News from Other Sites

Footnote.com is providing FREE access to one of the most overlooked collections of genealogical-valuable records that the U.S. government possesses. The Bureau of Investigation records have never before been available online. In fact, many experienced genealogists have never heard of these records.

Millions of residents were investigated by the government from 1908 to 1922 and extensive dossiers were written. The reports often included full name; place and date of birth; names of parents, spouses, children, and siblings; occupation; date of immigration (if applicable); political and religious affiliations; and more.  If you haven't looked at the Bureau of Investigation case files, you may have overlooked one of the richest resources available for the years 1908 through 1922.

The following is an announcement written by Footnote.com although I also added my own comments at the end:

In Celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the FBI, Footnote.com Opens Its FBI Collection Featuring over 2 Million Original Records

Lindon, UT July 23, 2008 – Espionage, bootlegging, war crimes, illegal aliens, and political wrongdoing. 

While this may sound like the latest Hollywood blockbuster it’s actually a review of some of the investigations the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) has carried out over its 100 year history.

In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the FBI, Footnote.com announced their entire collection of FBI Case Files  will be freely accessible by the public through the end of August.  The collection contains over two million records featuring some very surprising hidden stories.

A few examples include, J. Edgar Hoover opening an investigation into actor Charlie Chaplin for allegedly making a contribution of $100,000 for socialist propaganda.  Baseball great Babe Ruth was investigated for draft dodging and newspaper mogul William Randolph Hurst was investigated for suspicion of funding the Mexican-American War.

The FBI Case Files date from 1908 to 1922 and feature cases involving espionage during WWI, investigations into German aliens who were politically suspect, reports of violations of prohibition and more.  Serious, as well as far-fetched, accounts provide a fresh insider’s perspective to the history of this time period.

“Original documents are not only interesting but also provide a way to verify historical facts that may have been previously considered conspiracy theories,” says Russ Wilding, CEO of Footnote.com. “It’s important to have records like these available so people can understand and appreciate our nation’s history as well as the circumstances that lead to the actions taken..”

Through their partnership with the National Archives, Footnote.com has digitized and indexed over 41 million original records; the majority of which have never been seen on the Internet before.  Footnote.com continues to add millions of new documents to the site every month.

With easy to use tools and a social component to the site, Footnote.com is changing the way people access and interact with history.  “We’re more than just an online repository of historical records,” continues Wilding. “We’re an outlet where people can go to add their own viewpoints on history and to share their own insights and discoveries.” 

Footnote.com also enables people to upload their own shoeboxes of photos, letters and other documents - adding to the ever-changing face of history.
Visit Footnote.com today to view the FBI Case Files  and the millions of additional historical records.

About Footnote.com
Footnote.com is a history website where real history might just surprise you.  Footnote.com features millions of searchable original documents, providing users with an unaltered view of the events, places and people that shaped the American nation and the world. At Footnote.com, all are invited to come share, discuss, and collaborate on their discoveries with friends, family, and colleagues. For more information, visit www.footnote.com.

COMMENTS BY DICK EASTMAN

The Bureau of Investigation is the name of the original investigative branch of the Federal government. It was later renamed the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and was then managed for many years by J. Edgar Hoover. The Bureau of Investigation was the name of the agency in the years before Hoover.

The Bureau investigated all sorts of things. It was not strictly a crime-fighting organization. For most of its lifetime, it focused on potential political enemies and almost anyone who possibly had un-American ideas. From 1909 to 1921, the Bureau of Investigation spent thousands of hours investigating and recording the lives of almost anyone of German ancestry. If your ancestor had a German-sounding name, there is a good chance that he or she was investigated and that detailed information was compiled. If so, that information can now be found in the Bureau of Investigation case files.

You might also note that the investigators were rather liberal with the phrase "German sounding" names; they often investigated people whose surnames were Dutch or Danish or Swedish or Polish or from any of a number of East European countries.

The investigations were not limited to Germanic surnames, however. Many native-born Americans were also investigated, including William Randolph Hearst, Babe Ruth, and many other Americans. Many Mexicans were also investigated, apparently because of the Mexican Revolution of those years. Immigrants from non-Germanic countries were also sometimes investigated, such as the reference to Charlie Chaplin in the announcement. (Chaplin was born and raised in England.)

The Bureau of Investigation documented the lives of most anyone who possibly could have been slightly anti-American. If the mailman or a co-worker or a schoolteacher said, "I'm not sure about Max…", investigators would compile an extensive dossier on Max. Contents usually included his or her date and place of birth, names of all living relatives (and occasionally deceased relatives as well), all acquaintances that looked "interesting," occupation, social organizations that the person had joined, political views, religion, and much more.

Some celebrities were investigated, but the overwhelming majority of Bureau of Investigation case files are about every-day private citizens. Most were working folks, just like the majority of our ancestors.

One record I found is for Carl Eastman who was first mentioned in an "anonymous letter" which generated an investigation. He was accused of the "crime" of taking blueprints home from the shipyard where he worked so that he could study them on his own time. Carl Eastman was a native-born American although his father was from Germany.

The 3-page Bureau of Investigation report written in 1917 starts with, "He lives at 1204 Francis Avenue, [Portland, Oregon]; born Lagrange, Illinois, January 2, 1896; he is registered. His father is Gustave Eastman, a music teacher, born in Germany, living in Portland, Oregon; the mother is Marie Austerburg, a music teacher born in Olenburg, Germany. He has aunts and uncles in Germany at the present time. He has a sister Ruth, seventeen months older than himself, and worked for Miss Allen. They have been in Portland since 1901." The report goes on for three pages describing 21-year-old Carl Eastman's political views, his friends, the club he belonged to, and more. The investigator(s) obviously interviewed friends and relatives of the young man.

The investigator(s) then interviewed the German-born father, Gustave, and gave similar detailed information about him. The investigator ended his report of the father by writing, "I do not doubt but what the old gentleman is somewhat in sympathy with the German cause but is too old to be of any danger to the government."

I think the Bureau of Investigation gives far more detail about these men than I could ever find in vital records! You may find similar information about people you are interested in. The amount of personal information available in the Bureau of Investigation records is amazing.

A SEARCH SUGGESTION

Now I can offer a bit of advice about searching the Bureau of Investigation records. Like most other records on Footnote.com, the names of the primary individuals have been indexed and you can find them by searching for first name and last name. For instance, in the above example concerning Carl Eastman, you can find him by specifying a search of "First name = Carl" and "Last name = Eastman." However, the text of the report was not indexed by any human being. You will not find his mother by specifying "First name = Marie" and "Last name = Austerburg." After all, she was not the subject of the report, her name was not listed in the report title, and therefore she wasn't indexed manually.

HOWEVER, every single word in the body of each report was indexed by a computer using OCR (optical character recognition). You can find her if you specify the correct search parameters. However, the computer had no way of knowing that Marie was a first name and that Austerburg was a last name. The computer simply sees those as words, the same as "Portland" or "shipyard" or "teacher."

The trick here is to search for the words "Marie" and "Austerburg" as keywords in Footnote.com's new search, not as a first or last name. You know and I know that "Marie" is a first name and that "Austerburg" is a last name but the computer didn't know that when creating the index.

These words were treated as text in the body of the report, not as specific names. The search for keywords should find all occurrences of the name "Marie" and the name "Austerburg," indexed as text in the body of a report.

Enjoy the Bureau of Investigation reports at http://www.footnote.com. If you make a new discovery, you might post a report about it at the end of this article in the COMMENTS section.

File this under "history." The British Museum has scanned and is placing online images of world's oldest Bible. The Codex Sinaiticus is a manuscript of the Greek Bible, written between 330–350 A.D. It was discovered in the 19th century.

Very few people have seen this Bible due to its fragile condition. The British Museum keeps it under lock and key and and in the dark in a sealed container. It was removed from its storage case, carefully scanned and then replaced. The purpose of the scanning is to allow millions of people to view the important work without requiring any handling that would quickly ruin the remaining Bible.

Handwritten well over 1600 years ago, the manuscript contains the Christian Bible in Greek, including the oldest complete copy of the New Testament. The Bible obviously is not the King James version (started in 1604 and first published in 1611). This Bible is important to Christian scholars for many reasons. For one, it makes no mention of the resurrection.

The online site will contain images of the original Bible, along with modern-day translations in several languages as well as interpretations and supplemental information written by several of today's leading Biblical scholars.

Part of the Codex Sinaiticus will go online on Thursday (July 24), including the Book of Psalms and the Gospel According to Mark. The plan is to have all of the Bible available online within a year.

The online images will be available on July 24 at http://www.codexsinaiticus.org.

The following announcement was written by the Association of Personal Historians:

Personal Historians Set to Convene in Salt Lake City

Want some expert help in preparing a personal history? Looking to organize piles of family records, stories or photographs? Not sure how to video an interview? Ask for the assistance of a professional personal historian!

Members of the Association of Personal Historians (APH) have the skills to capture the stories of a lifetime in print and/or video. To sharpen those skills, personal and family historians will convene this fall for the fourteenth annual international conference. Registration is now open, and new participants are invited to attend.

The 2008 APH Conference will be held October 29-November 2 in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah. The keynote address, "Oral History: Use It or Lose It," will be presented by nationally respected family historian, author and speaker Sharon DeBartolo Carmack. Best-selling author, Dr. Terry Warner, will present "The Decisions We Make: Mini-Crossroads in Our Lives."

The conference theme is Crossroads in Personal History. Successful historians from across the nation will share their expertise at seminars, panel discussions and 30 outstanding workshops on topics such as building a business, bringing stories to life, conducting meaningful interviews, editing for clarity and accessing the resources of the Family History Library, the world's largest genealogical repository.

Preserving personal and family history has always featured prominently in the culture of the Intermountain West, which is why APH is reaching out to oral historians, writers, journalists, genealogists and videographers in western states to take a look at this opportunity.

Co-chairing the APH Conference Program Committee are Neal Harmon of Burley, Idaho, and Paulette Stevens, a native of Salt Lake City. For more information, visit the APH website: http://personalhistorians.org/conference or contact Paulette at 801 261-5203. Early registration discount for APH members applies until July 31.

Writing in the Tampa Bay Online web site and the Tampa Tribune newspaper, Sharon Tate Moody offers some sound advice about disaster planning for genealogists. She writes: 

I have a zillion paper files and notebooks full of old correspondence (from pre-e-mail days) and copies of so many deeds and wills that I'll be 90 before I find time to scan all of them.

She continues with her solution:

So here is the plan I devised: After doing some house (I mean drawer) cleaning, I moved all the files from the metal file cabinets into plastic filing boxes. These are inexpensive, readily available at office supply stores, and easy to grab and toss into the car trunk.

The full article has a lot of common sense advice, complete with links to web sites that sell archival quality storage bins. You might like to read the full article at: http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/jul/20/tr-plastic-bins-can-help-save-precious-documents.

The following announcement was written by Ancestry.ca, part of The Generations Network:

World first: 1891 Canadian national census launches online – Ancestry.ca

4.5 million names fully searchable in both English and French + original document images

(Toronto, ON – 22nd of July 2008) Canadian family history website Ancestry.ca today launched online for the first time the 1891 Census of Canada, which contains 4.5 million searchable names and 90,000 images of original census pages. Included is information from all then-existing Canadian provinces and territories.

Fully indexed and searchable in both English and French, the Census includes such famous names as Sir Sanford Fleming, William Hall, Thomas Ahearn, William Southam and Max Aitken. (original images available)

The Census was taken on the 6th of April 1891 in both English and French by 4,300 enumerators.

Family and social history enthusiasts can search the collection by name, province and district, age, gender, marital status, relation to head of family, country or province of birth, French-Canadian status, mother’s and father’s birth place, religion and occupation.

Also included is more general demographic information from this period such as the population’s ability to read and write, those with disabilities, the nature and construction of the home, and even the number of rooms contained in common dwellings.

In addition to recording basic population and demographic statistics, the Census recorded primary migrant communities, which originated from England, Ireland, Scotland, the U.S. and Germany.

A valuable source of historical information for those with an interest in family and social history, the original copy of the 1891 Census of Canada is held at the Library and Archives Canada.

Ancestry.ca Senior Vice President Josh Hanna comments: “The 1891 Census of Canada is a vital resource for casual and avid family history enthusiasts alike as it provides a detailed snapshot into a specific time in Canada’s history.”

“This Census successfully measured the majority of Canada’s population at this time and so is a rich source of important information about individuals, their families, and the society in which they lived.”

Not only can family history enthusiasts use the 1891 Census of Canada  to trace their lineage back to ancestors who lived during this time, but they can also see if they are related to revered Canadians also included, such as:

• Sir Sanford Fleming – prolific engineer and inventor, known for the introduction of Universal Standard Time and Canada’s postage stamp. In 1891 he was 61 years old living in Ottawa, Ontario with his wife and four children.
• William Hall – the first seaman, and also the first man of colour to be the recipient of the prestigious Victoria Cross. At the time of the 1891 Census he was 61 years old and living in Avonport, Nova Scotia.
• Thomas Ahearn – inventor and electrician who invented the electric cooking range and was the first person to cook a meal on an electric stove.  In 1891 he was living in Ottawa, Ontario with his two children.
• Max Aitken – famous business tycoon, politician and writer. In 1891 he was 11 years old, living with his parents and his seven siblings in New Castle, New Brunswick.

While many statistics from the end of the 19th Century are not surprising, such as the fact the most common surname in 1891 was Smith and the most popular first names Mary and William, some unexpected facts are also revealed. For example, the population of Prince Edward Island actually decreased by about 22 per cent from the 1891 Census to the 2006 Census. 

The 1891 Census of Canada is available to Ancestry.ca subscribers and through a 14-day Free Trial.

David Lambert has written a new book: "Vital Records of Stoughton, Mass., to 1850." Actually, this is both an old and a new book. The earliest records of the town were published over 100 years ago and are included in the new book. The town hall suffered two fires before 1880, and a few vital records were lost. The missing records from 1834 to 1850 have been partially filled in with family records for births that the town clerk collected and from the state records starting in 1841. Those previously-unpublished records are also included in the new book.

This book will be available by pre-order only. That is, the publisher only plans to print enough copies to fill orders. There will be no "extra copies" printed for future sales. Pre-publication orders must be received by 15 August 2008 with delivery expected approximately October 1. If you or your local historical society library would like a copy, you need to order it now. The price is $45.00.

"Vital Records of Stoughton, Mass., to 1850" by David Allen Lambert is being published by the Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants. You can find more information at http://www.massmayflower.org/publications/books.htm.

The following announcement was written by GeneTree:

GeneTree Adds Y-Chromosome DNA Testing Option to Trace Paternal Line Ancestors, Research Surnames and Connect with Present Day Relatives

Addition of New Test Means GeneTree Participants Can Now Conveniently Tap Into the World's Largest and Most Diverse Databases of Linked DNA and Family History Information Using Both Y-Chromosome (Paternal Line) DNA and Mitochondrial (Maternal Line) DNA Profiles.

SALT LAKE CITY (July 21, 2008)-GeneTree, a DNA-enabled family history-sharing networking Web site designed to help people understand where their personal histories belong within the greater human genetic story, today added a Y-chromosome DNA testing option allowing participants to search for paternal line ancestors in the world's largest and most diverse genetic genealogy databases. Providing a Y-DNA testing service along with its existing mitochondrial DNA testing means GeneTree participants can now conveniently research both paternal and maternal lineages using DNA profiles.

"This is a powerful addition for people exploring their genealogy through genetics," said Matt Cupal, GeneTree COO. "Researching a paternal line with Y-DNA enables a person to go deep into their ancestry beyond traditional research roadblocks, such as missing documentation. Also, it can help them understand how a living person with the same last name is related to them."

Y-DNA is an unrivaled tool for tracing paternal ancestry. Only males have the Y-chromosome, which is passed down from father to son, and males with a common paternal ancestor have almost identical Y-DNA. Women may trace their paternal line by arranging Y-DNA testing for their father, a brother or other male relative in their direct paternal line. Because people generally inherit their surnames from their father, Y-DNA testing is an excellent tool for surname research.

Launched in October 2007, GeneTree applies social networking and rich media technologies to genetic genealogy providing individuals with innovative tools to map, assemble, record and share their family histories. Participants collaborate to build family networks online and add new connections with previously unknown living relatives. GeneTree is working in partnership with the Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation in building the world's most comprehensive genetic genealogy databases with the intention of expanding the concept of family and deepening the ability of individuals to comprehend their place within the human family.

The Genetree.com online pressroom is located at www.genetree.com/help/pressroom.html, and provides high-resolution images, FAQs, backgrounder and product brochure.

Pricing and Availability

Beginning immediately, GeneTree is offering two Y-chromosome DNA test options: a basic 33-marker test and an enhanced 46-marker test. Prices begin at $149 with discounts for those who have already had a mitochondrial DNA test through GeneTree. Additional information is available at www.genetree.com.

About GeneTree

GeneTree (www.genetree.com) is a DNA-enabled family history-sharing Web site designed to help people understand where their personal histories belong within the greater human genetic story. GeneTree creates opportunities for unlocking human genetic heritage, discovering ancestors, connecting and collaborating with living relatives, and sharing rich media to help discover, document and preserve family histories. GeneTree was developed by the Sorenson family of companies and draws on the expertise of the Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation, a nonprofit organization that developed the world's foremost collection of genetic-genealogy information; Sorenson Media, which created of the world's leading digital video compression software; and Sorenson Genomics, which pioneered Internet-based consumer DNA testing.

A major announcement has been made today: FamilySearch (the genealogy arm of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) and Ancestry.com (a division of The Generations Network) have announced a new partnership arrangement: The two organizations will work together on genealogy projects of mutual interest. Here is the official announcement written by the two organizations:

New 1900 Census Images Now Available on Ancestry.com; Volunteer Indexers Sought to Improve the 1920 U.S. Census Index

SALT LAKE CITY—Ancestry.com and FamilySearch, the two largest online family history resources, announced today they will exchange records and resources to make more historical records available online. The first project is a joint initiative to significantly enhance the online U.S. Federal Census Collection (1790 to 1930). The original census records are among the holdings of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).

FamilySearch is digitally converting master microfilm copies of the original U.S. Federal Censuses from 1790 through 1930 and, under this agreement, will give these improved images to Ancestry.com. All census images and indexes will be available on Ancestry.com for subscribers. As projects are completed, images will be available for free in NARA reading rooms and FamilySearch’s 4,500 Family History Centers.

Ancestry.com, which currently offers indexes and images to the entire publicly available U.S. Federal Census Collection, will give FamilySearch copies of its existing census indexes. Through its online indexing system and community of volunteer indexers, FamilySearch is already indexing select censuses. FamilySearch will merge the Ancestry.com indexes with the new FamilySearch indexes to create enhanced census indexes, which will be added to both sites. Indexes to the enhanced censuses will be free on Ancestry.com for a limited time as they are completed. Indexes will also be available for free on FamilySearch.org.

Allen Weinstein, the Archivist of the United States, welcomed this agreement as a significant benefit for researchers. He remarked that, “Census records are among the most important documents the American people have to trace their genealogy and know their family history. Having two of our partners working together to enhance the indexes and images of these essential documents will enable an unprecedented level of access and understanding.”

The first census exchanged is the 1900 U.S. Census. FamilySearch completed a 1900 index in addition to Ancestry.com’s original. In the new index, FamilySearch added several new fields of searchable data, such as birth month and birth year, so individuals can search for ancestors more easily. The two indexes will be merged into an enhanced index, available on both sites. The new 1900 census images are now available on Ancestry.com. The enhanced 1900 index will be available for free for a limited time at Ancestry.com and ongoing at FamilySearch.org.

Ancestry.com will also provide FamilySearch its original 1920 U.S. Census index. Using the Ancestry.com index as a first transcription, FamilySearch will create a new second index with added fields and arbitrate any discrepancies between the two indexes. The 1920 project is currently in progress. Individuals interested in helping create the improved index can volunteer at FamilySearch.org. Once completed, the enhanced 1920 index will be available on both sites and will link back to images on Ancestry.com.

The 1850 through 1870 (partial) and 1880 and 1900 U.S. Censuses can be searched currently at FamilySearch.org; all publicly available U.S. Censuses are already available on Ancestry.com.

Tim Sullivan, president and CEO of The Generations Network, Inc., parent company of Ancestry.com, said, “This collaboration represents a significant step forward in making family history research more accessible. The enhanced U.S. Federal Census Collection that will become available through this agreement is a gold mine for family history researchers, and we look forward to collaborating with FamilySearch in identifying other opportunities to help people discover their roots.”

“The U.S. Censuses are arguably the most important collection of U.S. genealogical records. FamilySearch is excited to see the complete, improved indexes of these collections freely available online over the next two years. And we look forward to working with Ancestry.com to enhance access to additional, significant collections in the future,” said Jay Verkler, Managing Director for FamilySearch.

Today's announcement from FamilySearch, the genealogy department of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and The Generations Network, owners of Ancestry.com, may be monumental for genealogists.

First of all, these two organizations are the biggest competitors in the arena of supplying information to genealogists. The two have not always agreed on various projects and goals in the past. In my mind, that's not surprising; I wouldn't expect a commercial corporation to have the same goals as a non-profit organization owned by a religion. The lack of agreement has created bits of friction from time to time, although the two organizations obviously do not discuss their differences in public.

I think today's announcement is great: these two powerhouse organizations have decided to work together, not on one project, but on many. Each brings certain strengths to the table, strengths that may complement the other's offerings perfectly or nearly perfectly.

Let's closely examine a few items in today's announcement.

First of all, let's examine the announcement that the two organizations will work together to improve their U.S. census records. First, it is no secret that the census images on Ancestry.com are lacking. In fact, when you stop to consider that those images were mostly scanned nearly ten years ago, using state-of-the-art technology available at that time, we shouldn't be surprised that the images are not perfect. The technology has improved a lot in ten years and images scanned today should be much better than those made ten years ago. After all, today's technology is better.

Next, it is always possible for any organization to go back and “scan it again” after a lapse of ten years. However, doing so is expensive. When trying to allocate the funds in this year's budget, any organization will be hard pressed to go back and “re-work” something already performed when there are new projects waiting to be done. After all, new projects are usually more successful financially than re-visiting old projects. The announcement shows that FamilySearch will be giving newer images to Ancestry.com essentially free of charge.  Ancestry.com will have to spend some money integrating the new images into existing indexes but I bet the total cost will be a fraction of that of a total re-scan.

Next, the indexes will be merged. Nobody will remove any data but new information will be added to both sites. For an example, let's say that both sites contain indexes of a typical Irish neighborhood in a big city in the eastern U.S. One particular census page is difficult to read, perhaps the census enumerator had poor handwriting. One site may have indexed a family's surname as “Harrigan” while the other web site has it indexed as “Hannigan.” Which one is correct?

Who cares? Under the new system, that particular census entry will be indexed BOTH as “Hannigan” and as “Harrigan.” Anyone searching for “Harrigan” will find that entry as will anyone searching for “Hannigan.” This may not be a correction but it is very effective nonetheless. I think this is a great, low-cost solution.

The new indexes will also have more fields available for searching. You will now be able to search for names, as before, but also by ages, sex, marital status, and other fields that were not searchable before.

Finally, it should be noted that today's announcement is clearly labeled as work that will be accomplished in the future, not an announcement of work that has already been completed. The work will begin within a few days but will probably require at least two years to complete. We will see some improvements soon but not all the improvements will be online within the next few months. The first project will be improvement of the 1900 census images with other projects to follow soon after.

All in all, I am delighted to read today's announcement. Any time the two largest organizations in genealogy announce that they are working together to improve their products, the result is better information for all genealogists.

The following announcement was written by FamilySeardch, an arm of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:

FamilySearch Teams with findmypast.com and others to Broaden Access to All Censuses for England and Wales
Online Volunteer Indexers Sought to Improve Select Collections

SALT LAKE CITY—FamilySearch announced today that it is joining forces with findmypast.com, The Origins Network, and Intelligent Image Management—companies that specialize in providing online access to British family history resources—to make significant British historical record collections more broadly available online. The first joint initiative seeks to publish online indexes to censuses for England and Wales from 1841 to 1901. The 1841 and 1861 Census indexes are the first targeted under the agreement and are accessible now at FamilySearch.org and findmypast.com.

In the agreement, FamilySearch, in conjunction with The Origins Network, will provide digital images for the 1851, 1871, and 1881 Censuses. It will also extend the 1871 Census index. Findmypast.com will provide FamilySearch copies of its English and Welsh Census indexes from 1841 to 1901. The Federation of Family History Societies will help complete the index for the 1851 Census.

Initially, users of FamilySearch.org will be able to do a free search by record type, given name, surname, age, gender, place of birth, and relationship to head of household (relationship was not recorded in the 1841 Census). The free search capability at FamilySearch.org will include additional fields of data in the future. Users will be able to search the full indexes and view original images for free at FamilySearch’s 4,500 Family History Centers or for a nominal fee at findmypast.com.

The addition of findmypast.com’s English and Welsh Census Collections to FamilySearch’s online databases will increase the use of the valuable record sets and increase traffic to findmypast.com.

Jay L. Verkler, Managing Director for FamilySearch, said, “The new images and additional information provided by FamilySearch will significantly enhance and improve the overall English and Welsh Census collection. And its addition to FamilySearch.org will increase awareness of the rich Web resources of FamilySearch affiliates and the likelihood of success for FamilySearch.org patrons doing British research.”

Elaine Collins, Commercial Director at findmypast.com, commented, “Findmypast.com is delighted to be working with FamilySearch to launch the British Census Collection online. Censuses are the core building blocks for family historians and genealogists alike, and now, at last, here is the definitive version. This has been a very exciting project for us, and we look forward to collaborating with FamilySearch in the future to bring other important collections to an ever wider international audience.”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

FamilySearch will utilize its impressive online community of volunteer indexers to add more fields of data to select censuses. When finished, the improved census indexes will be available on FamilySearch.org, findmypast.com, and Originsnetwork.com. Individuals interested in volunteering as online indexers for British historical projects can do so at FamilySearch.org.

Ian Galbraith, CEO of The Origins Network and Upal Rahman, President of Intelligent Image Management (IIM) Inc. said, "The FamilySearch England and Wales Census project is clearly a milestone initiative in the history of genealogical research. It heralds a new era of easier accessibility to a mountain (literally!) of genealogical material available hitherto only to the privileged few, if at all.  We are delighted to be working with FamilySearch and proud that they have chosen for the FamilySearch Website the 1841 and 1871 UK censuses—the most accurate available—which The Origins Network and IIM jointly developed."

Nuggets of history are buried in the archives of the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County. And the clerk's office is looking for volunteers to help unearth some of those nuggets.

An indexing and preservation project, funded by a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission, is under way. The archives contain more than a half-million naturalization recordsfrom between 1906 and 1929, before the federal government took over keeping such records. And among the documents are some 400,000 Declarations of Intention, the first papers filed by people applying to become U.S. citizens.

The records, though, are difficult to search in their present state. Hence, the project. This looks like an excellent chance for genealogists to help preserve the sorts of records we all value.

You can find more information in an article by William Hageman published in the Chicago Tribune at: http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/chi-0720-titanicjul20,0,2634363.story

It’s amazing what we can miss that’s right under our noses. I received an email from my very dear friend Sue in Muskogee, Oklahoma, last week and she shared a great find with me. “Looking through a box of dishes that my Dad left me, I found a stack of old postcards that I've never seen. I can't figure out why I've never looked through this box before,” she said. “Anyway, most of the postcards are old California tourist stuff; but one caught my eye because I recognized my dad as a young man sitting with his father.” It was at that point that her daughter walked in, and Sue told her who the people were. “Mom!” she exclaimed. “Look what they are sitting on!" Sue attached the postcard image, which was in pretty poor condition. However, she pointed out that if I looked very carefully, I could see the loveseat on which her father and grandfather are seated. “It is the exact same one that now sits in my living room,” she recounted. “I knew the loveseat I have belonged to my grandfather's mother who died in 1915, and I suspected the original wood was a dark cherry. (My grandmother had it antiqued in the 1960's). Oh, if only it were a color picture so I could tell what the fabric looked like!”

I know I must have turned a very bright shade of green as I read Sue’s poignant account of finding this photographic treasure. I’ll bet she went into her living room and tenderly touched the loveseat. Here was another piece of photographic provenance that placed the loveseat with her father and grandfather. She also said, “I've never had a photo that I considered spending the money to have restored, but this one might make the cut!” I’d wholeheartedly agree with that decision.

The remainder of this article is for Plus Edition subscribers only.

If you have a Plus Edition user ID and password, you can read the article right now at no additional charge in this web site's Plus Edition at http://plus.eogn.com.

If you do not remember your Plus Edition user ID or password, you can retrieve them at the same place: http://plus.eogn.com.  

If you decide to subscribe to the Plus Edition right now, you will be able to immediately read this article online. For more information about subscribing to the Plus Edition of Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter, visit http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/plusedition.html.

Warning: This article contains personal opinions.

I was surprised and a bit dismayed this week when I read about the discovery of a lot of old records at a county courthouse. Local archivists spent thousands of hours sorting, filing, and organizing the documents. They repaired damaged documents and worked hard to preserve all the documents for examination by future historians, genealogists, social scientists, deed searchers, and others.

Such efforts are commendable. A handful of people labored intensely so that many others will be served in the future. Then I read one more line: "the archivists also microfilmed the records." Microfilmed? My heart sunk. Hey folks, this is the twenty-first century!

Microfilm is so "nineteen eighties." Today we have better and cheaper methods that will serve many more people.

The remainder of this article is for Plus Edition subscribers only.

If you have a Plus Edition user ID and password, you can read the article right now at no additional charge in this web site's Plus Edition at http://plus.eogn.com.

If you do not remember your Plus Edition user ID or password, you can retrieve them at the same place: http://plus.eogn.com.  

Anyone, subscribers and non-subscribers alike, may purchase this article right now from the archives at http://www.lulu.com/content/798457. 

If you decide to subscribe to the Plus Edition right now, you will be able to immediately read this article online. For more information about subscribing to the Plus Edition of Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter, visit http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/plusedition.html.

As reported in this newsletter in recent months, the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society has been dissolving itself. The society first "fired" all its members, telling them they were no longer members at all. The only remaining "members" of the society are the Board of Directors, a maximum of 15 people. The Society sold its four-story building on East 58th Street in Midtown Manhattan last year for $24 million. (The building has since been re-listed by the new owners with an asking price of $33 million.)  Now the society has donated its library of 75,000 volumes, 30,000 manuscripts, and 22,000 reels of microfilm to the New York Public Library.

The New York Genealogical and Biographical Society did purchase an office condominium in Midtown, where it will now focus on grant-giving, tours, lectures and other means of encouraging genealogical research. One of the first grants was about $1 million to the library for a four-person staff to process and catalog the G & B collection within two years.

Merging the collections will create what Waddell W. Stillman, the society’s chairman, described as “one of the world’s largest and most accessible genealogical libraries.”

Society President William P. Johns is quoted as saying that the society hopes to evolve into more of an umbrella group to encourage and coordinate research.

You can read more about the transfer of the society's library in the New York Times at http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/19/books/19reco.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin.

NOTE: The New York Times often removes articles within a few days. The article is available as I write these words but may disappear soon.

For background information, see my earlier articles at http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/2007/07/nygb-implodes.html,  http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/2007/07/nygb-proposes-t.html and at http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/2008/06/nygb-building-f.html.

I have been watching the developments at the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society (NYG&B) for more than a year now, as have hundreds or perhaps thousands of other interested genealogists. It is a sad spectacle to watch a major, mainstream society dissolve into almost nothing. A number of thoughts pop to mind, and I decided to share some of them here.

First of all, I'll ignore the legalities as I am no lawyer. There are claims being made about the method in which the NYG&B's downsizing and sale of assets has been handled. That's not my area of expertise and I will ignore all such discussion. I hope someone else with legal expertise does write about that.

Next, while I am saddened to see a major genealogy library go out of existence, I don't think any of us should be too surprised. In fact, this is not the first or second or third time that a genealogy library has folded. It is a sign of the times. Many such libraries face economic realities and find that they can no longer continue in the same manner of operation they have used for years.

Up to this year, perhaps the best-known library closing was the 2001 decision by the National Genealogical Society to transfer its library in Arlington, Virginia, to the St. Louis County Public Library in Missouri and to continue all lending privileges from there. (Some reference works, rare books, and the manuscript collection remained at NGS headquarters.)

Next, in 2005 and 2006, the New England Historic Genealogical Society's closed its lending library. This was only the "lend books by mail" operation housed in Framingham, Massachusetts. The main library that we all know and love on Newbury Street in Boston remains open and appears to be financially sound.

NOTE I was very familiar with the decision to close the NEHGS lending library; I was an employee of the Society at that time and participated in many of the planning meetings. A tiny fraction of the society's members used the lending library. Nobody liked the idea of closing the lending library but the financial losses were obvious and were also growing yearly. Inaction at that time would have had dire financial consequences in later years. The decision was made to cut the losses and redirect the money to other projects that produced greater benefit to the entire membership.

Other genealogy libraries across the nation are facing similar problems: rising costs, lower patronage, and much more "competition." That competition might be direct competition from the Internet, or it may be in the form of indirect competition from the demands on the time of would-be genealogy researchers. In our society's focus on leisure time, we find many demands for our non-working hours. A day at the library may or may not be at the top of the list for many Americans.

Finally, ever escalating gasoline prices and even parking fees make it expensive to use many genealogy libraries. Commuting to New York City is expensive, whether by private automobile or by public transportation. Have you ever paid for parking at any location near the former NYG&B headquarters? For those who wish to use a library in almost any major city, these fees are included in the cost of spending a day at the library. Some libraries charge an admission fee for access to their holdings; these fees are typically minor compared to the expenses of travel and parking.

The recent problems faced by the Board of Directors of the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society are quite similar to the problems faced earlier by NGS and NEHGS: costs continued to escalate, and library usage (and revenue) was not keeping pace. This is a situation that cannot exist forever; action is necessary. The wiser managers of such libraries will take action BEFORE the financial consequences force them into bankruptcy.

We can all second-guess the NYG&B Board of Directors: maybe they should have done this or perhaps they should have done that. Monday-morning quarterbacking is easy, but the Board didn't have that luxury. They had to find a solution first, and then act on whatever plan they created. They elected to close the library, sell the building, and transfer the library's holdings to an institution that will probably last longer and will offer greater and easier public access than what the society could ever envision by itself.

Was this the best possible decision? I don't know. But I have received many e-mail messages in the past year or so concerning the NYG&B, and I must say that I have not yet read a better plan. Many people are quick to criticize, but few are willing to step in, and and say, "I'll help."

Right or wrong, the Board of Directors made a plan and acted on it. The library's holdings will be available to the public, apparently in a manner that guarantees better access than ever before. The NYPL (the New York Public Library) is open more hours per week than was NYG&B. Those holdings will also be available free of charge although travel and parking fees will remain roughly the same as before.

What will be missing in the future is the ambiance. The feeling of belonging to an "exclusive club" will no longer be available. Patrons will not be able to walk into a quiet, oak-paneled reading room and be surrounded by oil paintings of long-dead club founders. Indeed, patrons will have to sit in public reading rooms at a major public library, perhaps surrounded by non-genealogists and the various derelicts sometimes found in public library reading rooms.

The decision has been made, and the action plan is underway. There will be second guessing by many former members and others. The online moaning and groaning on newsgroup message boards and perhaps in this newsletter's Comments Sections will be loud. However, I'm betting that no one will be able to create a better (financially sound) plan.

The recent problems and plans at the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society are similar to the year 2001 problems and plans at the National Genealogical Society. There are also some similarities to the 2005/2006 problems and plans at the New England Historic Genealogical Society. I suspect we will read of similar problems and perhaps similar plans at other privately-endowed genealogy libraries in the future.

Let's pause for a moment and think about a nearby genealogy library that you use. I'll ignore public libraries that are funded by taxpayers' dollars. They have their own financial issues that are quite different. I'll also ignore the libraries that are funded by religious organizations, such as the Family History Library in Salt Lake City or the BYU library in Provo, Utah.

Let's focus for a bit on privately-endowed libraries that serve genealogists: the Godfrey Memorial Library in Middletown, Connecticut; the New England Historic Genealogical Society's library in Boston, Massachusetts, the Peabody Essex Museum's library in Salem, Massachusetts, the D.A.R. Library in Washington, DC, or any of several dozen other libraries owned by genealogy societies or historical societies or museums. Will they survive in the future? SHOULD they survive?

The reality is that the cost of accessing physical books is rapidly increasing while the cost of accessing the same books online is quickly decreasing. Tens of thousands of genealogy books have already been scanned and are available online today at no charge on Google or at the Lee Library at BYU (see my earlier article at http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/2005/11/byu_family_hist.html) or for free or modest charges at HeritageQuest Online. Manuscripts, books, and much more are available for free on FamilySearch.org and at reasonable fees from Footnote.com, Ancestry.com, and hundreds of other, smaller web sites. The Mormon Church is already hard at work on a huge project to convert all their microfilms to digital images.

Question: Do we (the genealogists) really want to spend $4.00+ per gallon of gas plus more for parking to look at genealogy books and manuscripts in person? Can we afford to do that if we live hundreds or thousands of miles away from the one library that holds the information we seek? Doesn't it make financial sense to take the money formerly earmarked to keep private genealogy libraries in operation and instead divert that money to scanning project that will place the same information online at no cost or low cost to everyone? That's "everyone," including those who live 3,000 miles away from the particular library in question. That access does not need to be limited to library hours; online patrons can access those books and manuscripts 24 hours a day.

Oh sure, we will have to do this from home. We cannot sit in high-ceiling reading rooms, surrounded by oil paintings of men dressed in ancient fashions looking down at us. The ambiance certainly will be different. I certainly will miss the genealogy libraries where I have spent so many delightful hours. But I think I will be a better genealogist for the experience and I will better understand my family's heritage.

This will not happen overnight. It will not happen in a year or two. It happened at the National Genealogical Society in 2001. It is happening at NYG&B in 2008. I suspect more privately endowed genealogy libraries will close in the next decade or two. Don't be surprised.

Probably the last such library to close its doors will be the New England Historic Genealogical Society. Sitting on a $20 million+ endowment that is growing, that library's future seems assured for some years to come. Yet, I suspect that even that library will someday have to face the issue that revenue isn't beginning to cover expenses. The books in that library, and all other genealogy books in other libraries that do not have copyright restrictions, should be scanned now and made available to all genealogists at reasonable fees. The same is true for manuscript collections: let's scan them. Once placed online and access requires a modest fee, I bet those libraries will see increasing revenues, not decreasing. Of course, one alternative is to sit back, do nothing, and wait for Google to give the same information away to everyone free of charge!

The Board of Directors at the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society did what they had to do. So did the Board of Directors at the National Genealogical Society. Now I will offer my "Monday morning quarterback" assessment: It strikes me that perhaps the NGS, the NYG&B, and others should have digitized those books before giving them away.

I believe that libraries of the future will remain in business for many years on the web, if not in a "bricks and mortar" environment. I also believe that these future genealogy libraries will derive more revenue from distant online patrons than they ever could obtain from those able to walk in the front door.

I'll gladly pay a dollar or two to read a book online instead of paying $4.00 a gallon or more for gas plus parking fees to drive to a distant library. Will you?

Nicholas Carr theorizes that the Internet not only changes the amount of information available, it also changes the way we think. It is an interesting article in The Atlantic's web site. It is not a genealogy-related article but does pose interesting questions for everyone who uses the Internet.

You can read the article at http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200807/google.

Now, tell me, did you read the article from beginning to end?

The New York Times has an interesting story about one American's search for his roots in Lithuania.  Quoting from the article:

It was in one such cafe that Regina Kopilevich sat across from me last Thursday and asked the question I had been waiting a lifetime to hear. Placing her hand atop the pile of papers in front of her and opening her clear blue eyes extra wide, she leaned forward and said, in slightly accented English, “Would you like to know your name?”

It seems that Matt Gross' family name was not Gross after all. In this article, he describes the search for his ancestors, performed by a professional researcher. He also describes the records, kept by the Russian government that controlled the region in the 19th century, detailing births, deaths and marriages in the Jewish community.

You can read this interesting story written by Matt Gross at: http://frugaltraveler.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/16/tracing-family-roots-in-vilnius/?em&ex=1216440000&en=32f45be6203e912c&ei=5087%0A

NOTE: The New York Times often leaves stories visible only for a few days, then moves them to the (for-pay) archives. The story is open and free as I write these words but that may change in the near future.

My thanks to Dave McDonald for telling me about this story.

If you have early New England ancestry, you should recognize the name Robert Charles Anderson. If you don't already know that name, I suggest you read this announcement closely. This information may greatly simplify your family tree searches as well as increase the accuracy of information you may have already found.

Robert Charles Anderson is one of the best-known and most highly-respected New England genealogists of this generation. He is the Director of the Great Migration Study Project, and a Fellow of the American Society of Genealogists (FASG), a group of genealogy scholars where he has served as Secretary, Vice President, and President.  He is best known for his three-volume work, The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England, 1620-1633, published by the New England Historic Genealogical Society, and for his even bigger follow-on project that is still in progress: The Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635. He has also published a companion volume, The Pilgrim Migration: Immigrants to Plymouth Colony, 1620-1633.

Bob is a former Board Member of the National Genealogical Society, and GENTECH, Inc., editor of the Great Migration Newsletter, and co-editor of The American Genealogist.

Bob's biggest work is “Great Migration” Series and the first six volumes of that series are now available online on the New England Historic Genealogical Society's web site. The following announcement was written by that organization:

NEHGS OFFERS MAJOR COMPENDIA ONLINE

Volume I of Important “Great Migration” Series Now Available Online.

Boston, MA – July 2008 – New England Historic Genealogical Society in Boston announces the online availability of the first of six volumes from the ground-breaking series, “The Great Migration: Immigrants to New England 1634-1635.”

This series follows “The Great Migration Begins,” which covered New England migration between 1620 and 1633. During those first years, only a few hundred people stepped on the shores of New England in any given year. But in 1634 and 1635, that number surged, with as many as 2,500 people immigrating to New England in each of those years.

With that surge came new families, new business, and new towns, including Concord, Weymouth, Newbury, and Hingham, Massachusetts, as well as Hartford, Wethersfield, and Windsor, Connecticut.

This first volume was originally published in 1999 and covers surnames A-B. It is free to all NEHGS members on their award-winning Web site www.NewEnglandAncestors.org.

“This series represents some of the most important research we have ever published,” said NEHGS President and CEO D. Brenton Simons. “The earliest history of our country started with these pioneers, and this compendia offers information on them that is available no where else.”

Some of the notable families in this volume include, William Almy, Joan Antrobus, Richard Bellingham, Thomas Bradbury, Humphrey Bradstreet, Thomas Brigham, and Peter Bulkeley.

The new online databases include information on where these ancestors came from, how they got here, who they married, their financial status as revealed by their estate, and return trips to their countries of origin.

The goal of the Great Migration Study Project is to create comprehensive biographical and genealogical accounts of all immigrants to New England from 1620 to 1643, from the arrival of the Mayflower to the decline of immigration resulting from the beginning of the Civil War in England. The Project was conceived by Robert Charles Anderson and was proposed to the New England Historic Genealogical Society early in 1988. This series was written by Robert Charles Anderson, FASG, George F. Sanborn, FASG, Melinde Lutz Sanborn, FASG.

All volumes in the Great Migration series are available for purchase at NewEnglandAncestors.org or by calling Rick Park at 617-226-1212.

About NEHGS
Founded in 1845, New England Historic Genealogical Society is the country's oldest and largest non-profit genealogical organization. Located in Boston, NEHGS collects, preserves, and interprets materials that help make accessible the histories of families in America. The NEHGS research library, one of the most respected genealogical libraries in the field, is home to millions books, journals, manuscripts, photographs, microfilms, documents, records, and artifacts that date back more than four centuries. The award-winning web site www.NewEnglandAncestors.org offers access to more than 110 million names in 2,400 searchable databases. NEHGS has more than 23,000 members nationally. NEHGS staff includes some of the leading expert genealogists in the country, specializing in early American, Irish, English, Italian, Scottish, Atlantic and French Canadian, and Jewish genealogy.

No, this isn't the kind of program you run in a Windows or Macintosh computer. Instead, the  Department of Homeland Security is planning to create a new methodology (they call it a "program") to simplify the the process for acquiring historical records of deceased individuals.

Currently, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) processes requests for genealogical information through its Freedom of Information Act/Privacy Act (FOIA/PA) program. The present process is very slow and is also expensive for the government, requiring many manhours to identify and release even simple information. The new fee-for-service genealogy program within the USCIS) should  streamline  and improve the process.

NOTE: The phrase "fee-for-service" means exactly that: the government will charge a fee.

You can read the entire proposal for the "Establishment of a Genealogy Program" in the Federal Register web site at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/E8-10651.htm.