Welcome to Beantown
If your ancestors were among the million-plus who immigrated to Boston between January 1848 and July 1891, the Massachusetts archives has a resource for you: Volunteers are creating an online database of names from passenger manifest index cards.
Search what's there so far at http://www.sec.
state.ma.us/arc/arcsrch/Pass
engerManifestSearchContents.html.
You can search on first and last name, ship name and dates of arrival or departure. Click on a surname in the results list and you'll see entries for some or all of the following: first, middle and last name; gender; title (as in Mr. or Mrs.); age; country
of origin; destination; traveling companions; occupation; ship name and passenger list number. The Massachusetts state archives holds the original lists and microfilm copies. Although immigrants arrived at various ports in the state, the archives has manifests
only for Boston.
Directory Assistance
New York's Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County is digitizing its collection of Rochester city directories from 1827 to 1930. So far, directories through the 1850s are online at http://www.libraryweb.org/rochcitydir/citydirectories.html.
City directories, which resemble modern telephone books, can give you an ancestor's address and occupation. Many of the Rochester directories also have advertising, statistics pages listing information on businesses and organizations (including their leaders'
names), historical information, and in some pre-Civil War books, a "Colored" section. You can download and browse an entire directory, or choose a section such as the table of contents or alphabetical divisions of names.
You'll need the free Acrobat Reader to view the page images. If it's not already installed on your computer, download it from http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html.
Little Visitor, Big Numbers
The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA, http://archives.gov) welcomed its millionth (and probably most adorable) visitor of the year Sept. 29. At 1:15 p.m., Archivist of the United States Allen Weinstein
greeted
23-month-old Ariya Shah with a bouquet of balloons—eliciting a smile and a "Wow!"
She and her parents, in town from Austin, Texas, for a conference, were about to head for the airport, but dropped by the archives to see the Constitution.
They're part of a trend: Visitors at NARA are up 40 percent over last year—and people are staying longer, too. Surveys taken before last year's renovation of the Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom found 13 percent of visitors stayed more than an
hour. Earlier this year, another survey saw that figure jump to nearly 50 percent. You can pay a virtual visit to NARA's exhibits at http://archives.gov/national-archives-experience.
Treasure Maps
In going through my aunt and uncle's house after they passed away, my cousin and I found several items my aunt had clearly labeled for future generations' benefit. One example is the writing slate pictured; another is a Bible that had belonged to
my aunt's grandfather—her label said it was given to her upon his death. Without the notes, I wouldn't know nearly as much about these family treasures.
Continue reading at http://www.familytreemagazine.com/ancestornews/current.html.
AncestorNews columnist Nancy Hendrickson is the author of Finding Your Roots Online, on sale now at http://www.
familytreemagazine.com/store/display.asp?id=70583. Browse
past AncestorNews columns
at http://www.familytreemagazine.
com/ancestornews/
previous.html.
Be first to check out these new articles on our Web site:
Census Substitute Teacher
Q. Are any states besides Idaho reconstructing the 1890 census? I'm interested in Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Georgia, North Carolina, Oklahoma and Tennessee.
A. The Department of Commerce fire that destroyed most 1890 census records is a research brick wall—but it's one you can get around.
Some schedules for several states survived, including a few counties in Alabama, Georgia and North Carolina. The 1890 special schedules of Union Civil War veterans and their widows survived for half of Kentucky and for the states occurring alphabetically
after that. See the National Archives and Records Administration 1890 census microfilms at http://archives.gov/
publications/microfilm-catalogs/census/1790-1890/part-08.html.
Census recontruction projects involve using county, state and federal records to approximate who would've been around for the census. State archives manage some projects, such as Idaho's (http://www.idahohistory.net/
1890_census.html),
and genealogical societies oversee others, such as Trimble County, Kentucky's (http://www.ole.net/~maggie/trimble/1890.htm). Find projects on Cyndi's List (http://www.cyndislist.com/census.htm#1890)
and by doing a Google (http://www.google.com) search on a county or state name and 1890 census. Ancestry.com's US Census Collection (a $99.95 annual subscription from http://www.ancestry.com)
has several 1890 census substitutes.
Researchers sometimes publish census substitutes, such as Prairie County, Arkansas, 1890 Census Reconstruction by Margaret Harrison Hubbard (self published, out of print). Find them by scouring genealogical society Web
sites, online bookstores and library catalogs.
If you can't find a census reconstruction for your ancestors' counties, remember: You have access to the very same records as the people conducting such projects. Look for your ancestors in tax lists, state censuses, voter rolls and city directories. See
http://www.ancestry.
com/learn/library/article.aspx?article=3640 for more research suggestions.
For help with brick walls such as burned courthouses, head-of-household censuses and mystery photos, you'll want the 2006 Genealogy Guidebook. This special issue of Family Tree Magazine is available Nov. 22 on newsstands and at FamilyTreeMagazine.com.
—Diane Haddad
Diane Haddad is editor of the Family Tree Magazine E-Mail Update newsletter. Read more Q&A with the experts at
http://www.familytreemagazine.com/nowwhatonline/previous.html.
Behind Picture No. 1...
Maxine Leonard was 5 years old when an aunt gave her a framed picture of a child in front of a Christmas tree. It's been a treasured possession throughout her life. After seeing a TV show on “pictures behind pictures,” Leonard took apart
the frame to see if anything was hidden behind it. To her amazement, she found a charcoal portrait of a woman.
Who is this mystery lady? Continue reading at http://www.familytreemagazine.com/photos/
current.htm.
In this Web-exclusive column, expert photo historian Maureen A. Taylor helps readers analyze old family pictures. If you have a family photo mystery for Taylor to solve, check out our submission guidelines at http://www.familytreemagazine.com/photos/photohelp.htm.
New York, NY
Lisa Alzo
Oct. 16
Archivists Round Table Family HIstory Fair
Topic: Eastern European Family History Research
For information on this and other Family History Fair happenings, see http://www.nycarchivists.org/fhf.html.
New York, NY
Sharon DeBartolo Carmack and James W. Warren
Oct. 22-23
New York Genealogical and Biographical Society
Topic: Family History Writing Workshop
For more information, see http://www.newyorkfamilyhistory.org.
Adare, Co. Limerick,
Ireland
Sharon DeBartolo Carmack and James W. Warren
April 8-15, 2006
Enchanting Ireland and Your Irish Genealogy: Family History Writer's Retreat in Ireland
Topics:
- Writing Your Family History in Small, Manageable Pieces
- Getting Your Writing Project Started
- Writing About Life in Ireland
- Writing About the Irish Emigrant Experience
- Writing About Arrival in America, Canada or Australia
- Continuing Your Writing at Home
- Plus writers' discussion groups, individual writing time, one-on-one consulations, group tours, visits to historic sites that provide context to your family's history, and more.
Register by Nov. 30, 2005 to receive a discount. For more information, see http://www.enchantingireland.com or http://www.youririshgenealogy.com.
Did your paper trail end? Are you up against a brick wall? Let
genetic genealogy help you. Family Tree DNA can help you find out if
you are related to another family with the same or a different surname.
http://www.familytreedna.com
UNIQUE SCANDINAVIAN HERITAGE TOURS
Visit ancestral villages, parish churches, archives, connect with
family. Fluent guides and genealogy experts included. www.scandgen.com
PUBLISH YOUR FAMILY HISTORY. Preserve and share your precious family research. Personal coaching. Many options. www.GatewayPress.com
GenSmarts Automated Genealogy Research - finds missed research opportunities. Free trial at http://www.GenSmarts.com/ftmagDeals.asp
RootsMagic Genealogy Software - "An excellent choice for any genealogist" says Family Tree Magazine. Get a free trial copy at http://www.RootsMagic.com
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http://www.familytreemagazine.com/newsletter/archive.html.
Get free Family Tree News Service articles for your genealogy newsletter or Web site at http://www.familytreemagazine.com/ftns-subscribe.asp.
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