Neither Rain, Sleet, Snow or HURRICANE?

Well, here I am in Birmingham. There was nothing that was going to stop me from coming to this conference. No way, not a holiday or even a hurricane!





Here’s how my first day went.

We received our blogger beads from Thomas MacEntee, courtesy of Dear Myrtle. Thank You Pat! It is definitely the best conversation starter. Some people just stare and wonder; but most stop and ask what the beads represent. It is awesome to talk to all of these people that we may not have had the opportunity to talk with. Good Going! Thank you again Dear Myrtle for making our experience more pleasant. Someone had said to me that the "beaded ones" were obviously special. Now we are known as the "Beaded Ones." How cute is that!

Tuesday night, there was a wonderful dinner for the blogging world sponsored by Family Search. Before I go any further, I want to thank Family Search for their wonderful generosity. They really know how to make a person feel special. Family Search talked to us about the amazing consortium that was able to digitize and index the entire 1940 United States Census in just over 4 months.  WOW! Then they previewed their upcoming major projects. They are working on digitizing and indexing The US Immigration and Naturalization records and the Italian Ancestors Project. Hey folks, they need indexers very badly. This is a huge undertaking and since we are the end-users, maybe we, as a society, need to get together and index some of these records. Wouldn't that be wonderful to give back to our genealogical and historical community. It's not as hard as you may think. Here's how it's done.




Create and sign in with a Family Search ID, sign up to index and then follow the instructions. Within minutes you can be looking at the copies of the original documents and then filling in the form for it to be indexed. If you have questions about your accuracy, no need to worry. Two other persons are doing the same document and then a moderator will determine the accuracy before it goes on line. There are even instructions and helpful hints along the way. What could go wrong! Let's talk about this at our next meeting. I will be more specific and walk you through this, later. If we did this together, we could make a difference.

Then I went and listened to D. Joshua Taylor give the keynote speech. It was titled "Transforming Your Society into a Dynamic 21st Century Destination." Oh my goodness, this was so relevant to what is happening in our society and nearly all societies around the country. He did an excellent job discussing how to integrate new technologies, a new group of genealogists, and new developments into societies that want to survive and thrive in today's world. I have ordered an audio copy of the speech. If anyone is interested in listening to it, please contact me.

Afterwards, the classes began. My first class was a discussion of the cemetery preservation efforts in Alabama and how genealogical societies and their members can participate. Lee Ann Woffard, Martha Armstrong, and Joyce Nicoll tag-teamed this presentation. Joyce has recently moved to Chattanooga from Montgomery. Her and I will get together and talk about some possible projects for the future. I am looking forward to seeing what we can come up with.

Then I moved on. I took a class that reviewed a society that had nearly failed. Its process from near extinction to a vibrant and active society was the case study. It dealt with rising costs, declining membership, changing member demographics and the technological advances. These are the same challenges that most societies are dealing with today. Thank you Diane Richard for this eye-opening example.

Next, Daine VanSkiver Gagel talked about the preservation of society records. It covered the important aspect of preserving the records that deal with the society meetings. If these are handled properly, the next generation of officers will be able to follow the proper path. Societies are also recipients of other peoples research. There are many ways to handle this and they were discussed in-depth. I hope to talk to you about this and put some of these ideas into practice.

Lastly, I took a two hour workshop about publicizing. Paula Stuart-Warren, through group analysis, hands on exercises and class discussion went into detail about the publication of newsletters, brochures, pamphlets, etc. Wow! It was a Great class. Thanks Paula. She also shared her ticket to the Opening Social that night. It was amazing. I would not have been there if it was not for her generosity. Thank You Again Paula!

As soon as the day's classes were over, we hopped on a bus and went down a couple of blocks to the iconic Alabama Theater. It, along with a few others like The Tivoli in Chattanooga, are the only remaining true, Hollywood-Style Movie Palaces, left in the United States. We were treated to the entertainment of Bobby Horton. He combined music, history and comedy into an entertaining evening.












What a wonderful way to end a very long and educational day!

Genealogy Overload?

August has been a very busy month in the genealogy field for me. There has not been much time to do anything else. Here is what my month has looked like so far and it doesn't stop here.

As you all know, there was a wonderful presentation at the James County meeting in the beginning of the month by Steve Robinson. He presented the story of the first transcontinental airplane race.( You can read about it here.)

I have viewed 4 webinars this month concerning technology and societies. I learned about the Genealogy Cloud and which one is the right one for me and "Wiki's for Genealogists". Thomas MacEntee presented these webinars through Legacy Family Tree. Megan Smolenyak talked about the neglected history, also through Legacy Family Tree. I took another webinar that  explained the use of the Instagram app on my IPhone. "Dear Myrtle" and "Not Your Mother's Genealogy" presented this webinar.   WEBINAR'S- MY FAVORITE PASTIME!   I love them!

I spent a day at the library researching for an upcoming magazine article dealing with James County, Tennessee. I will go into more detail about this in another blog post later on,
.
I am on the board of Tag Delta Genealogy Society and I had the presentation this month. We brainstormed about how to upgrade our society to meet the needs of new members, as well as, the established members. The internet and social media is changing how business is conducted these days. What do we need to do as a society to keep up with it?  These ideas will also be addressed at the FGS Conference next week. 

Also, I was a small part of a very excellent committee for the Chattanooga Area Workshop this past weekend. (You can read about that here.) Once again, Kudos to all of the speakers and the people behind the scenes.

I attended a lecture at the Chattanooga Library presented by the Chattanooga Area Historical Association. The speaker was Henry E. Simpson, from Birmingham, who spoke about General Streight's raids during the Civil War in the North Alabama area. The objective was cutting Bragg’s supply line by disrupting the Western & Atlantic Railroad which supplied Chattanooga. Streight and his Union troops were pursued by General Nathan Bedford Forrest during April of 1863.

I have been scanning documents and photos for this blog and another one that will be making its debut around the end of the year. Stay tuned!

I attended a family reunion and met some of my husband's family that I had not met before.

I have been trying to better organize my desk and filing system. Both, physical and digital. Unsuccessfully, I might add! I guess I just will have to come to terms that this will always be a "work in progress".

Lastly, I will be gone the last of August to go to the FGS Conference in Birmingham, Alabama. The Federation of Genealogical Societies' Conference deals with the issues that societies and archives face. I will taking classes about preserving and archiving the society's holdings, attracting new members, using social media to enhance the society's communication with its members, plus many more. I hope to implement some of these new ideas when I get back. I am still trying to read the enormous syllabus that I recieved to help me decide what classes that I want and/or need to take.

Whew!  With a massage, a nap and rehydration, I will be ready for the next busy genealogy-filled month.  Look out.....here I come!

* Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The Workshop Review

The workshop is over and it was a booming success. We had approximately 120 people equally mixed between beginners and those who have had some experience with this hobby. Hope you all attended, learned something new and enjoyed our speakers. (Read about the schedule here.)  In case you did not make it, here is a review of our fun-filled, educational day.

After registration, people filtered into one of two classrooms. One for beginners and one for non-beginners. Each class was well attended. Jim Douthat and Linda Mines gave excellent and delightful presentations.  Jim Douthat, the James W. Livingood 2012 Award recipient for the Historian of the Year (read about this here), taught beginners how to start their family genealogy. Linda Mines, the Hamilton County Historian, gave an excellent presentation that followed the family through generational lines with the use of social and economic events. This is the class that I attended. She was awesome! She knows more about history and its effects on the lives of our ancestors than I can ever dream of. She's my hero! I want to be her when I grow up. If I ever get the opportunity to hear her speak again, I will be in the room on the front row,

Then the next classes began with Jim Douthat and Rufus Williamson. Jim Douthat discussed how to use the United States Federal Census's to extend your family history further down the generational lines. Rufus Williamson, the President of Delta Genealogical Society, conquered the hard topic of DNA. The science of DNA is the newest tool in the genealogical toolbox. If this topic was clear as mud before, I am sure you have some basic understanding of it now.

After a light lunch, we all congregated together for the day's highlight presentation. An entertaining speech from Dr. George Schweitzer.  He always comes dressed for the part. Can you Guess?  This presentation was entitled "Searching for our Ancestors Across the Ocean".  He is a nationally acclaimed genealogist, historian and longtime professor at the University of Tennessee. He is the author of 220 publications including 19 genealogical guidebooks and has lectured to more than 200 genealogical and historical societies in the U.S. and internationally. This man gives an informative, interesting and a very witty performance. AMAAAZING!

I sure am glad that I was one of the people sitting in this room. I can only speak for myself, but I believe that everyone else in these rooms felt the same way that I do about the workshop...................

When is the next one?

Congratulations to Delta Genealogical Society and Signal Mountain Genealogical Society. All of their hard work payed off.



Genealogy Workshop

The Chattanooga area is having a Genealogy and History workshop on Saturday, August 18, 2012. It will be held at the First Centenary Methodist Church, downtown Chattanooga at 418 Oak Street. It will begin with 2 sets of classes in the morning and then lunch. After lunch, there will be an amazing speaker, Dr. George Schweitzer.

The first set of classes will begin at 9 am in the morning. There will be two classes. One for beginners and one for intermediate researchers.  The beginner class will be taught by Jim Douthat. It is titled "Beginning Your Family History"  Do you or someone you know want to start learning how to find the information that is needed to start your own family genealogy? This class is for you! Or maybe you just need a refresher class! Yes, this class would be for you too!
The intermediate class is "The Times in Which They Lived." Linda Mines will talk about how the history of a certain time period and the location can impact your ancestors' lives. These historical events will help you understand the decisions that your ancestors might have made...maybe even help you break down a brick wall or two!

The second set of classes will begin at 10:30 and they will be handled in the same manner. The beginner class will be taught by Jim Douthat, as well. This one is "The Treasures Hidden in Census Records". Census records hold a amazing amount of  information, if you know how to decipher them properly. Allow Jim to unlock all of their secrets for you. This class would be informative for both the beginner and the intermediate genealogist. The class for the intermediate researcher is titled "DNA-Genealogy's Newest Tool". This class will be taught by Rufus Williamson. This definetly is the lastest, cutting edge tool  in our field of genealogy. Yes, it is hard to understand, but exactly why you need to take this class.

We will then break for lunch and then assemble to hear our esteemed speaker for the afternoon. Dr George Schweitzer will be helping us "Search for our European Ancestors". He is nationally known as a history and genealogy speaker. He will teach you and inform you in a very witty and humorous manner that you will walk away wanting to see and hear him speak again.

The entrance fee for a fun-filled and informative day that includes your lunch will be $20.00 at the door. You can't beat that! I look forward to seeing all of you on Satuday, the18th of August. If you can't do the entire day, I highly recommend that you try to attend the parts that fit into your schedule.

August Meeting 2012

We have a real treat for you this quarter!

Steve Robinson, a Signal Mountain resident and a member of the Signal Mountain Genealogical Society is our speaker. He will cover the interesting topic of the first transcontinental flight in 1911.
Mr. Robinson's presentation will detail the first flight from New York to Los Angeles known as "The Flight of the Vin Fiz". This was a race that had to be completed in 30 days. Today, we may do that in several hours, but in 1911, aircraft was very new. They would need every bit of the 30 days. The prize to the winner was $50,000.
Steve first heard this story from his grandfather, Frank M Quinn, who at the age of 23 became a member of the crew of the Vin Fiz. He had always been very fascinated with the family stories that put them in the middle of history. This story definitely does that.

The program is free and open to the public. I highly recommend that you not miss this one!

Join us Sunday, August 5, 2012 at 2:30 at the Ooltewah Methodist Church for this very entertaining presentation!

6131 Relocation Way, Ooltewah, TN

BRRRR ... It's Cold Outside!



In the midst of this country's heat wave, I thought that I would cool you down with the knowledge that on Tuesday, January 16, 1912, the mercury dropped to 3 degrees above zero in Ooltewah. It was stated as being the coldest day in many years.

Are you feeling the chill? Do you want hot chocolate? Do you feel the need for a sweater yet?
Okay, I just thought that I would try!


 Free image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

Unprecedented for Boldness

18March1894    Knoxville Daily Journal    pg 9

Unprecedented For Boldness

Nine Stores in Ooltewah Entered by

Daring and Nervy Burglars

Special to the Journal

Chattanooga, Tenn. March 17

Robberies of a wholesale nature, unprecedented in boldness and character, were perpetrated at Ooltewah, a station fifteen miles out of Chattanooga on the Last Tenn, Va & Ga Railway Friday night. The whole town was ransacked. It is a place of about 800 inhabitants. There are nine stores. Every one was entered during the night and the goods carted off in wagons. Detectives and policemen were sent to the scene with bloodhounds, but had not caught the thieves when heard from late this afternoon.

I agree with the reporter, it was definitely bold. If they had taken so much merchandise that it had to be removed by horse and buggy, one would have thought that they should have been caught. They could not have gone too fast on the poorly maintained roads of the day in a horse and buggy. I would venture to say that the bandits were pursued on horseback, a much better mode of transportation in James County, Tennessee in 1894. Why were they not apprehended? Did they have a hide-out close by? In a local barn? Was the heist planned ahead of time? Did they have a get away driver? Were they local people and knew where to hide? Was this the 1894 version of Oceans Eleven?

My curiousity got the best of me. I wanted to know who had been the recipient of our thieves. So I went in hunt of the 9 businesses. I went straight to the 1900 Federal Census for civil district 10, town of Ooltewah. Here is what I found:

William Wooten,  a 55 year old Grocer

George Wells, a 61  year old Dry Goods Merchant

Zach Watkins, a 53 year old Dry Goods Merchant

Robert Parks, a 47 year old Dry Goods Merchant

Isaac Wolf,  a 43 year old Grocer

George Howard, a 42 year old Druggist

John Childers, a 46 year old Shoemaker

Osca(r) Weaver, a 35 year old Watchmaker

John McCallister, a 24 year old Jeweler

Daniel Evans, a 55 year old Blacksmith

Benjamin Murphy, a 33 year old Blacksmith

Now, I have made several assumptions here. I am assuming that the  business owners lived in the town of  Ooltewah, if they owned a business there, due to the transportation issues. I also looked at the outlaying parts of Ooltewah, which is included as a seperate section of civil district 10 and did not see any merchants living there. I also went to civil district 5, which is close to Ooltewah, and only saw a few peddlers of chickens and eggs. These peddlers eventually did have retail establishments in Ooltewah, but obviously, they were not merchants in a physical building  that could be robbed in 1900. I am also assuming that the 2 blacksmiths were working under the same roof, as well as, the jeweler and the watchmaker. If these assumptions are correct, than these would be the 9 businesses;  3 dry good retailers, 1 drug store, 2 grocers, 1 jewelry store, 1 shoe store and 1 blacksmith store.

Looking at the type of stores that got robbed, the bandits got away with quite an assortment of merchandise. There were probably medicines, food products, lamp oil, clothing, watches, shoes, boots, horse shoes, blades for the hoes, wagon wheel parts and many more items were in the back of that wagon. I would love to know who did this, did they get caught and what did they take?