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Edgewood New Mexico FamilySearch Center/Class Notes: Difference between revisions
Edgewood New Mexico FamilySearch Center/Class Notes (view source)
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=== How to Navigate ''RootsTech'' (February 23rd) === | === How to Navigate ''RootsTech'' (February 23rd) === | ||
Marjorie Kraus spoke to a group of eighteen attendees including eight participating via ''Zoom'' about ''RootsTech 2022'', an online conference hosted by ''FamilySearch'' that is a collection of over 1000 presentations/sessions about genealogy-related topics, all available online and on demand. | Marjorie Kraus spoke to a group of eighteen attendees including eight participating via ''Zoom'' about ''[https://www.familysearch.org/rootstech/home RootsTech 2022]'', an online conference hosted by ''FamilySearch'' that is a collection of over 1000 presentations/sessions about genealogy-related topics, all available online and on demand. | ||
After a quick overview, Kraus demonstrated an interesting feature where you can find out if anyone related to you is registered. What a great way to possibly find more branches on your family tree. She also pointed out that there were over 165,000 people registered for ''RootsTech'' from all over the world. She also said that while you are browsing what is available, you can add interesting classes to a Playlist so you can go back later and watch them. This is especially nice since there are always three years' worth of ''RootsTech'' classes available, and it is easy to lose track if you don't have a playlist. To see presentations from previous years of ''RootsTech'', do an Internet search on "2021 RootsTech" and "2020 RootsTech". | After a quick overview, Kraus demonstrated an interesting feature where you can find out if anyone related to you is registered. What a great way to possibly find more branches on your family tree. She also pointed out that there were over 165,000 people registered for ''RootsTech'' from all over the world. She also said that while you are browsing what is available, you can add interesting classes to a Playlist so you can go back later and watch them. This is especially nice since there are always three years' worth of ''RootsTech'' classes available, and it is easy to lose track if you don't have a playlist. To see presentations from previous years of ''RootsTech'', do an Internet search on "2021 RootsTech" and "2020 RootsTech". | ||
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Fred Turner presented an interesting class on U.S. Censuses to a group of ten attendees including five participating via ''Zoom''. | Fred Turner presented an interesting class on U.S. Censuses to a group of ten attendees including five participating via ''Zoom''. | ||
An important point about censuses is that each one had different questions, so it is important to look at every census to get all the possible information about a family. Before the 1800 census, there was no standard format—only a list of fields. Beginning with the 1800 census, Turner recommended that you print out the blank forms for every census which you can get from www.archives.gov. This will let you see the different questions that were asked as well as help you keep track of what a particular column is if you have scrolled down the page too far to see the column headings. He gave an overview of how the questions have changed over the years. For example, censuses from around the time of the Civil War had questions about slaves owned. From 1790 to 1840, only the name of the head of household was listed. In 1850, names of all people present were recorded. By 1880 the family’s physical address was listed. Regarding the 1890 census, www.census.gov states “Most of the 1890 census’ population schedules were badly damaged by a fire in the Commerce Department Building in January 1921.” In 1940, two random individuals per page were asked a lot of supplementary questions. Also, there used to be separate schedules for veterans with an incredible amount of information on them. | An important point about censuses is that each one had different questions, so it is important to look at every census to get all the possible information about a family. Before the 1800 census, there was no standard format—only a list of fields. Beginning with the 1800 census, Turner recommended that you print out the blank forms for every census which you can get from [https://www.archives.gov/ www.archives.gov]. This will let you see the different questions that were asked as well as help you keep track of what a particular column is if you have scrolled down the page too far to see the column headings. He gave an overview of how the questions have changed over the years. For example, censuses from around the time of the Civil War had questions about slaves owned. From 1790 to 1840, only the name of the head of household was listed. In 1850, names of all people present were recorded. By 1880 the family’s physical address was listed. Regarding the 1890 census, [https://www.census.gov/ www.census.gov] states “Most of the 1890 census’ population schedules were badly damaged by a fire in the Commerce Department Building in January 1921.” In 1940, two random individuals per page were asked a lot of supplementary questions. Also, there used to be separate schedules for veterans with an incredible amount of information on them. | ||
Some general tips: look at the person completing the census, known as the enumerator, because they could be a relative; enumerators originally from Britain labeled all people in school as scholars without differentiating college students from primary or secondary school students; some people from Britain “barred” the letter “T,” causing transcribers to record it is an “F.” | Some general tips: look at the person completing the census, known as the enumerator, because they could be a relative; enumerators originally from Britain labeled all people in school as scholars without differentiating college students from primary or secondary school students; some people from Britain “barred” the letter “T,” causing transcribers to record it is an “F.” | ||
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Robinson jumped right into an example. She was helping someone who was trying to find more information on a woman. They had a photograph of her with her first husband, and their names were on the back. They also knew the woman’s maiden name and that she may have died in Utah. After much fruitless searching in ''FamilySearch'', Robinson tried searching her husband and found lots of information. In the husband’s obituary, his first wife’s name was listed with a different first name and her new married name. They searched on this name and still could find nothing. Then Melva Jenkins thought that the woman was young enough to have died recently, so now they tried a ''Google'' search with the woman’s latest name along with “obituary Utah”. BINGO, they found her obituary which listed her parents with the name that matched her maiden name and some of her children’s last names that matched her first husband’s name. It turns out that after she was divorced, she stopped going by her middle name and switched to her first name. So Robinson suggests switching first and middle names in searches if you are having trouble locating someone. | Robinson jumped right into an example. She was helping someone who was trying to find more information on a woman. They had a photograph of her with her first husband, and their names were on the back. They also knew the woman’s maiden name and that she may have died in Utah. After much fruitless searching in ''FamilySearch'', Robinson tried searching her husband and found lots of information. In the husband’s obituary, his first wife’s name was listed with a different first name and her new married name. They searched on this name and still could find nothing. Then Melva Jenkins thought that the woman was young enough to have died recently, so now they tried a ''Google'' search with the woman’s latest name along with “obituary Utah”. BINGO, they found her obituary which listed her parents with the name that matched her maiden name and some of her children’s last names that matched her first husband’s name. It turns out that after she was divorced, she stopped going by her middle name and switched to her first name. So Robinson suggests switching first and middle names in searches if you are having trouble locating someone. | ||
The rest of the class included examples of different ways to use ''Google'', including how to place quotes and parentheses around words and the use of “OR” and “AND” to selectively search. Her | The rest of the class included examples of different ways to use ''Google'', including how to place quotes and parentheses around words and the use of “OR” and “AND” to selectively search. Her handout includes articles that explain in detail how to do this along with many other helpful tips. Robinson also pointed out that there are other ''Google'' classifications to search. We are probably used to just searching ''All'', but to narrow your search, try searching under ''Images'', ''Books'', ''News'', ''Videos'', and ''Maps''. ''Books'' include any book that has been uploaded. For example, ''Books'' include phone directories, and the book ''The Appraisal Journal'' lists appraisals of estates and can lead to a will. ''Maps'' may include property records. You can also click on ''Tools'', and under ''Any time'' you can select a different time range. You can also set up a ''Google Alert'' where you will be emailed anytime something is uploaded that meets your parameters. | ||
Robinson also mentioned that she is currently digitizing the Hanlon-Harris cemetery records which will be a significant addition to searches for us East Mountain folks. | Robinson also mentioned that she is currently digitizing the Hanlon-Harris cemetery records which will be a significant addition to searches for us East Mountain folks. | ||