Friday, December 30, 2016

PGS Events for the Week of 1-7 January 2017

Tuesday, 3-Jan-2017 at 6:00 PM--Newspapers Online in Genealogy—This class will explore the genealogy data to be found in newspapers (obituaries, weddings, human interest stories, etc.) and show where to find the online repositories and how to use them. Summers   , Local History Room, Largo Library.
Thursday, 5-Jan-2017 at 1:00 PM--Swedish Genealogy Interest Group--The session will explore the many tools available and methods possible for locating and researching your ancestors who came from Sweden. Contributions of interest to the group as a whole are welcome and encouraged. Charest, Local History Room, Largo Library.
Friday, 6-Jan-2017 at 10:15 AM--Franco-American Discussion Group. Geographic areas include: Europe (primarily France, but not limited to France)-Eastern Canada (primarily Quebec, some Ontario, but including the Acadians of the Maritime Provinces)-USA (Central North America and New England, also Louisiana and the surrounding Southern states). Grandmaison, Local History Room, Largo Library.
Saturday, 7-Jan-2017 at 10:00 AM--Family Tree Maker User Group--Questions & Answers and Demonstration of how to use the Family Tree Maker genealogical database software. Hosmer/Bryan, Local History Room, Largo Library.

Thursday, December 29, 2016

Cook County Naturalization Records: Declarations of Intention

Naturalization records can be tough to find because of the ability of our ancestors to use courts from the local to the federal level. Their paperwork can be in the archives of county courts all the way to the National Archives housing federal court records.

That dispersal of records is what makes this online set of Cook County, Illinois circuit court declarations of intention ("first papers") so valuable. After searching on you specified criteria, you will get a hit list. Click on any name and you will see a record consisting of record location (volume, page number, declaration number), name, occupation, birth location and date, departure location, arrival date, and declaration date.

Check it out at:
Cook County Clerk of the Circuit Court: Search the Naturalization Declarations of Intention:

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Monday, December 26, 2016

Here's a Fun Test For You

Here is a little test from Tamie Dehler writing in the Tribune Star Website. You can confirm what you know, or get an insight where you might need to do a little exploration.

Good luck at:
Genealogy: Put yourself to the test | Community | tribstar.com:

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Thursday, December 22, 2016

Finding School Records for Genealogy

Lisa Louise Cooke, writing in her Blog, Genealogy Gems, gives us the article "School Yourself: 10 Ways to Find School Records for Genealogy." This very helpful article is filled with good advice as well as links to many of the referenced websites.

Remember, Lisa is going to be the principal speaker at our 2017 seminar on 25 February. You can find more information about it and a registration form at: http://www.flpgs.org/NMbrs/seminar/2017/Sem17.aspx

Here is the link to Lisa's article:
School Yourself: 10 Ways to Find School Records for Genealogy:

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Monday, December 19, 2016

Oak Hill Cemetery Burial Records, Georgetown, DC

Oak Hill Cemetery, in the center of Georgetown, DC, lying long Rock Creek, was established in 1849. It has an interesting history, to which there is a link on the landing page.

You can look up individual burials in an index which will link you to tombstone inscriptions and burial records. And you can also look at maps of the various sections of the cemetery.

Check it out at:
Oak Hill Cemetery Burial Records and Lot and Section Maps:

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Friday, December 16, 2016

PGS Events for the Week of 18-24 December 2016

Tuesday, 20-Dec-2016 at 6:00 PM--Ancestry.com searching--the next level. This class will explore approaches to difficult searches--how to find them when they're not where they should be. Bryan, Local History Room, Largo Library.
Wednesday, 21-Dec-2016 at 6:00 PM--Scanned Genealogy Books Online--How and where to find them  (google books, heritage quest,ancestry.com, et al). Summers, Local History Room, Largo Library.

Best Cemetery and Directory Genealogy Websites for 2016

FamilyTreeMagazine gives us their take on the top 101 genealogy databases for 2016. The link below takes you directly to the list of best cemetery and directory genealogy websites, but links at the bottom of the list will take you to the other categories of websites as well as to the main article itself.

2016 Best Cemetery & Directory Genealogy Websites - Family Tree Magazine:

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Tuesday, December 13, 2016

Fire Insurance Maps for Cities in Georgia

Now you can review online a collection of Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps for towns and cities in Georgia for the years of 1884 to 1922. We can thank the Digital Library of Georgia and Galileo.

You can do a basic word search, or elect to do an advance search to quickly narrow down your search results. You can also search for a specific address. Browsing is also available--by city, county, or year.

Check it out at:  Ben Hill County:

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Saturday, December 10, 2016

Twenty Questions to Ask Yourself About Your Research Techniques

Elizabeth Shown Mills writing in her Evidence Explained Blog, gives us twenty questions to guide us in our research, and perhaps to remind us of some things we should be doing and are not.

This is a good read. Check it out at:  QuickTips:

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PGS Events for the Week of 11-17 December 2016

Tuesday, 13-Dec-2016 at 6:00 PM--Familysearch.org—the class will demonstrate how to search the vast databases available on this rapidly-expanding site made available from the LDS (Mormon) genealogy collection. Bryan, Local History Room, Largo Library
Thursday, 15-Dec-2016 at 1:00 PM--Irish Genealogy Interest Group, Focareta-Padgett, Local History Room, Largo Library
Friday, 16-Dec-2016 at 10:30 AM--German Genealogy Interest Group. Dietz, Local History Room, Largo Library
Saturday, 17-Dec-2016 at 10:00 AM--Computers in Genealogy--Question and answer session on the use of computers in genealogy research and record keeping. Bryan, Jenkins B, Largo Library.
Saturday, 17 Dec 2016 at 11:00 AM—Christmas Party & Show and Tell. Jenkins B, Largo Library.

Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Digitized Newspapers From Virginia

This vast collection of digitized Virginia newspapers is hosted by the Library of Virginia. It boasts over 120 titles representing 102,502 issues, comprising 809,181 pages, and 122,203 articles. Quite impressive.

You can search the collection using a simple search box, or browse by title or date.

While you are on the site, click on the link given for "The Virginia Newspaper Project" to get a more complete picture of the newspaper resources the library makes available.

Check it out at:  Virginia Chronicle:

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Sunday, December 4, 2016

Disasters that Affected our Ancestor's Lives

Storms, explosions, wrecks, crashes, floods, fires! These types of catastrophic events and others often affect the lives of our ancestors. Learning about those disasters help us to better understand the lives of our ancestors who lived through them.

This website Chronicles and categorizes disasters making is easy to find applicable events by type of disaster, year of occurrence, or state of occurrence. Canada is also included as a browse destination.

This is fascinating reading, so be prepared to spend more time at the site than you may have planned. Check it out at:

GenDisasters ... Genealogy in Tragedy, Disasters, Fires, Floods | Events That Touched Our Ancestors' Lives:

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Saturday, December 3, 2016

WWII Collection on Fold3.com Is Free for The Month of December 2016

The Ancestry website Fold3, which specializes in US military records and is available free of charge if used within the Largo Library, is offering free access to their  World War II records for the entire month of December 2016.

This link will take you directly to the free offer:
https://go.fold3.com/wwii/ 

Friday, December 2, 2016

PGS Events for the Week of 4-10 December 2016

Thursday, December 1, 2016

Help in Breaking Down Your Brick Walls

You may think getting through that brick wall is a hopeless venture, but you never know when you may come across just the piece of information you need, or read about a strategy you have not tried before.

Family History Daily gives us an article titled "The 13 Reasons You Can't Break Down Your Brick Walls" that just might give you the help you need.

Check it out at:
The 13 Reasons You Can't Break Down Your Brick Walls | Family History Daily:

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Monday, November 28, 2016

The Cemeteries of Cuba, New York

If you have ancestors from Allegany County, New York, you may be interested in these cemeteries located on its western boarder.

Mouse over the "Community" tab and  then mouse over "Cemeteries" in the drop down menu. Then click on the cemetery of your choice (Our Lady of Angels Catholic Cemetery (OLA), established in 1855; Cuba Cemetery, established in 1841; and North Cuba Cemetery)

Check it out at:  Community:

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Friday, November 25, 2016

PGS Events for the Week of 27 Nov to 3 Dec 2016

Tuesday, 29-Nov-2016 at 11:30 AM--DNA Basics—an introduction to DNA that may be help attendees better understand the discussion in the DNA Interest Group following at 1:00 PM. Summers, Local History Room, Largo Library.
Tuesday, 29-Nov-2016 at 1:00 PM--DNA Interest Group--Share your DNA knowledge and discuss your results with others interested in making DNA Connections.  This is a group for DNA novices to learn together. Luce, Local History Room, Largo Library.
Wednesday, 30-Nov-2016 at 6:00 PM--Library of Congress Website--what genealogy help it provides, veterans’ information, historic newspapers, digital collections, photographs, and use of the catalog. Summers, Local History Room, Largo Library.
Thursday, 1-Dec-2016 at 1:00 PM--Swedish Genealogy Interest Group--The session will explore the many tools available and methods possible for locating and researching your ancestors who came from Sweden. Contributions of interest to the group as a whole are welcome and encouraged. Charest, Local History Room, Largo Library.
Friday, 2-Dec-2016 at 10:15 AM--Franco-American Discussion Group. Geographic areas include: Europe (primarily France, but not limited to France)-Eastern Canada (primarily Quebec, some Ontario, but including the Acadians of the Maritime Provinces)-USA (Central North America and New England, also Louisiana and the surrounding Southern states). Grandmaison, Local History Room, Largo Library.
Saturday, 3-Dec-2016 at 10:00 AM--Family Tree Maker User Group--Questions & Answers and Demonstration of how to use the Family Tree Maker genealogical database software, Hosmer/Bryan, Local History Room, Largo Library. 

Death Photography: You May Have An Example in Your Collection

This article for the BBC News by Bethan Bell describes the practice of photographing the deceased and perhaps even posing them with living family members. Such was the practice in Victorian England.

Morbid as it may sound, there was reason for it, and Bell's article makes for fascinating reading as he explains it.

You may have such a photo in your collection and not realize it. Check it out at:
Taken from life: The unsettling art of death photography - BBC News:

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Tuesday, November 22, 2016

City and County Directories Around Cincinnati, Ohio

The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, Ohio has made this collection available to us. The collection contains directories from the cities of Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Hamilton, Norwood, Hamilton County, and Huron County. Also included is Covington and Newport, Kentucky. Some of the directories were published as early as 1819.

You can do a simple or an advanced search and use some filters to narrow your search as you go.

City & County Directories:

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Saturday, November 19, 2016

Riverside Cemetery in the City of Ladysmith, Wisconsin  

Riverside Cemetery is owned and operated by the City of Ladysmith. To see an alphabetic listing of burials, click on "Burial Listing Report" located on the landing page.

You can also see maps of the cemetery by quadrant or its entirety. Each map can be down loaded or printed and contains the names of the grave owner and the person interred, the location of the marker, and whether the person is a veteran. You can enlarge the map by holding down the control key and tapping the "+" key.

Cemetery-Riverside Cemetery - City of Ladysmith, Wisconsin  :

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Friday, November 18, 2016

PGS Events for the Week of 20-16 November 2016

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Spanish-American War Service Summary Cards for Georgia Volunteers

Georgia raised three militia regiments for service in the Spanish-American War (April-December 1898). All three regiments were sworn into service by mid-May, 1898 and they served until November 18, 1898.

You can search by key word in any of the indexed data fields, or restrict your search to any individual field using the advanced search.

The information found on the cards includes name, race, residence, occupation, birth place, age, date and place of enlistment, muster-in and muster-out date and place, organization, rank, and more.

Spanish-American War Service Summary Cards:

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Sunday, November 13, 2016

Woodbridge Public Library Offers Digitized Newspapaers

Here you will find an archive of twelve historical newspapers serving the area around Woodbridge, New Jersey. The dates of the papers range from 1898 to 1970.

You can search by key word, decade, or start by choosing a specific newspaper.

Check it out at:  Woodbridge Public Library | Local History:

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Friday, November 11, 2016

PGS Events for the Week of 13-19 November 2016

Monday, 14-Nov-2016 at 10:00 AM--Understanding Historical Causes of Death-Death certificates are important resources when researching the lives of our ancestors. However, due to factors such as outdated terminology and the limits of medical knowledge in the past, it can be hard to interpret the causes of death given. This presentation examines some of those factors, and points to resources that can help you find out what your ancestors really died of. Fortin, Local History Room, Largo Library.
Thursday, 17-Nov-2016 at 1:00 PM--Irish Genealogy Interest Group, Padgett-Focareta, Local History Room, Largo Library
Friday, 18-Nov-2016 at 10:30 AM--German Genealogy Interest Group, Dietz, Local History Room, Largo Library.
Saturday, 19-Nov-2016 at 10:00 AM--Computers in Genealogy--Question and answer session on the use of computers in genealogy research and record keeping. Bryan, Jenkins B, Largo Library.
Saturday, 19 Nov 2016 at 11:00 AM—Business Meeting—followed by a special Lecture Series presentation by Dick Eastman.
Privacy Concerns for Genealogists starting about 11:15 followed by a short lunch break and then a second presentation by Eastman, Genealogy in the Cloud.
Dick Eastman is an internationally known genealogist and has been involved in genealogy for more than 35 years. For the past nine years he has published the daily online periodical, "Eastman’s Online Genealogy Newsletter."

Thursday, November 10, 2016

Hoosier State Chronicles: Indiana's Digital Historic Newspaper Program

This site features a large collection of digitized Indiana newspapers: over 113,000 issues comprising about 850,000 pages.

You can browse by title of the paper, or by date of publication. You can also search using a simple or advanced search form. The browse links are at the right of the landing page, and the search link is a tab at the top of the page. There are also tabs at the top of the page to browse by county as well as repeats of the browse capabilities listed on the right of the page (title and date). Many of the issues have been tagged with names or events, and those tags can also be browsed.

Check it out at:

Hoosier State Chronicles: Indiana's Digital Historic Newspaper Program:

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Drew Smith to Speak of JGSTB on 13 November 2016


Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay Meeting
Your Ancestor's FAN Club:
Using Cluster Research to Get Past Brick Walls

Speaker: Drew Smith
Sunday, November 13, 2016
The Jewish Genealogical Society of Tampa Bay will meet at Gulf Coast Jewish Family & Community Services, 14041 Icot Blvd., Clearwater, Florida on Sunday November 13, 2016 at 2 pm for a presentation by Drew Smith on  “Your Ancestor's FAN Club: Using Cluster Research to Get Past Brick Walls”.

Monday, November 7, 2016

Riverside Cemetery & Conservancy of Macon, Georgia

The Riverside Cemetery was established in 1887 and has more than 18,000 burials in its 125 acres. If you have Georgia ancestors, it is well worth you time to check out this site. The site offers an excellent user interface as well.

After you fill in the search form, you are given an alphabetic listing of names that meet your criteria. At first the information seems meager, but that is not the case if you explore further. Initially you are given the name, and dates of birth and death. Each name is a hot link. When you click on a name you are taken to another information page that add interment date, spouse or parent, surviving relatives, lot information, image of the headstone, and the location of the plot (complete with GPS coordinates) on an interactive map.

Search Our Records:

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Friday, November 4, 2016

PGS Events for the Week of 6-12 November 2016

Monday, 7-Nov-2016 at 6:00 PM--MAPS IN GENEALOGY RESEARCH –EVEN MORE – Maps can reveal much about the lives our ancestors led and the conditions under which they lived. They can also reveal hints on where to look for other important documents. There are many different types of maps available to the researcher, and this class deals with military, ward, topographical, plat, and railroad maps. Summers, Local History Room, Largo Library.

Tuesday, 8-Nov-2016 at 10:00 AM--Local and county histories are often overlooked resources that can contain a wealth of resources on your ancestors and the places that they lived. This presentation explores the background of local and county history books; what information can be found in them; and, where to find them, both in print and online. Fortin, Local History Room, Largo Library.

Thursday, 10-Nov-2016 at 10:00 AM--INTRODUCTION TO GENEALOGY (Beginner) -- Basics of how to get started in researching your family history—what to do first, where to look & how to do it. Bryan, Local History Room, Largo Library. 

County Tyrone, Ireland Genealogical Research Website

Those of you with Irish in your ancestry may find this website devoted to County Tyrone research helpful. It is difficult to explain what the site offers because it offers so much. You can find links to birth records, church records, maps, marriages, emigration, and much more.

You have to take some time and explore the many pages and links offered here, but it can be well worth the effort.

Check it out at:

County Tyrone Ireland Genealogy | Official Website of the Co. Tyrone Mailing List:

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Tuesday, November 1, 2016

Tulsa Genealogy Society Offers Online Databases

Here is a link for those of you with an Oklahoma interest, presented by the Tulsa Genealogical Society.

There is much to explore on this site, but three research databases that jumped out at me were the "Funeral Home Index," the "Tulsa County Divorce Index," and the "Tulsa County Marriage Index." All three of those links are found on the left side of the landing page under the "Research" heading.

Check it out at:  Tulsa Genealogy Society-Home:

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Sunday, October 30, 2016

Lee County Genealogical Society to Feature Debra Fleming

The Lee County Genealogical Society meeting on 17 Nov 2016 will feature Debra S. Fleming, The Ancestry Detective, speaking on "The Genealogy Proof Standard."

Family researchers know that direct evidence records can be found
only for so long. When they reach a stage in their research that little
bits of indirect information is all they have, they need to turn to the
Genealogy Proof Standard. This is a process used by family
researchers to determine what we know, what we want to know, and
how we get there. Debra will explain what these standards are and how to use them.

Doors open at 9:30 at Cypress Lakes Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall, 8260 Cypress Lake Drive, Fort Myers, FL. For more information visit www.LCGSFL.org.

PGS Events for the Week of 30 October to 5 November 2016

Tuesday, 1-Nov-2016 at 6:00 PM--BACKUP & COMPUTER DATA PROTECTION--How to assure your genealogy (and other) computer data is safe from natural disasters, computer failure, viruses, spyware, etc. We will discuss what data you need to backup and specific means to safely backup that data. We will show how to protect your computer from viruses and spyware. Bryan, Local History Room, Largo Library.
Wednesday, 2-Nov-2016 at 10:00 AM--Fold3 is an online database focused on digitized military records. It is a fee site that is free if accessed at or through the Largo Library. This presentation explains how to get the most out of using it. Summers, Local History Room, Largo Library.
Friday, 4-Nov-2016 at 10:15 AM--Franco-American Discussion Group. Geographic areas include: Europe (primarily France, but not limited to France)-Eastern Canada (primarily Quebec, some Ontario, but including the Acadians of the Maritime Provinces)-USA (Central North America and New England, also Louisiana and the surrounding Southern states) Grandmaison, Local History Room, Largo Library.
Saturday, 5-Nov-2016 at 10:00 AM--Family Tree Maker User Group--Questions & Answers and Demonstration of how to use the Family Tree Maker genealogical database software. Hosmer, Local History Room, Largo Library.

Saturday, October 29, 2016

The Wethersfield, Connecticut Ancient Burying Ground and Village Cemetery

The Wethersfield Historical Society has provided us with an online history of the ancient burying ground and village cemetery, along with and interactive map of the cemetery and an index of burials. About half way down the landing page you will find four links to the items just mentioned. The second link is to the "Interactive Map and Index of Burials."

The burial index will give you the deceased's name, date of death, tombstone inscription, and any special notes. Associated with each burial is the capability to place it on the map of the cemetery that accompanies the database. The cemetery contains close to 7,000 burials.

Burying Ground | Wethersfield Historical Society:

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Wednesday, October 26, 2016

The Unger Memorial Library (Plainview, Texas) Online Databases

For those with Texas in their family history, the Unger Memorial Library of Plainview, Texas may offer some great information.

At the top of the landing page you can follow links to Hale County newspaper archives, Hale County Cemetery Records, and other links to maps and historic items of interest. The cemetery database will give you name; dates of birth, death, and marriage; wife's and parent's names; cemetery name and grave location; and funeral home.

About half way down the landing page is a lick titled "Genealogy" that will lead to several digitized books on the history of Hale County as well as other records.

Check it out at:  The Unger Memorial Library (Plainview, Texas):

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Sunday, October 23, 2016

Union Cemetery of Newton Iowa

Those with ancestors from Iowa may find this website of value. It was established about 150 years ago and has grown to almost 60 acres.

From the landing page, click on "Interment Listing" at the left of the page. Then click of the letter of the surname of interest and scroll down the alphabetic listing. The database contains name, age, death of death, location of burial in the cemetery, and comments (often giving date of birth, relationship, etc.).

Check it out at:  Newton, IA - Official Website - History of the Cemetery:

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Friday, October 21, 2016

PGS Events for the Week of 23 - 29 October 2016

Thursday, October 20, 2016

Western States Marriages Index Onine

This index comes courtesy of Brigham Young University-Idaho. It contains over 900,000 marriage records, and it is constantly being updated.

Is the search form is a field for "State," and a drop down list is provided that will reveal all of the states represented in the database. You can search all states at once or choose and individual state to focus on. If you choose an individual states, the next field will list the represented counties within that state. Again, you can search all of the counties at one time, or focus in on only one.

Check it out at:  Western States Marriages Search Form:

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Monday, October 17, 2016

Check out SWilson.info for Irish Information

This site is worth checking out if you have Irish Ancestry. Little explanation of the site is given, but there is an amazing array of links to digitized material. You will find historic maps, directories, and more.

To the left of the page is an index of the site contents. Major headings are in dark gray. Simply click on a heading to reveal it links.

SWilson Info Homepage:

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Friday, October 14, 2016

Free Genealogy Search Engine

I have alerted readers to the GenealogyInTime search engine before, but it is worth mentioning again…and again.

The genealogy search engine has been enhanced recently. Here are some of the things the GenealogInTime Newsletter has to say about it:

>>We have completed the process of adding another 100 million ancestral records to the free Genealogy Search Engine.  This brings the total to 3.2 billion searchable records.

>>A substantial portion of the records covered by the Genealogy Search Engine are unique and cannot be found on subscription websites.  This is because our records come from different sources (often local, state and national archives).
>>We also cover entire classes of records not found on the pay websites (such as the massive Google Newspaper Archive, historic photo archives, biographies, recent obituaries, letters, family papers, etc etc.) in addition to the usual birth, marriage, death records

>>We index every word in a document.  This makes our search engine easier to use, more flexible and more powerful.

Check it out at:  Free Genealogy Search Engine

Greensboro, North Carolina and Guilford County Ancestry

This link takes you to the Greensboro, North Carolina Library and several online databases and indexes of city and county records. You will find such treasures as Guilford County Marriage and Death Records (1771-1899), Greensboro City Directories (1884-1963), Union (African American) Cemetery, and more.

Check it out at:
City of Greensboro, NC : Search for Greensboro & Guilford Ancestry:

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PGS Event for the Week of 16-22 October 2016

Monday, 17-Oct-2016 at 1:00 PM--Italian Genealogy Interest Group will resume meeting to help you discover your Italian ancestors. Larry Bedore will do a review of the basics of Italian history and records during this meeting along with Q & A. Bedore, Local History Room, Largo Library.
Tuesday, 18-Oct-2016 at 6:00 PM--MAPS IN GENEALOGY RESEARCH (Part I) -- Maps can reveal much about the lives our ancestors led and the conditions under which they lived. They can also reveal hints on where to look for other important documents. There are many different types of maps available to the researcher, and this class deals with road, city, political, insurance, and migration maps. Summers, Local History Room, Largo Library.
Thursday, 20-Oct-2016 at 1:00 PM--Irish Genealogy Interest Group, Padgett-Focareta, Local History Room, Largo Library.
Friday, 21-Oct-2016 at 10:30 AM--German Genealogy Interest Group will have a special guest speaker, Tim Wahl. He has published a book on his research of his German and Polish ancestors. This should be interesting so don't miss it! Dietz, Local History Room, Largo Library.
Saturday, 22-Oct-2016 at 10:00 AM--RootsMagic User Group Meeting, Bryan, Local History Room, Largo Library.

Tuesday, October 11, 2016

Ontario, Canada Digital Newspapers Online

If you have ancestors from Ontario, Canada, this site may be of interest to you. But beware. Once you get into it, you will be occupied for hours because of all the valuable links it has.

From the landing page you have options to explore newspapers by community or by title, You also have the option to do a search using a tab in the upper right of the page. To the right of the page is a link to additional Ontario papers as well.

Check it out at:  OurOntario.ca: Newspaper Indexes:

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Monday, October 10, 2016

PINELLAS GENEALOGY SOCIETY FREE LECTURE SERIES FEATURES DICK EASTMAN

The Pinellas Genealogy Society is pleased to announce another in its Lecture Series, this time featuring Dick Eastman giving two presentations: “Privacy Concerns for Genealogists,” and “Cloudy with a Chance for Genealogy (Genealogy in the Cloud).”

This event is free and open to the public and runs from 11am to 3pm at the Largo Public Library (120 Central Park Drive, Largo, FL) on Saturday, 19 November 2016. There will be a short break for lunch after the first presentation. Plan to bring a brown bag lunch or make use of the Bookmark Café in the library.

Dick Eastman has been involved in genealogy for more than 30 years, and he has worked in the computer industry for more than 40 years in hardware, software, and managerial positions. By the early 1970's, Dick was already using a mainframe computer to enter his family data on punch cards, and he built his first home computer in 1980. He brings together his genealogy and technology interests to our benefit. His lectures are not only interesting and informative, but presented in entertaining and understandable terms.


Dick also authors his very popular “Eastman’s Online Genealogy Newsletter” which can be found at https://blog.eogn.com/author/eogn/ .

Saturday, October 8, 2016

Waldo County, Maine Town Reports Indexed at the Belfast Free Library

Waldo County, Maine was formed in 1827 and contains 25 towns in addition to Belfast. Each of the towns published an annual town report which often included listings of births, marriages, and deaths. Information from those lists has been transcribed and offered in this database.

Scroll down the page to search the lists by surname or browse by town name.

Check it out at:
Waldo County Town Reports – Belfast Free Library:

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Friday, October 7, 2016

PGS Events for the Week of 9-15 October 2016

Tuesday, 11-Oct-2016 at 6:00 PM--Library Catalog Searching for Genealogists – Libraries are a great place for finding genealogy resources. This class will show you how to find libraries and archives that can help you in your search, how to get the most from catalog searches, and discover other helpful resources available through online catalogs. Fortin, Local History Room, Largo Library.
Wednesday, 12-Oct-2016 at 10:00 AM--Genealogical Numbering Systems - explore different ways of showing relationships in family histories, and understanding ancestor and descendant reports in your genealogy program. Summers, Local History Room, Largo Library.
Thursday, 13-Oct-2016 at 10:30 AM--Walking in their footsteps-One of the fun things about genealogy is getting to know our ancestors as people, not just as names and dates on a chart. This presentation will help you to identify sources that can assist you in locating the precise locations where your ancestors lived and worked. Fortin, Local History Room, Largo Library.
Saturday, 15-Oct-2016 at 10:00 AM--Computers in Genealogy--Question and answer session on the use of computers in genealogy research and record keeping. Summers, Jenkins B, Largo Library
Saturday, 125 Oct 2016 at 11:00 AM—Program Meeting, Your Journey Story—Writing Your Family History, presented by Patricia Charpentier, Jenkins B, Largo Library.

Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Westport, Massachusetts Historic Private and Public Cemeteries

A community based volunteer group formed in 2005 under the guidance of the Westport, Massachusetts Historical Commission yields this impressive online database of Westport cemeteries and interments. Over one hundred cemeteries and nearly 12,000 burials are represented.

The landing page provides information about the site. Tabs at the top of the page lead to cemeteries or the interred.

Check it out at:  Westport Historic Private and Public Cemeteries:

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Sunday, October 2, 2016

Eastern European Maps and Research Guidance

Want links that will help you in your Polish research? How about a map of 1883 Moravia? The website of the Foundation for East European Family History Studies offers you that and much, much more.

The link below takes you to the site home page that is worth taking time to explore, but there are three pages in particular you may find helpful: they are found by click on the "Map Library," Resource directory," and "Selected websites" tabs at the top of the page.

FEEFHS - Eastern European Genealogy - FEEFHS:

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Friday, September 30, 2016

Lee County Genealogical Society Meeting, October 20, 2016

This was just received from the Lee County Genealogical Society:

JOIN US when Fort Myers Librarian and LCGS member Bryan Mulcahy will
demonstrate how to use the many online databases that family researchers may
use in the library and at home to further their genealogy research.

Bryan will
show us how to:
    •Access the library’s website remotely and the two ways to access the genealogy
homepage, and
    •Register remotely for genealogy or any adult programs online.

Bryan will also review the content of the genealogy homepage links, guides, and
references.

Cypress Lakes Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall, 8260 Cypress Lake Dr. Fort Myers.
Doors Open: 9:30 a.m.; Announcements begin at: 10:00 a.m.; followed by Refreshments and program
For more information visit www.LCGSFL.org

PGS Events for the Week of 2-8 October 2016

Monday, 3-Oct-2016 at 10:00 AM--Facebook for Genealogy—how to use this powerful social media tool for genealogy. Summers, Local History Room, Largo Library
Tuesday, 4-Oct-2016 at 6:00 PM--Living Persons--suggested methods and tips for finding living people--kinfolks you never knew. Bryan, Local History Room, Largo Library
Saturday, 8-Oct-2016  12-4:00 pm--Family History Assistance Day-- Volunteer researchers will assist attendees on a first-come, first-served basis to find their ancestors through online research. This will be especially helpful if you are just getting started in genealogy. Volunteers will also be available in the Genealogy Center to introduce visitors to the print collection through tours and will assist on the use of materials. Local History Room, Largo Library

Thursday, September 29, 2016

Alabama Civil War Newspapers Online

The Alabama Department of Archives & History has begun a project to make all of  its newspapers from the Civil War Era available online.

You can search the collection using the search box at the top of the landing page (there is an advanced search form available also), or browse the collection by county or date. A tab above the search box also lets you browse the entire collection.

Check it out at:
Alabama Civil War Newspapers:

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Monday, September 26, 2016

Bayside Cemetery, Potsdam, NY Database of Burials

Located in northern New York in St. Lawrence County, Bayside Cemetery offers us a database of its burials. The burials date back to 1867.

You will be asked to log in (both the user name and password are "password"). You can both browse and search the database, and if you click on the "Research" tab, you will see the option to download burial data as an Excel spreadsheet.

Check it out at:   Cemetery Association - Database of Burials:

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Friday, September 23, 2016

PGS Events for the Week of 25 September - 1 October 2016

Monday, 26-Sep-2016 at 6:00 PM--Writing Brief Narrative Sketches – Sharing Interesting Ancestors with Family--Do you want to share your family history research and enthusiasm with your relatives, but find that their eyes tend to glaze over when you pull out your pedigree charts and family group sheets? Try presenting the information to them in bite-size chunks, one interesting ancestor at a time, using brief, 1-3 page narratives with visual impact. Fortin, Local History Room, Largo Library.
Tuesday, 27-Sep-2016 at 10:00 AM--Documentation-An introduction on the content of proper source citations. Using modern genealogy programs to enter citations will also be covered (Roots Magic, and Family Tree Maker will be addressed).Summers  , Local History Room, Largo Library.
Wednesday, 28-Sep-2016 at 11:30 AM--DNA Basics—an introduction to DNA that may be help attendees better understand the discussion in the DNA Interest Group following at 1:00 PM. Summers, Local History Room, Largo Library.
Wednesday, 28-Sep-2016 at 1:00 PM--DNA Interest Group--Share your DNA knowledge and discuss your results with others interested in making DNA Connections. This is a group for DNA novices to learn together, Luce. Local History Room, Largo Library.
Wednesday, 28-Sep-2016 at 6:00 PM--ANCESTRY FAMILY TREES – Part 2. Publishing your tree on Ancestry.com can be a great way to share your research with others, as well as to provide a backup for your work. This presentation covers how to start a family tree on Ancestry.com, and how to maintain it. That includes working with people, events, images, and sources. Summers   , Local History Room, Largo Library.
Saturday, 1-Oct-2016 at 10:00 AM--Family Tree Maker User Group--Questions & Answers and Demonstration of how to use the Family Tree Maker genealogical database software, Hosmer/Bryan, Local History Room, Largo Library.

Georgia Confederate Pension Applications

Those of you who have Confederate ancestors from Georgia may find this site helpful. If your ancestor applied for a pension from Georgia, you may find it in this record set from the Georgia Archives at the University System of Georgia.

There is a search box at the top of the landing page, along with an option for an advanced search form.

Be sure and read the information about the database before you just jump into a search, because there is another set of pension applications that are not included in this database, but which are accessible following another link.

Confederate Pension Application Supplements:

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Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Carleton's Book of Negroes (sic), 1783, Library and Archives Canada

If you are doing Black genealogy research this offering from the Library and Archives Canada may be helpful. What it offers is the contents of a book listing Black Loyalists who left the United States after the Revolutionary War. Listed is the person's name, age, physical description, and some comments (if you are lucky).

I have given you two links below. The first is to a page at the Library and Archives Canada which gives historical background and an explanation of what the book contains. This is necessary to get the most out of the second link which takes you to the transcription of the book at the Black Loyalists site. You can get to the second link by following directions in the first link, but the trail can be confusing, so I've given you starting and ending points here. When you use the second link (you may have to copy and paste it to your browser), click on "documents" in the left pane of the page, then click on "Official Documents and Proclamations," then you will find a link to the book.

Carleton Papers – Book of Negroes, 1783 - Library and Archives Canada:

http://epe.lac-bac.gc.ca/100/200/301/ic/can_digital_collections/blackloyalists/index.htm


This note comes from the Libarary and Archives Canada website:
Important Note about Terminology
Since the 1960s, there has been a change in the terminology used to designate people of African descent. Today the term “black” is preferred. Nevertheless, “negro” is used in this research tool for two reasons:
  • The term appears frequently in the original documents and is used here only for historical context.
  • The Book of Negroes contains references not only to black people, but also to “mulattoes” and others of mixed race; the word “negro” is used to designate both black people and “mulattoes.”

Monday, September 19, 2016

Patricia Charpentier to Speak at Largo Library on 15 October on Writing Family History

Patricia Charpentier will be our October speaker.  Her talk is entitled "Your Journey Story"and include general advice on writing family history as well as specifics on the journey story approach. This event is free and open to the public.  

Through ghostwriting memoirs on behalf of others, as well as co-authoring, editing, teaching, speaking, and publishing Patricia has motivated and guided hundreds in leaving written legacies for their families.

Patricia encourages and inspires hundreds of people each year to write their personal and family histories. She offers fun, lively workshops and presentations that give people the tools needed to write those all-important stories before it is too late. 


For more on Patricia and her bio go to  http://writingyourlife.org/meet-patricia/

For a list of future PGS programs go to http://www.flpgs.org/programs.aspx 

Saturday, September 17, 2016

Google Limitations on Genealogy Searches You May Not Be Aware Of

The GenealogyInTime Magazine (GIT) gives us an article alerting us to a Google search limitation that is important to know about, especially when doing a genealogy search. It also offers a couple of suggestions on how to avoid that limitation.

Check it out at:  Google Limitations on Genealogy Searches:

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Friday, September 16, 2016

PGS Events for the Week of 18-24 September 2016

Monday, 19-Sep-2016 at 1:00 PM --Italian Genealogy Interest Group-- CANCELLED; MODERATOR CALLED OUT OF TOWN
Tuesday, 20-Sep-2016 at 6:00 PM--INTRODUCTION TO GENEALOGY (Beginner) -- Basics of how to get started in researching your family history—what to do first, where to look & how to do it. Bryan, Local History Room, Largo Library.
Saturday, 24-Sep-2016 at 10:00 AM--RootsMagic User Group--Demos, Q & A on how to use this popular genealogy database program. Summers, Local History Room, Largo Library.

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

New York State Genealogical Research Death Index from 1957

This free database helps you locate New York State death records that fall between 1957 and 1966, excluding New York City. The information offered includes year of death, state file number, decedent name, and decedent age. Each element can be sorted ascending or descending using the menu icon at the top of the appropriate column of data. The index can be browsed or searched.

Check it out at:
Genealogical Research Death Index: Beginning 1957 | State of New York | Open Data:

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Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Clearwater Public Library System Won Grant to Preserve Community History

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) awarded a grant of nearly $12,000 to the Clearwater Public Library System to bring historical records and artifacts currently hidden in family attics and basements and make them digitally available to the wider public and for posterity. It is one of only two institutions in the state of Florida to have been awarded the grant.

These are the first awards made under NEH’s new Common Heritage grant program, which was created in April 2015 as part of The Common Good: The Humanities in the Public Square, an agency-wide initiative that seeks to enhance the role of the humanities in civic life.

The Common Heritage grant awarded to the Clearwater Public Library System will allow it to host “digitization days,” encouraging members of the public to share materials important to their family or community histories, such as photographs, artifacts, family letters and works of art.

These items will be digitized, along with descriptive information and context provided by the community attendees. With the owner’s permission, the digitized materials will be made publicly available through the library’s online Pinellas Memory Project http://clearwater.pinellasmemory.org. Contributors will receive a free digital copy of their items to take home, along with the original materials.

Residents may bring items to be digitized at the following days, times and locations:

  >Saturday, September 17, 2016; noon-5 p.m.; Clearwater Main Library, 100 N. Osceola Ave., Clearwater, FL 33755. At 1 p.m., Local librarian and genealogist Karen Fortin will discuss Clearwater’s local history resources.
  >Saturday, September 24, 2016; 12:30-4:30 p.m., Clearwater East Library, 2251 Drew Street, Clearwater, FL 33765-3306.
  >Monday, November 7, 2016; 1-5 p.m.; Clearwater North Greenwood Library, 905 N. MLK Jr. Ave, Clearwater, FL 33755-3351.