Back to newsletter listDate:
Wed, December 19, 2007 12:33:37 PMFrom:
Rootsweb Review
Subject:
Rootsweb Review, 19 December 2007, Vol.10, No. 51
RootsWeb Review: RootsWeb's Weekly E-zine
19 December 2007, Vol. 10, No. 51
(c) 1998-2007 RootsWeb.com, Inc. http://www.rootsweb.com/
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IN THIS ISSUE:
1. Editor's Desk: News and Notes
1a. See You in Two Weeks
1b. Washington State Archive's Photograph Collections
1c. ISFHWE Annual "Excellence in Writing" Competition for
Genealogists
2. Using RootsWeb: The New HelpDesk Revisited
3. Connecting Through RootsWeb:
Searching for Stanleys
4. Bottomless Mailbag:
A Cemetery Story
"Un-Du" That Sticky Problem
Sticky Solutions
5. New at RootsWeb
5a. New User-contributed Databases
5b. New/Updated Freepages and Homepages by Individuals
5c. New/Updated Freepages and Homepages by Counties, States,
and Genealogical/Historical Societies
5d. New Mailing Lists
6. Humor/Humour
7. Subscriptions, Submissions, Advertising, Reprints
==============================================================
IN THIS ISSUE:
1. Editor's Desk: News and Notes
1a. See You in Two Weeks
Because of the holidays, the RootsWeb Review will not be appearing
next week. Regular issues will start up again on Wednesday, 2 January
2008.
1b. Washington State Archive's Photograph Collections
The Washington State Archive's photograph collections are now
available online at
the Washington State Digital Archives. These records contain nearly
3,000 photographs from various collections, dating from 1860-2001.
Images include pictures of Washington State officials, historic photos
of state buildings and grounds, and promotional photos of Washington
scenery from the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s.
http://www.digitalarchives.wa.gov
1c. ISFHWE Annual "Excellence in Writing" Competition for Genealogists
The International Society of Family History Writers and Editors is
sponsoring its annual "Excellence in Writing" competition to recognize
talented genealogy writers.
The contest has four categories:
Category I -- Newspaper Columns
Category II -- Magazine/Journal/Web Articles
Category III -- Genealogy Research Story. This category is for
original, unpublished articles between 1,000 and 3,000 words. The
articles should tell the story of genealogical research using one of
these topics: "The Search for Ancestors," "Sorting Out the Entangled
Roots of . . . ," or "Encounters with a Family Skeleton."
Category IV -- Want-to-be Writer/Columnist. Entrants in this category
aspire to be writers or columnists in the field of genealogy or family
or local history. The submissions in this category are original and
unpublished, between 500 and 1,000 words.
Entries must be received by the coordinator no later than 15 February
2008. Send entries (along with your check for the appropriate entry
fee(s) and membership dues) to:
Yolanda Campbell Lifter
ISFHWE Competition Coordinator
1920 Eva ***
Malabar, FL 32950-3219
Rules, information, and entry forms are available at:
http://www.rootsweb.com/~cgc/contest.htm
Address further questions to Yolanda Campbell Lifter at
ylifter@ohiofamilyresearch.com.
2. Using RootsWeb:
The New HelpDesk Revisited
By Jana Lloyd
Editor-RWR@rootsweb.com
One month ago, we announced that a new HelpDesk was coming to
RootsWeb. Although the page was not released as early as anticipated,
it has now been active for about three weeks, with lots of success.
This new HelpDesk contains updated articles on everything from how to
post a message on a message board to what RSL stands for. (Don't know?
Read the HelpDesk article:
http://rootsweb.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/rootsweb.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=3138 .)
New articles are being updated and added all the time.
I talked with some members of the HelpDesk team this week and they are
excited about the new HelpDesk. They can view a history of every
question an individual user has asked. They can also keep track of
other statistics, such as how many people are opening and viewing
articles, and which ones are most visited.
"We don't know for sure," one member of the HelpDesk team told me,
"because we couldn't keep accurate statistics using the old system.
But, our best guess is that the new, updated HelpDesk has reduced the
number of questions we are getting by about 25 percent."
Here are a few tips to keep in mind when using the new HelpDesk:
1. Right now, you can only get to the new HelpDesk by clicking on the
"Help" tab at the top of the RootsWeb homepage:
http://rootsweb.custhelp.com. If you click on the "FAQs and
Help-Related Resources" link under the "Help" heading further down on
the homepage, you will be taken to the old HelpDesk page.
2. The first time you use the new HelpDesk you will be asked to
register. You will only have to register once. Registering helps the
staff keep track of your questions and question history.
3. If you want to send a link to a Help article in an e-mail or add it
to a document, you could copy and paste the entire URL; however, this
can be quite lengthy.
For example, the full URL for the RSL article I cited above is this:
http://rootsweb.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/rootsweb.cfg/php/enduser/popup_adp.php?p_sid=P4-FZsTi&p_lva=&p_li=&p_faqid=3138&p_created=1193857244&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPSZwX3NvcnRfYnk9JnBfZ3JpZHNvcnQ9JnBfcm93X2NudD0xOTcmcF9wcm9kcz0mcF9jYXRzPSZwX3B2PSZwX2N2PSZwX3NlYXJjaF90eXBlPWFuc3dlcnMuc2VhcmNoX25sJnBfcGFnZT0x
To make the link shorter, locate the part of the URL that reads
"faqid." There should be an equal sign plus a four-digit number after
this (in the above URL the number is 3138). Delete everything after
this number. You get a shorter URL, which will still link to the full
article:
http://rootsweb.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/rootsweb.cfg/php/enduser/popup_adp.php?p_sid=P4-FZsTi&p_lva=&p_li=&p_faqid=3138
Still lengthy, but better.
Good luck using the new HelpDesk. We hope you will find it as helpful
as we have. And please take a few minutes to browse the articles and
familiarize yourself with the new look and feel of RootsWeb Help.
http://rootsweb.custhelp.com
* * * * * * * * * * Advertisements * * * * * * * * * *
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3. Connecting Through RootsWeb:
Searching for Stanleys
By Denise Fransaer Corke
deeco@keynet.net
I have been researching my husband's English Stanley family for about
thirty years. After several years of searching, I found a book in a
genealogy library about the William Penn Expeditions. I had traced one
ancestor back to 1661 and hoped to find out where the family
originated through this book. The only thing that the book told me was
that I was on the wrong track.
In desperation, I typed the name into RootsWeb and found several
others searching for the same ancestor. Most of the information did
not quite fit what I had until, to my delight, I found someone whose
family information did match. What's more, the person had traced this
very family back for generations!
I contacted the researcher to thank him for all the work that he had
done and he told me that most of the information was right there on
RootsWeb. Not only did I find several new generations but also learned
about the area in England where the family all originated.
4. BOTTOMLESS MAILBAG
[Editor's note: The opinions expressed herein are those of the
authors and are not necessarily those of the editor or of
RootsWeb.com.]
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A Cemetery Story
By Nancy Lindroth
Augusta, Georgia
ndlind@knology.net
In May 2002, my sister-in-law and I traveled to West Virginia and
Pennsylvania to do research on the McMILLAN and KERN families of Ohio
and Marshall Counties in West Virginia and the KERN and HORN families
of Washington and Green Counties in Pennsylvania. While wandering
around cemeteries we came upon the most unusual method of
"communicating from the grave"--so to speak.
A McMILLAN relative who lived near a Green County, Pennsylvania,
cemetery left a message for all researchers. He took a piece of
aluminum about 3" by 4" and punched a message into it that included
his name and phone number. He made a hole in the corner and attached
it with wire to a quarter-inch rod, which he stuck in the ground next
to a McMILLAN headstone. What a great idea.
The wonder of wonders about this find--it was late in the day, and we
were tired. We had trouble locating the cemetery and were about to
turn around and head for our hotel when we finally found it. Even more
amazing though, Brooks--the creator of this wondrous tool--and my
father-in-law share paternal and maternal great-grandparents. Two
McMILLAN brothers married two KERN sisters. As Brooks lives in the
area, he had a wealth of information and photographs, but nothing on
my father-in-law's family, who left for the Alpena, South Dakota, area
in the late 1800s.
He and I are still looking for McMILLAN information and communicate on
a regular basis. I'm researching Revolutionary War records and he's
working the DNA angles. What a great find. So if you are missing some
folks, you may want to try this. It won't blow away, it won't rust,
and the color blends with the granite. Of course, you may want to
check with the cemetery first.
* * *
"Un-Du" That Sticky Problem
By Toni Wick Francisco
Anchorage, Alaska
A possible solution to "A Sticky Photo Problem" by Joy Weaver is to
try a product called "Un-Du." I was able to remove hundreds of photos
stuck in those old magnetic-type albums without any damage to the
picture or the writing on the backs. You just saturate the black paper
with this product, let it sit for a couple of minutes while the glue
softens, then remove the paper. Any liquid that gets on the actual
picture does not damage it. It evaporates and the pictures are fine. I
found the "Un-Du" at Michael's Craft Store.
* * *
Sticky Solutions
By Mike Michaelski
One way to treat old photos that have something stuck to their back is
a sweat box, something stamp collectors have been using for quite some
time to gently remove a stamp from a valuable cover. To make one,
simply find a plastic container larger than the photograph, wet a
sponge, and place the sponge in the bottom of the container. Then
build a platform to keep the picture from actually touching the
sponge--half a dozen pencils of the right length will do nicely. Then
lay the picture on the platform and put the top on.
Wait about a day to open the container, then lay the picture face down
and carefully use some tweezers to lift up the black paper. If it does
not come off, put some more water on the sponge and give it another
day. The concept here is to introduce moisture into the paper and
loosen it from the glue, but not to actually wet the photo. Done
carefully, this will get all but the most stubborn glues to let go of
the paper. The photo will need to be dried between layers of paper
towels afterward--actually, it is best if you can find a photo dryer,
which is built precisely for drying photos after they were developed.
The main concern will be that the photos will tend to curl up when
drying out again.
5. New at RootsWeb
5a. New User-contributed Databases at RootsWeb
http://userdb.rootsweb.com/submit/
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The following databases have come online recently.
They are searchable, but not browseable.
ENGLAND. Staffordshire. Handsworth. St Mary's church records. 38
records.
Paul Barnett.
http://userdb.rootsweb.com/intl/
MINNESOTA. Ramsey County. Name Index to the Lost Jewish Community of
the West Side Flats, 1882-1962. Gene H. Rosenblum. 344 records. Janice
M. Sellers.
http://userdb.rootsweb.com/bookindexes/
5b. New/Updated Freepages and Homepages by Individuals
To Request a Free Web Account: http://accounts.rootsweb.com/
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Can your cousins find your website at RootsWeb? Has it ever been
mentioned here or do you have a new, updated, or substantially
revised website at RootsWeb (it will have "freepages" or "homepages"
in the URL)? Send the URL, the title of the website, the name of the
author, and a BRIEF description of the site, including major
surnames, to: Editor-RWR@rootsweb.com
* * *
If your genealogy- or history-related site is located somewhere
other than at RootsWeb.com, you can add the link here:
http://resources.rootsweb.com/~rootslink/addlink.html
* * *
The Reno County, Kansas, Genealogical Society Web page. This site has
many new updates, the largest one being interment lists for all
fifty-four county cemeteries. See the What's New page for the latest
updates.
http://rootsweb.com/~ksrcgs
5c. New/Updated Freepages and Homepages by Counties, States, and
Genealogical/Historical Societies
To Request a Free Web Account: http://accounts.rootsweb.com/
-------------------------------------------------------------
Some of these Web pages might not be accessible yet. They are created
by volunteers, so if one that interests you isn't up yet, please
check again in a few days or next week.
http://www.rootsweb.com/~xxxxxx[accountname]
* * *
Note that the ~[tilde] before the Web account name is required.
For example, the Logan County Historical Society (Arkansas) website is
at:
http://www.rootsweb.com/~arlchs/
* * *
DAR = Daughters of the American Revolution
USGW = USGenWeb
DAC = Daughters of American Colonists
U.S.A.
arlchs -- Logan County Historical Society (Arkansas)
desdac -- Delaware State Society DAC
ilchp -- Illinois County History Project
njhahs -- Holland America Historical Society (New Jersey)
ontbhs -- Bedford Historical Society (Ontario)
orbrhc -- Burnt River Heritage Center (Oregon)
wihf -- Wisconsin Heritage Foundation
wirichl2 -- Richland County (Wisconsin) USGW
wvddcdar -- Daniel Davisson (West Virginia) Chapter DAR
CANADA
nsehhs -- East Hants Historical Society (Nova Scotia)
WALES
wlsfcc -- Friends of Cathays Cemetery (Wales)
5d. New Mailing Lists
To Request a New Mailing List: http://resources.rootsweb.com/adopt/
-------------------------------------------------------------
For information and an index to the more than 30,000 RootsWeb-hosted
genealogy Mailing Lists and for easy subscribing (joining) options go
to: http://lists.rootsweb.com/
NEW SURNAME MAILING LISTS
ALBA
BRACERO
CAMACHO
CARRASQUILLO
FUENTES
LENNARD
MCELRATH
NIEVES
POUTRE
SALGADO
SERRANO
SHOPTAUGH
WARTICK
NEW REGIONAL MAILING LISTS
No new regional mailing lists
NEW ETHNIC OR SPECIAL INTEREST MAILING LISTS
1-25TH-LONDON -- A mailing list for descendants of members of the
1-25th London Cycle Regiment from World War I. Please visit our
website: http://www.simonpg.com/1-25th/index.htm
CAN-GENEALOGY-SOCIETIES -- This is a mailing list for the various
genealogical societies of Canada and for advanced individual
researchers to share information and ensure the preservation of
historical information, historical sites, historical documents, etc.
GEN-COURTRECORDS -- This is a mailing list for discussing
genealogical data that can be gleaned from county, state, and federal
court cases through legal case report books, law digests, and actual
case files, with an emphasis on legal terminology and how to access
such records through law libraries and other sources.
6. Humor/Humour
My mother-in-law was called Libby and I naturally assumed her full
name was Elizabeth. It wasn't until she died that the truth of her
real name came to light. I found her birth certificate, which declared
her name as "United States Liberty" Barrett. No wonder she went by
Libby. Her brothers were named after presidents: George Washington
Barrett, Abraham Lincoln Barrett, and Franklin D. Barrett. Her parents
were Italian immigrants who were happy to be living in America.
--Thanks to Darlene L. Pirozzi
* * *
My great-grandfather, Luther Steuart, had a sister named Bertie
Steuart. Her married name was Bertie White. She named her two
daughters after objects found in nature. One daughter was named Rose
Bud, and one was named Snow: Rose Bud White and Snow White.
--Thanks to Donna Chaffee
* * *
Found a funny or "proper name for the job" in old records, or an
amusing entry in census, parish, church, or other records? Send them
to:
Editor-RWR@rootsweb.com. We also welcome other humorous
genealogy-related submissions.
7. Subscriptions, Submissions, Advertising, Reprints
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SUBSCRIPTIONS. You received this newsletter because you are subscribed
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rootswebreview@email.rootsweb.com. The RootsWeb Review is a free
publication of The Generations Network, Inc., 360 West 4800 North,
Provo, UT, 84604
* * *
The RootsWeb Review does not publish or answer genealogical queries,
and the editor regrets that she is unable to provide any personal
research assistance or advice. RootsWeb Review welcomes short (500
words or less) articles, humor, stories, or letters, and reserves the
right to edit all submissions. The announcement of books and products
is provided as a community service and is not an endorsement in any
way. All mail sent to the RootsWeb Review editor is considered to be
for publication--send in plain text (please, no attachments) to:
Editor-RWR@rootsweb.com and please include your full name and e-mail
address in the text.
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ROOTSWEB REVIEW ADVERTISING CONTACTS.
AdSales Worldwide: Tami Deleeuw, tdeleeuw@tgn.com
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REPRINTS. Permission to reprint articles from RootsWeb Review is
granted unless specifically stated otherwise, provided: (1) the
reprint is used for non-commercial, educational purposes; and (2) the
following notice appears at the end of the article: Previously
published in RootsWeb Review: 19 December 2007, Vol. 10, No. 51.
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