Category Archives: General Genealogy

BGS Meeting — April 27, 2013 — Using the Alabama State Loose Records Database/Index on the Web

The Birmingham Genealogical Society meets the fourth Saturday of each month (ex. Nov. & Dec.) at the Downtown Birmingham Public Library. Guests are always welcome!

Next meeting: Saturday, April 27th at 2 p.m.;Board Meeting at 1:00 p.m.

Meeting Room: Arrington Auditorium, 4th Floor, Linn-Henley Building

Speaker: Jim Anderson

Program Topic: Using the Alabama State Loose Records Database/Index on the Web

Please join us as Jim Anderson, current Webmaster and Treasurer, Alabama Genealogical Society(and BGS member) presents “Using the Alabama State Loose Records Database/Index on the Web.”

Jim is the database architect for the AGS Loose Records web index that gives searchable access to over fifty thousand names culled from archival records of Alabama probate courts – the subject of which is his presentation today. With a degree in Film and TV production his early career was producing programs for the military, and later, the Alabama ETV (now APTV) network.  Following work in medical television at UAB, Jim moved into sales of AV and video equipment, and computers.  After owning and managing an Apple dealership for fourteen years Jim retired to pursue his family history research while working in a theatre troupe bringing performances to seniors in retirement homes throughout Jefferson County.

Jim has previously made two extremely interesting presentations to BGS: First, the recounting of a murder in Shelby County and it’s connection with a prominent Birmingham business man, and second,  an analysis of the question of who is buried on the Birmingham Country Club golf course.

Public Closure of the GA State Archives Effective November 1, 2012

Press Release from Georgia Secretary of State:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 13, 2012

Statement from Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp on Public Closure of the State Archives Effective November 1, 2012
The Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget has instructed the Office of the Secretary of State to further reduce its budget for AFY13 and FY14 by 3% ($732,626). As it has been for the past two years, these cuts do not eliminate excess in the agency, but require the agency to further reduce services to the citizens of Georgia. As an agency that returns over three times what is appropriated back to the general fund, budget cuts present very challenging decisions. We have tried to protect the services that the agency provides in support of putting people to work, starting small businesses, and providing public safety.

To meet the required cuts, it is with great remorse that I have to announce, effective November 1, 2012, the Georgia State Archives located in Morrow, GA will be closed to the public. The decision to reduce public access to the historical records of this state was not arrived at without great consternation. To my knowledge, Georgia will be the only state in the country that will not have a central location in which the public can visit to research and review the historical records of their government and state. The staff that currently works to catalog, restore, and provide reference to the state of Georgia’s permanent historical records will be reduced. The employees that will be let go through this process are assets to the state of Georgia and will be missed.

After November 1st, the public will only be allowed to access the building by appointment; however, the number of appointments could be limited based on the schedule of the remaining employees.
Since FY08, the Office of the Secretary of State has been required to absorb many budget reductions, often above the minimum, while being responsible for more work. I believe that transparency and open access to records are necessary for the public to educate themselves on the issues of our government. I will fight during this legislative session to have this cut restored so the people will have a place to meet, research, and review the historical records of Georgia.

Jared S. Thomas
Press Secretary
Brian P. Kemp, Secretary of State
214 State Capitol
Atlanta, GA 30330
404-656-4269 phone
404-656-0513 fax

FGS Conferences Continues Today in Birmingham

Please come by and see us in the Exhibit Hall (East Exhibit Hall at the BJCC).  You do not have to be a registered conference participant to access the Exhibit Hall.  The vendors and societies participating are numerous… and LOTS of special “conference only” deals from the vendors (book vendors, software vendors, genealogical websites).  This is the last day of FGS 2012 and the Exhibit Hall will be open until 3pm.

Hope to see you there!

http://www.fgsconferenceblog.org/

News from Ancestry.com — All Censuses FREE this Weekend!

From Ancestry.com:

Search all U.S. Censuses free
From August 29th through September 3rd, Ancestry.com is opening all of its U.S. census records (1790 – 1940)  – FREE.  Go to www.ancestry.com/census to learn more and start searching.

Take a trip back in time
Go beyond searching your family’s true story in the census records and see what your own life could have been like as an adult in 1940 with the Ancestry.com Time Machine. Our interactive, time-travel experience requires just a handful of information provided by you. And in return, you get a custom video featuring YOU in 1940. While it’s not genealogy, it is high-tech fun. Create your own video and share it with your friends and family. And encourage them to create their own at www.ancestry.com/TimeMachine.

Legacy Family Tree FREE Webinar — Building a Family Tree from Circumstantial Evidence — 29 August 2012

Legacy Family Tree Webinars are offered by Millenia Corporation, makers of the family tree software, Legacy Family Tree.  The next FREE webinar is August 29, 2012 given by Judy G. Russell, CG, on “Building a Family Tree from Circumstantial Evidence.”  You can register for the webinar here.  I recommend registering even if the time is not convenient as the webinars are available as FREE recorded sessions after the live event for several days.

Other upcoming and previously recorded webinars can be found here.

1940 U.S. Census Community Project Complete!!

Our friends at FamilySearch announced last night that the indexing and arbitration of the 1940 U.S. Census is now complete!  It will take a few weeks for all the remaining states to come online, but when it is done we will have (2) independent indexes for the 1940 Census– Ancestry.com and the Familysearch.org (shared by many other sites).  (Maybe when the all states come online from the FamilySearch indexing project  I will finally find my grandfather’s brothers!)

Don’t despair if you are sad that there are no records to index.  Familysearch.org is starting another “Community Project” — the US Immigration & Naturalization Community Project. This project will index passenger lists from all the major US ports, so there will be something in this project for everyone. Just look for the “US (Community Project)” label on all record sets belonging to this new project.

Read the full news release here from FamilySearch.org.

I would personally like to say “THANK YOU” to all the contributors who supported the Birmingham Genealogical Society in the 1940 U.S. Census Community Project.  I hope we can continue to index as a group supporting the other “Community Projects.”  I will post the “final” statistics of the records indexed and arbitrated for the group during the 1940 Census project later on the BGS Facebook page.  If you would like to join the group and index other Community Projects, you can find details on how to join and get started here.

1940 Census Index Complete at Ancestry.com

From Ancestry.com:

It’s DONE!!!!

Last night, we added the final states and territories to our 1940 U.S. Census index. Now you can search for anyone in the United States by name in the 1940 U.S. Census on Ancestry.com—regardless of which state or territory they lived in.

More census news

While we were busy adding our 1940 Census index, we also added a new feature to certain census records on Ancestry.com—highlighted fields complete with transcriptions making it easier than ever to see exactly who you’re looking at and follow answers across a page. Currently, this feature is available only on the 1940 and 1930 U.S. Censuses and the 1911 UK census but look for it elsewhere on the site in the not-too-distant future.

Up next…

We’ll have more census news for you coming soon as well as details about other soon-to-launch historical records and features on Ancestry.com. But for now, stop reading. And start searching!

BPL Event — June 25, 2012 — Birmingham Public Library Explores Michelle Obama’s Inspiring Family History

From Our Friends at the Birmingham Public Library:

Press Release

Birmingham Public Library Explores Michelle Obama’s Inspiring Family History

Birmingham, Alabama—Birmingham Bound presents author Rachel L. Swarns discussing her book American Tapestry: The Story of the Black, White, and Multiracial Ancestors of Michelle Obama. The event will be held on Monday, June 25 at 6:30 p.m. in the Richard Arrington, Jr. Auditorium at the Central Library located at 2100 Park Place. A remarkable history of First Lady Michelle Obama’s mixed ancestry, American Tapestry by Rachel L. Swarns is nothing less than a breathtaking and expansive portrait of America itself. In this extraordinary feat of genealogical research—in the tradition of The Hemmingses of Monticello and Slaves in the Family—author Swarns, a respected Washington-based reporter for the New York Times, tells the fascinating and hitherto untold story of Ms. Obama’s black, white, and multiracial ancestors; a history that the First Lady herself did not know.  At once epic, provocative, and inspiring, American Tapestry is more than a true family saga; it is an illuminating mirror in which we may all see ourselves.

The Birmingham Public Library will be one of the first stops on Rachel Swarns’ national book tour, which includes signings at the New York Public Library’s Schomburg Center, Politics and Prose Bookstore in Washington, D.C., and the National Archives in Washington, D.C.

Rachel L. Swarns has been a reporter for the New York Times since 1995. She has written about domestic policy and national politics, reporting on immigration, the presidential campaigns of 2004 and 2008, and First Lady Michelle Obama and her role in the Obama White House. She has also worked overseas for the New York Times, reporting from Russia, Cuba, and southern Africa, where she served as the Johannesburg bureau chief. She lives in Washington, D.C. with her husband and two children.

Books will be available for purchase and signing.

The Birmingham Bound lecture series highlights authors who researched their books in the Birmingham Public Library Archives.