Friday Finds – 06/14/13

Weekly column sharing genealogy-related things I’ve found.

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New-to-Me Blogs

• The New England House Historian, Marian Pierre-Louis
• Geneartistry, Sarah Ashley

Online Articles

• Announcing the “Getting Started Stories” Contest, Treelines
• Legacy Family Tree 8 Revealed, Legacy News
• Mapping With Google Course for Genealogy, The We Tree Genealogy Blog
• Tuesday’s Tip: The Ten-Minute Genealogist, Climbing My Family Tree
• MA Vital Records Project Website Changes the Historical View of Mass. Towns and Families, AncestryInk

Websites & Resources

• Early Vital Records of Massachusetts – Transcriptions of over 1,500,000 records from over 150 Massachusetts towns, from 1600-1850.
• Genealogical Records of the War of 1812 – Article written by Stuart L. Butler for the Winter 1991 edition of Prologue Magazine (published by NARA).

Upcoming FREE Webinars

Date / Time	Webinar / Presenter / Host
6/17 7 PM Central	Research at the Atlanta History Center Sue VerHeof Georgia Genealogical Society
6/18 7 PM Central	The Area Research Network Josh Ranger Wisconsin State Genealogical Society
6/19 8 PM Central	Interest in Pinterest: Pinning Your Family History Valerie Elkins Southern California Genealogical Society
6/20 8 PM Central	Finding Your Family Stories Valerie Elkins Utah Genealogical Association
6/26 1 PM Central	How Knowing the Law Makes Us Better Genealogists Judy G. Russell Legacy Family Tree
7/6 12 PM Central	Transform Your Note-Taking and Remember Everything With Evernote Tonia Kendrick Southern California Genealogical Society
7/9 8 PM Central	Common Surnames: Ways to Identify Your Ancestors in a Crowd Juliana Smith Illinois State Genealogical Society
7/9 1 PM Central	DNA and Genetic Genealogy in 2013 Debbie Parker Wayne Friends of the National Archives Southeast Region
7/10 1 PM Central	Canadian Ports of Entry: Ship Passenger Lists, Immigration Records, and Border Crossing Records Kathryn Lake Hogan Legacy Family Tree

Genealogy By the States – Week 23 – Maine

No connections to Maine for me.  I do have some Maine resources bookmarked at Diigo though…maybe they’ll be helpful to someone with Maine roots.

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Genealogy By the States is a theme created by Jim Sanders over at the Hidden Genealogy Nuggets blog.

Family History Through the Alphabet – Timelines

For 26 weeks I will take you on a family history journey through the alphabet, one letter at a time.  I have decided that each post will be educational in nature, focusing on topics related to resources, methodology, tools, etc.  Although the challenge is complete, there are still some people who are finishing up and Alona, the host, is encouraging others to participate anyway.  Additional information on the challenge, can be found at Take the ‘Family History Through the Alphabet’ Challenge. 

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Timelines are such a wonderful tool in genealogy research.  You can learn so much by looking at a visual depiction of your ancestors over time.  From research gaps to research analysis, timelines should always to a go-to method for working through tough research problems.

I’ve written about timelines before in the following two posts from 2010, which I encourage you to check out:

• Working With Timelines
• More on Timelines

Most genealogy software has some sort of timeline feature.  In addition, you can create your own using charting software (such as Edraw and Visio), desktop publishing software, or by using the drawing tools in Word (some people even use Excel).  Sometimes, I just take pencil and paper and sketch out a timeline. 

There are also a few websites out there that let you create and share timelines, including OurTimeLines and TimeRime.  I actually used TimeRime to generate a timeline for my second great-grandmother (see my post Fearless Females – Timeline).

Whenever you find yourself stuck on a research problem, try using a timeline.  Whatever method you choose, be it software or by hand, it may be just the thing to help you bust down that wall!

Don’t Forget to Register for the FGS 2013 Conference Before July 1st to Save $50!

June is almost halfway gone and the FGS 2013 Conference is getting that much closer.  If you haven’t registered yet, be sure to do so by July 1st in order to save $50 on a full registration.  I myself have been procrastinating, but as soon as I post this, I’m heading over to register.  See the press release below for more details.

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2013 FGS CONFERENCE EARLY-BIRD REGISTRATION ENDS JULY 1
“Journey through Generations” – A Conference for the Nation’s Genealogists

June 10, 2013 – Austin, TX.  Discounted early-bird registration for the 2013 Federation of Genealogical Societies Conference will continue only until July 1. Early registrants receive a $50 discount for the full four days, or a $20 discount for any single day. Details at http://www.fgsconference.org.

The conference will be held 21-24 August 2013 in Fort Wayne, Indiana at the Grand Wayne Convention Center. This year’s conference theme is “Journey through Generations,” and the local hosts are the Allen County Public Library (ACPL) and the Allen County Genealogical Society of Indiana (ACGSI). Platinum sponsors are FamilySearch, FindMyPast.com and Ancestry.com.

The conference offers opportunities for all who are interested in researching their family history, with over 160 educational sessions on records, strategies, and tools for genealogists at all levels. The exhibit hall features over 70 vendors offering a wide range of genealogical products and is open and free to the public.

Luncheons, workshops and special events provide additional opportunities for networking and learning. Make sure the get your tickets to these conference “extras” early to guarantee your spot.

See you in Fort Wayne in August!

Learn More and Stay Connected

• Visit or subscribe to the FGS Conference Blog at http://www.fgsconferenceblog.org.
• Like the conference on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/FGSconference.
• Follow the conference on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/FGSconference and hashtag #FGS2013.
• Visit Fort Wayne at http://www.visitfortwayne.com/FGS.

About the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS)

The Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) was founded in 1976 and represents the members of hundreds of genealogical societies. FGS links the genealogical community by helping genealogical societies strengthen and grow through resources available online, FGS Forum magazine (filled with articles pertaining to society management and genealogical news), and Society Strategy Series papers, covering topics about effectively operating a genealogical society. FGS also links the genealogical community through its annual conference -- four days of excellent lectures, including one full day devoted to society management topics. To learn more visithttp://www.fgs.org.

Friday Finds – 06/07/13

Weekly column sharing genealogy-related things I’ve found.

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New-to-Me Blogs

• Moments in Time, A Genealogy Blog, Diana Quinn
• Denise Digs Roots, Denise Hibsch Richmond
• Madden Moments, Cath Madden Trindle
• Trindle Travels Thru Time, Cath Madden Trindle
• Digging Up the Dirt on My Dead People, April

Online Articles

• Betty’s Tips for Beginning Genealogists, Betty’s Boneyard Genealogy Blog
• Important Changes to Historypin Terms & Conditions, Historypin Blog
• Five Reasons to Attend a Genealogical Institute, The Turning of Generations
• Simplifying You Online Genealogy Life, The We Tree Genealogy Blog
• Tombstone Tuesday, Clues from a Cemetery Plot Card, Nutfield, Genealogy
• A Little Bit of Luck Mixed with Lots of Hard Work, No Hoof Left Behind
• Pinterest: Pinning Your History, Your Story Coach [This is a really neat idea that I may just have to implement!]
• Confession of an Online Genealogist, West In New England

Website & Resources

• The United Church of Canada Archives – Description of holdings, research guides, and virtual exhibits. [Thanks, Gena!]

Upcoming FREE Webinars

Date / Time	Webinar / Presenter / Host
6/11 8 PM Central	The Research Calendar: A Resource You Cannot Live Without Luana Darby Illinois State Genealogical Society
6/12 1 PM Central	Get What You Came For: New Search Options Let You Target Obituaries, Photos, Passenger Lists, Births, Marriages, and More Tom Kemp Legacy Family Tree
6/14 1 PM Central	Next Exit: Your New Jersey Ancestors Thomas MacEntee Legacy Family Tree
6/17 7 PM Central	Research at the Atlanta History Center Sue VerHeof Georgia Genealogical Society
6/18 7 PM Central	The Area Research Network Josh Ranger Wisconsin State Genealogical Society
6/19 8 PM Central	Interest in Pinterest: Pinning Your Family History Valerie Elkins Southern California Genealogical Society
6/20 8 PM Central	Finding Your Family Stories Valerie Elkins Utah Genealogical Association
6/26 1 PM Central	How Knowing the Law Makes Us Better Genealogists Judy G. Russell Legacy Family Tree