. This week, Millennia Corporation announced they have signed a one-year exclusive publishing deal with IMSI, a developer of visual content, design, and graphics software. The renewable agreement gives IMSI rights for retail, direct, online, and offline sales. IMSI will be repackaging the Legacy Family Tree Deluxe as a Premium Edition, which will include the award-winning Legacy Family Tree Deluxe 4.0 and over $50 of additional IMSI products and discounts. The software provides access to research on over 4 billion names and is affiliated with prominent genealogy websites, including MyTrees.com, Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.com, and Genealogy.com. In addition, IMSI will be offering the Legacy Family Tree Basic product, also developed by Millennia. The new product line is scheduled for release from IMSI later this fall. This looks like an excellent move for both companies. As a small company, Millennia Corporation has never had the marketing muscle to get the program into computer stores or into the bigger online and mail-order houses. IMSI is very good at doing just that. In return, IMSI gets an excellent product to add to their catalog. IMSI has been in the genealogy software business before. In 1997, IMSI purchased the rights to a genealogy program developed by Corel and renamed it Family Heritage. About six months later, IMSI sold the program to Mindscape, which again renamed the program, this time calling it "Family Tree Creator." (The program has been sold again since then. Whew!) Neither the IMSI nor the Millennia Corporation Web sites had any information about this new agreement when these words were written. However, I suspect that more information will appear soon at http://www.imsisoft.com and at http://www.legacyfamilytree.com. To discuss this story further, please visit the newsletter message board at http://www.RootsForum.com and click on "Message Board." ============================================================== - American County Histories to 1900 Online Accessible Archives, Inc. has announced plans to publish "American County Histories to 1900." Part I of Pennsylvania is now available on-line at http://www.accessible.com and contains more than 12,000 pages of text and plates from all 15 counties in the Eastern portion of Pennsylvania. This Web site requires the user to purchase a subscription, but a free trial is available. Most of the collection's large volumes were published between 1870 and 1900. The books included chapters which covered in great detail local history, geology, geography, weather, transportation, lists of all local participants in the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, government, medical and legal professions, churches and ministers, industry and manufacturing, banking and insurance, schools and teachers, noted celebrations, fire departments and associations, cemeteries, family history, health and vital statistics, roads and bridges, public officials and legislators, and many other subjects. The fully searchable text will permit the researcher to instantly explore all the publications of a particular county by using a single query. In addition, those wishing to read the text page-by- page can do so in the original format. Further information is available at: http://www.accessible.com To discuss this story further, please visit the newsletter message board at http://www.RootsForum.com and click on "Message Board." ============================================================== - Virginia's Digital Library Program Curtailed Bad news. The very popular Library of Virginia's Digital Library Program is about to close or perhaps only be "suspended." This online collection has become what is probably the best resource on the web for researchers of Virginia ancestors. It has a wealth of digital images of pages from old family Bibles, confederate pension applications, land deeds, and many other genealogically important resources. However, the site is no longer funded. A statement on the Library of Virginia Web site says: The Library of Virginia-the Commonwealth of Virginia's official research library and archival repository serving government officials, state and local agencies, public libraries, college faculty, students, historians, and genealogists-has experienced several rounds of budget reductions during the past two years. The cumulative effect has been a 28 percent permanent reduction in the Library's overall general fund appropriation (22 percent of that occurring with the 7 and 15 percent reductions this fiscal year). The Library has had to absorb a disproportionate amount of these cuts internally rather than pass them on in full measure to localities and other state agencies that receive funding through the Library's budget. Thus, the net effect of the past two years (including the 15 percent reduction announced by Governor Warner on October 15, 2002) has been a loss to the Library's operating budget of a staggering 39 percent. The same page details a long list of planned cutbacks, including the layoff of 23 full-time staff (out of a maximum employment level of 216) and 17 part-time staff, with an additional 19 vacant positions that will not be filled-leaving a total staffing shortfall of 59 valued individuals. The Web page then lists: Elimination of the Digital Library Program, which has allowed the Library to make heavily-used collections available to researchers through the Library's Web site You can read the full statement at: http://www.lva.lib.va.us/whoweare/events/reducsummary.htm Note that the official statement on the Library of Virginia Web site says "Elimination of the Digital Library Program." However, an e-mail from an official at the Library offers a somewhat different statement, saying that the existing digital program will remain on line, but will not be updated. Without funds, no further historical records will be preserved through the Imaging Services Program. There seems to be little recourse to genealogists, other than to those who live and vote in Virginia. As long as the state residents and elected officials impose heavy financial constraints on state agencies, actions like this are inevitable. My thanks to Mary Taffet for alerting me to this bad news. To discuss this story further, please visit the newsletter message board at http://www.RootsForum.com and click on "Message Board." ============================================================== - GenealogyExperts Shut Down (Again) In last week's newsletter, available at http://www.RootsForum.com/archives/news0241.htm, I wrote about a genealogy scam operation being shut down. I stated, "GenealogyExperts.com is simply the latest name used, but I am sure new names will pop up in future 'offers.'" The operator of GenealogyExperts.com wasted no time in making my prediction come true. Within days he changed the name from ".com" to ".net" and resurfaced as GenealogyExperts.net. The "business" appeared to be the same; tens of thousands of spam mail messages were sent, each proclaiming to offer access to billions of genealogy records for a payment of $59.95. However, this week's tale has a very different ending. Newsletter reader Debbie Mieszala read last week's article and also received the spam mail messages. Having decided to track the culprit(s) down, she studied the e-mail headers closely. Debbie noted that the mail seemed to originate in a University of Iowa e- mail server. Debbie contacted the University of Iowa regarding the genealogyexperts.com/net e-mails. The officials were skeptical at first that the messages had originated at the school. After reviewing what Debbie sent them, they determined that indeed it was "one of theirs." School officials soon identified the sender of the e-mails as one of their students who resides in a school dormitory. They also checked their e-mail server logs to verify that tens of thousands of e-mails had been sent by this student. The Director of Campus Communications at the University of Iowa later sent an e-mail to Debbie Mieszala, saying, "Well, unfortunately, the spam you alerted us about did originate here in one of Iowa's residence hall rooms. The student involved is traveling the disciplinary road now. Many thousands of messages were sent, apparently, and we have since received more complaints. Thank you for taking the time to let us know about this violation of our policies." Good going, Debbie! Thanks to your actions, a scam artist has been put out of action and the authorities are dealing with it. Internet access for the owner of GenealogyExperts.net was shut down so quickly that he didn't have a chance to turn the Web pages off. They are still online as these words are being written. One newsletter reader told me that the site's login screen is easily fooled, granting full access to anyone who cares to try. Anyone who paid by credit card for this or a previous con artist's so-called genealogy site should be able to obtain a refund. The credit card companies are very experienced in handling scams like this one. To discuss this story further, please visit the newsletter message board at http://www.RootsForum.com and click on "Message Board." ============================================================== - The Security of Your Mother's Maiden Name [Warning: This article contains personal opinions of the author.] I see frequent articles bemoaning the fact that genealogy information on the Web sometimes includes the maiden name of a living person's mother. These are usually accompanied by great hue and cry that this is a security risk because that piece of information is often used for security reasons. From where I sit, that's backwards thinking! Any institution that uses the mother's maiden name as a "security tool" is really behind the times and needs to quickly hire a security expert. Even novice security managers would immediately change that policy. In the United States, mothers' maiden names and other personal information are available from numerous public sources. That information has always been in the public domain. The invention of the Internet did not really change anything. A mother's maiden name could easily be discovered fifty years ago, and the same is still true today. Anyone who uses a mother's maiden name for security purposes obviously doesn't know much about security. I have refused to do business with a couple of companies that insisted upon using my mother's maiden name as a security identifier. I don't want to do business with any company with a lame security policy. I advise you to do the same: boycott companies that have inadequate security policies. However, if you really want to do business with a company with a policy of using your mother's maiden name for security purposes, please remember that you can always create a fictitious name on the spot. When creating a new account, if the company asks for your mother's maiden name, answer "Fudpucker" or some other name you can easily remember. Nobody will ever find that name on a genealogy Web site! The bank doesn't care what name you give them; all they want is something to enter in the blank space on their form. By using a fictitious name, your security will not be compromised by a Web site or by a criminal's surreptitious visit to the state Vital Records Department. If an elected official or other bureaucrat tries to limit access to vital records, please feel free to send them a copy of this article. Tell them it's time to wake up and look at the real issues and to stop trying to protect a maiden name policy that is ineffective to begin with. Then vote against the politician in the next election. You don't want a backwards mentality like that in public office! If you send a damned fool to Washington, and you don't tell them he's a damned fool, they'll never find out. -- Mark Twain, 1883 A smarter politician would sponsor a bill to make it illegal for a financial institution to use a mother's maiden name or any other piece of public domain information for security purposes. But, then again, when did you ever see a smarter politician? To discuss this story further, please visit the newsletter message board at http://www.RootsForum.com and click on "Message Board." ============================================================== - DAR Exhibit on African-American and American-Indian Patriots It's nice to see the Daughters of The American Revolution continue in their efforts to honor all American Revolutionary War veterans. The following is an announcement from the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Museum: A long-overdue effort to recognize the contributions that African American and American Indian patriots made during the Revolution is celebrated in the exhibition Forgotten Patriots: African American and American Indian Service in the Revolutionary War 1775-1783. Organized by the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Museum and in collaboration with the DAR Library, the exhibition will be on view from October 18, 2002 through August 2, 2003 in the DAR Museum's Main Gallery. Forgotten Patriots illuminates, in many cases for the first time, the varied roles that members of these groups played in our nation's fight for independence. The decision to fight for America against the English was a difficult one for many Americans of all ranks and ethnic backgrounds. For the American Indian tribes, and for enslaved and free African Americans, it was especially problematic. The simple fact that these men and women served at all is a powerful testament to their devotion to our new nation in difficult and uncertain times. According to the "chiefs, sachems, and young men of the River St. John's" when explaining to a British Commanding officer their reason for fighting alongside the Americans in August of 1778, "You know we are Americans; that is our native country." Featured in the exhibition is a portrait of John Neptune, one of the many Penobscot men who fought for the Americans during the American Revolution. Neptune's portrait was painted when he was Lieutenant Governor of the Penobscots. General Washington was especially interested in seeing that the Penobscot Indians joined the patriotic cause. He wrote to Congress on July 4, 1776, that he thought it "advisable to take measures to engage those (Indians) of the Eastward, the St. Johns, Nova Scotia, Penobscot & ca. In our favor ... It will prevent our Enemies from securing their friendship, and further, they will be of infinite service, in annoying and harassing them should they ever attempt to penetrate the Country." Of the Six Nations of the Iroquois confederacy, only two, the Oneidas and the Tuscaroras, chose to fight for the Americans. Washington wrote in 1778, "The Oneidas and Tuscaroras have a particular claim to attention and kindness, for their perseverance and fidelity." As oral history from the Oneidas and Tuscaroras records, the Oneidas brought bushels of corn to General Washington's troops at Valley Forge during the winter of 1778-79. The Oneidas' 400-mile walk from their central New York home to Valley Forge with food supplies helped save many of Washington's men from starvation, thus making a difference in the outcome of the war. Between 1807 and 1810 New York State Governor Daniel Tompkins presented Oneida Chief Oskanondonha (also known as Skenandoa) with a silver pipe. James Armistead Lafayette, a slave from New Kent County, Virginia, served the Marquis de Lafayette near Portsmouth and Yorktown, and as a double agent in British Generals Arnold's and Cornwallis's camps. His portrait, painted in 1824 during the Marquis' triumphant return visit to America, is on view as well as a portrait of Agrippa Hull, a free black who served as an orderly for Polish nobleman General Thaddeus Kosciusko, Washington's chief engineer. Forgotten Patriots describes the methods used by the DAR to identify these men and women. In doing so it recognizes the work already done by the DAR Genealogy Department and the DAR Library, which is published in African- American and American Indian Patriots of the Revolutionary War. This volume lists, state by state, the names of identified patriots as well as the type of service given to aid the patriotic cause. The exhibition includes the name of all the Forgotten Patriots identified thus far. One such patriot was Garshom Prince, a servant or slave of Robert Durkee. Prince and Durkee were both killed at the Battle of Wyoming. The powder horn Garshom Prince carved and used during the French and Indian War as well as during the Revolution is on display. What happened to the Forgotten Patriots after the Revolutionary War? Some slipped back into the anonymity of the ages. Others were remembered for their work as ministers, educators, writers or artisans. The Reverend Lemuel Haynes, a Minuteman during the war, is depicted in an engraving from the frontispiece of a book. He preached in Massachusetts, Vermont and Connecticut. During the war, he wrote a poem describing the battle of Lexington, as well as an anti-slavery essay, neither of which was published until the twentieth century. His essay, "Liberty Further Extended," took the position that the natural outcome of the Revolution was the abolition of slavery. Many others took the lessons from the Revolution and began working actively for abolition and for the rights of their people. The legacy of the Forgotten Patriots is carried through to current generations, with photographs and documents from descendants of such men as Nero Hawley, who received his freedom for his service and later became a brick maker, and Charles Lewis, who served both as a soldier and seaman in Virginia and whose descendant is today a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution. For more information about the DAR, go to the website at: http://www.dar.org. To discuss this story further, please visit the newsletter message board at http://www.RootsForum.com and click on "Message Board." ============================================================== - GrillYourGranny.com One of the cutest Web site URLs I have encountered is www.grillyourgranny.com. The site, operated by Tony Matthews, sells a wide variety of pedigree charts, books, and CD-ROM disks filled with clip art. Tony's excellent sense of humor is evident throughout all of his products. For instance, look at his artwork where the family tree fan chart is displayed on the wings of a bee at http://www.grillyourgranny.com/cd.htm. For more serious but very artistic work, look at his pedigree charts at http://www.grillyourgranny.com/familytrees.htm. No, this is not a paid advertisement. I'm simply a fan of Tony's work. Besides, I've met him a couple of times and have discovered that he also has a great sense of humor. He deserves some publicity. You can see Tony's products for yourself at http://www.grillyourgranny.com. To discuss this story further, please visit the newsletter message board at http://www.RootsForum.com and click on "Message Board." ============================================================== - "We Plan on Having a Girl" According to the Independent in England, at least six British couples have predetermined the sex of their babies before or during conception. The newspaper recently released information about six British couples who traveled to the Genetics and IVF Institute in Virginia. While there, they were able to select the sex of a yet-to-be-conceived child. The newspaper article does not mention Americans or other nationalities who have used the services of the American firm. However, it does quote the company's statement of "a 91 per cent success rate for producing girls and 74 per cent for boys." You can read the article at http://news.independent.co.uk/world/science_medical/story.jsp?story=343288#top To discuss this story further, please visit the newsletter message board at http://www.RootsForum.com and click on "Message Board." ============================================================== - New Books I expect to announce new books every few weeks as announcements are received. Each book mentioned in this new section will be one that is newly published or perhaps is a significant new update of a book published some years ago. This listing is for books published on paper, not on CD-ROM or online. The Standiford Family From Maryland To Wisconsin, compiled and written by Ann Beckler Borreson. - This comprehensive book includes the history of William Deason Standiford, born in OH, 1827, and his wife, Anna Post, born in OH, 1829. William's father, William, was born in Maryland and came to Ohio with his family in the 1820s. William and Anna moved to Wisconsin in 1854, where their children grew up. The book traces their 10 children down to the present time. $40.00 + $5.00 postage and handling. [email protected] The Descendants of Jan Eltinge - A Genealogy of the Elting(e) Family, is almost 1,000 pages, includes many photos of ancestors. The genealogy begins with the progenitor, Jan Eltinge, who was born in 1632 in Swichtelaer (now Zwiggelte), Drenthe, The Netherlands. He came to America about 1660, married Jacomijntje Slecht, and 13 generations of their descendants are represented in this book. You can find more information at http://www.elting.org Marriages of Chesterfield County Abstracted From Microfilm - 1771-1854 (398 pages) was recently published by the Historical Society of Chesterfield County, Virginia. The book is a compilation of abstracts from the microfilmed letters of consent, bonds and ministers' returns for the marriages of Chesterfield County, Virginia, dated between 1771 and 1854. The information contains the names of the brides and grooms and their families and friends along with the microfilm roll number and frame where the record is located. $35 (+ $1.58 tax in Virginia) plus $4.00 for postage & handling. http://hometown.aol.com/angenatree/genealogy.html Trapped: The 1909 Cherry Mine Disaster by Karen Tintori, the story of the worst coal mine fire in US history, in which 259 immigrant coal miners died in Illinois. Most of the 480 men and boys who worked the Cherry Mine were immigrants from nearly every country in Europe, the majority of them Italians and Slavs. [email protected] The Civil War Legacy in Santa Ana, California by Gordon Bricken. After the Civil War, there began the great westward migration. Among the newly arrived settlers to the village of Santa Ana were Civil War veterans and their families. Although largely forgotten today, these veterans possessed the energy and desire that contributed to the rise of Santa Ana to its predominate role as the economic, social and political center of the Santa Ana Valley by 1900. The Civil War Legacy in Santa Ana outlines the conditions that spurred their migration, their contributions to the community and the manner in which they are being remembered today. Published by the Santa Ana Historical Preservation Society. $12.95 plus $2 for shipping ($14.95 total). http://www.santaanahistory.com/articles/civilwarbk.html Burials At Atlantic View Cemetery (in Manasquan, New Jersey) is a new book, edited by Anne Mount West and Robert J. Fenner, Sr. It provides an alphabetical listing of more than 8300 burials at this 21 acre cemetery located at Monmouth County, N. J. $30.00 plus $2.50 SH and applicable NJ sales tax. [email protected] A Register of Some of the Families that have lived in Kent, CT. 1739-1999 contains 400+ pages compiled from vital records, land records and cemeteries in Kent, CT. It is available for $30.00 plus postage and can be purchased from the compiler. [email protected] Broken Arrow: The First Hundred Years by Steven L. Stapleton, J.D. has been published by the Broken Arrow Historical Society in recognition of the community's centennial. Now a city of over 80,000 residents, the fifth largest in Oklahoma, Broken Arrow was officially founded in Tulsa County in 1902. Its history however goes back to the early 1800's in Georgia and Alabama and is closely tied to the migration of the Creek Indians. This 240 page, 8 1/2 x 11, hardbound volume with over 200 pictures is available at the prepublication price of $25.00 plus $5.00 S/H until November 1, 2002. [email protected] Three interrelated families, two of which are first found in New Jersey in the 1700's (Knox and Martin) and Whitlock in Connecticut in 1659. Hardcover, index, photos. $20 postpaid. [email protected] Madison County-Oh Obituary Books, Volumes 1 and 2 - The First Volume includes years from 1834 and various years between 1850 and 1898. It also includes some years of 1913 thru 1917. Volume 2 includes years from 1833 thru 1881. $15 for one and $27.50 for two volumes. [email protected] Memories of Johnstown PA compiled by members of the Johnstown Area Genealogical and Historical Society, contains over 290 pages by local Johnstown area citizens recalling people, places, and events with lots of stories and photos. Only $23.65, includes tax and shipping. [email protected] A Bibliography for Vermont Genealogy, by John A. Leppman - A reprint, with updates and some format changes, of the series recently completed in Vermont Genealogy, listing over 500 books and other published sources about Vermont and its counties and towns which are of particular use to genealogical researchers. A useful reference work for any Vermont researcher. $7.50 plus $1.50 postage. http://www.rootsweb.com/~vtgsv Sudbury, Vermont: Transcription of Vital Records and Genealogies of Residents, by Mary Ann Z. Wheeler - A comprehensive transcription of vital and census records for this Rutland County town, plus carefully compiled genealogies of families. This book will take its place among the very best genealogical resources available about a Vermont town. $49.50, plus $3.50 postage. http://www.rootsweb.com/~vtgsv A note to authors and publishers: If you would like to have your new book(s) listed in future newsletters, send a brief descriptive note to [email protected] You do not need to send a copy of your book; an announcement will suffice. Please make sure that you include a Web address or an e-mail address where potential buyers can obtain more information. ============================================================== Are you interested in the articles in this newsletter? Would you like to learn more or ask questions or make comments about these articles? Join this newsletter's online discussion group. Go to http://www.RootsForum.com and click on "Message Board." You can also search past newsletters at the same address: http://www.RootsForum.com If you would like to submit news, information or press releases for possible inclusion in future newsletters, send them to [email protected] The author does reserve the right to accept or reject any articles submitted. COPYRIGHTS: The contents of this newsletter are copyright by Richard W. Eastman with the following exception: Many of the articles published in these newsletters contain quotes or references from others, especially from other Web sites, software user's manuals, press releases and other public announcements. Any words in this newsletter attributed to another person or organization remain the copyrighted materials of the original author(s). You are hereby granted rights, unless otherwise specified, to re- distribute articles from this newsletter to other parties provided: 1. You do so strictly for non-commercial purposes 2. You may not republish any articles containing words attributed to another person or organization until you obtain permission from that person or organization. While you do have permission to republish words written by Richard W. Eastman, you do not have automatic authority to republish words written by others, even if their words appear in this newsletter. Also, please include the following statement with any articles you re-distribute: The following article is from Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter and is copyright 2002 by Richard W. Eastman. It is re-published here with the permission of the author. Thank you for your cooperation. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Dick Eastman is a frequent presenter at major genealogy conferences. He has published articles in Genealogical Computing and Family Chronicle magazines and for a number of Web sites. He was an advisor to PBS' Ancestry series and appeared as a guest in one of the episodes. He serves on the Advisory Board of the New England Historic Genealogical Society and is a past Director of GENTECH and of the New England Computer Genealogists. Dick is the author of YOUR ROOTS: Total Genealogy Planning On Your Computer published by Ziff-Davis Press. He also manages three Genealogy Forums on CompuServe. He can be reached at: [email protected] Due to the volume of e-mail received, he is unable to answer every e-mail message received. If you have questions or comments about the article in this newsletter, go to http://www.RootsForum.com and then click on "Message Board." Post your message there. You will receive then assistance from Dick Eastman or from a number of other people. SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION: This newsletter is sent to you free of charge. Please feel free to copy this subscription information and pass it on to anyone else who you think might be interested in obtaining a free subscription. To subscribe, unsubscribe or to change your e-mail address on a present subscription, go to: http://www.rootsforum.com _______________________________________________ Eogn-ascii mailing list [email protected] http://metroid.vosn.net/mailman/listinfo/eogn-ascii_rootsforum.com

MCGS General Meeting Wednesday, October 23, 2002 at 7:30 p.m. Lutheran Church 1100 Las Gallinas Avenue San Rafael, CA Marin County Genealogical Society Workshops Members will choose among different topics & we will break into instruction/discussion groups. There will be a Beginners Workshop led by Esther Mott and Cathy Gowdy. We will have a Mind Mapping Workshop led by Susan Trumbull to illustrate a new way of problem-solving for genealogy (and other areas of life). Another workshop will be Our MCGS CD-Rom Library, led by Bill and Carland Nicholson, who will discuss "What Is Available and How Can We Access It?" Finally, there will be a video presentation of Cemetery Genealogy by Sharon DeBartolo Carmack, followed by a discussion with John Trumbull, who will talk about "What We Did to Preserve Our Disintegrating Family Headstones". The beginner's workshop will last from 7:30 till 9:30, with a short break. If you're not attending the beginner's workshop (an "all-nighter"), you can choose to attend any two out of the remaining three topics as the other classes will be repeated after a mid-stream break. Hope to see you there. Stephanie Acree

Hi Everyone, Joy Fisher of the USGW Project has been hard at work collecting Penny Postcards from all over the country. She is asking for anyone who has same to scan them and send her a copy of the postcard so she can mount it on the website for all to enjoy. So far there is a small and nice collection of Marin County postcards to be seen here: http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/ca/marin/postcards/ppcs-marin.html Each card can be "clicked on" to see a full size version of the card! Another way to preserve our local heritage! Joy's contact information is at the bottom of the web page.... I hope you will all dig thru your "old stuff" and see if you can find more cards to add to the pages! Jana

The computer interest group will meet 10:00 A M - Sat. Oct. 19 at the Villa Marin. This will be an open meeting. I do hope you will attend as WE need to plan for the next few months. Bring you questions. See you. John --- John Deadman --- [email protected] --- EarthLink: The #1 provider of the Real Internet.

Dear Listmembers: This spam got past the filters, however, it has been reported to Rootsweb and you should not see further postings from this address on this list. Kind Regards, Lauren List Admin [email protected] wrote: > > My name is Keith Ulrich, and I am the publisher for Arcadia Publishing's > California office.

My name is Keith Ulrich, and I am the publisher for Arcadia Publishing's California office. I am currently looking for local historians, genealogists, authors, and researchers who are interested in authoring a title in our acclaimed Images of America pictorial history series. The series seeks to relay the history of a particular city, town, or county through the use of vintage photographs and postcards, with accompanying captions and text. To date, we have published over 60 titles in this series in California, covering a wide variety of cities such as Monterey, Artesia, San Francisco, Sonoma County, Napa, Petaluma, and Eureka and Humboldt County. Throughout the country, we have published over 1,600 titles. Due to the nature of genealogical research, I thought many of the members on this list could help me with locating local authors or historians in Marin County who might be interested in an opportunity to publish their local history at no charge. Any ideas or thoughts on more effectively reaching the right parties is much appreciated. Arcadia is a non-vanity press, absorbing the entire cost of the publishing process, including editing, production, sales, and marketing of the book. We pay authors/organizations a royalty on every book sold. Because of this arrangement, we have worked with hundreds of historical societies, museums, preservation groups, and local authors/historians to raise funds and publicity for their organizations and preservation causes. It is very rewarding work. Please feel free to contact me at the below numbers. Thank you very much for your help, and I look forward to hearing from everyone! Keith Ulrich, Publisher Arcadia Publishing 3047 N. Lincoln Ave. Ste. 410 Chicago, IL 60657 773-549-7002 phn 773-549-7190 fax www.arcadiapublishing.com

Dear Listers: I received a message on one of the lists that I administer to alert me that "Missing Links" is in trouble and needs our support. Happy Trails, Lauren List Admin Here are Jean Chapman Snow's introductory comments: This is a bit off-topic, but I feel it's important. I'm a long-time subscriber to Missing Links, which is an excellent free news letter, valuable to genealogists. Evidently due to the RootsWeb merge with Ancestry.com it was dropped from RootsWeb support. $$$, of course! I'm copying the editor's message from the Oct 6 issue here (and sending this as well to the other 11 lists I subscribe to). I urge all of you who don't subscribe, to look at a past issue at < http://www.petuniapress.com/> You may find you want to subscribe and support this valuable genealogical newsletter: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ LETTER FROM THE EDITOR. Perhaps you noticed that after the 1 September 2001 change from a mailing list of nearly a million at RootsWeb to a mailing list elsewhere starting over from scratch, the circulation of MISSING LINKS peaked 11 months ago at around 18,300, since when it has lost ground, inching inexorably toward oblivion. As there is no income from this effort, there are no funds for advertising. Clearly word-of-mouth isn't working very well, as the circulation has dwindled to about 17,000. Fewer readers mean fewer articles, stories, letters, and small miracles. The "staff" consists of one person, your editor. It is frustrating to spend as much time and to work as hard to continuously diminishing effect in these reduced circumstances as I did with nearly a million readers and a salary. I can't continue much longer as things are. Petunia Press needs to attract more advertisers or devise another way to generate income. Advertisers like lovely large numbers, which Petunia Press cannot offer them. Of course, MISSING LINKS and SOMEBODY'S LINKS will never be able to compete with the big guys (RootsWeb, Ancestry, et al.), but five years ago or so, before its move to RootsWeb, the circulation of MISSING LINKS was 25,000+. A return to the status quo ante RootsWeb would be a long stride forward and might make enough of a difference. Every week I implore you to tell your friends about MISSING LINKS and its offspring SOMEBODY'S LINKS, and how to find them at Petunia Press http://www.petuniapress.com/. While I have not drawn a line in the sand, the end of this year is a target date for reassessment and decision-making that is rattling around in the back of my mind. So, there you have it. If you would like for MISSING LINKS and SOMEBODY'S LINKS to continue, please do what you can to help spread the word. Thanks.