Genealogy Gems: News from the Fort Wayne Library, No. 61, March 2009
From: Genealogy Gems (genealogygemsgenealogycenter.info)
Date: Tue, 31 Mar 2009 18:47:58 -0700 (PDT)
Genealogy Gems:  News from the Fort Wayne Library
No. 61, March 2009

In this issue:
*Science, Technology and Television--The Best of Times
*African-American Patriots and Loyalists
*Prize and Related Records for the War of 1812 of the U.S. District
Court for the Southern District of New York 1812-1816
*Preservation Tip of the Month--Drying Wet Items
*April “Tree Talks” Reminder: WeRelate Overview
*May “Tree Talks” -- "Climbing Your DNA: Genetic Genealogy”
*Palatines to America--German Genealogy Conference
*Librarians on Parade
*Area Calendar of Events
*Driving Directions to the Library
*Parking at the Library
*Queries for the Department

***************************************
Science, Technology and Television--The Best of Times
by Curt B. Witcher
***************************************
I fear family, friends, colleagues, and fellow genealogists may often
tire of hearing me say this, but we really are living in the best of
times for engaging in family history research.  Never have so many
documents, so much information, and so many networking and sharing
opportunities been available to us.  It is truly a golden time, and we
need to take maximum advantage of the opportunities we have.

It has been both fascinating and instructive to watch the development
of genetic testing in the family history field.  Often referred to as
genetic genealogy, the use of DNA testing to supplement and complement
traditional research continues to make a significant difference to
researchers facing brick-walls and individuals struggling with an
evidence trail for a particular family line that has gone cold.

The National Genealogical Society and other family history
organizations have held genetic genealogy seminars at their
conferences for several years.  Now the Genealogy Center of the Allen
County Public Library in Fort Wayne, IN is hosting such a seminar
called “Climbing Your DNA:  Genetic Genealogy.”  Roberta Estes will
present six lectures over two days on May 22 and 23, 2009 in the Main
Library theater.  Ms. Estes is a nationally renowned speaker on this
topic, a published author, and manager of more than twenty surname
projects.  More details about Ms. Estes’ presentations as well as her
work can be found further on in this ezine.  Take advantage of this
extraordinary opportunity to learn firsthand about this important
subject from an expert who will make learning understandable and
enjoyable.  [And for those of you who work in Indiana libraries, the
seminar has been approved for “library education units.”  Contact the
Genealogy Center for additional details.]

Have you been to the “Roots Television” website lately?!   I continue
to be amazed at the variety of genealogical programming Megan
Smolenyak and her colleagues bring to the airways.  Have you seen the
latest improvement to viewing “Roots Television?”  You can click on an
option to have a full screen view--and with a couple of cables from
your computer, you can broadcast “Roots Television” on your HD-TV.  If
you’re new to “Roots Television,” or haven’t been to the site in a
while to experience the new features and speakers, simply go to
GenealogyCenter.Info and click on the “Roots Television” icon for
nearly countless enjoyable and educational experiences.

And speaking of genealogy and television, some of you have likely
heard about NBC’s plans to broadcast an American version of the
British hit show about family history entitled, “Who Do You Think You
Are?”   Originally scheduled to air next month on April 20th, the show
has been indefinitely postponed as negotiations are on-going between
the network and Lisa Kudrow’s production company.  I am optimistic,
though, that it will air--and when it does, we all need to get as many
people to watch the show as possible, to indicate to the network
executives and advertisers that there really is a market for genealogy
and family heritage shows on the major networks in prime time.  Who
said genealogy isn’t ready for the big time?!

***************************************
African-American Patriots and Loyalists
by Melissa Shimkus
***************************************
During the American Revolution, many freed blacks and slaves fought as
soldiers in the war that founded our country. “African-American
Patriots in the Southern Campaign of the American Revolution” by Bobby
G. Moss and Michael Scoggins (call number 973.34 Aa1moa) is an
impressively well-documented account of those individuals who served.

In 1775, the Continental Congress decided to recruit free blacks in
their efforts to offset the larger force of British troops. Slaves in
the southern states, including Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina,
South Carolina, and Virginia, were already being recruited by the
British, who offered them freedom for their service, but many slaves
refused and instead fought on the American side. Georgia and South
Carolina refused to acknowledge slave service in the war, but
recognized that of freed blacks.

“African-American Patriots” provides an alphabetical roster of
approximately 800 who served in the southern states. The entries give
details on each soldier or patriot and an abbreviated citation and
page number for the source material. The abbreviations are explained
in the bibliography of the book which supplies the full citation to
the source. The information accumulated in the book is from national,
state, and local documents held in many locations.

Many genealogical details are supplied for these patriots. The entry
for Saul Matthews of Virginia, slave of Thomas Matthews, provides
information concerning his service in the war, including spying
activities, his petition for freedom, and the approval of his request.
The seven sources cited for his entry verify the information in the
book, and provide further avenues for research.

Claudius Pegues, a patriot from South Carolina, granted his female
slave, Courtney, and her son, Martin, freedom, land, and a house for
her years of service. The entry includes Claudius’ death date and
residence.

Arthur Toney (Tony) of North Carolina was a free mulatto. His entry
provides genealogical information concerning his birth, siblings,
enlistment and re-enlistment, payment for service from the state,
marriage, pension, and bounty land. Twelve sources are cited,
including a pension record, bounty land warrant record, and various
North Carolina State Records.

“African-American Patriots in the Southern Campaign of the American
Revolution” is a wonderful source for African-American researchers. It
provides well-documented historical and genealogical details
concerning these remarkable, yet sometimes, unacknowledged patriots of
our country. A companion volume, “African-American Loyalists in the
Southern Campaign of the American Revolution,” provides similarly
detailed information on almost 2,800 individuals who sided with the
British crown (call number 973.34 Aa1mob).

***************************************
Prize and Related Records for the War of 1812 of the U.S. District
Court for the Southern District of New York 1812-1816
by Cynthia Theusch
***************************************
National Archives microfilm publication M928 preserves the records of
this court that concern the capture of enemy property at sea during
the War of 1812. Most cases concern British vessels taken by American
privateers and the U.S. Navy, including ships defeated on Lake
Champlain, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. The collection is divided into
three series, and contains a variety of documents filed by ship
owners, sea captains, seaman, and privateers.

The first series is comprised of case files for claims on captured
ships, filed in alphabetical order by the name of the prize vessel.
Papers include depositions of witnesses, indentures, claims for
property seized as a prize, consents, decrees of condemnation,
accounts of sales of prizes, and related papers reflecting the
progress of prize cases through the court. There are also shipping
articles, articles of agreement, cargo manifests, invoices and bills
of lading, shipping tickets, receiving reports, licenses to sail with
or without a convoy, licenses to arm vessels, British letters of
marque and reprisal, proceedings of courts martial, muster rolls,
logs, personal correspondence, certificates of desertion, and related
papers seized aboard prize vessels and deposited with the court
according to the rules of procedure in prize matters. Some of these
documents are, of course, genealogically useful. One claim involved
the Ship “Edward,” which was captured by a gunboat. Heinrich Schroeder
provided a deposition stating “he was born in Germany; …considers New
York, at present his home; That he is a subject of the Dukedom of
Aldenburgh in Germany, and has never been a citizen or subject of any
other prince or State; That he has never been admitted a burgher or
freeman of any town or city; and that he is not a married man.”

The second series concerns prizes claimed by the captains and crews of
eight privateer vessels and is arranged in alphabetical order by the
name of the vessel. Documents include letters of last will and
testament, articles of agreement between captain and crew, letters of
attorney appointing prize agents to transact business on behalf of the
privateer, petitions to receive prize money, depositions, and reports
of sales of cargoes. For example, Jacob Jennings provided a
certificate stating that he was entitled to one-half of a share from
the Private Schooner “Benjamin Franklin.”

The last series consists of “Papers Relating to the U.S. Frigate
‘Essex,’ 1812-16.” Documents include letters of attorney, certificates
for shares in captures made by the “Essex,” and letters written by
former crew members requesting the payment of prize monies. One
document indicates that the widow of William Johnson was to receive
the share entitled to him before his death on the 11th of January
1813. Interested researchers may access this collection on microfilm
in the Genealogy Center or online at Footnote.com.

***************************************
Preservation Tip of the Month--Drying Wet Items
by Becky Schipper
***************************************
Air drying is a simple, low-tech method of drying books, documents,
and photographs. It works best on damp materials. Saturated materials
may be air dried if they can be fully dried within 72 hours.  Always
keep the air circulating with fans on low speed.

To air dry an item, cover a table or other flat work surface with
plastic.  Place clean newsprint over this to absorb moisture. Change
the newsprint when it becomes damp. To flatten a paper or photo while
it is drying on a flat surface, take the following steps when the item
is almost dry.
***Interleave it between polyester web and blotting paper.
***Use weights.
***Place the blotter on the bottom, with paper or photo on top,
polyester web next, and then weights.
***You can dry more than one item at a time, but separate items with
layers of web and blotting paper.
[Source: “A Preservation Guide: Saving the Past and the Present for
the Future” by Barbara Sagraves]

Polyester web may be purchased by the yard at fabric stores, where it
is sold as non-fusible interfacing, and at archival suppliers such as
Gaylord, and Metal Edge, Inc. where it is sold as Spunbonded Polyester
Reemay, in both rolls and sheets.

***************************************
April “Tree Talks” Reminder:  WeRelate Overview
***************************************
For our second Tree Talks event of 2009, back by popular demand,
Cynthia Theusch will offer a "WeRelate.org Overview" on Saturday April
25, 2009, at 10 a.m. in Meeting Room A. Find out how to use the
world's largest genealogy wiki to interact with other researchers
online, upload GEDCOM files, annotate scanned documents and photos,
and more! Please call 260-421-1225 to register, or email your
registration to Genealogy [at] ACPL.info.  Watch our Special Programs site
http://www.acpl.lib.in.us/genealogy/programs.html for information on
future Tree Talks, mini-courses, and other programming.

***************************************
May “Tree Talks” -- "Climbing Your DNA: Genetic Genealogy”
by Delia Bourne and Melissa Shimkus
***************************************
The Tree Talks program for May is a timely and exciting one--a one and
one half day seminar on the use of DNA testing in genealogical problem
solving entitled “Climbing Your DNA: Genetic Genealogy”.  This seminar
features Roberta Estes and will be held on May 22 and 23, 2009 in the
Main Library Theater.

Ms. Estes, one of the leading experts in the field, founded DNAeXplain
(www.dnaexplain.com) in 2003, following a successful 25 year career as
President of Information Access Strategies, Inc., a consulting firm
that manages and implements leading edge technology projects in the
government sector. She is a professional scientist and business owner
(BS Computer Science, MBA, graduate work in Geographic Information
Systems), and has been an obsessed genealogist since 1978. When the
infant scientific field of DNA for genealogy emerged, Roberta was one
of the early DNA surname administrators and pioneer adopters of DNA
analysis for genealogy. She manages over 20 surname projects including
the large regional Cumberland, the Lost Colony and the North Carolina
Native Heritage projects, performing a significant amount of both
genealogical and DNA research and analysis pertaining to surname
projects and individual clients’ test results. Ms. Estes will be the
featured speaker at the fifth annual ISOGG (International Society for
Genetic Genealogy) conference. She has previously lectured widely,
authored a column for a technology magazine, written books in the
technology arena and is in the process of writing a book about her
experiences with DNA and Genealogy. The Genealogy Center is pleased to
welcome her as the instructor for this timely course.

The schedule for the seminar is listed in the following:

Friday, May 22nd
2 p.m.--Registration
2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. -- DNA and Genealogy--Introduction
3:30 p.m. -- Break
4 p.m. to 5 p.m. – Getting in Touch With Your Feminine Side: mtDNA

Saturday, May 23rd
9 a.m. -- Open, Welcome, Recall/Review/Re-Orient
9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. -- Twists and Turns in the Rocky Road: Case Studies
10:30 a.m. -- Break
11 a.m. to 12 noon -- My Results are Back--Now What?
12 noon to 1:30 p.m. -- Attendees are on their own for lunch.
1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. – Autosomal DNA Testing and You: What is It,
What Does It Mean, and How to Use It
2:30 p.m. -- Break
3 p.m. to 4 p.m. -- Making DNA Loveable: How to Take Your DNA Results
and Turn Them into an Heirloom Gift for Your Family
4 p.m. -- Break
4:15 p.m. -- Q&A Session if there is interest

Early registration:  $30 (postmarked by May 11, 2009).
Registration:  $35 (postmarked after May 11, 2009).
For more information, see our website
http://www.acpl.lib.in.us/genealogy/programs.html , call 260-421-1225,
or email Genealogy [at] ACPL.info.

***************************************
Palatines to America--German Genealogy Conference
***************************************
The Palatines to America National Conference and Annual Meeting will
be held at the Allen County Public Library, June 18 - 20, 2009.  Visit
their website for all the details.  <www.palam.org/> The general
schedule is below.

Thursday June 18, 2009 4:45 p.m. - 5:45 p.m.
Workshop A - Palatines Along the Hudson: Researching 18th century
Settlers in Livingston Manor - Steven Myers
Workshop B - Researching Your North German Ancestors - Robert Rau
Workshop C - Advancing Your Research with PERSI - Delia Bourne

Friday June 19, 2009 2 p.m. - 3 p.m.
Workshop D - Researching in Germany - James Feit
Workshop E - Preparing Your Research for Publication - Barbara Gargiulo
Workshop F - Swiss Genealogical Records - John Beatty

Friday June 19, 2009 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Workshops A - B - C will be repeated

Saturday June 20, 2009 1 p.m. - 2 p.m.
Workshops D - E - F will be repeated

Online registration at the National Conference Registration site
http://palamnationalconference.org/registration/ .

***************************************
Librarians on Parade
***************************************
Curt Witcher
April 2, 2009--Ohio Genealogical Society Conference, Sawmill Creek
Resort, 400 Sawmill Creek Drive, Huron, OH, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Topic:
“Preserving Your Family History: A Practical Two-Hour Mini Course.”
April 18, 2009--35th Annual Quad Cities Genealogical Conference,
Viking Club of Moline, 1450 41st Street, Moline, IA, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Topics: “Hunting in the Hoosier State and ACPL Genealogical
Resources,” “Using Church Records in Your Genealogical Research,”
“Pain in the Access: Getting the Most from the Internet for Your
Genealogy,” and “Using Government Documents in Your Genealogical
Research.”
April 25, 2009--Indiana Genealogical Society Annual Conference,
Marriott Center East, 7202 East 21st Street, Indianapolis, IN, 11 a.m.
to 12 noon. Topic: “Marching On: Major Military Sites on the
Internet.”

John Beatty
April 5, 2009--Allen County-Fort Wayne Historical Society, 302 East
Berry, Ft. Wayne, IN, 2:00 p.m.  Topic:  “Mapping Fort Wayne: A
History of the City in Maps.”

Cynthia Theusch
April 22, 2009--Mid-Michigan Genealogical Society, Plymouth
Congregational Church, 2001 E. Grand River Ave., Lansing, Michigan , 7
p.m. Topic: “Allen County Public Library's Genealogy Center" and brief
highlight on "PERSI.”
April 25--Allen County Public Library, 900 Library Plaza, Fort Wayne,
IN, Meeting Room A, 10 a.m.  Topic:  “WeRelate Overview.”

***************************************
Area Calendar of Events
***************************************
Allen County Genealogical Society of Indiana (ACGSI)

April 8, 2009 at 7 p.m. (social time begins at 6:30 p.m.) at the Allen
County Public Library’s Main Library, 900 Library Plaza, Meeting Room
A.  Stan Follis will present “Creating a Family Web Site.”

Allen County-Fort Wayne Historical Society, 302 East Berry, Ft. Wayne, IN

April 15, 2009 at 2 p.m.  John D. Beatty will present “Mapping Fort
Wayne: A History of the City in Maps.”

***************************************
Driving Directions to the Library
***************************************
Wondering how to get to the library?  Our location is 900 Library
Plaza, Fort Wayne, Indiana, in the block bordered on the south by
Washington Boulevard, the west by Ewing Street, the north by Wayne
Street, and the east by the Library Plaza, formerly Webster Street.
We would enjoy having you visit the Genealogy Center.

To get directions from your exact location to 900 Library Plaza, Fort
Wayne, Indiana, visit this link at MapQuest:
http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?formtype=address&addtohistory=&address=900%20Webster%20St&city=Fort%20Wayne&state=IN&zipcode=46802%2d3602&country=US&geodiff=1

>From the South
Exit Interstate 69 at exit 102.  Drive east on Jefferson Boulevard
into downtown. Turn left on Ewing Street. The Library is one block
north, at Ewing Street and Washington Boulevard.

Using US 27:
US 27 turns into Lafayette Street. Drive north into downtown. Turn
left at Washington Boulevard and go five blocks. The Library will be
on the right.

>From the North
Exit Interstate 69 at exit 112.  Drive south on Coldwater Road, which
merges into Clinton Street.  Continue south on Clinton to Washington
Boulevard. Turn right on Washington and go three blocks. The Library
will be on the right.

>From the West
Using US 30:
Drive into town on US 30.  US 30 turns into Goshen Ave. which
dead-ends at West State Blvd.  Make an angled left turn onto West
State Blvd.  Turn right on Wells Street.  Go south on Wells to Wayne
Street.  Turn left on Wayne Street.  The Library will be in the second
block on the right.

Using US 24:
After crossing under Interstate 69, follow the same directions as from
the South.

>From the East
Follow US 30/then 930 into and through New Haven, under an overpass
into downtown Fort Wayne.  You will be on Washington Blvd. when you
get into downtown.  Library Plaza will be on the right.

***************************************
Parking at the Library
***************************************
At the Library, underground parking can be accessed from Wayne Street.
Other library parking lots are at Washington and Webster, and Wayne
and Webster. Hourly parking is $1 per hour with a $7 maximum. ACPL
library card holders may use their cards to validate the parking
ticket at the west end of the Great Hall of the Library. Out of county
residents may purchase a subscription card with proof of
identification and residence. The current fee for an Individual
Subscription Card is $70.

Public lots are located at the corner of Ewing and Wayne Streets ($1
each for the first two half-hours, $1 per hour after, with a $4 per
day maximum) and the corner of Jefferson Boulevard and Harrison Street
($3 per day).

Street (metered) parking on Ewing and Wayne Streets. On the street you
plug the meters 8am – 5pm, weekdays only.  It is free to park on the
street after 5pm and on the weekends.

Visitor center/Grand Wayne Center garage at Washington and Clinton
Streets. This is the Hilton Hotel parking lot that also serves as a
day parking garage.  For hourly parking, 7am – 11 pm, charges are .50
for the first 45 minutes, then $1.00 per hour.  There is a flat $2.00
fee between 5pm and 11pm.

***************************************
Genealogy Center Queries
***************************************
The Genealogy Center hopes you find this newsletter interesting.
Thank you for subscribing.  We cannot, however, answer personal
research emails written to the e-zine address.  The department houses
a Research Center that makes photocopies and conducts research for a
fee.

If you have a general question about our collection, or are interested
in the Research Center, please telephone the library and speak to a
librarian who will be glad to answer your general questions or send
you a research center form.  Our telephone number is 260-421-1225.  If
you’d like to email a general information question about the
department, please email: Genealogy [at] ACPL.Info.

***************************************
Publishing Note:
***************************************
This electronic newsletter is published by the Allen County Public
Library's Genealogy Center, and is intended to enlighten readers about
genealogical research methods as well as inform them about the vast
resources of the Allen County Public Library.  We welcome the wide
distribution of this newsletter and encourage readers to forward it to
their friends and societies.  All precautions have been made to avoid
errors.  However, the publisher does not assume any liability to any
party for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions, no matter
the cause.

To subscribe to “Genealogy Gems,” simply use your browser to go to the
website:  www.GenealogyCenter.Info. Scroll down toward the bottom of
the first screen where it says, "Enter Your Email Address to Subscribe
to "Genealogy Gems."  Enter your email address in the yellow box and
click on "Subscribe." You will be notified with a confirmation email.

If you do not want to receive this e-zine, please follow the link at
the very bottom of the issue of Genealogy Gems you just received or
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the subject line.

Steve Myers & Curt Witcher, co-editors
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