July 26, 2008 BGS Meeting - Genealogical Research on the Freeman Family

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

Next meeting: Saturday, July 26th at 2 p.m. Refreshments at 1:30 p.m.

Speaker: J. D. Weeks, author, historian and genealogist

Program Topic: Genealogical Research on the Freeman Family

Details: www.birminghamgenealogy.org or BPL-Southern History Dept. at (205) 226-3665

Local genealogist, historian and author J.D. Weeks of Gardendale will discuss Genealogical Research on the Freeman Family. An avid postcard collector, Mr. Weeks has published Birmingham: A Postcard Tour (1999) and Birmingham: Then and Now (2007).

June 28, 2008 BGS Meeting - Old School Scrapbooking

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

Next meeting: Saturday, June 28th at 2 p.m. Refreshments at 1:30 p.m.

Speaker: Kelsey Bates, Assistant Archivist, Birmingham Public Library

Program Topic: Old School Scrapbooking

Details: www.birminghamgenealogy.org or BPL-Southern History Dept. at (205) 226-3665

From Victorian era school girls to a county coroner with an interest in grisly murders, Birminghamians often saved mementos in scrapbooks. Many of these late 19th and early 20th-century scrapbooks are preserved in the Birmingham Public Library Archives. This talk explores scrapbook keeping and keepsakes–visiting cards, photographs, letters, poems, theater programs, paper dolls, newspaper clippings–that people treasured and saved.

Also check out the Birmingham Public Library’s Digital Archives online.

Union Hill Cemetery Story to Run on Local NBC TV Station

NBC13 will air a story on Union HIll Cemetery today (11 June 2008) on Union Hill Cemetery. There is also a news story on the website here.

Tannehill slave quarters archaeological dig continues

Link to a Tuscaloosa News article on the 2008 archaeological dig at Tannehill State Park. Photos and video are included.

Tannehill Article

Link to last year’s blog post and news article can be found here.

Alabama Methodist Church Records

Laurel Baty shared the following information with the Jefferson County Rootsweb E-mail List. She was kind to grant permission to me to share on the blog.

An index to “Memorial Sketches of the Lives and Labors of the deceased Members of the North Alabama Conference, 1870 -1912″ by W. T. Andrews can be found on the webpage of Birmingham Southern College Library, under Special Collections:

Index to Memorial Sketches of the Lives and Labors of the deceased Members of the NAC

There is also an index to Memorials of Methodist Ministers who died in the North AL Conference from 1870 - 2003:

Index to Memorials of Methodist Ministers who died in the NAC from 1870-2003

There is an inventory of Methodist Church records held at Birmingham Southern:

Inventory of Methodist Church Records Held at Birmingham Southern

Visit the Special Collections, North Alabama Conference UMC Archives page for links to all resources:

North Alabama Conference UMC Archives page

Walking Tour of the Lister Hill Library on May 24th

The Birmingham Genealogical Society will take a Walking Tour of the Lister Hill Library of the Health Sciences and Alabama Museum of Health Sciences at the University of Alabama in Birmingham on Saturday, May 24th at 1:00 pm.

The Lister Hill Library of the Health Sciences, established in 1945, is the largest biomedical library in Alabama and one of the leading such libraries in the South. It serves as a Resource Library in the National Network of Libraries of Medicine for the Southeast/Atlantic region. Its collections span seven centuries of knowledge beginning with the 30 incunabula within the thirteen thousand old and rare books to approximately 1500 current print journal subscriptions and thousands of electronic subscriptions through both individual publisher arrangements, aggregated packages, and consortial agreements. The volumes of books, bound journals, microforms, and other media currently held total approximately 350,000 volumes. The Alabama Museum of the Health Sciences, at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, is dedicated to the preservation and display of equipment, instruments, and objects that represent the history and development of the health sciences in the areas of education, research, and practice in the United States with special emphasis on the state of Alabama and its contributors to the practice of medicine. The scope of the collection includes, but is not limited to the following fields: medicine, nursing, ophthalmology, dentistry, public health, and allied health.

Our walking tour will be led by Michael A. Flannery, Professor and Associate Director for Historical Collections at Lister Hill Library, University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Lister Hill Library is located at 1700 University Blvd on the UAB campus. If you are driving north, take I-65 to 8th Ave South exit (Exit #259). The library is on the left side of the road between the 4th and 5th lights. If you are driving south, take I-65 South to the 4th Ave South exit (Exit #259-B). Turn right on 14th Street. Turn left on University Blvd (8th Ave) at UAB’s Hill University Center. The Library is on the left side of the road before the next major traffic light (18th Street). For more detailed information about directions and parking, visit the website.

Please join us on Saturday, May 24th at 1:00 pm and don’t forget to wear your walking shoes!

April 26, 2008 - “Birmingham Rails” and the History of Birmingham Railroads

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

Next meeting: Saturday, April 26th at 2 p.m. Refreshments at 1:30 p.m.

Speaker: Marvin Clemons, Co-author of “Birmingham Rails “

Program Topic: History of Birmingham Railroads

Details: www.birminghamgenealogy.org or BPL-Southern History Dept. at (205) 226-3665

Marvin Clemons and Lyle Key have published a new book called “Birmingham Rails“. It consists of 280 pages of historical narrative, entertaining personal essays, detailed maps, and richly detailed color and black & white photos, many published for the first time.

Mr. Clemons is our guest speaker and will present a program about the history of Birmingham Railroads. He will have slides to show and he will give a wonderful presentation that will entertain everyone.

Note: Mr. Clemons was originally scheduled to speak at our January 2008 meeting, but had to cancel at the last minute due to unforeseen circumstances.

Footprint on the Sky: Memories of a Chandler Mountain Spring

The Ladies Preservation Guild (West Jefferson County Historical Society) will sponsor a one woman act, “Footprint on the Sky: Memories of a Chandler Mountain Spring“, performed by Dolores Hydock on May 4, 2008 at 2 p.m. at the Pleasant Hill United Methodist Church, 4809 Bell Hill Road, Bessemer AL 35022 (Across from McAdory School). Admission is Free and the performance is open to the public. Contact Louise Tommie @ 428-9652 for details.

Bonnets, bow-tie quilts, poke salad, tomato stakes, the recipe for Scripture Cake, and an old-timey cure for hiccups – they’re all part of this funny and touching portrait of an Alabama mountain community in the 1970’s. Story performer and writer Dolores Hydock brings the spirit and voices of special mountain friends to life in this story of strong women, Southern hospitality, and the generous spirit of a close-knit community.

About the speaker:

Dolores Hydock is an award-winning actress and storyteller, whose work has been featured at the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, Tennessee, and other concerts, festivals, and special events throughout the United States. Her six CDs of original stories have all received awards from Storytelling World Magazine for excellence in storytelling.

Dolores is originally from Reading (pronounced RED-ding), Pennsylvania, home of the Reading Railroad and Luden’s Cough Drops. She moved to Birmingham in 1974.

Note: The Birmingham Genealogical Society has no affiliation with the above group. We are posting as a service to our members and others who might be interesting in attending the event.

GenealogyBank.com Adds Early Birmingham Age-Herald newspaper

I have mentioned GenealogyBank.com in the past on this blog. Newspapers are in my top (3) of favorite sources of family history information (the 1st two being vital records and census data).

I was ecstatic Sunday evening when quite by chance I discovered that they had added turn of the 20th century issues of the Birmingham Age-Herald to the site. Previously they had the Labor Advocate (Birmingham) and Montgomery Advertiser for this time frame. The Montgomery Advertiser is quite useful because they carry news from all over the State of Alabama.

You can view all of the newspapers they have available here. Check back often as they add new resources every month.

GenealogyBank.com is a subscription site, but one even I on my limited genealogy budget feel is well worth it - if just for the obituary database (1977-current). Currently they are offering a 30 day trial for $9.95.

Fields Cemetery Dedication set for May

Fields Cemetery Dedication

Fields Cemetery

Brookside, Alabama

Sunday, May 25th, 2008

2 pm

Come enjoy the rededication with a full rededication program.

Then join us for a Fields Family reunion immediately following at the Pavilion at Brookside Ballpark. Bring your pictures, stories, and family trees to share.

FYI: Its Memorial day weekend so plan ahead

Contact Claudia Kraemer for additional information.

Note: The Birmingham Genealogical Society has no affiliation with the above group. We are posting as a service to our members and others who might be interesting in attending the dedication service.