Indholdsfortegnelse for May/June 2022 i Family Tree

It’s finally here! By the time you’re reading this, the 1950 census will have been released online. Records will even be keyword-searchable, though the indexes may not have the level of accuracy you’re accustomed to. Our full guide to the census is on page 12. In April 1950, my grandfather was 16 years old, a junior in high school. My grandmother was even younger—just 13 years old—but the two would marry and give birth to the first of their eight children just five years later. (My other set of grandparents were still in Europe in 1950—a story, perhaps, for another time.) Fortunately, the Cincinnati Public Library <digital.cincinnatilibrary.org> has free, digitized city directories (see page 58) on its website. According to a 1949 directory, my grandmother’s family lived in Cincinnati’s Mount Adams…

The video-sharing app TikTok <www.tiktok.com>is primarily known for dance-and stunt-related videos, mostly for teenagers and young adults. So how did 35-year-old Caitlin Abrams (@manicpixiemom, <www. tiktok.com/@manicpixiemom>) earn more than 2 million TikTok followers talking about dead people in cemeteries? By connecting with her own childhood passion. “I grew up in New England, and spent a lot of time in old cemeteries,” Abrams says. “My grandparents were into genealogy, and they passed that along to me.” Abrams began sharing gravestone symbolism on Instagram <www.instagram.com/stonedinnewengland>. But then a Find a Grave <www.findagrave.com> photo request brought her to a stone covered in moss and lichen. The requestor asked if she could clean it. “I spent months researching how to do that and getting supplies,” she says. “I really enjoyed it.” Before long, Abrams…

Websites Cyndi’s List: Arkansas <www.cyndislist.com/us/ar> The Encyclopedia of Arkansas <www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net> FamilySearch Research Wiki: Arkansas <www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/Arkansas,_United_States_Genealogy> Linkpendium: Arkansas <www.linkpendium.com/argenealogy> Publications Arkansas: A Narrative History, second edition by Jeanne M. Whayne, Thomas A. DeBlack, George Sabo and Morris S. Arnold (University of Arkansas Press) Colonial Arkansas, 1686–1804: A Social and Cultural History by Morris S. Arnold (University of Arkansas Press) Documenting Arkansas: The Civil War, 1861–1865 by Wendy Bradley Richter (Arkansas History Commission) Historical Atlas of Arkansas by Gerald T. Hanson and Carl H. Moneyhon (University of Oklahoma Press) The Impact of the Civil War and Reconstruction on Arkansas: Persistence in the Midst of Ruin by Carl H. Moneyhon (Louisiana State University Press) Archives & Organizations Arkansas Digital Archives <digitalheritage.arkansas.gov> Arkansas Genealogical Society <www.argensoc.org> Arkansas Historical Association <www.arkansashistoricalassociation.org> Arkansas State Archives <www.arkansasheritage.com/arkansasstatearchives/home>…

Websites Cyndi’s List: Michigan <www.cyndislist.com/us/mi> FamilySearch Research Wiki: Michigan <www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Michigan,_United_States_Genealogy> Linkpendium: Michigan <www.linkpendium.com/all-mi-genealogy> Michigan Biographical Index <www.michlist.com/index.html> Michiganology <www.michiganology.org> MIGenWeb <www.migenweb.org> Publications Michigan Genealogy: Sources and Resources, second edition by Carol McGinnis (Genealogical Publishing Company) Michigan Pioneer and Historical Collections, 1876–1929, 40 volumes Michigan Place Names: The History of the Founding & Naming of More Than Five Thousand Past and Present Michigan Communities by Walter Romig (Wayne State University Press) Michigan: A History of the Wolverine State, third edition by Willis F. Dunbar & George S. May (Eerdmans) Research in the States Series: Michigan by Shirley DeBoer & Brenda Leyndyke (National Genealogical Society) Archives & Organizations Archives of Michigan <michigan.gov/archivesofmi> Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan <bentley.umich.edu/resource/digitized-collections> Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University <www.cmich.edu/research/clarke-historical-library> Detroit Society for Genealogical Research <www.dsgr.org>…

CASE FILE: Patrick’s Paternity You can use the same investigative genetic genealogy process in your own research. Here’s an example from my own family, in which I use IGG methods to determine how I’m related to a DNA match. My father has a match named Patrick on both AncestryDNA and Family Tree DNA. Both services estimate that he and my dad are second or third cousins based on their shared DNA. Patrick had no online family tree and I didn’t recognize his name, so I contacted him. He replied that he was an adoptee, and that his recently identified birth mother was born in Tahiti and lived in New Caledonia before moving to Australia. That’s where Patrick was born in December 1945. My family didn’t seem to be related to…

So excited. It will be the first census to have my parents represented.Candace Carota Pollack via Facebook MY MOTHER AND HER TWIN SISTER were born in Chicago in 1946 in the back room of my grandmother’s restaurant. The 1950 census will be the census that gives verifying details of the place they were living and whether my grandmother lists herself as married or not. Hopefully the details will unravel the story my grandmother never talked about!Shawn Tolen Castillo via Facebook Can’t wait to see my name on a censusMarilyn Littrell Tedrow via Facebook WHERE MY DAD WAS LIVING. Was he already in the service? At some point, he was stationed in Alaska, California and Florida. Possibly others. I have no dates for any of these places. Was he still in…

SUBSCRIPTION MILITARY RECORDS website Fold3 <www.fold.com> is inviting the public to help expand its collection of digitized military yearbooks and unit histories. These often offer unique insights into military life and are especially valuable for the millions whose official military records have been lost. Fold3 encourages researchers who have unit histories, military yearbooks, military journals, or photographs to content them at content@fold3.com about donating to their collections. Original materials will be returned to the researcher after digitization, and all user-generated content published on Fold3 will be free, according to a Fold3 blog post. “We are honored to be entrusted with your valuable memories and promise to treat them as if they were our own,” reads an announcement from the company. Explore military yearbooks already on Fold3 at <www.fold3.com/title/1023/ military-yearbooks>.…

The release of a US census is akin to the coming of a great genealogical comet: A new one comes only once every 10 years. Family historians anxiously await its arrival. When it finally appears, it can be exhilarating. As of 1 April 2022, one such comet has come: the 1950 census. Blazing across computer screens everywhere is a brilliant stream of genealogical data. And in its wake, you’ll find names, ages, places, family relationships, occupations and more for over 150 million people. As the census shoots into your genealogical orbit, you’ll want to be ready. You won’t need a telescope or a star chart—just internet access and a little knowledge of your US relatives in 1950. THE WORLD OF 1950 Much like the tail of a comet carries clues…

A STATE OF DIVERSITY, ARKANSAS AND ITS SIX distinct regions attracted a variety of travelers, settlers, developers and economic mainstays. For those with ancestors from Arkansas, genealogical adventures await. NATURAL (STATE) HISTORY Spaniard Hernando de Soto led the first European voyage into modern Arkansas in 1541. His party meandered through Arkansas’ savannas and forests seeking gold, but they weren’t traversing uninhabited land: The area supported a number of indigenous peoples. They lived in all six major geographic regions: the Ozark Plateau, the Arkansas River Valley, the Ouachita Mountains, the Mississippi River Alluvial Plain, the Gulf Coastal Plain, and Crowley’s Ridge. After De Soto, few Europeans visited the area until French missionary Jacques Marquette and fur trader Louis Jolliet explored the mouth of the Arkansas River in 1673. They were followed…

TWO PENINSULAS MAKE UP THE “GREAT LAKES State” that straddles both the largest group of freshwater lakes and the Canada-US border. Whether your family members were “Yoopers” from the Upper Peninsula or residents of the state’s famous Motor City, these genealogical resources will help you find your Michigander ancestors. WOLVERINE HISTORY Prior to the 17th century, the area now known as Michigan (from the Ojibwe word Michigama, or “great water”) was home to several American Indian tribes, including the Chippewa/Ojibwe, Odawa/Ottawa, Potawatomi, Menominee, and Wyandot/Huron. Some county names pay homage to the indigenous populations: Gogebic, Keweenaw, Menominee and Washtenaw. In the early 1600s, French-Canadian explorers, furtraders and missionaries created small settlements in the Upper Peninsula, and some county names are evidence of that French influence: Charlevoix, Lapeer, Marquette, and Presque…

Citation: W.A. Greenough & Co., New Bedford… Directory of the Inhabitants, Business Firms, Institutions, Streets, Societies (Boston: W.A. Greenough & Co., 1875), page 33, images online, Internet Archive (http://archive.org: accessed 4 March 2022).…

1 Don’t pile—elevate. A quote attributed to Dr. Seuss advises, “Fill your house with stacks of books/In all the crannies and all the nooks. Seuss knew a thing or two about storing books—cool, dark crannies and nooks (including bookshelves, closets, cupboards, and cabinets) are all good places to preserve a precious personal library. Keep books off the floor, where dust, pet hair, or flooding can cause damage, and be mindful of light from lamps or windows that can cause irreversible damage to covers and pages. Books in good condition can be stored vertically or flat on sturdy shelves. If you must stack, avoid tall piles that exert extreme pressure on the bottom volumes, potentially weakening the binding or spine. 2 Handle with care. Wash your hands before working with your…

Deed from Essex, Mass. Most deeds, like this 1658 one from Essex, Mass., are fairly formulaic. Learning their anatomy, a few legal terms and some old writing quirks will help you decipher them. 1 Most deeds start with introductory language such as “Know all men by these presents … ” 2 Compare hard-to-read words to those you’ve already deciphered. An s might look like an f; here, Essex could be mistaken for E ff o y. Capital letters may look similar: I and J, L and S, L and T, M and N, T and F, U and V. 3 Payment details are usually after the parties’ names. This deed’s phrasing, “for and in consideration of the sum of 16 pounds fully paid unto us, before the sealing hereof,” is…

State Land or Public Land? Before state-land states became US territories, entities such as colonial governments surveyed and distributed their land. These states used the metes-and-bounds survey system, which described property boundaries using compass directions, distances, and landmarks such as rivers and rocks. Early property records in state-land states are usually in those states’ archives. In public-land states, the US government is considered the original landowner. Parcels of property in these areas were divided according to the Public Land (or Rectangular) Survey System. State-Land States • Connecticut ̇• Delaware • Georgia • Hawaii • Kentucky • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New York • North Carolina • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • Tennessee • Texas • Vermont • Virginia •…

Genealogy how-to downloads and videos, plus PDF back-issues of Family Tree Magazine <www.familytreemagazine.com/shop> Detailed online courses and webinars full of expert advice about key research subjects <www.familytreemagazine.com/course> Our members-only online library of genealogy instruction <www.familytreemagazine.com/product/website-vip>. Free genealogy advice from host Lisa Louise Cooke and expert guests Apple Podcasts/Spotify/ <www.familytreemagazine.com/podcasts.> <www.facebook.com/familytreemagazine> @FamilyTreeMag Family Tree Magazine @familytreemag  <www.youtube.com/user/familytreemagazine > Subscribe to our free email newsletter for how-to articles. Daily and weekly options available <www.familytreemagazine.com/newsletter-signup>…

The Virtual Genealogical Association (VGA) <www.virtualgenealogy.org> got a makeover in 2022. “When Katherine Willson formed VGA in 2018, it was a unique entity providing benefits of a local society, but virtually,” says new president Jeanette Sheliga. “When COVID hit, societies started providing more virtual programs, and VGA lost some of that unique quality.” VGA already sponsored monthly presentations from nationally known speakers. And in 2022, the society broadened its offerings to include members-only Zoom social events like virtual hangouts and a book club. Membership costs $20 annually; learn more at <www.virtualgenealogy.org/membership-join>. Sunny Jane Morton is a contributing editor for Family Tree Magazine, content manager at Your DNA Guide and industry expert on the giant genealogy websites.…

RECORD RICHES: The Key to the 1950 Census Now that we finally have our hands on the 1950 US Federal census, the 1950 census enumerator instructions are a must-have. This 24-page booklet is the key to understanding information entered by enumera tors. One example: A notation of REG indicates that the information was gleaned from a hotel register and not the person being enumerated. The Enumerator’s Reference Manual for 1950 is available to download for free as a PDF from the Census Bureau website <www.census.gov/history/pdf/1950instructions.pdf>. See page 12 for more on the 1950 census. RELEVANT READS: The Social History of Weddings June is the traditional month for weddings, so my mind wanders to my ancestors’ marriages around that time. I can learn about their nuptials in marriage records, of…

Almost every family has them: cherished stories of ethnic origins, relationships to someone famous, or connections to important historical events. The list can go on and on. While they may be attractive—indeed, they may have been what lured you into family history in the first place—family stories are just that: stories. Oral histories, passed down from older relatives to the younger generations, can sometimes be reliable. But the passage of time may diminish the storyteller’s memories. Family stories, like information from any other source, need verification. In fact, stories from older generations need more supporting documentation the farther back in time they reach. You might think old stories, told closer in time to when they purportedly took place, are more likely to be true. But the reality is that people…

1541 Spaniard De Soto’s expedition enters Arkansas 1682 France claims the Mississippi River Valley; four years later, Arkansas Post is founded 1762 France cedes Louisiana Territory to Spain 1803 The United States purchases the Louisiana Territory from France, who had reacquired it from Spain a few years earlier 1819 Arkansas Territory is formed, including much of modern Oklahoma 1836 Arkansas is admitted as the 25th state 1861 Arkansas secedes from the Union 1883 Cleburne County is created, the last major change to Arkansas’ county borders 1927 The Mississippi River floods, killing nearly 100 people in Arkansas alone 1957 President Eisenhower deploys the 101st Airborne to protect the “Little Rock Nine” at Little Rock Central High School…

1668 French missionary Jacques Marquette founds Sault Ste. Marie on the“Upper Peninsula” of Michigan 1701 The French found Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit, which becomes modern Detroit 1763 Ownership of French lands in North America passes from France to Great Britain 1783 The United States gains what is now Michigan upon independence; the region is organized into Northwest Territory in 1787 1800 Western Michigan becomes part of Indiana Territory 1805 The Territory of Michigan is established, then including modern Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota, as well as part of the Dakotas 1835 Ohio and Michigan fight over Michigan’s southern border in the mostly bloodless Toledo War 1837 Michigan becomes the 26th state in the Union 1891 Dickinson County is created in the last major change to Michigan’s county boundaries 1903 Henry Ford…

Have a photo mystery you’d like Maureen to investigate? Email FamilyTree@Yankeepub.com with your photo, any line, and your question may be selected for a future issue. Maureen A. Taylor is the author of Family Photo Detective (Family Tree Books).…

Q I didn’t get any DNA samples from my parents for analysis before they died. Is there a good source of DNA to leave behind for my daughters, such as a blood spot or hair? A Scientists have reported that DNA molecules can last for over 1 million years under the right conditions. But exposure to heat, water, sunlight and oxygen can reduce that to a matter of weeks. Saliva (as in a commercial DNA test kit) and blood are the best ways to sample DNA, but most experts agree that such samples would need to be refrigerated or frozen to last more than about six months. Sealing in a vacuum-packed container also helps extend “shelf life.” And some research suggests that dried blood samples kept at room temperature can…

• aliquot parts: In the Public Land or Rectangular Survey System, a description for an exact subdivision of a setion of land using directions and fractions, for example, “W ½ SE ¼” represents the west half of the southeast quarter of a section. • bounty land: Land granted by a government as a reward for military service. • Bureau of Land Management General Land Office (GLO): The US government office historically in charge of disposing of public land, with branch offices in each state.̇ • cadastral map: A plat map showing the boundaries and owners of land, generally used for tax purposes.̇ • consideration: Money or other property used to purchase land.̇ • convey: To transfer property to another, especially by a deed.̇ • deed: A document transferring ownership and…

1618 The headright system, in which land is granted to those who sponsor immigrants’ passage, is established in Jamestown. 1763 A British royal proclamation establishes the British Indian Reserve, limiting the settlement of Europeans to Crown-claimed lands east of the Appalachian Mountains. 1783 The Treaty of Paris ends the American Revolution and establishes the northeast border with Canada at the 45th parallel. The Land Ordinance of 1785 implements a standardized system of federal land surveys that eases boundary conflicts. 1787 The Northwest Ordinance establishes the Northwest Territory in the Great Lakes region and mandates the creation of new states from the area. 1788 Seven Ranges in eastern Ohio is the first tract surveyed with the Public Land Survey System. 1792 Connecticut sets aside “firelands” in its Western Reserve (now Ohio) for residents of towns burned during…