More on West Virginia Vital Records
West Virginia state archives librarian Susan Scouras wrote us with updates on the new West Virginia Vital Research Records Project online database (http://www.wvculture.org/vrr), which we first told you about
in the Sept. 1 Family Tree Magazine E-mail Update. Here's what Scouras had to say:
There's no longer any registration necessary to use the database. ... You stated that birth records were available for three counties—they're up now for all six of the counties currently entered. Statewide death records are available for
all 55 counties from 1917 (when the state first began recording deaths at the state level) through 1954. Additional records will be added each year as records pass the 50-year mark. For example, 1955 state death records will be added in 2006. County death
records dating from 1853 (when Virginia/West Virginia first recorded births and deaths) or the inception of each county—whichever date is later—are included as each county is entered into the database.
Before you use the database, Scouras recommends perusing the search tips in the August 2005 West Virginia Archives and History News, available online at http://www.wvculture.org/history/ahnews.html.
Watch future editions for news on additions to the database.
All Booked Up
The UK-based Archive CD Books Project is expanding its old-book digitization services into the States by partnering with newly formed Archive CD Books USA.
The project, started in 2000, reproduces old, rare books while keeping them intact (it's not uncommon for digitizers to dismantle books so they can feed pages through scanners), then publishes the content on CDs. The new US affiliate joins branches in
Ireland, Australia and Canada (access their Web sites from http://www.archivecdbooks.com).
Bob Velke, founder of Wholly Genes Software (http://www.whollygenes.com), manages Archive CD Books USA. "Some of the most valuable resources are out of reach of researchers," he says. "By cooperating with libraries,
societies and other book lovers, we are very pleased to help put that material back in circulation and into the hands of family history researchers."
Those resources may be even more helpful to you in digitized form. For example, A Genealogical Dictionary of The First Settlers of New England by James Savage ($9.95 on CD), originally published in 1860, is text searchable—that means you can
pick up on unindexed ancestral names and places you might miss in the original work.
Top Archivist To Headline Conferences
Archivist of the United States Allen Weinstein—who took the helm of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in March—is getting around the genealogy circuit: He's the featured speaker at both the National Genealogical Society
(NGS) 2006 Conference in the States, set for June 7-10 in Chicago; and the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (IAJGS) annual conference, Aug. 13-18 in New York City. Weinstein, the son of Russian immigrants, has authored a long list
of books, served as professor at several universities and lead organizations such as the International Foundation for Election Systems. Learn more about him at http://archives.gov/about/info/archivist-biography.html.
Weinstein's nomination as successor to former NARA head John Carlin, who announced his resignation in December 2003, sparked controversy last summer when Senate approval hearings revealed the White House had asked Carlin to step down. In addition, President
Bush hadn't followed the custom of seeking input from organizations such as the Society of American Archivists before submitting Weinstein's name for the job. (For more on Weinstein's appointment, see the Aug. 5, 2004, E-mail Update at http://www.familytreemagazine.com/newsletter/archive.html.)
You can register for the NGS conference at http://www.eshow2000.com/ngs/exhibits.cfm. Sign up for IAJGS' big confab at http://www.jgsny2006.org.
Best Bet for Minnesota Vets
The Minnesota Historical Society marked Veterans Day by launching the online Minnesota Veterans Grave Registration Index with information on more than 72,000 veterans' burials. Search it for free at http://people.mnhs.org/vgri.
The information comes from US Veterans Affairs Department reports compiled between 1930 and 1969. Veterans who died during those years account for most of the data, but the compilation includes a handful of listings as early as the War of 1812 and as late
as 1975.
You can search on your relative's last name (including a Soundex option) or on his year of death, county of burial and conflict he served in. Results show the veteran's full name, death date, county of burial, and the war(s) in which he or she served.
The original report might have even more information: date and place of the veteran's birth, enlistment, discharge, death and burial; plus his address, serial number, rank, unit and next of kin. In your search results, click Add to Order to request a copy
for $8.
AncestorNews: Holiday Musing
and Organizational Ideas
Like most people, when holidays roll around, I always think about my own family's traditions—and the dear memories of Christmases past. I don't know why, but one Christmas in particular has stayed with me: the morning when my grandmother put
oranges and walnuts in our stockings.
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:
Preserving Research for Posterity
Q. What can someone who has no living heirs do with his or her photos, birth certificates and other family heirlooms so they won't be thrown away? Is there any organization I could donate these items to?
A.Find out the answer at http://www.familytreemagazine.com/nowwhatonline/current.html. And you can read more Q&A with the experts at
http://www.familytreemagazine.com/nowwhatonline/previous.html.
Bagging an ID
Ginger Rogers was overwhelmed by the idea of trying to identify the 10 adults and 10 children in this 14x17-inch picture. She found it in a trunk belonging to her grandmother Lorena Bagwell. According to relatives, Bagwell once referred to these people
as "The Real Bagwells," but she didn't say what she meant.
So what's the story? 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.
SugarLand, Texas
Emily Anne Croom
Jan. 14, 2006
Fort Bend Genealogical Society Workshop
- Topic: It's Not a Brick Wall Until...
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