Archive for the ‘West Virginia genealogy’ Category

Internet Archive features sources for genealogists

Friday, May 16th, 2008

Earlier this year I read that a number of B Horror Movies were available on the Internet Archive.

For those of you who don’t know, the Internet Archive is a non-profit organization that offers free and permanent access to historical collections in digital format.

I love those old B Horror Movies, so I checked out the site and was pleased to see a number of movies that I had enjoyed years ago now available for free online.

But what does this have to do with stuff about genealogy?

After checking out the movies and classic television programs, I ran a search on the Internet Archive for “genealogy” and found that the site also has much of interest to family historians.

Among its texts (books), audio and video files, software, and archived web pages are family histories, county histories, and podcasts (audio files) focusing on “how-to” techniques and other information about genealogy research.

For example, when searching on the term “genealogy” in the “text” area the more than 1,500 returns include family histories, such as William Bird Wylie’s Bird Genealogy (1903) or Helen Morrill Guilford’s Guilford Genealogy (1918).

There are county and state histories, such as Myers’ History of West Virginia (1915) or Oren Frederic Morton’s A History of Preston County, West Virginia (1914).

Among the audio files are several podcasts of DearMYRTLE’s Family History Hour, such as the one from 20 June 2006 that focuses on www.Genline.com, the premier website for Swedish Church Records.

Books and maps can be viewed online or downloaded for later use; similarly, podcasts and videos can be used online or downloaded.

So whether you’re looking for B Horror movies or digital books or something else entirely, check out the Internet Archive.

You might be surprised at what you find.

Posted in West Virginia genealogy, genealogy research tips | No Comments »

State Archives, Libraries Provide Digital Treasures

Saturday, April 12th, 2008

I started researching my family history in the 1980s.

I remember how long it seemed to take to order a copy of a vital record. First, you had to request the form to use to order a copy of the record. Then you sent in the form, with your check, and waited weeks – in some cases months – to get the copy of your record.

That’s, of course, assuming that you had the right name, date, and place for the event.

Sometimes a request for a record search yielded no results. And, then you started over with another request. Another check. And another wait.

Today, a similar search can take minutes on the Internet, thanks to the efforts of various state archives, libraries, societies, and other organizations. In many cases, access to the digital records is free.

It’s truly amazing.

This week, for example, I found the death record for my great-grandfather, who died in 1927 in Georgia. In the 1980s, it took weeks for me to get a paper copy through the mail. This week it took minutes to find the same record on the Georgia Archives’ Virtual Vault.

Not only does Georgia’s Vault have death certificates for 1919-1927, it also has Confederate Pension Applications, maps, postcards, and a number of other documents.

Digital treasures – vital records, census records, and more – can be found on many web sites sponsored by state archives and libraries

The Library of Michigan, for example, has the state’s entire 1870 Federal Census – images and index.

Pennsylvania’s State Archives has marriage records, 1885-1891, among its digital documents.

West Virginia’s Archives has birth, death, and marriage records for a number of years and counties.

I’d encourage you to explore your states of interest to discover your own digital treasures.

Posted in Georgia genealogy, Michigan genealogy, West Virginia genealogy, genealogy research tips | No Comments »

Born on General Lee’s Plantation? Say What?

Friday, March 7th, 2008

According to her obituary, my elusive Swedish great-grandmother, Celia Marie STEFFENSON, was born on 26 Feb. 1877 “on General Lee’s plantation in West Virginia.”

I’ve often puzzled over that.

Of course, obituaries are only as reliable as the person giving the information for the obituary, the reporter writing the obituary, and/or the editor editing them. So the obituary could be in error.

But, there was a family story that Celia was a “hillbilly,” and various genealogy sources claim she was born in West Virginia or Virginia. But born on General Lee’s plantation? Did he even have a plantation in West Virginia?

But wait, I’m thinking of the famous General Robert E. Lee from the Civil War. Maybe the obituary meant another General Lee. But if so, who? And why was it noted in the obituary?

I do know that Celia’s father, Swan STEFFENSON, worked in the lumber industry in the late 19th and early 20th centuries when the family lived in Ludington, Mason County, Michigan.

I also know from Celia’s mom’s obituary that some time between 1873 and 1883, Celia’s parents twice “returned to Sweden, thinking to remain there, but finally returned to America as the land of their permanent choice.”

It wasn’t unusual for labor agents to recruit Europeans arriving in America to work in the lumber industry in West Virginia. This was close to the timeframe of Celia’s birth, so it’s possible this Swedish family was recruited to work in West Virginia. That may be why my Swedish great-grandmother was born in West Virginia.

But born on General Lee’s plantation? Any thoughts?

Posted in Michigan genealogy, Steffenson genealogy, West Virginia genealogy | 1 Comment »

Welcome to Genealogy Stuff

Sunday, February 17th, 2008

So what is genealogy stuff?

It’s “stuff” about genealogy.

Stuff about my personal family history.

Stuff about genealogy research in my areas of interest — primarily Michigan and many of the southern states, including West Virginia, Virginia, and Georgia. Oh yes, and Ontario, too.

It won’t be worthless or foolish ideas and writing, the way the dictionary defines the word “stuff,” but hopefully it will be stuff that will assist you from time to time with your family history research.

In turn, I hope that you also may be able to assist me.

Welcome to GenealogyStuff. Let our journey begin.

Posted in Georgia genealogy, Michigan genealogy, Ontario genealogy, Virginia genealogy, West Virginia genealogy | No Comments »